Illinois Homeschool Literacy: Grammar, Phonics and Writing for Grades 1–6

Illinois homeschool · Literacy 1–6

If you homeschool in Illinois and need language arts material for children in different grades, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum is one practical option: 24 packs with grammar, writing prompts, and phonics or word study for every grade from 1 to 6, plus six reading stories, for $49.99. It is one piece of your language arts, not a full program, and it is not written around Illinois law.

See all 24 literacy packs

24 literacy packsgrammar, writing, phonics for each grade

$49.99$95.76 if the packs are bought singly

Grades 1–6one download for siblings in several grades

Quick answer

The Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99, parts $95.76) bundles 24 packs: a grammar pack, writing prompts and a phonics or word study pack for each grade from 1 to 6, plus six reading comprehension stories. It suits families teaching several children at different levels. Illinois lists language arts among the subjects home instruction must include, but this bundle is one resource for that subject, not proof that you comply.

The resources

Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum, Grades 1–6

24 resources in one download: $49.99 instead of $95.76 bought separately.

Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.

Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade

Grades 1–6$49.99

ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle | Everyday English, Grammar & Vocabulary | 9 Resources | Grades 2–6

Grades 2–6$79.99

The real problem

What Illinois expects and what it leaves to you

Illinois homeschooling rests on a 1950 court decision, People v. Levisen, under which a homeschool operates as a private school. As of the 2026–27 school year there is no state registration or notice requirement; the Illinois State Board of Education offers a voluntary Home Schooling Registration Form for families who want to use it. When a child leaves a public school, ISBE recommends a dated letter to the school and the Regional Office of Education, although the law sets no formal procedure. The required subjects are language arts, mathematics, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and physical development and health, with instruction in English. A bill, HB2827, would add a notification requirement, but it has not become law and sits in the House Rules Committee. Check current law with ISBE or a homeschool legal resource, since rules change. So the state names language arts and then steps back. It does not say what a third grader should know about pronouns or how much a fifth grader should write. That freedom is welcome, but it makes planning heavy, especially with two or three children at different reading levels at the same table.

Why it fits

How the packs work at a multi-age table

The bundle is organized by grade, so each child gets work at their own level while you teach one skill area to everyone.

Each grade from 1 to 6 has its own grammar pack, from sentences and nouns to sentence types.
Writing prompts move from Grade 1 sentence practice and story starters to Grade 6 editing tools.
Phonics starts with phonological awareness in Grades 1–2 and ends with roots and prefixes in Grade 6.
Six stories, including Daisy the Brave Little Duck and The Lighthouse Mystery, add comprehension practice.
Packs for neighboring grades let a child who is ahead or behind work one level up or down.
All material is in English, the language Illinois expects homeschool instruction to use.

Getting started

A weekly rhythm for several children

One way to use the packs, offered as a suggestion; shape it around your children and the rest of your language arts plan.

Place each child by skill, not ageLook at the grammar and phonics packs one grade below and above each child's age. Start where the work is comfortable but not trivial, and move up when it gets easy.
Teach one skill area togetherPick a shared focus for the day, such as grammar or writing. Each child works in their own grade's pack, while you explain the common idea once to everyone.
Rotate the writing promptsUse writing prompts two or three times a week. Younger children finish a sentence starter while older ones plan, draft and edit a longer piece with the Grade 5 or 6 tools.
Share a storyUse the reading comprehension stories as shared texts. An older sibling can read The Secret Garden Door with a younger one, then each child answers the questions they can manage.
Add whole books yourselfFill the rest of language arts with library books, read-alouds and longer writing projects. The packs give structure for skills; whole books and a daily reading habit come from you.

What to buy

Full Grades 1–6 set or a single grade pack

With two or more children across Grades 1–6, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum at $49.99 is the sensible buy; the 24 packs cost $95.76 separately. For one child, a grade pack may be enough. The Grade 1 ELA Pack ($12.99, parts $17.95) and the Grade 3 ELA Pack ($13.99, parts $19.95) each add a vocabulary trainer that the larger bundle does not include, and the Grade 5 ELA Pack ($13.99, parts $19.95) has two reading stories. A child still learning English is better served first by the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99, parts $159.91).

See the full contents on the product page →

Honest limits

Before you count on it for language arts

Buying this bundle does not settle anything under Illinois homeschool law; it is one resource inside the language arts subject the state lists. It is not written for Illinois and is not aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards in English Language Arts. It is skill practice, not a full reading program, so novels, read-alouds and spelling lists are yours to add. A co-op that wants to share it should message Teach Lessons first; the license covers your own teaching. If it is not right for your family, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Does this cover the Illinois homeschool language arts requirement?

No product can promise that. Illinois expects home instruction to include language arts, among other subjects, but it does not approve curricula, and this bundle is not aligned with or endorsed under the Illinois Learning Standards in English Language Arts. Treat it as one part of your language arts teaching and check current law with ISBE or a homeschool legal resource.

Do I have to register my homeschool with the state?

As of the 2026–27 school year, Illinois requires no state registration or notice; ISBE offers a voluntary Home Schooling Registration Form. If you withdraw a child from public school, ISBE recommends a dated letter to the school and the Regional Office of Education. HB2827 would add notification, but it is not law. This is a summary, not legal advice.

My children are in Grades 2 and 5. Is the bundle still worth it?

Yes, that is the kind of family it was put together for. Your second grader gets the Grade 2 grammar, writing and phonics packs; your fifth grader gets the Grade 5 packs and two stories. There is no Grade 2 story, so add a library book there. When either child needs review or a step up, the neighboring grades are already in the download.

Does it teach a child to read from scratch?

It is not a beginning reading program. The Grade 1 and 2 phonics packs work on phonological awareness and the Grade 1 prompts build sentence practice, but a child who cannot yet decode needs a systematic early reading approach alongside it. The bundle is strongest once a child reads simple sentences and is ready for grammar and writing practice.

What about a child who speaks another language at home?

Illinois expects homeschool instruction in English. If your child is new to English, the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99) covers places and directions, the simple present and past, pronouns and word families, and is a better first step. Once everyday English is in place, the grade-level literacy packs become far more usable.

How do I receive the packs?

All 24 packs arrive as a digital download right after checkout, by email link and in your customer account under Orders. Print the pages you need for the week, or work from a screen. The license is for your own family's teaching; sharing with a co-op needs a short message to Teach Lessons first.

One download for every child from Grade 1 to Grade 6

Open the bundle page to see all 24 pack titles and check which grades your children need.