After Essentials
Repeating Essentials Multiple Times
The three Essentials levels provide the option to reteach the curriculum to the same student multiple times for deeper mastery while learning new, more advanced spelling words and vocabulary concepts. This means depending on the initial level used, students may complete Essentials more than one time.
If you repeat Essentials multiple times, you may find that you use the curriculum for two to four years. Many people spend up to two years on Essentials the first time through, while others complete it in one year.
When repeating Essentials, you will find:
- lessons will move more quickly and take less time to complete
- foundational concepts will be reviewed
- challenging spelling words and new vocabulary concepts will be the focus
- it may be appropriate to include an upper-level composition program
Once Essentials is Completed
Once a student has completed the most advanced spelling lists in Essentials, it is time to focus primarily on reading and composition! The student now has a strong understanding of how English spelling works and is ready to use these tools to read for meaning, write to communicate, and understand new words to grow vocabulary.
Reading: after Essentials, students need to read widely and have an opportunity to develop a love for reading. When students express interest in a book or series, they should be encouraged to pursue it. When a specific topic appeals to a child, they should be provided with the informational text to learn about it. We do not suggest limiting students to a particular reading level after completing Essentials. However, it may be helpful to seek a formal literature program to add to your instruction.
Spelling and Vocabulary: students have the linguistic tools to analyze any English word. It is important to continue spelling instruction using spelling analysis because this process reinforces the critical thinking skills for language learning. Vocabulary instruction should continue with additional study of morphemes. Core subjects such as science, history, and literature are excellent sources for obtaining new spelling and vocabulary words
Composition: Essentials aids students in developing the tools for basic sentence-level composition. Students should continue with a composition program that teaches the purpose of writing and the writing process. Instruction should aid students in paragraph-level writing to formal essay writing. Students should be asked to write frequently and extensively.
Grammar: Students completing Essentials will have developed a solid understanding of elementary-level grammar. Beyond that, we suggest that students in upper elementary focus on reading and writing until middle school. The grammar skills taught in Essentials will be best mastered through application in writing. For grades 6-8, we suggest that all students learn advanced grammar concepts and usage skills.