Coco_Clark Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Just curious, honestly. Do you use ELTL solo as your language arts program, or do you use something else on top? Right now I'm alternating ELTL1 and LOE C. Not sure I want to continue with LOE D...it sounds like it really transitions to more writing and I've really been using it as a reading program... Anyways, do you find ELTL2 to be pretty complete? Does it have glaring pieces missing, and if so what do you use to bridge them? I'm considering adding a spelling program after LOE, because I know ELTL has no spelling component and this kid is an awful speller, but oh man do I hate those AAS tiles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeritasMama Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Have you looked at RLTL? I bought it this year in the hopes it could be an open and go replacement for WRTR. I am using ELTL for the first time as well, so I am unaware as to any gaps at this point. But I do know that author uses studied dictation to study spelling. My plan was to use Webster's using ElizabethB's phonics videos with my 2nd grader before I discovered RLTL and ELTL. I'm hoping they will help me simplify and streamline, I am guilty of over planning :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted September 12, 2014 Author Share Posted September 12, 2014 I have the RLTL sample...I suppose that's the natural answer to go along with ELTL. I wonder if I want to buy another Orting program though, when I already have WRTR. I don't find WRTR hard to implement, just boring. Which is why I switched to LOE. Its game based and "fun" and didn't require the ability to write lists of words. That was a long time ago, though, and my son CAN write long lists of words now... Maybe I need to reread WRTR and just do that after LOE C, skipping straight to the beginning of the spelling lists since he knows all his phonograms. oh the horror! Read WRTR AGAIN!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 We use other things but my kids are in 5th and 3rd grades. We are just finishing up ELTL 2 and I have 3 on the shelf ready to go. Dd finished FLL4 last year and ELTL is her only grammar right now ( I consider this year a bit of a grammar break for her), she's doing sequential spelling, IEW SWI A, and I bought Treasured Conversations and I would like to get started on that in the next month or so. DS is still working on reading (mostly Reading Pathways), ETC, and handwriting. It had been tough to get both of my kids writing, especially DS and one of my goals for him this year is just to increase his stamina and get more writing output out of him. Anyway, the main reason I use ELTL is for the literature, poetry, and fables. They listen to the book while they do handwriting (I've been able to find everything on audio) then I read the lesson, poem, fable, and we do the grammar exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TianXiaXueXiao Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 We pair ELTL with Killgallon's Sentence composing and CAP Narrative II. There is a bit of overlap, but it seems to be the winning combo in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimk3 Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 My 6 year old girls use RLTL for spelling and reading. They completed LOE A last Dec. and then started RLTL in Jan. My eight year old ds uses RLTL for spelling and he will finish ELTL 2 in about two weeks. He did the first 16 weeks of LOE essentials before switching to RLTL/ELTL and found the latter combo to be a better fit for both of us. My girls are starting ELTL 1 next week. I have not found ELTL to be lacking, especially if you do the grammar memory work. We do some additional narration and copy work in history and science and my son does occasionally do creative writing on his own. My children enjoy the RLTL readers. RLTL has been easy and painless for me to implement. I still use the LOE game book to add in a little fun. I like that the lists and readers are done for me, but I can add games when I feel like they need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelaburke1000 Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 We're about 1/3 through ELTL 2 with my 1st and 2nd graders. We read the lit. selections before bed or during lunch, and do the poem/fable/grammar lesson during morning time. My 2nd grader does the copy work, but my 1st grader is only expected to do picture narration from it a couple of times per week. My first grader is also working through All About Reading 2, and I add my own spelling for both of them . . . though . . . getting tired of winging it and will have to choose something and be done with that. (So with you on hating the tiles in AAS!!!) The 2nd grader is a natural writer, and is constantly cranking out her own poems, plays and fairytales. So we haven't done much formal instruction for writing at all, but am sure we will at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamamindy Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I'm using ELTL Level 2 for both my 7 & 8yos and I have found the grammar portion plenty challenging. In addition to ELTL, I have all my children using RLTL. I own WRTR, but I really appreciate the open-and-go aspect of RLTL. WRTR never took off here, but RLTL gets done and my kids all enjoy it. I have considered adding LOE games for DS, but so far he finds ELTL fun so we haven't added anything. (I say that because although it may seem boring to you, like it did to me, your dc might actually like it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FromA2Z Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Just curious, honestly. Do you use ELTL solo as your language arts program, or do you use something else on top? Right now I'm alternating ELTL1 and LOE C. Not sure I want to continue with LOE D...it sounds like it really transitions to more writing and I've really been using it as a reading program... Anyways, do you find ELTL2 to be pretty complete? Does it have glaring pieces missing, and if so what do you use to bridge them? I'm considering adding a spelling program after LOE, because I know ELTL has no spelling component and this kid is an awful speller, but oh man do I hate those AAS tiles... I'm using LOE D with ELTL (well we'll start ELTL next week). I faced the same dilemma that you are. I was going to use WRTR after LOE C (b/c of D not being released yet.) I felt comfortable doing the spelling analysis when dictating spelling words and we were solid with all the phonograms. What I did not feel comfortable with was introducing/reviewing spelling rules. It's just so stark in WRTR, I didn't know if I could pull out understanding from just stating the rule. I feel it does not provide enough practice working with the rules (just stating them the rules when spelling words), When the early release of D became available I snatched it up. It exactly what I need in the introducing (discovery) of rules and the in-depth practice and review. We are also just starting exercises on unaccented syllables vs. accented. I really love the hand-holding provided for these type of lessons as I did not receive this type of education. We've been enjoy the reading comprehension activities. It does introduce grammar and vocabulary which we also have been doing. I've been pretty much skipping the writing activities (copywork, dictation, and writing projects (making lists, etc). My ds was 5 last year and we did all writing on the whiteboard. So we have spent the first few weeks working/reviewing letter formation on lined paper. Next week we're starting ELTL for writing. I do question if we need ELTL with LOE. I just want to use copywork with literature and discuss Aesop's fables. KWIM? I was going to drop the grammar with LOE, but my ds is actually enjoying it. So I may just use ELTL as review of grammar concepts and see if he can apply what he is learning with LOE to the literature he's reading. We've been doing one D lesson a week (breaking it up over 4 days). The current lessons average 120 minutes. She is re-writing them to take about 90 minutes each. She is toning down the writing portion and removing one of the 2 phonogram review exercises in each lesson. The re-written ones are being posted today. We are on lesson 11. So we have been doing D for 12 weeks. I really like it and glad I went with it. I do plan on switching to the WRTR after D. I'm pretty sure I'll feel comfortable by then to use it for spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 Thanks FromA2Z, that's really helpful. I adore LOE but solely for the slow, "fun", introduction of phonograms and spelling rules. We do not do the writing, comprehension, or grammar portions. That made sense for us in A, and B because 80% of the program was phonograms and spelling rules and only 20% writing/comprehension. In C its more 50/50, and I'm not sure yet if in D it will still be worth the money. For obvious reasons it moves further and futher away from what I'm really using it for (teaching reading). I prefer to do writing/grammar with ELTL, and even now while on a ELTL break I'm doing it in that style. Comprehension, vocab we just cover with lots of reading and discussing and I feel that's enough. So I'm either cutting D in half or smaller, switching to dull old WRTR, or perhaps switching over to LOE Essentials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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