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Spelling and Language Arts recommendations


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Hello, 

 

I am new here as well, but I have used Well-Trained Mind materials in the past and have loved them!  Today I am planning out the upcoming school year.  I have schooled my kids for years and have used all sorts of curricula, but this year my goal is to streamline the kids' schoolwork and make it work for me: that is, including only what is essential for their learning without redundancy.  

 

I want to use the First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind 4 for my fourth graders, in addition to First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind 2 for my second grader.  

 

Here is my question: How do I fill in the gaps in language arts this year?  I have used Wordly Wise in the past, and was considering using books A for the second grader and C for the fourth graders and then adding a writing program -- I am specifically considering Writing & Rhetoric Book 1 Fables to add in for a semester for the fourth graders.  Then, I was going to use Drawn into the Heart of Reading levels 2/3 and 3/4 by Carrie Austin, which is a reading program for kids -- you put your own books in from different genres (I have plenty of great books, so this would work for me if I can map that out in advance).  

 

My motivation is: having a thorough language curriculum.  I am balancing my concern of giving the children a thorough education with the concern of overwhelming me and them with too much work.  But I am wondering if this is a good plan or if there's a better "Well-Trained Mind" plan for the purpose of covering grammar, reading, vocabulary building, and writing.  

 

Finally, one of my fourth graders is a poor speller.  I am a natural speller, so I haven't seen the need for spelling books -- they have seemed like unnecessary busy work.  Under the Well-Trained Mind approach, should I also buy a spelling book for my fourth grader?  Should I buy one for my second grader?  Or is there another approach to spelling?  

 

In addition to all this that I have mentioned, the kids will also have science, math, handwriting, Bible memorization and Bible study, and read-alouds with me. (My older eighth grade daughter will also be participating, but not necessarily in all of these things, so I don't think we need to consider her for these purposes, although I am considering giving her a basic grammar book to use, and am trying to figure out how to best teach a logic and debate course at her co-op, and would love recommendations or suggestions).  

 

Thanks!

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Welcome! :)

 

Have you used FLL with your children previously? Book 4 is a big jump in grammar.

 

Have you read "The Well Trained Mind"? If not it is worth a read. Really good stuff!

 

I understand your concerns with language arts. There are so many components to consider and alot of great stuff out there. Many people pair FLL with WWE (Writing with Ease). They compliment each other and round out classical writing and grammar. WWE has literature excerpts you can use or you can take it from the literature you are using with your children.

 

We are also using ELTL (English Lessons through Literature) which provides us with literature, writing and grammar in a more natural way.

 

As far as spelling, a child struggling who isn't a natural speller could benefit from AAS (All About Spelling). If you haven't looked into it you might want to check it out.

 

In our house we just roll vocabulary into our day via literature. We just tackle words they don't know in a natural way. My kids don't retain vocabulary well out of context so it has worked for us.

 

Writing and Rhetoric is a fun program as is Writing Tales which also teaches the Fable stage of classical writing. 4th is a great age to begin Fable. For your younger one another comprehensive and gentle language arts is Cottage Press Primer 1. It has literature, nature study, writing, some grammar, vocabulary, etc rolled into one.

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Thanks!  I have read the Well Trained Mind, and I do love it (it's been a while, though, so I could probably reread it), but I also appreciate just having the tools that I need so I can apply the principles without having to create curriculum myself.  I have used First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind books 1-3 and have loved them, so I know that level 4 will be fine.  But, as you observed, Hive Mind, I want to round out the curriculum for the kids.  It seems that the kids are lacking a good writing program (though one will be doing IEW at co-op), vocabulary, and spelling.  I don't care for IEW (although I do like the results and appreciate the thorough approach), because I don't like the requirement to take a video teaching course.  I really think that I should be able to teach the course using a teacher's book and not by investing in DVDs.  

 

I just noticed Writing with Ease -- perhaps that would be a better fit than the Writing and Rhetoric.  It would be unwise to do both, and without seeing the books, it's hard to know which would be a better fit.  My goal, again, is to streamline while still giving the kids a thorough education, so I don't want to just give them a lot of workbooks so that they can't fully learn the material they need to learn.  I find it difficult to teach multiple kids when each is doing a different curriculum.  I wonder if I could use Book 2 of Writing with Ease with my second grader and thereby gain some continuity.  What do you think? I will look at the Cottage Press Primer 1, but I'm guessing it will get me off course.  I have five kids at home, in addition to two adult kids and a dog, so I'm really looking for the best, most efficient plan for the kids!

 

As far as spelling goes, All About Spelling looks like it might work.  My daughter just isn't a good speller in part because I haven't bothered to give her any spelling instruction (the rest of us being natural spellers), so I don't know that she needs a lot of materials and special methods to learn -- I think she might just need a good basic spelling book.  I wouldn't want a lot of bells and whistles, because she'll already be doing a lot of other workbooks.  

 

I'd love to know what you think of all that too.  Thank you!

 

 

Edited by savvymom
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