Language Arts

Targeted areas covered: Adverb, Adjective & Noun Clauses, Gerund, Participial & Infinitive Verbals. Gerund, Participial, Infinitive, Prepositional & Appositive Phrases

Character Italics. These books are set up just like the Getty-Dubay Italic series, but provide additional practice. What makes them really special is that the child practices his penmanship by copying wonderful quotes from wise men and women. There are quotes from George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Charles Spurgeon, the Bible, and much more. Each book provides more than 70 pages of additional practice.

Character Italics. These books are set up just like the Getty-Dubay Italic series, but provide additional practice. What makes them really special is that the child practices his penmanship by copying wonderful quotes from wise men and women. There are quotes from George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Charles Spurgeon, the Bible, and much more. Each book provides more than 70 pages of additional practice.

"Caution: Writing In This Book Might Be Fun!" (Girls version) was written by my daughter and my daughter-in-law. My daughter, Monica, loves to write and desires to pass her sense of enjoyment on to other students. My daughter-in-law, though she doesn't profess to "love" writing, is a wonderful writer. She is, however, one of the most talented, feminine, delightful young ladies you'd ever want to meet. Monica and Rachel teamed up to create a book full of wonderful, girly ideas to write about. Your daughter might actually enjoy creative writing! 

Mention "creative writing" to most typical boys, and they'll run screaming from the house, or play sick, or try to flush their creative writing book down the toilet. However, "Caution: Writing In This Book Might Be Fun!" was written by a boy who really hates creative writing. Stephen, my son, sympathizes with your son's writing struggles and tries to give your son ideas of zany-boy things to write about. Full of bright colors and obnoxious color schemes, writing examples to get the proverbial ball rolling, and crazy ideas (with a few cautionary comments from Mom Kemmerer - er, me), your son might actually enjoy creative writing! 

An Apple a day will help keep your spelling woes at bay! Apples is different than any other spelling program out there, taking into consideration the unique needs of poor spellers. Once a week your student is introduced to a spelling rule (called a clue). He will study that rule for the entire week, applying it in all kinds of spelling situations: puzzles, fill-in-th-blank, complete-the-Bible-verse, etc. Some of the clues break a word down into syllables. 

An Apple a day will help keep your spelling woes at bay! Apples is designed for the older student (junior high or high school) who struggles with spelling. Have you ever felt like taking your older student back to the beginning with phonics - but hesitate to do so because the available phonics books are so....elementary!? 

This groundbreaking new writing series combines time-tested classical techniques—the imitation and analysis of great writers—with original composition exercises in history, science, biography, and literature.

Susan Wise Bauer wrote Writing with Skill for students to begin to work through independently, and the text is written directly to the student. Organized by days, each "step" progressively moves students through the workbook as they move from one day to the next. Covering the basics of composition, outlining, sentence skills, beginning literary criticism of poetry and prose, writing narratives and descriptions, and researching and documenting sources, the course culminates with a final project. Using extensive literary models and step-by-step instructions on the lesson concepts, students will gain the tools needed to write with clarify and confidence.

What a fun way to learn sentence diagramming! Designed for grades 5-12, the Grammar Slammer provides easy instruction for a complicated subject (at least complicated to ME!). Karen Newell, author of Write On! (one of my favorite creative writing programs - see link below),  is a gifted teacher. Your students will find her approach interesting, non-threatening, and friendly. Skills are reinforced with a game (instructions and "cards" included) for one or more students.

This is a wonderful, college-prep literature course designed for high school students. Each book in this series starts with a mini-course in worldview philosophy. This is an important concept, because your child will be taught to analyze literature according to the world view of the author and to compare it to the Christian world view! Brilliant!

This is a wonderful, college-prep literature course designed for high school students. Each book in this series starts with a mini-course in worldview philosophy. This is an important concept, because your child will be taught to analyze literature according to the world view of the author and to compare it to the Christian world view! Brilliant!