"Lightning Literature" and our current Reading program

[MeAndTheBoys]

We have used Christian Light reading FOREVER.  My oldest is in 700, and my second is in 500.  It's good; I love all of the things it teaches, and the boys are okay with the stories--some are obviously more engaging than others.

 

My 5th grader does not consistantly read fiction for fun.  When he does read a fiction book that he likes, he'll go on and on about how great books are.  But if he hasn't "clicked" with one, it might take him a while to pick one up again.  We were SL users until last year, and he would read his readers, but it was hard to stay on track--it was hard to get him to pick it up every day and get his pages done.  Since we left SL, I have assigned readers and made charts to help him stay on track--but we lost momentum after Christmas; I haven't been staying on top of it, and we are a book or two behind.  He does love to read field guides and animal encyclopedias, and he will read a lot of our MFW book basket books about history, and he likes to read my youngest son's picture books from the library.  He IS a good reader; he just doesn't love chapter books.  Attention issues, for one thing--

 

My oldest reads a lot and is fairly good about just working through his readers (although he refuses to start "Samurai's Tale" right now-I need to get on that).

 

ANYWAY, I had been looking at Lightning Lit a little this past year, and just bit the bullet and bought level 7 this afternoon--the book choices look interesting, and it SEEMS like it would take care of both my literature readers and my Reading curriculum--maybe it would be easier if I wasn't trying to separate those two.  AND it would add more writing--we are not very on track with Jump-In either (again--when I have one that struggles with reading and writing, I lose a lot of my momentum).  It SEEMS like my life would be much simpler if we just had one good thing to do instead of trying to juggle three.

 

What do you think?  Do you think the boys could do Lightning Lit 7 together this fall, if they are 11 and 12 1/2?  If we do, does that give me "permission", lol, to drop CLE Reading and Jump In and separate readers; is that the point of Lightning Lit?  To combine those three elements--reading comp, writing, and lit?  I would probably assign my oldest additional readers on the side---

 

I have never seen it IRL, just read about it for a while on forums.  And out of desperation today, I just went ahead and ordered the three teacher/student books and the 2 books we don't already own--

 

Any insight would be great!!  Looksl like they have quite a lot of high school products as well--

 

Thanks,

B

[Lori D.]

Well, normally I'm the first person to wave the LL flag  :tongue_smilie: , but honestly I don't know as though it would be a good fit in your situation:

 

- after CLE, the literary lesson and work pages may be too "light", esp. for your older student

- some of the books covered may be a bit above your younger student (a lot of older Victorian vocabulary, sentence structure, jargon, and words spelled to show the speaker has an accent)

- the writing portion of LL is a light review, not a full writing program

 

What I *do* think LL7 and LL8 excell at: very gentle first step programs into beginning literary analysis and reading of some classic works of Literature, with 8-10 work pages for each unit to support putting into practice the literary lesson learned for that unit, and each unit finishes up with a 1-2 page "mini writing lesson" (a sort of summary review of a single topic in writing), and 3-4 writing assignment ideas to choose from for a several paragraph end of unit essay.

 

Usually, people are asking if they can go in the other direction than you are needing to go -- they want to know if they can do a separate writing program in addition to LL7 or LL8, which yes, you can -- we did so with a struggling writer, doing LL and Jump In at the same time with no strain.

 

However, you are hoping to *combine* your Literature and Writing elements into one resource, and I just don't think LL7 or LL8 is going to be enough for you or be the "one stop shopping" program that fits for your needs.

 

Since you have already ordered everything, I'd suggest first taking a few days to look closely at it all to see if it WILL fit your needs or not. If not, hopefully Hewitt has a good return policy.  :ohmy:

 

If you find you like the program and think your DSs will like it, give it a try -- but with the knowledge you will still need to be working through a separate writing program. And, you will still want to have something available for free reading of chapter books at age/grade level -- since you have some SL and like it, maybe have a book basket of those titles available. And you may want to do the reading (esp. with the younger DS) as read aloud together "popcorn" style ("you read a page, I read a page"), if he is struggling with some of the works (Tom Sawyer, Story of My Life, All Creatures are the three with the vocab, slang, jargon, etc.).

 

One thing that may be helpful to you with LL is that it is designed to be done solo by the student, so you can just hand it off to your older DS to do largely on his own, if you wish.

 

 

I sure hope my LL flag waving in other posts has not steered you amiss!  :sad: But esp. hoping LL really will be a good fit for you and do all you need it to do. Warmest regards, Lori D.

