Literature-Based Homeschool Curriculum for Elementary
My son is an avid reader who loves books. But, I’ve noticed that studying great literature in our homeschool makes him less likely to enjoy reading and want to seek out the best books on his own. I have been looking for a literature-based homeschool curriculum that would encourage his passion for reading while also providing a great language arts education. That’s why I’m so glad I discovered Literary Adventures Clubhouse from Hide the Chocolate. This literature-based curriculum uses book clubs and activities based on a variety of great books to inspire learning for elementary and middle school students. Today, I’m excited to share our experiences with this curriculum, and why it might just be the literature-rich approach to homeschooling that you have been looking for.
What is Literary Adventures Clubhouse?
The Literary Adventures Clubhouse is so much more than just a traditional literature-based homeschool curriculum. It’s a complete set of lesson plans and activity ideas for a wide variety of real books so that kids can learn about lots of different topics through literature-based homeschooling.
As kids explore the book club activities, they will be learning about language arts and a variety of other subjects as well. The book clubs are organized like unit studies, with a list of activity ideas that provides lots of options for kids at the elementary level. Unlike other programs where the reading can feel more like a chore, this curriculum uses the excitement of books to encourage learning, and the fun of learning to encourage more reading.
There are a variety of activities included for each book, such as:
- Reading, Vocabulary, and Grammar: These questions use the books as a basis for learning language arts skills. I love that this curriculum is a comprehensive approach to language arts. This makes it a great option for families like mine that are required to teach multiple subject areas within language arts as a part of our homeschool.
- Rabbit Trails: These sections invite kids to learn more about the subjects they are studying, usually through curated videos that are related to the topics. I love that my kids can explore the rabbit trails independently and that I can trust that the videos they will find are appropriate for their grade level.
- Magic Dust: These activities include games, drawing, crafts, and other ideas that require kids to apply what they are learning in their novel studies at a deeper level.
Community in Literary Adventures Clubhouse
As a homeschool parent, I’m always looking for opportunities for my kids to meet and connect with other homeschoolers. That’s why I was so excited to discover that, in addition to the core curriculum of approximately 80 different book clubs, Literary Adventures Clubhouse also hosts a live book club every month. Families can follow along with the book of the month, and then attend live book club meetings where kids can meet other kids their age that have been reading the same book as them. This is a really fun way to help motivate young children to explore wonderful books every month.
In addition, a monthly poetry teatime focuses on a different poet each month. Kids can attend the class live and enjoy learning about different poets and their poems together with the group.
See a full list of everything that’s included in the Literary Adventures Clubhouse here.
Why We Love Literary Adventures Clubhouse
My kids are loving the literature-based approach to homeschooling that we get from Literary Adventures Clubhouse. Here are a few of the reasons why this homeschool literature curriculum might be a great fit for your family, too.
The Magic Reading Loop
As a homeschool mom and a former teacher, I am always on the hunt for resources that make education more engaging for my children. Literary Adventures Clubhouse helps motivate kids to want to read good books with the “Magic Reading Loop.” Here’s how it works:
- Choose a Book: Kids can choose from over 80 different titles, ranging from classic literature to historical fiction. I love that there’s such a wide variety because it’s easy to find the perfect book for each of my kids.
- Make Connections to the Literature: By using literature as the springboard for learning, Literary Adventures Clubhouse brings subjects like social studies, world history, and even fine arts to life. My kids have enjoyed practicing drawing, studying the habitats of bears, and planning a picnic as they have completed their language arts lessons.
- Build Reading Comprehension: As kids have real-life experiences with the topics they’re learning about in the books, their understanding of what they are reading will grow. It has been fun to watch my kindergartner’s vocabulary and understanding grow as we talk about each book that we read together.
- Get Encouraging and Helpful Feedback from Instructors: I love that Literary Adventures Clubhouse includes live book clubs as well, so kids can continue their learning.
