Homeschooling in New York: A Grades 1–6 Literacy Curriculum to Consider
Homeschooling in New York: A Grades 1–6 Literacy Curriculum to Consider
New York homeschool families who need reading and writing material for children in Grades 1–6 can look at the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum: 24 packs of grammar, writing prompts, phonics and word study for every grade, plus six reading comprehension stories, for $49.99. It is one piece of your IHIP, not a complete English program, and it does not by itself meet any New York requirement.
See all 24 literacy packsThe Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum costs $49.99, against $95.76 for its 24 parts bought separately. For each of Grades 1 through 6 it has a grammar pack, a writing prompts pack and a phonics or word study pack, and it adds six reading comprehension stories. It suits families with children in several grades. It is not a full reading program and is not approved under New York's homeschool regulation; you decide how it fits your IHIP.
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
Grade 1 ELA Pack | Grammar, Writing Prompts, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Grade 3 ELA Pack | Grammar, Creative Writing, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Grade 5 ELA Pack | Grammar, Writing Prompts, Phonics & Two Reading Stories
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle | Everyday English, Grammar & Vocabulary | 9 Resources | Grades 2–6
The real problem
What New York asks homeschool families to plan and report
New York homeschooling runs under 8 NYCRR 100.10. Each year you send a written notice of intent to the superintendent of your school district by July 1, or within 14 days if you start mid-year. Then comes the Individualized Home Instruction Plan, the IHIP, due within four weeks of receiving the district's form or by August 15, whichever is later. During the year you file quarterly reports with hours, the material covered, and a grade or narrative for each subject, and an annual assessment goes in with the fourth report. For Grades 1–6 the required subjects include arithmetic, reading, spelling, writing and English language, alongside geography, United States history, science, health education, music, visual arts, physical education, and bilingual education or ESL where needed. Instruction runs to 900 hours a year in Grades 1–6. That is a lot of literacy to plan by name: four of the listed subjects are reading and language skills, and the quarterly report asks you to say what material you covered in each. With two or three children in different grades, a parent can spend more time hunting for worksheets than teaching. A set of packs organized by grade and skill makes the IHIP easier to write and the reports easier to fill in.
Why it fits
How the packs fit a New York home school
The curriculum is organized by grade and by skill, which makes it easy to name in your IHIP and quarterly reports.
- Grammar packs for each grade give you named material for the English language line of your plan.
- Writing prompt packs with sentence starters, word banks and editing tools cover regular writing practice.
- Phonics and word study packs move from phonological awareness in Grade 1 to roots and prefixes in Grade 6.
- Six comprehension stories, such as The Lighthouse Mystery for Grade 6, add reading practice with questions.
- Separate packs for every grade let siblings work at their own level during the same morning.
- Completed pages give you concrete material covered to describe in each quarterly report.
Getting started
Using the curriculum through the reporting year
A suggested routine for families. It is a planning idea, not something the regulation requires.
- List it in your IHIPName the grade's grammar, writing and phonics packs and any reading story under the English language arts subjects in each child's plan. Add your other reading books beside them.
- Set a weekly patternOne possible rhythm: grammar on two days, a writing prompt on two days, short phonics or word study sessions daily, and the reading story once a week until it is finished.
- Add spelling on purposeSpelling is a required subject, and the curriculum has no separate spelling pack. Build spelling lists from the phonics and word study packs, or add a spelling book of your choice.
- Record as you goNote hours and the pages completed each week. At the end of each quarter you already have the material covered and enough work to write a grade or a short narrative.
- Keep samples for the assessmentSave a few completed pages each quarter. They help whoever writes a narrative evaluation in the years that option is open to you, and they show progress next to a test score.
What to buy
The full set or a single grade pack
With children in two or more grades, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum at $49.99 is the sensible buy, since it replaces $95.76 of separate packs. With one child, a single grade pack may be enough: the Grade 1 ELA Pack is $12.99 (parts $17.95) and adds a vocabulary trainer; the Grade 3 and Grade 5 ELA Packs are $13.99 each (parts $19.95). The Grade 3 pack also has a vocabulary trainer, and the Grade 5 pack has two reading stories. If your child is still learning English, the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99, parts $159.91) covers everyday English, grammar, time and calendar, and a vocabulary trainer set.
Honest limits
Limits to keep in mind
No product satisfies New York's homeschool regulation for you, and this one is not approved, endorsed or aligned to the Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards. It is skills practice, not a full reading program: six stories are not a library, so plan on your own books for most reading time. There is no separate spelling pack. You still write the IHIP, keep hours and file reports. Check current rules with your district or a homeschool legal resource. Sharing with a co-op needs a message to Teach Lessons first. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this curriculum meet New York homeschool requirements?
No. It is not approved or endorsed under New York's homeschool regulation, 8 NYCRR 100.10, and is not aligned to the state's Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards. It can supply material for the reading, writing and English language subjects in your IHIP, but compliance is your responsibility. Check current rules with your district or a homeschool legal resource.
Can I name it in my IHIP?
Yes, list it like any other material. Name the specific packs for each child's grade under the relevant subjects, and add the other books you plan to use. Being specific in the plan makes the quarterly reports easier to write later, because you can refer back to the same titles.
Does it cover spelling?
Not as a separate pack. The phonics and word study packs work with sound patterns, morphology, roots and prefixes, which you can turn into weekly spelling lists. Since spelling is a required subject for Grades 1–6 in New York, you may want to add a dedicated spelling book too.
My only child is in Grade 4. Is the full set worth it?
Possibly. The full set has packs for every grade, so a child working above or below level can move up or down without a new purchase. If your child is solidly at grade level and you have no younger children, a single grade pack costs less.
How much of the 900 hours will this fill?
There is no fixed number, and Teach Lessons does not give one. It depends on how often you use each pack and how long your child works. Treat the curriculum as a regular part of literacy time, alongside read-alouds, library books and writing projects of your own.
Can I print pages more than once for several children?
Yes, for your own family's homeschool, as often as your children need. The licence covers use in your own teaching. Passing the files to other families or a co-op, or posting them online, is not allowed unless you have messaged Teach Lessons first and agreed on shared use.
Literacy material for every child at home
Open the product page to see all 24 packs listed by grade before you write this year's IHIP.
See all 24 literacy packs