Our homeschool language arts program when the kids were young included, phonics/spelling, sight words, reading practice, and starting in third grade, a basic grammar workbook that included writing exercises.
A homeschool language arts program should balance between teaching kids how to read, spell, and write with practice reading great literature!
As the kids got older, even our kids with dyslexia were able to read books independently, so our language arts focus changed just slightly. Once the kids hit about fifth grade, we did vocabulary/spelling, fiction literature, nonfiction books for research, paragraph and essay writing assignments, and a continued grammar workbook.
From this age on, the expectation was to complete at least one read-aloud book together as a family each month. Since we mainly had a relaxed, eclectic homeschool approach, occasionally one of the kids would do a book report or project. Most of the time, they just told me about the book (narrated Charlotte Mason style). My main objective was to see if they could identify the literary elements and devices.
In the homeschool world, fiction books that inspire kids to love reading are often called “living books.” Living books tend to motivate kids way more than trendy “junk reads.”
In our homeschool, each kid was to read at least one chapter book at their choice of independent reading level each month, totaling 9 books or more each year. Every kid always surpassed that expectation – even my kids with dyslexia!
We did Book It, a reading incentive program sponsored by Pizza Hut for a few years. I kept a list of the books they read each month.
Eventually, the kids got tired of pizza as their monthly reading reward, so we changed to each of the kids taking turns picking where they wanted to eat out to celebrate reading. As we enjoyed family time at a restaurant, we talked about the books we read and which ones we would recommend and which ones we didn’t like.
Tips for nurturing life-long readers:
- Read aloud to your kids from a very young age.
- Have books available to your kids in places where they are invited to choose ones they want to read.
- Parents should model independent reading at times and places where their kids see them reading.
- External motivators are most effective when they involve interaction with parents and the family.
Of course, as parents, we are avid readers, so we all had books to talk about at our monthly book celebration dinner. We have such great memories of those book celebrations!
Since we mainly had a relaxed, eclectic homeschool approach, occasionally one of the kids would do a book report or project. Most of the time, they just told me about the book (narrated Charlotte Mason style). My main objective was to see if they could identify the literary elements and devices.
Here’s a free graphic organizer of the literary elements and devices!
I did not follow this list exactly for their independent reading since the kids were free to pick and choose books from any level that seemed interesting to them. I like having a graded list to help me know where my kids interest and reading levels are. I also like to know that books on my list are available in various formats like ebooks and audiobooks!
My grade 5 reading list is carefully selected to include books from various genres that really appeal to tweens! My list includes reads from both secular and Christian worldviews. I have marked books with Christian content with an asterisk *. All of the books in my list are beloved by both boys and girls, but some books may appeal to your students more than other titles. That is why I like long lists to pick from. I hope you find some that your kids enjoy!
Here is my reading list for 5th graders:
- A Basket of Flowers (Lamplighter) *
- A Father’s Promise (Journey Forth Books) *
- A Little Princess
- A Place for Peter (Journey Forth Books) *
- A Ram for Isaac (Journey Forth Books) *
- A Wrinkle in Time
- Across Five Aprils
- Adam of the Road
- Amos Fortune, Free Man
- Because of Winn Dixie
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Bud, Not Buddy
- Buried in the Snow (Lamplighter)
- Caddie Woodlawn
- Calico Bush
- Calico Captive
- Call It Courage
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Chronicles of Narnia
- Crispin
- David Macauley books
- Elsie Dinsmore Series
- Esperanza Rising
- Fever 1793
- Floors
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
- Great Illustrated Classics (many titles)
- Harriet the Spy
- Hatchet
- Holes
- Holling C. Holling books
- I Survived Series
- In Grandma’s Attic
- Inside Out and Back Again
- Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
- Island of the Blue Dolphins
- Johnny Tremain
- Julie of the Wolves Series
- Just So Stories by Kipling
- Kiriath’s Quest (Journey Forth Books) *
- Lily’s Crossing
- M. C. Higgins the Great
- Mandie Series
- Maniac Magee
- Matt Christopher Sports Series
- Medallion Series (Journey Forth Books) *
- Mik Shrok (Journey Forth Books) *
- Miracles on Maple Hill
- Mr. Lincoln’s Drummer
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
- My Brother Sam is Dead
- My Side of the Mountain Series
- National Park Mystery Series
- Number the Stars
- One and Only Ivan
- Out of the Dust
- Peace Maker, by Bruchac
- Percy Jackson Series
- Rifles for Watie
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
- Ruby Holler
- Shiloh
- Sign of the Beaver
- Sing Down the Moon
- Slave Dancer
- Sounder
- Streams to the River, River to the Sea
- Tale of Despereaux
- Taste of Blackberries
- The Big Wave
- The Black Pearl, by Scott O’Dell
- The Captive (Lamplighter) *
- The Cay
- The Education of Little Tree
- The Endless Steppe
- The Golden Fleece
- The Great Wheel
- The Great Turkey Walk
- The Incredible Journey
- The Indian in the Cupboard
- The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
- The Lost Prince
- The Menagerie Series, by Tui T. Sutherland
- The Mighty Miss Malone
- The Minstrel in the Tower
- The Never-ending Story
- The Phantom Tollbooth
- The Prydain Chronicles, by Lloyd Alexander
- The Secret Garden
- The Tiger Rising
- The War That Saved My Life
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Series
- The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
- Toliver’s Secret
- Tuck Everlasting
- Tucket’s Series
- When the Sea Turned to Silver
- Wings of Fire Series
- YWAM Christian Heroes Series *
