Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level A REVIEW

 We recently had the privilege to review Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level A from Eclectic Foundations.  Level A is geared towards K-1st grade.  I was able to review this with my 4 year old preschooler.  She won't be age eligible in the public school system to start Kindergarten until the fall of 2018 but she is advanced in several areas and she did pretty well with this curriculum.  I said that so you would realize she is underage for this but was still quite able to complete most of the assignments and really enjoyed it!

This curriculum is available in either print or download form.  Their print prices are going up soon so you may want to take advantage of the lower pricing by ordering soon if you choose to try this out. The student workbook is designed to be consumable as are the word cards.  The word cards are also available as a FREE download from their site if you choose to do that.  The print items available are the Teacher's Guide, Student Workbook, and Appendixes and Word Cards (McGuffey Flashcards).  The download version includes each one of the print items.  The program uses McGuffey's Eclectic Primer which is available as a free download and the link is available on their site.

The curriculum is designed to be used four days a week and we used it as suggested. The Teacher's Guide walks you through each short lesson step by step.  It is really a turnkey program that requires no prep work.  I like that!  My little one loved doing her "lessons."  Especially when play doh was involved!!

Letter recognition with play doh

The lessons include reviewing the letters and using wonderful hands on and sensory techniques such as play doh, glue and glitter, drawing in flour, and using pipe cleaners or wax sticks to name a few. I absolutely LOVE the Charlotte Mason way this curriculum works. There are 144 lessons in the program that cover

• reading
• reading comprehension
• spelling
• grammar
• phonics
• handwriting
• poetry

Each lesson also includes a Mother Goose rhyme from the 1916 version.

The Eclectic Primer is not even used until the second half of the program.  Of course my little one isn't reading yet, but as I stated, the beginning lessons are perfect for her and a good review for what she knows and a challenge for what she has yet to learn.

The general format for the lesson is to review the alphabet (sing the alphabet song), work on letter recognition, work on the Start With? Game, and then recite the Mother Goose rhyme at the end. Other lesson include different variations.  Sometimes you will work on word sounds, sometimes "where is the sound" of the letter (beginning, middle, end of word), mazes following the letter or circling the letter in a reading selection. You can easily complete a lesson within 20 minutes if not less depending on what is covered for the day.

Following the letter M maze

Working on tracing and writing the letter M

My little one had a lot of fun with the Start With? Game even though she seemed to have trouble in this area understanding what I was asking.  If a word from the list given to you in the Teacher's Guide "starts with" the letter of the day you are supposed to point to the smiley face.  If it DOES NOT "start with" the letter you are supposed to point to the sad face.

Playing the Start With? Game

We are really enjoying this curriculum and I would definitely recommend you check this out.  They currently only have up through LEVEL C (4th grade) available, but LEVEL D (5th-6th grade) is scheduled to be out April 2017. They list all the way to LEVEL I (9th grade to college) on their website so I am excited that my older one will soon be able to try this out.

You can connect with Eclectic Foundations through their website or on Facebook.

Read other reviews from this level as well as Levels B and C through the link below.