[MeAndTheBoys]

Lol, you aren't steering me away.  You're just clarifying--

 

We can certainly continue in Jump In, and I have WWS 1 sitting on the shelf for when we finish Jump In--

 

This explanation from you sounds like exactly what my younger needs:  "What I *do* think LL7 and LL8 excell at: very gentle first step programs into beginning literary analysis and reading of some classic works of Literature, with 8-10 work pages for each unit to support putting into practice the literary lesson learned for that unit, and each unit finishes up with a 1-2 page "mini writing lesson" (a sort of summary review of a single topic in writing), and 3-4 writing assignment ideas to choose from for a several paragraph end of unit essay."

 

My older--I'll just set him to work on some of the Progeny Press Lit guides that he is supposed to be doing next year for MFW anyway--I have several on the shelf already, Secret Garden and Swiss Family Robinson and a couple of others, I think.

 

I think you've cleared up some of my muddled thinking, and it sounds even more like it will fit :)  My middle is getting so burned out trying to finish the CLE reading AND do the lit I've been assigning him--he has read Old Yeller, Five Little Peppers, Where the Red Fern Grows, Door in the Wall, Alice in Wonderland, and Old Yeller this year.  But we did NOTHING with them, he just read them.  Seems like at least Lightning Lit can combine the purpose of reading readers AND doing CLE Reading, and I'll feel better about the readers.

 

He did read Wizard of Oz, City of Ember, and a few other books just for fun this year, along with his non-fiction. 

 

I'm good with continuing separate writing--esp Jump In, which has been so easy to use WHEN we make the time to use it.  I didn't realize the writing in Lightning Lit was so minimal; I thought it was a replacement.  Certainly okay that it is just a "side note".

 

Maybe part of it is that using SL for Core P 3/4-D, then MFW the past two years--I've realized that he is NOT the kid who can read tons of great books and just "get it".  My oldest can.  So Lightning Lit looks like we will read good books--and do some work with them to find the point, find the meanings, etc. 

 

We'll see :)  You're not scaring me off at all, just helping me understand what the program IS and ISN'T, and how it might work for us. 

 

Thanks!!

Betsy

Well, normally I'm the first person to wave the LL flag  :tongue_smilie: , but honestly I don't know as though it would be a good fit in your situation:

 

- after CLE, the literary lesson and work pages may be too "light", esp. for your older student

- some of the books covered may be a bit above your younger student (a lot of older Victorian vocabulary, sentence structure, jargon, and words spelled to show the speaker has an accent)

- the writing portion of LL is a light review, not a full writing program

 

What I *do* think LL7 and LL8 excell at: very gentle first step programs into beginning literary analysis and reading of some classic works of Literature, with 8-10 work pages for each unit to support putting into practice the literary lesson learned for that unit, and each unit finishes up with a 1-2 page "mini writing lesson" (a sort of summary review of a single topic in writing), and 3-4 writing assignment ideas to choose from for a several paragraph end of unit essay.

 

Usually, people are asking if they can go in the other direction than you are needing to go -- they want to know if they can do a separate writing program in addition to LL7 or LL8, which yes, you can -- we did so with a struggling writer, doing LL and Jump In at the same time with no strain.

 

However, you are hoping to *combine* your Literature and Writing elements into one resource, and I just don't think LL7 or LL8 is going to be enough for you or be the "one stop shopping" program that fits for your needs.

 

Since you have already ordered everything, I'd suggest first taking a few days to look closely at it all to see if it WILL fit your needs or not. If not, hopefully Hewitt has a good return policy.  :ohmy:

 

If you find you like the program and think your DSs will like it, give it a try -- but with the knowledge you will still need to be working through a separate writing program. And, you will still want to have something available for free reading of chapter books at age/grade level -- since you have some SL and like it, maybe have a book basket of those titles available. And you may want to do the reading (esp. with the younger DS) as read aloud together "popcorn" style ("you read a page, I read a page"), if he is struggling with some of the works (Tom Sawyer, Story of My Life, All Creatures are the three with the vocab, slang, jargon, etc.).

 

One thing that may be helpful to you with LL is that it is designed to be done solo by the student, so you can just hand it off to your older DS to do largely on his own, if you wish.

 

 

I sure hope my LL flag waving in other posts has not steered you amiss!  :sad: But esp. hoping LL really will be a good fit for you and do all you need it to do. Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

[Lori D.]

Oh good! :)

 

LL7 may be a good fit for the level of literature, as most of the works in LL7 are a step in difficulty from the SL historical fiction books you listed. So, yes, look over the LL7 and see if you can all do it together. And yes, PP guides or other individual lit. guides to go with the books will help beef them up for the older DS, while LL7 could be the substitute for CLE. Hope that ends up being a good fit all around! :)

 

I'll just mention one other thing… Our DS#2 who was not big on reading found the Helen Keller's Story of My Life to be both difficult and unenjoyable. And, it really helped that we were doing Tom Sawyer and All Creatures aloud together, because he would have absolutely been lost and bogged down in the accents and jargon. Doing it aloud together helped him get over the initial hump of the book and get used to what was going on, and then he really loved both of those books. :)

 

Warmest regards, Lori D.

