Chloe Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I've decided I really need to simplify my dc's schooling. For sanity's sake I was thinking of using CLE or R & S for both math and English, then just add living books for science, history and such. I can't decide which to go with though. I LOVE both for math, but haven't used either for English. I'd even consider using one for one subject and the other for the other subject. I just like the fact that either can be used at least through 8th grade before having to decide on something else. Any help is appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) My older ds used R&S math 3-6,8 and R&S English 3-7. I switched younger ds to CLE math 5 (after R&S) and to CLE LA 7 this yr (after R&S E. 3-6). CLE math is more advanced than R&S; the English/LA looks about the same in difficulty. I'm glad I made the switch! The only thing I like better about R&S is the TM. CLE Teacher's Guides are not worth much. Edited September 21, 2009 by MIch elle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks, Michelle. Can you get by without the CLE TMs then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storkyswan Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 My older ds used R&S math 3-6,8 and R&S English 3-7. I switched younger ds to CLE math 5 (after R&S) and to CLE LA 7 this yr (after R&S E. 3-6). CLE math is more advanced than R&S; the English/LA looks about the same in difficulty. I'm glad I made the switch! The only thing I like better about R&S is the TM. CLE Teacher's Guides are not worth much. Michelle, R&S is a mastery program, and CLE math is a Spiral (I think, I've heard different things) . . . did you like the switch from the mastery to the spiral, or you just liked CLE better in general? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Michelle, R&S is a mastery program, and CLE math is a Spiral (I think, I've heard different things) . . . did you like the switch from the mastery to the spiral, or you just liked CLE better in general? I'm using CLE LA 7 for the first time and I like it much better than R&S English so far (only 3 wks into it). The first lightunit reviews almost all parts of speech, do, io, pa, pn & a bit more. R&S English did very little of that at the start of the school year. With R&S, you have to wait months to study adverbs, adjectives and prepositiions; I didn't like that. But R&S English has a great TM and the oral review I still use with CLE LA (I make up my own review questions based on what was covered so far; plus we've always used flash cards w/ R&S and cont'd to do that w/CLE). R&S math vs. CLE math - mastery vs spiral makes no difference to us. Both teach, then have dc do that type of math problem that was just taught and then both do LOTS of continuous review. CLE has much more algebra, logic type problems and other math dc are expected to know on std. tests. R&S math has more word problems but they are simplier than CLE word problems. I also like how CLE teaches the metric units of measure & conversion, proportion, and prime factorization better than R&S. For my younger ds, CLE helps him to retain what he's learned in both math & English. The CLE continous review (sometimes overkill) is just what THIS ds needs. What are you currently using and which grades? HTH :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks, Michelle. Can you get by without the CLE TMs then? With my older ds, I used the R&S math TM heavily in grades 3-5 and did a lot fo the daily oral/drill work. After that I found that R&S math has so much review that it wasn't really needed. We do math flash cards and the speed drills and that's enough. So with math I didn't need the R&S TM anymore. I DID use the R&S English oral review everyday. We continue to do our English flash cards (did it w/R&S too) and I review from the CLE LA lightunit what I feel my ds is weak in. I would be nice if CLE had a TM like R&S but I don't need it. I learned how to teach from all my years of using the R&S TM and from other homeschool sources. My dc NEED to be TAUGHT! Not all homeschoolers actively teach their dc. HTH :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thank you! I hope you don't mind a couple more questions...... What, exactly, do you put on the English flashcards? Is it just the parts of speech, with their definitions and examples? Also, how much writing do you add to CLE LA? Do you think it needs more writing added to it than what would be needed if we used R & S? