Emma Serl's Language Lessons from Hillside Education

Name: Emma Serl's Language Lessons from Hillside Education
Brand: Hillside Educationsales@hillsideeducation.comhttp://www.hillsideeducation.com/

by Hillside Educationsales@hillsideeducation.comhttp://www.hillsideeducation.com/

ElaGrades 2–6

Emma Serl's Language Lessons: Charlotte Mason-Inspired Catholic Edition

Emma Serl's Language Lessons from Hillside Education is a Charlotte Mason-inspired ELA curriculum for grades 2-6 that has been updated with Catholic content and spiritual discussion elements. The program uses classic literature-based lessons with separate student notebooks for written work, featuring both primary (grades 2-3) and intermediate (grades 4-6) levels.

Best for

Catholic homeschooling families seeking Charlotte Mason-inspired language arts for grades 2-6 who prefer literature-based approaches with spiritual integration

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 2 concerns · 2 neutral · 3 insufficient evidence

Text ComplexityStrength

The curriculum uses classic literature which likely provides appropriate text complexity.

Based on Emma Serl's original work which used quality literary selections, and includes poems and classic content

Teacher TrainingStrength

The curriculum provides teacher support materials including guides and answer keys.

Free downloadable teacher's guides and answer keys are available on the HE website

Direct InstructionConcern

The Charlotte Mason approach typically emphasizes natural learning over explicit direct instruction.

Described as following Charlotte Mason methodology, which generally favors living books and natural learning over systematic direct instruction

Whole Books Vs ExcerptsConcern

The curriculum appears to use lesson-based excerpts and passages rather than complete whole books.

Reviews mention 'poems and lessons' and 'conversation lessons' suggesting a lesson-by-lesson format typical of excerpt-based approaches

Knowledge RichNeutral

The curriculum incorporates some cultural and spiritual knowledge but lacks systematic domain knowledge building.

Includes spiritual content like 'conversation lesson' with St. Dominic Savio quotes and is designed for Catholic education, but no evidence of systematic knowledge building across domains

Writing InstructionNeutral

The program includes writing components through copywork and notebook activities.

Students maintain 'a separate notebook for their written work' and the curriculum includes lessons that require written responses

Retrieval PracticeInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of systematic retrieval practice or spaced review mechanisms.

No mention of quizzes, review cycles, or retrieval practice in the curriculum description or review

Systematic PhonicsInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of systematic phonics instruction in the available materials.

Reviews focus on language lessons, poetry, and conversation but make no mention of phonics instruction or decoding skills

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

Limited evidence of explicit vocabulary instruction beyond what may be embedded in literary passages.

No specific mention of vocabulary building strategies or systematic word knowledge development in the review