Primary Language Lessons Review

If you are looking for a Charlotte Mason style English book for kids in 2nd through 4th grade then you might be interested to learn about this book: Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl 

Using Primary Language Lessons

Last year I started using Primary Language Lessons with my son. Primary Language Lessons is a Charlotte Mason style English book. It is truly a joy to use, true to Charlotte Mason style. The lessons are short but effective, conversational in style, and thorough in content.

From the back cover:

“Imaginative lessons and short, jargon free  instructions for teachers make it a pleasure for both student and teacher.”

This book is one of many (what I call) “little old books” that I have on my homeschooling shelf.  I love its simplicity. Each lesson is short, but gets the job done. Usually my son and I will just sit on the couch and talk through the lesson. When we first started, his writing skills were not strong (his hand would tire easily), so we did all of the lessons orally.  This year, he is able to handle the written lessons.

Inside Primary Language Lessons

The lessons do not get boring because there is such variety.  Each day brings something new.  Here are the types of lessons you will do with your child:

• Picture Studies
• Copywork
• Dictation
• Grammar Lessons
• Poetry Memorization
• Oral Reproductions
• Observation Lessons
• Composition
• and more!

My favorite types of lessons in Primary Language Lessons are the Memorization Lessons. There are 17 poems to be memorized and they are very lovely. When I first saw them, I wasn’t sure that my kids would pick up on them, but they love the poems and get them memorized quite quickly. These poems are great to use for copywork!

Here is an example of one of the pages from Primary Language Lessons

At the top of page 10 you see the second part of a Conversation Lesson. These lessons get your child thinking deeply and are also great practice for answering in complete sentences. This is the kind of lesson that you can curl up on the couch to do!  Lessons 15-16 are more of a grammar/spelling lesson, but also cover copywork and/or dictation. When we come to a lesson like this, I put the words on a 3×5 card and add it to our memory box. This way, the lessons stick because we revisit the concepts at least once a month.

One thing that I love about this book is that it is so affordable. The book is not designed to be written in, so you can use it over and over with your younger children.  It covers 2 years of study, so for about $10 it is an amazing value.

Here is another example:

Here you see three lessons. There is a picture study, a selection for dictation, and a topic for composition.  In the preface of the book it states, “The object of this little volume is to lead children of the second and third grades into the habit of speaking and writing the English language correctly.” and I think that these lessons do a fantastic job of doing just that!

If you are looking for a Charlotte Mason style English book for your lower elementary child, I strongly encourage you to take a look at Primary Language Lessons.  I do not think you will be disappointed!

Thoughts on Primary Languages Lessons from Brenda

I’d like to start off with a little background before I give this review because I think that understanding the circumstances can be helpful to another mom with a similar situation. So, here I was homeschooling my two oldest boys and getting ready to begin some sort of formal studies with my third son. I was using Shurley Grammar for my older two and knew that I could not teach three levels of Shurley. So, I wanted something as a light introduction and was beginning to succumb to the thought that grammar should be taught within other subjects.

For first grade we just focused on reading, memorizing poetry, with an occasional dictation. Then, a dear friend and I had a meeting over dinner and gelato and she mentioned that some of her favorite times homeschooling with her, then, older girls was when they were using Primary Language Lessons.  So, I ran home and ordered a copy.

How Brenda Used it in Her Homeschool

When it arrived, I didn’t know what to do with it! It was different then anything that I had seen. It has beautiful illustrations, simple-yet-elegant language from days gone by, and….wait! I did recognize something – poetry! Yeah! O.K. I could try this. My third son did not know what to think of this book at first, but it has been a door for conversation. It has lead us through gentle exercises learning grammar through dictation and narration exercises and it adds to our “snuggle time” factor. You can see from the above picture that we actually have fun during our grammar time.

I’m looking forward to using this book again this year and progressing to the next book.  He is more comfortable with the time we spend using this book and I have added some note-booking pages (instead of a workbook) to have something to show for his knowledge.  I’ve lost my up-tightness that I had before 5 kids about teaching them everything “this year”.  I understand now that it is a process and that language should be enjoyed and not forced on a child.  I’ve found this is a good balance for my classical eclectic homeschool.  

Intermediate Language Lessons

There is also an Intermediate Language Lessons book for grades 4th through 6th. The purpose of this book is to aid kids to speak and write the English language correctly. If Primary Language Lessons was used in the last half of 2nd grade through 3rd grade, then the student will be well prepared to begin Intermediate Language Lessons in the fourth grade.

Content Covered in Intermediate Language Lessons

Content covered:

• literature studies
• letter writing
• correct forms of speech and words often misused
• vocabulary
• outlines
• oral and written composition
• capitalization and punctuation
• civic subjects such as the school, the court, the state, etc.

When an essential fact is taught, the student is given practice in using the fact again and again, through dictation, reproduction, and original composition.

More Charlotte Mason Resources

The Ultimate Guide to Charlotte Mason Curriculum for Your Homeschool – a comprehensive collection of resources for homeschooling in the Charlotte Mason style. Find out what exactly it is. See how you can infuse the Charlotte Mason style into your homeschool. Read tons of reviews for Charlotte Mason Curriculum and Charlotte Mason inspired resources.

The Charlotte Mason Method for Homeschooling High School – Many parents feel that they have to sacrifice their Charlotte Mason (CM) homeschool when they transition from their elementary years into high school. But that simply is not the case. The Charlotte Mason Method works equally well for the duration of a child’s education.

The thing to remember is that a Charlotte Mason education is a method, not a system and not a set curriculum. It is a method based on some basic tenets:

• A wide variety of subjects
• Great Books
• Good Habits

~ Originally published November 2013, written by Written by Amy Maze with additional information from Brenda