A Rod & Staff English question

[mom2denj]

Do you use this as your Language Arts curriculum as a whole, or do you use something else in addition? I am using R & S English (7) for the first time this year and I am also using SL L/A. Do you feel that writing is covered well with just the English?

[dangermom]

My kids are much younger, and we are using R&S 4 this year, so maybe this isn't applicable. But I am also using Classical Writing. R&S is wonderful for grammar, but so far I haven't seen much writing.

[tjarnold]

Do you use this as your Language Arts curriculum as a whole, or do you use something else in addition? I am using R & S English (7) for the first time this year and I am also using SL L/A. Do you feel that writing is covered well with just the English?

 

I think that, in one of the older editions of TWTM, SWB says you can use Rod and Staff on its own, without an additional writing supplement. I only used R & S through about 4th grade, but I didn't feel I needed to use a supplementary writing program alongside it.

 

Tiffany

[pbjmeyer]

I used IEW for more writing instruction. There is some instruction in r&s, but I have a reluctant writer. IEW helped with this problem. I use r&s primarily for learning grammar.

[SilverMoon]

Along with R&S English my ds uses R&S spelling and Classical Writing. When R&S English has him doing a writing assignment we drop CW for those days.

 

Many people say R&S has enough writing on its own, and I don't disagree with them. We highly value the progymnasmata method (thus the CW) so we work it in.

[Rhondabee]

Do you use this as your Language Arts curriculum as a whole, or do you use something else in addition? I am using R & S English (7) for the first time this year and I am also using SL L/A. Do you feel that writing is covered well with just the English?

 

I have finished through R&S-8 with my oldest, and I just have to ask if you have had Grammar before, and are just switching to R&S-7 *or* if you are planning on this being your introduction to Grammar?

 

Since I'm leaving momentarily, I will just say that *if* this is your first experience with Grammar, I would highly, highly, highly recommend starting with R&S 6. R&S-7 is in many ways even more difficult than R&S-8 IMNSHO. LOL And, since R&S-8 really begins to cover essays and persuasive writing, this could easily wait until high school.

 

As far as the *writing* component goes, R&S covers the writing process very well. As others have pointed out, it is important to repeatedly apply the lessons after the initial introduction. (Note: I don't really know why R&S is always picked out for this. This advice really applies to just about every writing program. Years ago, before the workbooks, even Classical Writing was designed to facilitate cross-curricular writing. And it may still encourage that, IDK.)

 

I will say that when we were using SL, I found it difficult (though not completely impossible) to do as much cross-curricular writing as WTM calls for. We were also overwhelmed trying to do both R&S and the Grammar/Writing program from SL. (They made it sound so easy, I tried to do both for a while.) If you are trying to choose between R&S and SL for Grammar/Writing, I would choose R&S with no regrets. That said, I loved SL History and Lit, and if they had an Ancients Year for high school, I would gladly quit planning and go on a much needed Beach Trip!!!

 

If you can, have your child writing 3 short compositions each week - one each in History, Science, and Literature - that are based on what she's learning in her writing program, and you'll be more than fine. That's the goal in WTM, anyway. Often I fall short, and my kids have been fine just doing 2 many weeks. ;)

 

HTH, and best wishes!

[Ellie]

A complete English course would includes not only grammar and composition but also spelling/vocabulary, reading/literature, and even penmanship. :-)

 

R&S's English series is very comprehensive as far as grammar and composition. Ditto for the spelling. I like using good literature instead of basal readers and workbooks, but many people do like R&S's readers.

[kanagnostos]

I have been using R&S for grammar only. We added IEW for writing, AAS for spelling, etc.

[Alphabetika]

We just started R&S English last year and we love it. I so wish I'd known of it when my older dd was younger. Last year we used only R&S. This year, we'll be using R&S and also Write With the Best.