Along with teaching your child how to capture their thoughts through writing, there is the matter of writing mechanics such as punctuation, spelling, and word usage. There are many programs that teach Language Arts skills, and a few are multi-sensory in nature. You will want to work with your child on writing content and may want to view recommended programs on our Teaching Writing page.
One favorite of many is **Shurley English. This program has catchy 'jingles' to help children remember rules. The program is thorough, sequential, and provides extensive instruction. Some parents find the program to be too cumbersome, but many who stick with it long-term think it is the best program available.
Our favorites are the books produced by Critical Thinking Company. The Language Mechanic, Punctuation Puzzlers, **Editor-in-Chief are a few of the great series they have available. Visit Critical Thinking's BrightMinds website to see series not available elsewhere. (continued below..)
For spelling, the AVKO Dyslexia & Spelling Foundation has a program called **Sequential Spelling. This program is used successfully by a large number of homeschoolers and is based upon multi-sensory practices. **AVKO has a web page that discusses what makes their program unique as well as providing free examples and information about how the program works. This program is well liked because it fills the needs of children at every grade-level and works at the child's current ability level without providing repetitive instruction after a child has already achieved mastery.
Another good program is **"Spell to Write and Read" by Wanda Sanseri. This program is detailed, inexpensive, and is easily customizable to a child's current level. Wanda has a child with dyslexia and provides a lot of insightful help in regard to teaching a child through her program.