We're using CLE 1st grade right now, but I'm eyeing R&S for 2nd, mostly because I'd like to use R&S spelling, and probably phonics too. I like that I can glance at a R&S textbook page and easily see what the main topics are for the day. CLE, because of all the short little review items, isn't as easy to scan. What about teacher time? Are the two programs similar in that regard? My son can do CLE pretty much independently, but if he is to actually learn the new material & get the point of the exercises, he needs me to spend some time at the beginning of each lesson reviewing rules & such.

Is R&S Grammar a mastery program? I know that CLE is known for perpetual review - how does R&S compare in this regard? Once new concepts are learned, are they set aside for months? I'm particularly interested in 2nd and 3rd grade. Any details would be terrific! My son has shown that he needs spiral for math...but I don't know if that will be an issue in Grammar or not. Hmmm...

He's in 1st grade this year, and we're almost done with AAS1. It has gone okay, and I'm really pleased with his progress, but I wonder if he needs a program this elaborate & spendy. He doesn't even use the tiles to spell -though he dearly loves writing on the whiteboard. :) The younger sibs will use AAS1 next year, and I need to decide what to do for the rest of this year and for 2nd grade. He's a strong reader, reads at the 5th grade level, and I don't know how to tell if he is a "natural" speller or not. I've posted about spelling before, and I still can't figure out what would be best. I've thought about... - switching to Rod and Staf Spelling (looks pretty independent, phonics based) - continuing on with AAS (dreading the teacher time...but maybe it won't be as bad as I picture. If I do everybody's spelling back to back we'd only have to haul out the white board once...) - returning to ETC & considering that spelling - Spelling Workout or Evan Moore's daily spelling What would you pick for this kiddo???

Learning note names, key names, and basic vocabulary (treble clef, sharp, flat, quarter note, half rest, etc.) would all be a boost for her onece she started taking lessons. :)

Correct timing and correct rhythm is central to playing the piano. And, it is often one of the most difficult things to teach. As you mention, it is entirely possible for a student to understand, or seem to understand the value of the notes. However, when it comes time to apply that to the music being played, it is pretty common to find errors. Teaching the child to correct those errors is a central part of every lesson I teach. And, I can tell you this: the longer those errors are engrained, the more difficult they are to fix. Even a week or two of skipped lessons will commonly result in mistakes that take 3-4 weeks to correct. If a child came to me after a couple years of home lessons where timing was not corrected in each piece, I would anticipate a very frustrating start to lessons. Much that the child thought he was doing right would probably need fixing. It would be a slow road, and it would probably be necessary to begin again near the beginning. I wouldn't recommend that kind of a start to music training. Better to wait a couple years until outside lessons could be afforded. Or perhaps you can go through some kind of a music course (local college, perhaps) first. Only after the Mother could accurately and consistently do timing correctly would it be my recommendation that home lessons be started. Oh, here's another idea - what about a few months of professional lessons for you, with an emphasis on timing (ask for this), and then turn around and teach what you've learned to your child. An adult can often cover more material faster than a young child... Others may have some good ideas for correcting timing issues apart from formal lessons, so hopefully others will chime in. My experience is limited to my 20 years of teaching private lessons. I know that there are other resources now available, and others may well be able to give you info on those.

We're checking out this program, and I'm wondering what ya'll order. Is it sufficient to just order the module (DVD)?, or is it important to have the art prints & parent manual as well?

I've been teaching piano for ~20 years now, and I've used most of the materials that others have mentioned. It think each of them would be good resources. However, my all time favorite is the Alfred's Basic Piano Library. My students tend to do better when they use these materials. Clear, thorough, fun. There are Theory & Activity books offered for each level, and they are really helpful as well.

My oldest will be in 2nd next year. Language Arts is troubling me. I've picked out materials that I think will work well for us, but it is soooo many things to keep up with that I wonder if we'll be able to do them all well. While we want writing/LA skills to be solid, it is just as important that we all emerge from 2nd grade sane!! Here's what we have picked out for next year, and I would love to get some input on this list. Too fragmented? What could be skipped? Writing - Writing With Ease 2 (we're finishing up WWE1 this year) Handwriting - HWT grade 2, moving on to Clasically Cursive Literature/Reading - Logos Press (I'm attracted to this because I've taught it before in the classroom, and it does a fantastic job of teaching the students to use complete sentences, remembering capitals & endmarks, and gets them in the habit of using correct spelling. But maybe it is redundant to use it in combo with WWE? My son already reads at the 5th grade level, so the books themselves are below his level, but he needs lots of practice reading out loud, and I imagine I'll get less resistance if we begin with easier books. I dunno.) Spelling - R&S 2, moving on to 3. (This year was AAS1, and while we like it, I'm concerned about being able to get to it consistently once we add in the needs of the littles.) Grammar - CLE 2 (skipping the spelling/writing sections) Phonics - Continue ETC

I made a big poster sized sticker chart for our 5yo. Fun pathways, kind of like a board game. One path for the Bob Books - one square per book. Another pathway for our Primary Phonics books. And one more for each lesson in our ETC workbooks. Every so often there is something fun - an activity with Papa, staying up late to play a game, earning 25 cents, a milkshake at a favorite restraunt, whatever. He loves it! He gets such a big thrill about putting his sticker on the poster after each book or accomplishment.