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in St Louis Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I just started with CLE a while back, so I'm certainly not an expert in this area. (Disclaimer :)) When I started out I did not have the teacher's manual and we did well enough...then,we reached Math LU 106 (I have the manual for 106-110) and I broke out the manual and realized that it is a much richer program with the TM until you figure out what you're doing and get a feel for what you are supposed to do each day. If cost is an issue, check paperbackswap or the CLE yahoo group...I just scored a CLE TM on paperbackswap last night! :D Now if only I could get the Minimus TM on there, too.....:lol: HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thank you! I hope you don't mind a couple more questions...... What, exactly, do you put on the English flashcards? Is it just the parts of speech, with their definitions and examples? Also, how much writing do you add to CLE LA? Do you think it needs more writing added to it than what would be needed if we used R & S? R&S English writing/composition lessons are excellent but not enough. I added IEW writing for my oldest in grade 7 (IEW U.S. HBWL v1, after trying several writing programs) along with R&S English. My younger ds started IEW writing in grade 5 along with R&S E.; now he's doing IEW U.S. HBWL v1 along with CLE LA. In grade 3, we started making our own English flash cards & did it every year (updating if the definition changed, i.e. command sentence = imperative sentence). Front of card: ADVERB Back side: is a word that modifies a verb, adjective and another adverb; answers the questions - how, when, where ,to what degree; BOTTOM of that side - not, never, ever, always, often, still, hardly (these interrupt the verb phrase sometimes). In the younger grades, we did the R&S "remember" boxes. We made them for almost all of them - that became too much so we skipped some (lay, laid, etc.) and did the most important ones & the ones my dc would forget. Flash cards - sentence, all parts of speech, sentence parts, lists of be verbs & linking verbs, io, do, pa, pn, indefinite pronouns and more as English got more advanced (verbals, etc.). We drill the flash cards until memorized; adding & leaving out some/day as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I just started with CLE a while back, so I'm certainly not an expert in this area. (Disclaimer :)) When I started out I did not have the teacher's manual and we did well enough...then,we reached Math LU 106 (I have the manual for 106-110) and I broke out the manual and realized that it is a much richer program with the TM until you figure out what you're doing and get a feel for what you are supposed to do each day. If cost is an issue, check paperbackswap or the CLE yahoo group...I just scored a CLE TM on paperbackswap last night! :D Now if only I could get the Minimus TM on there, too.....:lol: HTH! I didn't use CLE in the younger grades. I use/d CLE reading 4-8, math 5-6, and just began CLE LA 7. SO it depends on which CLE grades your talking about as to how helpful is the CLE TG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storkyswan Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 What are you currently using and which grades? HTH :D I am not currently using any program, I'm in the gathering info/planning stages of this hs journey. I've pretty much narrowed down math to R&S or CLE. I think both programs seem strong in the basics, but have been worried with the spiral approach of CLE, as I tend not to like that. However, others have mentioned that CLE is spiral, but still teaches to mastery, so I was curious about your feelings on the program after you switched. Thanks for your insight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtmcm Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 We used Saxon last year and that spiral approach was way too extreme for me. CLE is spiral, but I think it combines the best of mastery & spiral. It seems like Saxon barely gives a peek at a new topic and then corkscrews back to a previous topic. CLE stays on a new topic longer while continuing to review previous topics so they are not forgotten. I think CLE is a really strong math program and I'm very happy with everything it covers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 My oldest two are grades 5 and 6. I like the flashcards idea. Which language arts is more conducive to independent learning? I don't plan to have my dc do it completely on their own, but I do need to have it as independent as possible. My 6yo is struggling to learn to read and my 2yo is in to EVERYTHING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Which language arts is more conducive to independent learning? . CLE BUT I say this with caution. CLE LA is more independent IF you have correct grade placement. If your dc haven't had a good foundation in English and it's all new, than R&S or CLE at the grade level your dc are in (5 & 6) would be tough to do independently. BUT I haven't used CLE LA 5 or 6 only R&S English 5 & 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storkyswan Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 We used Saxon last year and that spiral approach was way too extreme for me. CLE is spiral, but I think it combines the best of mastery & spiral. It seems like Saxon barely gives a peek at a new topic and then corkscrews back to a previous topic. CLE stays on a new topic longer while continuing to review previous topics so they are not forgotten. I think CLE is a really strong math program and I'm very happy with everything it covers. Thanks for your sharing your experience. I must admit, that I keep thinking I will choose R&S, but then opionions like yours have me "fluttering" back to CLE. I agree, Saxon spirals too quickly for me, but you didn't find that with CLE? That's good to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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