Learning Through Literature
Children Learn Through Story
Beyond the Page is a literature-based homeschool curriculum. We make extensive use of quality literature to provide an educational experience that far surpasses the traditional textbook / worksheet approach to learning.
Beyond the Page is the only curriculum (homeschool or otherwise) that integrates language arts selections with the topics being covered in science and socials studies from preschool through middle school. We believe that children learn through story. By reinforcing the science and social studies topics with the best literature available, children make an emotional connection with the content being taught. This increases a child's ability to remember, and it also increases their core understanding of the topics.
For example, when children learn about weather, they will be reading a story called Tornado that illustrates the impact weather can have on a family farm. When children learn about sound, they read a biography of Helen Keller to understand what life would be like without sound. When children learn about Native Americans, they read a story about a young boy who befriends a Native American.
We Use Story Extensively
Because students are better able to understand and internalize ideas through story, Beyond the Page makes extensive use of quality literature. Through literature, your child will be challenged to:
- understand and internalize ideas,
- practice reading skills,
- discuss literary elements,
- analyze story structure, and
- learn from characters.
And Other Types of Writing, Too
Beyond the Page features a broad array of literary genres. Every year your child will be exposed to
- fiction,
- nonfiction,
- poetry,
- science and history writing,
- informational texts,
- biography, and
- multi-cultural literature.
In All of Our Subjects
Our comprehensive language arts program is structured around literature units as soon as children are able to read simple chapter books. Using literature units to cover language arts engages children. We point out grammar examples from their reading. Writing assignments are based on characters that children are connected to and really care about. Story elements are drawn from the stories being read. There is no better way to learn language arts.
Our science and social studies programs are aligned with our language arts program, but they are also literature-based in their own right. Instead of using textbooks and worksheets, we use real books and online resources with strong new ideas, vivid pictures, and historical documents.
Our curriculum packages include all required literature, so implementing a literature-based curriculum is easy to do.