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.)
Be sure to try a one month sample of each book (below)—try before you buy!
Also, check out the free CQLA Teacher’s Guide chapters HERE to learn how to use the program. (Coming soon!)
Read reviews and testimonials HERE! (Coming soon!)
Color Series and Levels
In CQLA, it does not matter which color you begin with! The three color series – Red, Blue, and Green – are just the way the character qualities are divided.
- Choose the level you need according to your student’s language arts abilities (Level Pre A – 2nd and 3rd grade; Level A 4th and 5th grade; Level B 6th, 7th, and 8th grade; Level C high school)
- Then choose the color series you desire according to the character qualities you would like to study that year. Be sure to get the same color (same set of character qualities) for each student so that the entire family is studying the same quality at the same time.
Check out the character qualities contained in each color series HERE!
CQLA Level Pre A
Price: $79.00 per book
Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series
These 1000+ page work texts contain all of your 2nd and 3rd graders’ language arts for one year. A gentle, yet thorough introduction to English, with the emphasis on learning to write correct sentences and paragraphs, reviewing phonetic sounds for spelling, memorizing and reciting simple parts of speech with songs and rhymes, learning to take dictation, and organizing information for writing. Specify Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series, according to whether you have done any colors prior to this and what character qualities you desire to study.
Free Samples!
View Character Qualities Contained in Each Color
CQLA Level A
Price: $79.00 per book
Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series
These 1000-1200 page work texts contain all of your 3rd-5th graders’ (depending on abilities) language arts for one year. Continued emphasis on writing with longer original essays, reports, and stories including step-by-step instructions with our Directed Writing Approach; adding more revisions to their writing via our signature Checklist Challenge; increasing their spelling and homophone skills with our word-family and mnemonic-based spelling and Wacky Word lessons; continuing in their memorization and recitation of grammar lists with rhymes and songs; and (especially!) applying their grammar learning to writing. Specify Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series, according to whether you have done any colors prior to this and what character qualities you desire to study.
View Character Qualities Contained in Each Color
CQLA Level B
Price: $79.00 per book
Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series
The CQLA approach continues with 1200+ pages of lessons in each of these Level B work texts. Your middle school students (grades 6th-8th) will continue to learn excellent communications skills in the same formats as the previous books with more challenging composition assignments using our Directed Writing Approach (check out the writing lessons in CQLA and Meaningful Composition—you’ll love them!); advanced grammar and usage lessons in which all skills are applied to writing; expanded Checklist Challenge editing lessons; extensive homophone and similar word lessons via our Wacky Words; and much more. Specify Red Series, Blue Series, and Green Series, according to whether you have done any colors prior to this and what character qualities you desire to study.
View Character Qualities Contained in Each Color
CQLA Level C
Price: $79.00 per book
Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series
Your high school student will be challenged in this final level of CQLA with 1300 to 1500 pages of lessons in each work text. Following the same format and approach as the earlier levels, students will write six to sixteen paragraph reports, essays, and stories using our Directed Writing Approach, delve more deeply into grammar and usage with the emphasis on applying all grammar to their writing; extend their spelling, vocabulary, and homophone knowledge with our Definition Dissection and Wacky Word lessons; learn to edit like a pro using our advanced Checklist Challenge; and come out of high school with one of the best grasps on language arts that we have seen in our thirty years of teaching and tutoring! (Check out the samples to see what we mean!) Specify Red Series, Blue Series, or Green Series, according to whether you have done any volumes prior to this and what character qualities you desire to study.
View Character Qualities Contained in Each Color
CQLA Teacher’s Guide
Price: $25.00
The CQLA Teacher’s Guide is an inexpensive guide to using Character Quality Language Arts. This 300-page spiral bound book contains an overview of the entire program, a “how to” section to instruct parents in how to use the program, a book report guide, complete set of grammar cards (all the grammar rules learned in CQLA on “cards” in alphabetical order), the master Checklist Challenge (showing all editing and revising items taught in CQLA from all levels), a Scope and Sequence chart showing what is taught in which unit, a Content Area and Character Quality Overview Chart (also available at this web site) indicating what Bible and character principles each unit covers, a Frequently Asked Questions section (huge!), a guide to citing sources, a guide to coding/highlighting Checklist Challenge revisions in essays, a detailed homophone chart, a sample from a Level B unit, and a cd explaining the program (that correlates with the Level B sample)
This entire Teacher’s Guide is for the CQLA teacher to learn to use the program. It is not specific to any one level or any one CQLA book. (Those items are in the Teacher’s Helps and Answer Keys at the end of each unit of each CQLA book.) At only $25.00, it is a great way to learn more about CQLA with a minimum investment for those considering making a switch from several other curriculum materials to the all-in-on Character Quality Language Arts. It truly is a writing/grammar handbook, so you can’t go wrong with this item!
More Information
We have provided several sample portions of the CQLA Teacher’s Guide for you to get acquainted with our materials and to help you determine if CQLA is right for you.
About the CQLA Teacher’s Guide
Chapter 1: Overview of CQLA
Chapter 2: How to Use CQLA
Chapter 3: Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 7: Vocabulary Information
Chapter 9: KWO, Plagiarism, and Passages
Chapter 18: Character Quality and Content Area and Overview Sheets
Chapter 19: Scope and Sequence Charts
CQLA Spelling Notebook
Price: $20.00
The Spelling Notebook (SN) is a separate book that correlates with CQLA. Over ninety spelling rules are included in the Spelling Notebook, and each page contains a Teacher’s Tip that explains that page’s rule for the teacher. Each week as part of the student’s spelling lesson, he is told to turn to certain pages of the SN containing that week’s rule(s), and record his words in the correct column (g says guh; g says juh, etc.). Only one Spelling Notebook is needed per student for all your student’s CQLA years as it covers spelling rules for grades two through twelve and is made for long-term use. (The SN is optional in high school.)
