Language Lessons vs. Writing Strands: Which Writing Curriculum Is Right for Your Child?

A parent recently asked me: My daughter is a creative writer who loves to write. Should I add more writing instruction like Writing Strands to her Language Lessons curriculum?

My answer surprised her: No. I think that's too much.

Sometimes the hardest decision in homeschooling isn't what to add. It's knowing when to step back. Before you add another curriculum to your cart, let's talk about matching method to student. Because here's the truth: the best writing curriculum isn't the most comprehensive one. It's the one your child will actually use and grow from.

Over the years, I've developed a framework for understanding different writing approaches. Think of language arts writing curriculum as having different personalities, and your job is finding the one that speaks your child's language. Here's how I explain it.

This is the balanced, practical parent who knows what matters and what doesn't. Language Lessons for a Living Education (LLFLE) teaches you how to write and teaches you grammar without overwhelming you with assignments. It's grade-appropriate, skill-progressive, and, this is key, open-and-go for parents.

You don't need a teaching degree to use it effectively. The scoring is straightforward. The lessons are clear. It works in co-ops, it works at home, and it works for most students who need clear progression without busywork.

I'm biased, sure. But I've also seen it work across thousands of families.

This is your formulaic, format-based, check-the-box approach. Jensen’s Grammar is systematic with lots of repetition. Very driven, very straightforward.

If your child thrives on clear patterns and likes knowing exactly what's expected, Jensen's might be your answer. It's no-frills education that gets results through consistent practice.

Literature-based language arts programs ask: How do you feel about this? What do you think it means? They're about open-ended thinking, deep exploration, and critical analysis.

They have their place, especially for students ready to move beyond mechanics into nuanced interpretation and sophisticated analysis of ideas.

This is the hippie in the Volkswagen bus (and I mean that affectionately). Writing Strands takes a completely different approach. It's about descriptive writing, fictional writing, understanding how to use adverbs and adjectives to flavor your work.

It's skill-based rather than grade-based, which means if a student needs help writing a sentence, a paragraph, or an essay, you work at that level regardless of their age. It's creative. It's flexible.

But here's what you need to know: It's weaker on formal grammar. It teaches grammar as you go, but that's not its primary focus. For some free-spirited students who resist traditional structure, Writing Strands can be a breakthrough. For others, it might leave gaps.

So back to that parent's question about her creative writer daughter. If your child already loves to write, resist the urge to add more formal instruction. 

Here's what I told her to do instead:

Let her use Language Lessons for her grammar foundation—level 4 or 5 would be perfect. That gives her the language mechanics she needs. Then encourage her to just write. Write about topics she cares about. Write freely. Write often.

And here's the key: really reward her when she does.

You don't need a separate creative writing curriculum when you can build writing practice into everything you're already doing:

• Book reports - Let her write about what she's reading instead of filling out worksheets.

• History responses - Instead of answering questions on an answer sheet, have her write a paragraph about what you learned together and what the takeaways were.

• Letter writing - Real or fictional letters help develop voice and audience awareness.

• Chapter responses - If you're reading a chapter book together, let her write responses to each chapter.

The goal isn't more curriculum. It's more opportunities to write with purpose.

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I recently talked to a teacher at a homeschool co-op that's using Language Lessons for a Living Education, and I was so excited by their approach that I had to share it. They've figured out something brilliant about keeping students engaged.

Here's their setup: They have tables with 10 students at each one. Each table has a teacher, and the class runs for 45 minutes. But instead of trying to teach everything at once, they break it into three rotating stations of 15 minutes each.

1. Station 1: Grammar Component - The teacher spends 15 minutes on focused grammar instruction from the lesson.

2. Station 2: Spelling Component - Another 15 minutes working through the spelling words and patterns.

3. Station 3: Application & Games - The final 15 minutes uses the exercises and games from the back of the Language Lessons book, plus the Practice Makes Polished worksheets for extra practice.

Every 15 minutes, the tables rotate. The table that was doing grammar moves to spelling. The spelling table moves to application. The application table moves to grammar.

Students are only working on one component for 15 minutes at a time. They stay fresh. They stay focused. They get multiple exposures to content throughout the class.

And here's what the co-op director told me: With some language arts programs, the scoring and teaching is so intensive that it's very difficult to use in a co-op setting. Parents need extensive training. The marking is subjective and complicated.

Language Lessons for a Living Education is open-and-go. It's easy to use in a co-op classroom, and it's equally easy to use at home.

I thought that was a really cool way of thinking about language learning, not just do the sheet, but break it into rotation components that keep learning dynamic. You could adapt this method at home, too. Even if it's just you and one student, breaking your language time into focused 15-minute segments might be the key to better attention and retention.

A Three-Part Plan When Writing Intervention Is Needed

Not every student comes to writing naturally. Sometimes you need a rescue plan. I had a student who needed a complete writing intervention. His writing skills had stalled, and we needed to reset and rebuild. Here's what we did:

We read a chapter book together, just the two of us. At the end of every chapter, I had him write for me. But we started small:

• First: Sentences - Just communicate one complete thought clearly.

• Then: Paragraphs - Now connect multiple sentences into a coherent idea.

• Finally: Simple Essays  - Organize multiple paragraphs around a central point.

It wasn't about completing assignments. It was about helping him communicate ideas. That's what writing really is: organized thinking made visible.

This is where a structured curriculum like Language Lessons for a Living Education shines. When you need to build skills from the ground up, you need a clear progression path. You need to know where to start and where you're going.

Making Your Writing Curriculum Decision: A Quick Framework

So which curriculum is right for your child? Let me make this practical.

• You want a complete, balanced approach to grammar and writing.

• Your child needs systematic grammar instruction.

• You value open-and-go simplicity (because you're already teaching five other subjects).

• You're teaching multiple grade levels and need something that works across ages.

• You want curriculum that works equally well at home or in co-ops.

• Your child is highly creative and actively resists traditional structure.

• You want to focus specifically on descriptive and fictional writing.

• Formal grammar isn't your primary concern right now.

• Your child has struggled with conventional approaches and needs something completely different.

• You're okay with a skill-based rather than grade-based progression.

• Your child thrives on patterns and repetition.

• You want a no-frills, systematic approach.

• Clear checkboxes and completion markers help your child feel successful.

• You prefer formulaic over creative.

• Your child already loves to write.

• You're looking for formal instruction to validate natural talent.

• You can create practical writing opportunities across your other subjects.

• Adding more structure might actually kill the joy.