LLATL vs R&S English

[MrsMe]

We did LLATL blue and part of red. When I did Red it didn't go well with a curriculum I was using, so we dropped it. Anyway, down the road here, we had no time for English in 2nd grade. We did some basic nouns, sentences, phrases from R&S 2 and we concentrated on R&S Reading 2 which is heavy into vocabulary and comprehension. Out of 4 books of R&S Reading, we'll be starting the 2nd workbook in the fall for grade 3.

 

My dd likes the biblical stories but the written work is time consuming. I think it's full, rigorous and she's really done well. But I can't help thinking of going back to LLATL for time reasons. I know many mention that it's a little of everything... a "little". I have concerns there. But I've also heard that it ramps up in depth the higher the grades. I also like that when they teach grammar they do it via literature.

 

So I guess I'm torn between R&S Reading/English vs LLATL; going back to it. Will I miss something? Will I do better w/all in one and get all the subjects somewhat covered as to missing one full subject due to time contraints? I really can't decide. Either way, we're already behind and it's stressing me out. I like the way LLATL covers things, but I wonder if it's all enough. Nothing is "enough" when you keep on changing. Sometimes I just have no clue what I'm doing.

Edited July 4, 2009 by alilac

[LindaOz]

I am a fan of LLATL and have 5 children currently using it. I think that it covers more than it sometimes get credit for, but covers it in a different way to some of the more 'standard' grammar programs.

 

Having said that, though, my children are doing both LLATL and Abeka grammar because I like the way the two different approaches work together. I like that Abeka is cut-and-dried grammar, but I also really like how LLATL applies grammar in a more literary context. I like the more creative approach that LLATL takes with writing, and the way it relates back to literature. I think that one style complements the other.

 

So, we alternate the programs. It works for us to do LLATL 3x a week, and Abeka 2x a week. With my 1st grader, I find it better to go week about - cover one LLATL Red lesson in a week, then the following week work from Abeka.

 

So, if you like LLATL, go for it. If you want to add something else as well (like R&S), then it still works, but I don't think that it's actually truly necessary unless your child has a particular need that LLATL isn't fulfilling (that could happen with any program ;) )

 

Hope that helps.

[chiguirre]

I really like LLATL and I've used some of R&S's 2nd grade English too. If you just want to finish up 2nd grade and be ready to move on, I'd go with LLATL. The last 12 weeks of Red are gearing up for 3rd grade with more extensive copywork and much less reading practice. Daily lessons are a lot shorter in that section than they were before, so you'll have time to do the R&S reading. I've looked at R&S reading, but I chose to use Pathway readers instead. I think that Pathway has less work and more that can be done orally with each story. If you're getting bogged down with R&S and you need something that goes quicker, I'd give Pathway a look. The downside is that it's not going to cover the Bible so you might not be saving time if you want to add that back in. Another alternative is to just make up narration questions as your dd reads aloud to you to check comprehension. You could do this with history or science based readers and cover several bases at once. I do appreciate having a reading program that sets out expectations for what kids should be doing, but once you have a good idea of what they cover, this is a more efficient way of doing the same thing.

 

LLATL is a love it or hate it kind of thing. It works well for my kids and me, but I can see that it would drive someone batty, too. It does cover a lot more territory than people give it credit for. If you compare LLATL and R&S English carefully, you'll see that they cover similar ground but R&S drills a LOT more. That has it's advantages when you need more reinforcement, but it bogs you down when you have trouble cutting out work that you don't need. It's not always easy to know what to skip. LLATL is more on the CM side of things while R&S is the polar opposite. LLATL is more structured and includes more practice than Queen's LA for example. FLL and WWE seem to be somewhere in between LLATL and R&S, so that might be a good choice for your going forward.

 

I hope you find something that works for you.

[SilverMoon]

Have you tried using R&S English mostly orally? That speeds it up substantially and nixes most of the writing. We do nearly everything but diagramming and the composition writing assignments orally. I don't know how their reading is set up, but I'm betting you could switch a fair amount of that one to oral too.

 

(I've never used LLATL so I have no comparison for you.)