Is anyone else totally amazed with...

[Mommyfaithe]

how well organized, thought out, planned, rigorous AND do-able CLE is??

 

The longer we use this program (for Math, LA and Reading) I am amazed at how well this program flows, teaches concepts that are difficult easily and incrementally ups the bar....step by step. I am just so sorry i did not have this for my older kids. I am not new to this preogram, so I am not jumping the gun with praise. I have used it for my 6th grader since 4th in Reading and Math...adding in the LA last year for 5th.

 

With every book we cover, I am just tickled that simple things I would have missed or forgot to cover...are there ....and the deeper aspects of language and math....are there too.

 

I just needed to share and encourage anyone who is thinking about this program to go ahead and try. I am so pleased that i did.

 

I was totally unimpressed with PACES and Alpha Omega( After seeing them...I would have never bought them....) that I didn't even LOOK at CLE. I was under the assumption that "light" meant easy. In desperation for 4th grade, when my dd was struggling with reading, I took someones advice (from this board) and gave it a shot. WHAT A BLESSING! She has taken ownership of her education. She does not love it because it is easy....she is challenged daily to learn something new and apply what she has already learned. My 1st and 2nd graders are similarly challenged (after placing them at their proper levels.) Only caveat there is I feel there is too much writing, fill in the blanks for my littlies, so I do much of the writing as we snuggle and go over the lessons, talking about them.

 

Ok, I am done kvelling and I need to get to work....and NO, I don't work for the company or get anything for this strong endorsement. :D

 

~~Faithe

[brendafromtenn]

Faithe we are right there with you! I have been using the WTM for a LONG time, with some TOG and Teaching the Classics thrown in for good measure....But our family REALLY needed some STRUCTURE thrown into our classical reading program.

 

Along came CLE.....On the advice of a friend, HI JETTA,:seeya:, I decided to try CLE. OH, MY GOODNESS!!! It was just what we were missing in our WTM method.

 

We use CLE for reading. For each 9 week quarter, I do the first 3 weeks with a Light unit from CLE and then leave the other 6 weeks for reading whole books and discussing them using either TOG classic or making a story chart using Teaching the Classics. WHAT A BLESSING!

CLE READING HAS FILLED IN ALL THE GAPS IN OUR READING PROGRAM!

(Sometimes I switch this up and do TWO light units in a quarter(6weeks) and then leave the last 3 weeks for whole books.)

 

I can not say enough about CLE reading....GREAT PROGRAM!

 

Blessings,

 

Brenda from the great state of Tennessee!

[Mom_Abear]

:iagree:

 

This is our first year using CLE. My son is in 2nd grade, and we are using CLE Math and Reading. We love it!!!

 

Thanks for your post! I'm glad to know I'm not just loving it because it's new to us!

[MrsMe]

Yes! It is soooo thorough. We love it. So many other curriculums take for granted that kids know certain things and this just really starts at the beginning. I was dumbfounded how much information we missed after starting our Reading and LA programs.

[FriedClams]

I am right there with you. I will admit that I feel like I am cheating it's so simple and thorough. My kids enjoy it (especially reading and Bible) and I think they are retaining a lot. We get through the seat work very smoothly now and have time for the fun stuff. :) I am glad to hear that others further down the road enjoy it. And let me say - the TMs are awesome. I am looking forward to testing this year to see if the gaps we needed to address are being hit as hard as I think they are with CLE. I totally agree about the writing though - it seems the 3rd grade we're using is the perfect amount of writing but we skip some stuff in the 2nd grade level (and MAN they hit the phonics HARD!).

[Dawn E]

This is my first year with CLE (LA 3), and I love it also. I've been very happy with BJU math...but my experience with CLE is actually making me consider switching to CLE for math next year also. I've been looking at the samples for reading at their site. Dd was an early reader, and we have just been using Sonlight readers this year for independent reading. However, I like the looks of CLE reading so much I think I'll give it a try also. I've always prided myself in putting an eclectic curriculum together...but I might be leaning towards doing mostly CLE now. I love the review and the depth of what they cover. One of my favorite parts is how they teach children to prepare and study for tests.

