Review of Language Smarts™ Level E from The Critical Thinking Co.™

I have been a BIG Critical Thinking Co. fan for many years now. I have purchased many of their products, and they are a brand that I've come to love and trust. That's why I was so happy to review the Language Smarts™ Level E from The Critical Thinking Co.™ workbook. I have actually used the Level C and D, so I was not surprised to love this so much!



First, I should give a bit of background. Language Arts is a subject that I'm not particularly good at teaching. I love having my kids read good literature, discuss what they learn, and incorporate it into their writing. When it comes to language mechanics and grammar, however. I lack in giving them a very consistent experience. My kids always seem to do well with what they learn, but I worry that there might be gaps by not using a formal approach.




The Language Smarts books bridge the gap between an intensive, boring, and often repetitive language arts curriculum and the flexible and literature-rich approach I prefer. It can be used as a full, stand-alone language arts curriculum! Having my kids go through this workbook (one per year) has helped them to know the what and why of language. It has been such a blessing to have a bright and colorful workbook for them to use that reinforces language skills with such attention to detail. But it is in no way boring for them to work through.




The Level E book is appropriate for grade 4. If you are playing catch-up, however, I would confidently use it with a 5th or even 6th grader. It covers writing, speech, reading, spelling, and word parts. It helps with principles such as sentence fragments and run-ons, but also broad categories of writing, such as opinion vs. narrative.

There are many fun ways to learn in this book. In addition to your typical fill-in-the-blanks type questions, there are crossword puzzles. My kids absolutely love these!




This is a great option for self-directed learners. My kids do not like a lot of "lecture" time. They prefer to get their assignments, do their work independently, and only call me in to help when they need it. This workbook is perfect for that type of learner. My kids can work through it alone, and I know that they will get a thorough experience that's consistent with the critical thinking approach that the Critical Thinking Co. has been so good at providing my kids!

Learn more about the products they offer at their website. You can also find them on Facebook, G+, and Pinterest. I would highly recommend any of their products, from the workbooks to the digital offerings. (We are also HUGE fans of the Root Words workbooks. My kids used all of them in elementary, and it made their higher level language learning, reading, and even the ACT so much easier to master. Anything that they sell has been well researched and carefully crafted. Please consider giving them a try for any of your educational needs!)

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment