dauphin Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Seriously asking for feedback about why one program or the other is/is not a good fit. Kind of like Sonlight's list, "26 reasons Why ____ might not be for you. If ______..... I am drawn more to CLE for a rising 2nd grader who has been in a Montessori school. She's quick to pick things up so I suspect the kind of repetition/time spent on a subject like in FLL will bore her. CLE, I suspect, may have a healthier level of review, but In a more spiral fashion? But this is also the kid that I'm considering Beast Academy for. I think I might be most drawn to CLE for the ease of use while also covering all the bases (especially over the years...I hate feeling like I might have forgotten something....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauphin Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Bump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I guess no one can compare them. Could you maybe just start a unit of CLE and see how it goes? Very little money or time commitment that way... Does FLL have a similar option? A sample you could use? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I started with FLL for my kiddos but moved to CLE for the following reasons: -- I didn't like the scripted format of FLL. -- I wanted (NEEDED) to encourage more independence and CLE makes that possible. I have four kids (two preschoolers) and need to find areas where kids can work independently while I am busy with their siblings. I've been very happy with CLE so far; it's quite thorough when it comes to grammar, spelling and penmanship. I do supplement writing with WWE for my 2nd grader and Writing and Rhetoric for my 4th grader. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 FLL and WWE, while teacher-dependent, are very straight-forward and git-r-done here. We've never done CLE, but FLL/WWE has never been too much, even this year when I'm juggling pregnancy, toddler, preschooler, Ker and two different levels of LA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I like the independence of CLE. I've used FLL and WWE. I like that when my dd is having one of those "days" where she's being disagreeable I can send her off to do CLE alone. She doesn't care for the scripted aspect either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diaperjoys Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I despise scripting, so while I'm sure it is a great program, I do avoid FLL. CLE is something we've been really happy with. Straightforward, and very manageable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauphin Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 I think my DD could tolerate the scripted-ness of WWE but not FLL (or maybe that's because I have a harder time imagining alternatives to WWE?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateingr Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 OP, you mentioned how you're considering CLE for the same child you're considering Beast for, and I just wanted to chime in and say I use that combo. It feels very strange to have one subject be such incremental, spiral review while the other is so focused on creative problem-solving, but the pair is working really well for my eight-year-old. He was not thrilled with CLE at first, but two months later, he picks it up and gets it done first thing in the morning with no complaints or grumbling. I'm loving having all my cursive, grammar, usage, and spelling in one place without requiring much teaching time. (Although I do go over it with him after he's finished and discuss any new concepts that were introduced.) Feeling like all the bases are getting covered is making me very happy, too. For writing, I'm making up my own following the WWE model, as CLE feels a little too light in writing for what I want right now. (This seems to pick up in later years, so I may stop adding writing at some point.) I do copywork one day, the same copywork as dictation the next day, and then one or two days on writing a paragraph, and it's feeling like a good balance. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauphin Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Maybe I just have a concern about too much scripting...I like incremental for my own peace of mind, and I think this DD would like CLE for its independence - the get-r-done aspect! But she also I think is hungry for conceptual as well, and enjoys solving puzzles so conceptual math like BA seems right up her alley. Wondering if the old FLL (level 1&2 in one book and combined (?) with what became WWE?). Because I would also like to eventually do TC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I haven't used CLE, but I have used FLL 1-4 for several kids over a range of ages. I've also used WWE and some WWS. I don't read the script verbatim. :) And I never thought that having a script meant I was tied down to it with a 2nd Assistant Director glaring at me. But I have found it helpful as a way to keep me on the right track. And after you've done it for 1 kid, it becomes second nature. I really like the way the parts of speech definitions are presented. My youngest kid hasn't even gone through a FLL book, but she's heard the definitions so many times...she knows them, I think. :) FLL is meant to be done together. WWE is meant to be done together. If a teacher needs kiddos to have independence, I don't think FLL and WWE fit the bill. If a teacher doesn't enjoy repeating definitions, maybe FLL and WWE aren't the best fit, unless the teacher can just