- Join Others Live to Discuss the Book: The monthly live book club meetings are the perfect opportunity for students to share their thoughts, learn from others, and even challenge their perspectives.
Inspires Kids to Read
As a teacher, I always noticed that my students learned better and remembered more when they were studying a topic that was of interest to them. Literary Adventures Clubhouse takes advantage of this with the activities that go along with each book. As kids read the book, they naturally want to learn more about what they’re reading, and the extra videos and activities make it easy to explore each topic in depth. And, when kids do that, it helps them get excited to keep reading the stories.
Flexibility That Fits Your Family
The thing about homeschooling is that no two families are alike. What works for one child might not work for the next, and that’s why we love the flexibility of the Literary Adventures Clubhouse curriculum. It can easily be adapted to fit your child’s interests, learning style, and your family’s schedule. I love how easy it is to adapt the curriculum to make it fit my family’s exact needs, including:
Choosing Activities: The curriculum provides a variety of activities for each book. You can choose what works best for your family and your schedule. From exploring the history lesson behind the story, engaging in creative writing prompts, or participating in a fun game related to the book, there are plenty of options. This flexibility allows you to focus on areas of interest or to dive deeper into the subject matter that intrigues your child.
Choosing Books: With over 80 different book clubs available, there’s something for every child. Whether your child is into historical fiction, classical literature, or great children’s literature, there’s likely a book club for that!
Learning Together: The curriculum can easily be adapted for different age levels, which is great if you have multiple children. My younger daughter likes to enjoy the story and take part in simpler activities, while my older son can engage in more in-depth study and language arts units.
Check out all the books that are included in the Literary Adventures Clubhouse here.
Letting Your Child Lead
One of the guiding principles of the Charlotte Mason method is to let your child take charge of their learning. This curriculum truly embraces a child-led approach. If your child is captivated by a specific book or topic, they can delve deeper and let their curiosity guide their learning. The book clubs can be completed in any order, and kids can go into as much depth as they would like (or not) so there is a lot of flexibility built into the curriculum for kids to explore their interests.
Learning with Great Books
We all know the magic that a good book can create – it’s a window to a different time, place, or perspective. Literature allows kids to experience life through the eyes of someone else, and I want our kids to experience that magic as a part of our homeschool. That means I need to be intentional as a homeschool parent to expose my kids to great books.
Diversity of Books: Literary Adventures Clubhouse offers a wide variety of books for kids to explore. The book clubs expose kids to different genres, authors, and time periods, which helps them to develop a love of literature and a broad perspective on the world. I love that the book clubs include both picture books that are perfect for younger readers and novels that older students will enjoy.
Understanding through Extra Resources: The complete curriculum includes a variety of extra resources that help children understand what they’re reading. As kids practice vocabulary, explore the rabbit trails, and complete the activities, their understanding of what they are reading will grow. Online access to videos and activities also means that kids can learn at their own pace.
Not Just Books: While there is a strong emphasis on books, I love that the curriculum includes poetry as well. Monthly live poetry tea times help kids explore famous poets and their works.
Try Literary Adventures Clubhouse for Your Family
After trying several different book clubs with Literary Adventures Clubhouse, this is quickly becoming one of my kids’ favorite homeschool language arts options. They love reading the stories and then seeing what activities they can explore to learn more about the topics they are studying. I love watching their passion for reading grow as they explore and connect with great literature on a deeper level.
This curriculum is great for homeschooling parents who are looking for a flexible language arts curriculum that uses literature-based learning to help kids explore books. This curriculum is so easy to customize to fit the needs of each child or to use for teaching siblings together.
If you’re looking to blend learning from quality literature with the fun of book clubs and the convenience of a complete curriculum, then I can’t recommend Literary Adventures Clubhouse enough. Its child-friendly approach, flexibility, and excellent resources make it a great choice for homeschool families.
Grab a 7-day free trial of the Literary Adventures Clubhouse here!
