|What Is CQLA?
Character Quality Language Arts, CQLA for short, is a language arts program that brings together all aspects of language arts (except for learning to read in lower grades and detailed, individual literature book studies in upper grades) in one place for students in grades two through twelve. It has all aspects of language arts woven throughout each weekly lesson, including copy work, vocabulary comprehension, spelling, editing, outlining, writing, grammar, usage, structural analysis, word studies, editing via checklists, dictation, and more. it is an all-in-one program that was written when author, Donna Reish, decided that each of the separate books her kids were using (spelling, vocabulary, grammar, editing, writing, etc.) should all be put into one program with all aspects of language arts flowing together instead of taught in a disjointed manner from multiple texts.
Each CQLA book is laid out the same with weekly lessons broken down by monthly character quality emphasis. Each book is a work text (which is why they are so long!) meaning that most assignments are done right in the book (except for writing reports). (All assignments are done in the book for Pre A students.)
CQLA is character and biblically-based. Scripture and biblical principles abound. All passages, topics, grammar sentences, etc., come from historical, biblical, nature, health, character, etc., materials that emphasize certain character qualities. (For example, a passage about George Washington Carver emphasizes determination; one about a sloth emphasizes laziness vs. diligence; one about Macchu Picchu emphasizes resourcefulness, etc.)
All types of writing are taught—beginning with writing from passages that we give to students each week for the first two weeks of each unit and then writing from material the student finds (or “from his heart or his head”—depending on whether it is a report, essay, or story) for the last two weeks of each unit. All writing projects utilize our Directed Writing Approach in which students are directed each step of the way in the writing process—and taught all of the pre-writing skills that are needed in order to complete that type of writing. For example, in research report writing, the student is taught ahead of time how to research, how to merge sources (via our Color-Coded Research method), how to divide up material into paragraphs, etc. In essay writing, the student is taught how to write quotations, how to use transition sentences and phrases, etc. In story writing, the student is taught via Directed Brainstorming how to develop goals, obstacles, and resolution. Nothing is left to chance—our writing lessons are not writing ideas! (Note that the same writing assignments found in CQLA are also found in our composition-only books, Meaningful Composition.)