blithely disregard it (which is totally possible). I personally like repeating the definitions in FLL and the spelling rule cards is AAS and the letter formation sequences in HWoT. I think it's made me a better teacher as I work with my range of kids because I now use consistent, accurate definitions. I was also that lady that LIKED reading the same FIAR book every day for a week. I like memorizing poems and then reviewing them--that's part of FLL. I personally like the conversational tone of FLL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I've only used FLL. It's thorough and retention was excellent. It was open and go and always got done. Both of my kids liked it. It was not flashy (I hate flashy). The cons would be if you don't like scripted or a ton of repetition. This can be addressed by being careful with placement. I would not start with FLL1 with a 2nd grader. You still might need to decide between 2 and 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammarGirl Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I much prefer CLE. FLL went too slowly for us, and I really appreciate that CLE is more broad, covering topics such as syllabification, roots, suffixes, prefixes, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 CLE LA may not be for you if: You want integrated literature You want to teach writing/penmanship/spelling/usage and miscellaneous LA skills (dictionary, homophones, etc.) as a separate subject You prefer teacher intensive programs You object to Christian-based example sentences You don't want a rigorous program You don't want to teach diagramming You prefer chunk based mastery presentation as opposed to incremental teaching with spiral review I've never used FLL, this is our third year using CLE over multiple grade levels. We've used 1st through 6th, except for 3rd. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Oh, it also isn't for you if you prefer a textbook as opposed to consumable worktexts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Jennifer, I liked what you posted as to why CLE might not work for some parents/students. Clear and concise! I agree with what you posted and hopefully that will add some clarity for anyone reading and pondering this decision. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wholesomemomma Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Late to the game, I know, but we used FLL 2 and WWE in 2nd grade, and for 3rd grade we're using CLE LA 3 and WWE together :) It's the perfect blend, IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberryjam Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Just wanted to say... we started CLE Language Arts about a month ago and I am AH-mazed at the results thus far!! I'm so glad I gave it a chance. One of the best curriculum buys ever. I'm saving so much time and my son is plowing through the workbooks. I love that it's 95% independent work he can do on his own. He really enjoys it too. We also do FLL - why not do both? FLL takes hardly any time. You can always skip some of the lessons. I really enjoy FLL but I wouldn't compare it to CLE, they are so different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauphin Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 They seem sort of redundant but maybe I need to look at both next to each other again. My other thought was to do the older combined FLL/WWE but my thought was that it might be overkill on grammar definitions among other things especially considering that we are planning on doing CC.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aminuteorless Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 They seem sort of redundant but maybe I need to look at both next to each other again. My other thought was to do the older combined FLL/WWE but my thought was that it might be overkill on grammar definitions among other things especially considering that we are planning on doing CC.... We are in a CC community and use FLL. I sub the CC definitions into the FLL lessons. Works well for us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I like the looks of the CLE LA books I saw on their website. Could someone tell me how many lessons? Do they have a typical 36 week lesson format? Something different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabio McFluffypants Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I have used both! I did FLL 1/2 and FLL 3. It was good--not too much writing for the writing phobic. Clear explanations. Fun poetry memorization included (and review built right in). Great for an auditory learner. It can get repetitive and I never used the scripting. The children who used it tolerated it. They prefer CLE. I needed something that didn't hinge on me teaching every single thing. The memorized definitions from FLL have helped in CLE--especially the list of helping verbs that are memorized with clapping. You need to add handwriting, spelling and composition to FLL. You can (but you don't really need to) supplement CLE with an extra writing program--like Writing with Ease. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I like the looks of the CLE LA books I saw on their website. Could someone tell me how many lessons? Do they have a typical 36 week lesson format? Something different? Which grade? Grade 1 is designed to cover around 75% of a school year, so the light units are shorter. Other grades are designed to take 170 days, 17/LU generally. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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