[MeAndTheBoys]

Oh good! :)

 

LL7 may be a good fit for the level of literature, as most of the works in LL7 are a step in difficulty from the SL historical fiction books you listed. So, yes, look over the LL7 and see if you can all do it together. And yes, PP guides or other individual lit. guides to go with the books will help beef them up for the older DS, while LL7 could be the substitute for CLE. Hope that ends up being a good fit all around! :)

 

I'll just mention one other thing… Our DS#2 who was not big on reading found the Helen Keller's Story of My Life to be both difficult and unenjoyable. And, it really helped that we were doing Tom Sawyer and All Creatures aloud together, because he would have absolutely been lost and bogged down in the accents and jargon. Doing it aloud together helped him get over the initial hump of the book and get used to what was going on, and then he really loved both of those books. :)

 

Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

We live near Ivy Green & have seen a local play of The Miracle Worker, so maybe interest will be there.  Thanks for the heads-up on considering read-alouds; I may do that with him!!!

 

B

 

[Lori D.]

We live near Ivy Green & have seen a local play of The Miracle Worker, so maybe interest will be there.

 

It sure can't hurt! :) My DS's problem is he is impatient with anything he's not "into" reading. He was frustrated and annoyed at what seemed like to him to be overly long, flowery, complicated sentences that are Helen Keller's writing style. "Just get to the point!" he would say.  ;)

[Sunnybuddy]

- after CLE, the literary lesson and work pages may be too "light", esp. for your older student

(

May I ask if you are meaning that CLE does more with lit analysis that Lightning Lit? I've been looking at both and I'm definitely wanting analysis for my daughter.

[Lori D.]

May I ask if you are meaning that CLE does more with lit analysis that Lightning Lit? I've been looking at both and I'm definitely wanting analysis for my daughter.

 

We used LL7 and LL8. No personal experience with CLE -- only familiar with the samples and the scope and sequence of CLE, and with comments from those who have used CLE and then tried LL. From that, I see this as a comparison:

 

LL7 or LL8

- secular

- leans toward whole-to-parts style of learning/teaching

- 1 year (LL7 = 8 unites; LL8 = 12 units)

- uses classic works of literature

- covers poetry, short stories, novellas, novels (of several different genres), biography

- each unit includes:

* student guide: brief background on author/times; vocabulary list per chapter; 6-10 page literary lesson on a specific aspect of literature

* student work pages: 8-10 pages of putting the literary lesson learned into practice, and an excerpt from another classic work with guided literary analysis 

*teacher guide: comprehension questions; a few discussion questions; suggested schedule; a little teaching support / resources

 

Sample pages:

LL7 -- program overview, table of contents, student guide, student work pages,  teacher guide

LL8 -- program overview, table of contents, student guide, student work pages, teacher guide

 

CLE Reading

- Christian (Bible and Biblical principles entwined)

- a parts-to-whole style of learning/teaching, worksheet-based

- 1 semester / 16 weeks (if done 5 days/week)

- uses a reader of short stories written for the program which are overtly Christian/Biblically-based

- worksheets/teacher guide includes: vocabulary, reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, intro / work with literary elements and figurative language devices

 

Sample Pages:

CLE 500 -- reader, teacher guide

CLE 600 -- reader, teacher guide

CLE 700 -- reader, teacher guide

CLE 800 -- reader, teacher guide

 

For scope & sequence of each level, see posts by MIch elle:

- â€‹Is there anywhere I can go to see samples of CLE Reading…  (post #4 = S&S CLE 500 = gr.5)

- Anyone tried Mosdos Literature? (post #2 = S&S CLE 600 reading = gr. 6)

- Anyone know of a good literary analysis program for 7th grade?  (post #2 = S&S CLE 700 = gr 7)

- OK, here's what I want; does it exist? (post #23 = S&S CLE 800 = gr. 8)

 

 

JMO:

Are you able to use overtly Christian materials? If no, then CLE is not for you.

 

What is your DD's learning style and your teaching style? If worksheet-based, then go with CLE.

 

If your DD's learning style and your teaching style is through reading, discussion, and practice support work, then go with LL. And consider adding Figuratively Speaking for additional exposure to and working with literary elements.

 

Or go with another program, such as Memoria Press Literature (Christian), or K12 (secular) -- gr. 6, gr. 7, gr. 8.

 

And for any program, consider adding Teaching the Classics for a solid foundation in how to think about/discuss ANY work of literature.

 

BEST of luck as you decide! Warmest regards, Lori D.