Here's the scoop. My oldest is a strong reader, but math doesn't come particularly easily. In Kindergarten we used MUS. He did the primer, but we found the review insufficient for him. (For example, he had a really hard time understanding place value, which came ~ lesson 9 or so. We worked hard at it, eventually made headway, and went on. Then came a long series of lessons that didn't address place value at all, and when the concept came up again at the end of the book, he had forgotten it all, which was a disappointment because we had poured so much effort into it.) So, for 1st grade we've been doing BJU, and that has been better, but still not a grand fit. They never leave a topic completely, and that really helps, but understanding of new concepts is still coming slowly. A couple months ago I decided to layer in Math Mammoth (in addition to BJU). Wow! What a difference! Lights are coming on, and he really "gets" the concepts. Much, much better. He's just been doing one page a day, front and back. It takes him a good while sometimes, but he understands, and doesn't seem to mind wading through it. So...thinking of next year. MM has to stay. That much is clear. But, I'm afraid that MM alone won't be spiral enough for him. I was going to do CLE along with it because of the steady gentle spiral & constant review. But is that overkill?? I'd like this fellow to have loads of time for reading the stacks of books he so much wants to do. On the other hand, both his Papa & his Grandfather are really weak in basic math (yet brilliantly grasp these wildly difficult abstract philosophical or theological concepts...go figure). So I want to be sure the foundation is solid. So...for next year, just MM or MM + CLE?????? What would you do?

Here's my current take...We've just begun CLA LA. It's a great fit for my 6.5yo, who would be dreadfully overwhelmed with copying things onto notebook paper. I plan to use CLE LA next year (grade 2), but I view it as just a grammar program. We'll do WWE2 and also R&S spelling. Later (3rd grade) we'll re-evaluate everything, and R&S will certainly be a consideration. For now, the fact that CLE is all self-contained makes it the best pick for 1st & 2nd grades.

Most of the time the regular levels were more than enough. I think my boys would go stir crazy if we stayed any longer on one topic! I am planning to use one of the 1/2 books, because we stopped ETC for a year, and we're getting ready to pick up again. The 1/2 book will be perfect for a quick review. But normally, no, we stick to the regular levels and then they are thoroughly ready to move onl.

How does this workload seem for 2nd Grade? Too much? Too little? Too many pieces? This will be for a 7yo, reads way above grade level, average in other subjects. Language Arts: Grammar - CLE 2 (just using this for grammar, skip the spelling sections) Writing - WWE 2 Spelling - Rod & Staff 2 & 3 Handwriting - HWT 2, then Classically Cursive Literature - Logos Press Literature Guide Math: Math Mammoth (really "clicks" with him; huge increase in understanding) CLE Math 1 (but he really needs something spiral too) Other: History - continue SOTW 1/Veritas History Cards Bible - continue OT Greek - Alphabet Code Cracker, Song School Greek Music - Piano Lessons PE - TaeKwonDo

Be sure to check out McRuffy Phonics!

We do NOT have this down to a science, but it is starting to work well (finally!). Right now our kids are 6yo, 5yo, 4yo, and 2. So that is 1st, K, pre-K, and toddler. Next year we're gearing up for 2nd, 1st, K, pre-K, so we're practicing now for the whirlwind to come! Anyway, this is the basic scheme, and we're usually done by 12:30. My 1st grader uses a variation of workboxes. We use little drawers. I set his work up the night before. Right after breakfast he is able to start right in with his school work while I'm still up to my eyebrows in morning baths, clean diapers, chore supervision, breakfast cleanup, etc. He works through Bible, LA, Math Mammoth, Number Book, and several other subjects largely independently. He comes and asks me questions now and then, and I'll stop and explain what he needs. When he's done with a subject he puts the drawer label up on his chart, and moves right on to the next drawer. This keeps him moving forward even when I'm busy with the others. The 5yo can do some of his work independently too, and next year he'll have his own set of drawers. For now, I just get out all the worksheets/workbooks he needs, and there are a few assignments I can have him do largely on his own. For example, ETC is repetitive enough I can send him to do his assignment independently. By the time I've dug my way out of the morning cleanup, the older kids are through with their mostly independent work, and we do our "together" things - math counting, history story, Latin songs, Bible stories, that sort of thing. So, for us the key is to set the oldest kids up with materials & a system that enables them to keep going, even when I am busy with a sibling. I'm almost always available to help them when they need help understanding their instructions, or to give them a mini-lesson on a new concept.