[i.love.lucy]

I'm there too! We use CLE for LA and Math and really like it, especially Math. It's been a huge hit with my dd. She's in 4th grade but working quickly (2 lessons a day) in 300 Math because much is review, but I can make sure there aren't any gaps. LA is a little harder for her, more writing and research that takes time, but she still really seems to like it (although I am looking at MCT for a more complete approach to LA - grammar, writing, poetry, etc, but still not sure on that yet).

 

I needed a couple of our subjects to be more independent so I can make sure if other things come up - like doc appts for my in-laws - that it's all still getting done. Going to start my pre-k guy out in CLE for K next year too.

 

:D

[Medieval Mom]

So far we love it! We've been using it only a short while, but this is one line of curricula I feel at peace with. (We're using the LA, Reading, and Math, and considering the 2nd gr. Science.)

 

It's encouraging to hear so many other positive experiences!:)

Edited November 25, 2009 by Medieval Mom

[MIch elle]

So far - CLE reading 4-8 full program(both boys); CLE math 5,6 & now 7 with younger ds, and CLE LA 7 this year. CLE LA 7 is working REALLY well for ds!

 

I WISH they had Sunrise history & science for the upper grades and algebra (we'll be using Saxon algebra 1 for grade 8).

[Magic Wand]

This is our first year using CLE (math and reading) and I'm competely sold. The review is fabulous, the reading selections are awesome, it's incremental, extremely well-laid out. I'm so glad Michelle's reviews turned me onto it.

 

We haven't tried the LA, but maybe that will be next on our list. It's also so reasonably priced, what a bargain. CLE and IEW SWI are my two favorites now!

[PeterPan]

Hi Wand, just bopping in to say hi and glad to see you! Hope you are doing well! :)

[apCrazy4Jesus]

For the first time my 9 yr old is doing Math 400 and LA 400 and he absolutely loves the math. At first it was difficult to get him to independently try to understand the new concept at the begining of each lesson (we switched from a teacher intense curicula), but now flourishes on his own. He loves CLE math and the CLE Readers (he does these just for fun since he is doing R&S reading).

 

He likes the LA, but does not do too well in the grammar portion.

[Rebecca VA]

I like the CLE literature program. The readers are filled with character-building stories, and the workbook material really does teach literature analysis.

[Magic Wand]

Thanks for taking time to stop by and say hello! It seems like I've been away forever and rarely have time to get to the board with many, many life changes.

 

The good new is: the judge ruled we get to continue homeschooling so here we are! Yeah!

 

I'll try to email you off the board in the next month or so. I'm finishing up my second semester of A&P and homeschooling; life's busy.

 

Hard to believe your little one is 1 already! Take care.

[Tree House Academy]

We love CLE too. I use Math, Bible, and Reading for my oldest and Math, Reading, Bible, Science, and SS for my younger.

[cam112198]

We use CLE for Math and LOVE it!!

[Rhondabee]

how well organized, thought out, planned, rigorous AND do-able CLE is??

 

 

~~Faithe

 

I have R&S here for 3rd - 8th grade, and only one more child to go. I had planned to just get her R&S for K-2, and then use what I have here. But, your review holds alot of weight. I'll look at the CLE before deciding...just wondering would *you* opt to replace R&S for CLE (assuming money is no object at the time we need to purchase ;)).

 

Thanks!

[MIch elle]

I have R&S here for 3rd - 8th grade, and only one more child to go. I had planned to just get her R&S for K-2, and then use what I have here. But, your review holds alot of weight. I'll look at the CLE before deciding...just wondering would *you* opt to replace R&S for CLE (assuming money is no object at the time we need to purchase ;)).

 

Thanks!

 

I thought you already knew that ;) We switched from R&S math, English, and reading to CLE. Although we only used R&S reading a little with older ds.

[Mom0012]

I have R&S here for 3rd - 8th grade, and only one more child to go. I had planned to just get her R&S for K-2, and then use what I have here. But, your review holds alot of weight. I'll look at the CLE before deciding...just wondering would *you* opt to replace R&S for CLE (assuming money is no object at the time we need to purchase ;)).

 

Thanks!

