Teaching Language Arts with Movie and Book Pairings from Netflix

It’s no secret that we love using Netflix to enrich our homeschool and to entertain our family. It’s especially helpful on sick days… It’s been a part of our lives since we pulled the plug on cable TV a few years ago and began to simplify. And we love our commercial-free watching.

Recently, I shared some great ways to incorporate Netflix into your preschoolers day if you’re teaching preschool at home. Did you check out that post and get your free download with links to shows and resources to use with them? If not, make sure you do. It’s broken down by subject and is a great resource.

For older kids, one of my favorite ways to teach language arts with Netflix is to have them watch movie versions of books they’ve read. When I taught full time in the classroom, I’d have my students do this too. It’s a great way to encourage critical watching and reading. Kids can compare the versions, and analyze which is richer and why.

Netflix makes teaching language arts easy.

There are some wonderful “movies from books” available to stream on Netflix. Some of my favorites are below. I’ve also included links to the books on Amazon for your convenience. If you’d like to include these movies into your language arts curriculum, I’d suggest having your children {students} read the books first – or read them aloud together – and then watch the film.

Scholastic Storybook Treasures

These stories are collections that bring the pages of classic and contemporary picture books to life through the narration of award-winning actors and actresses. I have included the volumes that are available to stream on Netflix below, along with links to the books included in those volumes right below the collection they’re a part of. I like to let my young readers pull out the books and read long with the narrator.

• One of a Kind Critters – Though the stars may be little, they have big adventures in this collection of animated videos that brings children’s storybooks delightfully to life.
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Duck on a Bike
  • Harry the Dirty Dog
  • Scaredy Squirrel
  • The Dot

• Good to Know – It’s all about learning — for kids and critters — in this collection of artfully animated videos that brings children’s storybooks to life.
  • A Very Brave Witch
  • Bark, George
  • How Do Dinosaurs Go to School
  • Sam and the Lucky Money
  • The Teacher from the Black Lagoon
• Tall Tales – Classic children’s books spring to life in this collection of lofty animated videos featuring celebrity narration and packed with fun.
  • I Stink!
  • The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
  • Trashy Town
• Amazing America – Learn all about the United States in this fun series of videos, which includes topics such as money, the civil rights movement and more.
  • If You Made a Million
  • Johnny Appleseed
  • Martin’s Big Words
  • So You Want to be President?
  • The Scrambled States of America
• Amusing Animals – From cows typing to a spider attending school, animals act like humans in this collection of animated videos that bring children’s storybooks to life.
  • Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
  • Diary of a Spider
  • Is Your Mama a Llama?
  • Who’s in Rabbit’s House?

More Picture Books

There are some great picture books included in the Scholastic treasuries above, but Netflix has some other great stories, too. Check these favorites out:

• The Three Little Pigs {Book}
• The Gruffalo {Book}
• Danny and the Dinosaur {Book}
• The Tortoise and the Hare {Book}
• The Wind in the Willows {Book}
• Madeline {Book}
• Stellaluna {Book}
• The Hungry Caterpillar {Book}
• Jumanji {Book}

Chapter Books

Do you have older children? Or love to do read alouds as a family? I simply adore reading rich classics with my kids and then enjoying a popcorn and movie night to see the magic unfold in front of our eyes. These are some wonderful offerings:

• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh {Book: The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh}
• Holes {Book}
• The Secret of NIMH {Book: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH}
• Charlotte’s Web {Book}
• James and the Giant Peach {Book}
• Harriet the Spy {Book}
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle {Book}
• Ralph S. Mouse {Book}
• Runaway Ralph {Book}
• Hugo {Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret}
• Where the Red Fern Grows {Book}
• The Lost Medallion {Book}
• Born Free {Book}
• The Secret of Moonacre {Book – The Little White Horse}
• Black Beauty {Book}
• The Watsons Go to Birmingham {Book}
• Red Dog {Book}
• A Wrinkle in Time {Book}
• The Boxcar Children {Book}

What are some other creative ways you choose to use streaming video to teach language arts in your homeschool? Did I miss any Netflix titles you love? Which ones? Share your suggestions in the comments.

I am a member of the #StreamTeam, which means that I was provided a Netflix subscription in exchange for writing about the ways we use it in our home and homeschool. All opinions are mine, though, and actually, we’ve used Netflix in our homeschool since the beginning. I love it, and had been a subscriber for years before joining the team. It’s fun to have a reason to share about these great resources now…

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Colleen Kessler

Colleen is an explorer, tinkerer, educator, writer, creator, and a passionate advocate for the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional children. She has a B.S. in elementary education, a M.Ed. in gifted studies, is a sought-after national speaker and educational consultant, and is the founder of the popular blog and podcast Raising Lifelong Learners, as well as Raising Poppies, a community of support for parents of gifted children. She lives in northeast Ohio with her four bright and quirky kiddos, patient husband, and ever-changing collection of small reptiles, mammals, and insects.

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