Language Lessons for a Living Education Review: Gentle, Faith-Based, and Simple to Use
If you have ever searched for a homeschool language arts curriculum that is open-and-go, gentle, and biblical, you have probably run across Language Lessons for a Living Education by MasterBooks.
This curriculum claims to do it all—grammar, writing, spelling, and reading comprehension—all in one book. And, yes, that’s correct (and wonderful for busy homeschool parents), but there are a couple of things to know before you start.
We used this curriculum for several years, and while we loved it for the early grades, it wasn’t the right long-term fit for our family once we reached the middle school years. Here’s a honest, thorough overview of what did work—and what didn’t.
What Is Language Lessons for a Living Education?
Language Lessons for a Living Education is an all-in-one language arts program developed by MasterBooks. Each level combines grammar, composition, vocabulary, spelling, poetry, and even a touch of picture study and narration—everything resides in one workbook.
The length of the lessons is short (about 10–20 minutes), and everything is well laid out by day, so it’s truly open-and-go. There’s very little prep work, and the teacher guide is simple and easy to follow.
The program takes cues from a Charlotte Mason learning philosophy, so it uses stories, Scripture, and copywork instead of repetition drills or worksheets.
What We Loved
Quick, simple lessons
Each activity is short and simple—one or two pages. That made it simple to stay consistent and not get burned out. It’s wonderful for children who get bogged down by long assignments.
One-and-done convenience
One of the best things about this curriculum is that it consolidates all of the major aspects of language arts into a single book. The grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and writing are all combined so you don’t have to utilize individual programs.
Beautifully formatted
Every lesson is clearly identified and easy to use. The teacher guide walks you through day by day what to do each day, so you’ll never wonder what to do.
Kind and encouraging for beginning students
This program really shines in the early elementary years. The tempo is moderate and relaxed, and the lessons build confidence instead of frustration. It’s great for children who are learning to read and write.
Affordable
Compared to other full language arts curricula, Language Lessons for a Living Education is very inexpensive. You get all you need in one student book and one teacher’s guide– for a minimal cost, and it’s a good value for large families or frugal homeschooling.
A note: these are consumable books, so you would not get to reuse them for siblings.
What Didn’t Work for Us
Though there is much to appreciate about this curriculum, there were a few drawbacks—especially as our children got older.
Too gentle for older students
When we moved into the middle school years, classes started to feel somewhat too surface-oriented. The writing and grammar lessons did not go very deep, and it was not challenging enough to keep up with our kids’ growing capabilities.
Restricted development of writing
Writing classes are short and are often more journal-like or creative. There is little emphasis on essay writing, editing, or learning to write longer pieces – at least in the books we used. Full disclosure, we didn’t look at high school-level books.
We ultimately moved on
By the time our kids reached middle school, we realized they needed more challenge and organization than this program offered. We ultimately transitioned to something more challenging instead of trying to supplement with other materials.
That being said, for the first couple of years, we were happy with it. It gave our kids a gentle introduction to language arts and helped them build confidence without getting bogged down.
Who This Curriculum Is Best For
Based on our experience, Language Lessons for a Living Education is best for:
- Younger elementary students who are just being introduced to grammar and writing.
- Families who prefer a gentle, Christian-oriented approach.
- Children who thrive with shorter lessons and less stress.
- Parents who want an all-in-one program that is easy to implement and affordable.
If you homeschool middle school or high school, or prefer a more comprehensive program that spends much time on grammar and writing mechanics, this may not be the ideal standalone choice.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Language Lessons for a Living Education is a sweet, well-designed program that provides a gradual introduction to language arts during the early years. It’s simple, affordable, and great for busy homeschool families who want it all in one place.
But if you’re looking for something more challenging for middle or high school, you’ll likely have to supplement—or switch to a different program like we did.
For us, it was an excellent starting point that got language arts started in a fun and accessible manner during the early years—but as soon as our children were old enough for more intensive writing and grammar, we felt it was time to progress.
However, for younger students and those families who love open-and-go convenience, this curriculum is hard to beat.