My son (1st grade) has been doing BJU math this year, and is doing okay. Not wonderful, but okay. Basic computation concepts tended to be very difficult for him, which made the assignments a chore. We recently added in Math Mammoth, and he really "gets" it! Does great! It clicks. And he loves the occasional game that they throw in (Some Went Hiding...) So....curriculum planning for next year... I think Math Mammoth should stay on the curricula list. But it doesn't seem complete on its own. I'd like to pair it with something, but not sure what. I was going to use Classical Math 2 put out by Logos Press (I used to teach it in a christian school before our babies were born, and it is an excellent program), but I'm thinking the combo might be too heavy. Other ideas?? What has worked for your kiddos?

I'm looking for phonics supplements/ programs for these two boys: Our third son... - knows all capital letter names/sounds - knows many lower case letters/sounds - is beginning to decode cvc words...read his first Bob book to me today - wants to read - not ready for tons of writing - enjoys cutting, pasting, & tiny bits of coloring - just beginning ETC primers; enjoys it, but it will be too much writing for these to be his exclusive learn-to-read program - turned 4 earlier this month Our second son... - easily handles the concepts in ETC 1, but dislikes the work - almost finished with box 1 of Bob books - almost finished with set one of Primary Phonics readers - reading isn't fluent, but he's decoding words well - likes coloring - is 5.5yo, very bright, but something about him gives me warning that it is best to go slowly & make sure the reading roots go deep lest he become discouraged and frustrated later. Any ideas? I'm wondering about McRuffy K for the 4yo, or maybe Hooked on Phonics. No clue for the 5yo, except to keep plugging away.

Anyone use them? They weren't out when we got our books a year or two ago. But it looks like the English is on the face of the card right along with the Latin? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? I was thinking of getting them for DS2 who will be going through the book this fall; the flash card games look pretty fun. But I don't see how they'd work effectively with the English on the front. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding something?

My son showed amazing improvement in fine motor skills after doing a couple of the Kumon maze books, also the first tracing book.

My oldest will be in 2nd next year, will be finished with Song School Latin, and we're searching for what to do next. PL would seem dull to him, I think. I like LfC, but he'll need another year before he'll be able to wade through that level of grammar. I've looked through the online samples, and the part that I can see looks like it would be reasonably attainable. But I'd love to hear from others who have actually used the program. Maybe I'd be better off stalling for another year (or two), and just memorizing some declensions/conjugations. On the other hand, it is usually so much better for languages to be introduced when they are young... Anyway, what do ya'll think? Would LL be too much for a 2nd grader? He's a strong reader, but not ahead in anything else.

My son is an avid reader. We were in the middle of phonics instruction in K, and one day it all clicked and he took off reading, and hasn't looked back. He's 6.5yo, doing 1st grade work, and reading at ~late 4th, early 5th grade level. When he took off reading I pretty much stopped phonics instruction, and now I wonder if that was a mistake? Will he be lacking if we stop there? Maybe we should finish out ETC? I guess my question is this: does a fluent reader need to continue phonics instruction? When I was teaching him to read, I assumed the answer was "no". Now I'm not so sure. This is what he's done for phonics so far: ETC, primers & levels 1-3 AAS level 1 Some BJU phonics/english level 1 This is what we're thinking for Second Grade... Grammar - CLE 2 (just using this for grammar) Writing - WWE 2 Spelling - Rod and Staff 2, begin R&S 3 Handwriting- HWT grade 2, then Classically Cursive Literature - Logos Press 2nd grade lit. Latin- Lively Latin, LfC, or LC Music - piano lessons PE - TaeKwonDo History - SOTW, continue Bible - continue OT

We have it for 1st grade, and like it. But I'm wondering if I choose it for 2nd grade if I need to supplement writing (WWE 2) and spelling (spelling workout, perhaps), and if I do all that supplementing, what's the point of an all-in-one program??

Let's see... WWE 1 about 1/2 of SOTW 1 about 1/2 of Veritas History cards Gen. - Josh. BJU Math 1 Math Mammoth 1 CLE LA 1 CLE Reading 1 AAS 1 HWT K & 1

Hi! I've been teaching piano for almost 20 years now, and I've used the program you're looking at. For the primer/early level it's fine. Not my first pick, but fine. You asked about having the kids share books - I always put siblings in separate programs. The reason? If they use the same books and play the same music there is a huge tendancy for one child to rely over much on playing by ear & not learn to be a good note reader. Similar to what would happen if a child heard his first readers read to him over and over, and then was asked to "read" them by himself.

Thanks! That is helpful! In our situation is is DS #2 who is strongest conceptually, so they may well be able to play at the level of DS #1. I can just buy the game set to do this, right??