 

I think it really depends on the child. My daughter is using CLE Math and LA and my son is using CLE LA and R&S Math. My daughter is doing very well with CLE Math and she loves it. My son has used R&S Math levels 1 - 4 and I have been very happy with it, but this last year I have been soooo tempted to switch him to CLE simply because of the workbooks. I really think he would enjoy math more with those workbooks.

 

I did lots of searching on this board and elsewhere to see if this would be a good idea and basically decided not to risk it because he has some lds and from what I read, it really seems R&S would be the better fit for him. While CLE has lots of review, it does not give nearly as much practice with new concepts as R&S does and I think this could be a problem for him. CLE also introduces many concepts much earlier than R&S and I want to give him plenty of time to be developmentally ready for what he needs to learn.

 

If he did not have lds, I would definitely switch him because I think CLE Math is a great program as well and it would be so nice to have workbooks instead of having to write everything out (especially since he has handwriting struggles).

 

He seems to be doing well with CLE LA. After looking into both R&S and CLE for LA, I felt that CLE took the gentler approach in this subject, so we are trying it for one year and then I will reevaluate. But, so far, so good.

 

 

Lisa

Edited November 27, 2009 by LisaTheresa

[Rhondabee]

I thought you already knew that ;)

 

:lol::lol: Oooohhh....The way I remember it..... the very week I started using & really appreciating R&S Math 4 (Thanks to you!!!) was the very same week you posted about switching to CLE. I've been willfully ignoring all CLE posts since that time!!! :lol::lol:

 

Was it really that long ago???

 

:001_huh:

 

(PS - I am still thankful for R&S. It gave my very much still grammar-stage, concrete thinker the tools he needed to understand math - especially fractions. He turned 12 in September, his hormones have hit, and he is *finally* able to understand word problems without me.)

[Mommyfaithe]

I have R&S here for 3rd - 8th grade, and only one more child to go. I had planned to just get her R&S for K-2, and then use what I have here. But, your review holds alot of weight. I'll look at the CLE before deciding...just wondering would *you* opt to replace R&S for CLE (assuming money is no object at the time we need to purchase ;)).

 

Thanks!

 

Rhonda...I have never used R&S...except for grammar....and I replcedit with CLE. It is more CM in structure(short lessons, includes copy work every day for penmanship, short phonics based spelling and then in the upper grades the words are categorical: anat omy, spanish words that have been adapted to English, Indian terms etc.) In the younger grades it teaches self- editing, honesty in work, posture, sentence writing, finding nouns, verbs...writing descriptions etc. In the upper, there are daily diagramming exercises, editing, and sentence composing. There are some writing assignments, but I prefer to use my own assignments, online classes, or content areas for writing. I love how all of the Language arts are included in one daily chunk.

 

I do help my younger children with all the writing. I just don't expect them to be able to write so much, so young.....but THEY love their books.

 

I have seen R&S Readers for the younger grades, and while I love the idea of using all Bible stories, I wanted my children to read other stories as well. I would use my R&S readers for Bible time. CLE reading has very moral stories....mostly about children who have to make decisions about what is right. They are more like Character training in and Bible application. Each story has a verse and a question that the children need to apply to the story.....very much like a devotional. The workbooks teach literary terms and analysis, at a level that a 6 year old can understand, right from the beginning. In the younger grades, phonics is taught in every lesson. There are word lists, and activities to do with the word lists. There are both comprehension questions and as we progress many questions require deeper thinking.

 

The math seems like Saxon, in workbook form, broken down without any extra stuff. All of the counting exercises, measuring, speed drills etc, are all in the one workbook. i rarely use the TM past 1rst grade. The 1rst grade programs rely on the TMs...but CLE moves the children onto independent studies pretty young, so everything is included in the Light Unit.

 

If you go to the CLE website....many of the younger grade workbooks have samples.

 

I find the Sociual Studies and Science a bit twaddly, but my 2nd grader is really enjoying them...on his own. He doesn't need me to do any of it, so he is feeling very proud of himself. He is using the Level 1 books.

 

Anyway, I am not sure what R&S covers or includes. I did buy their Math program for DD but we never used it. It just seemed like total overkill for a kid that hated Math. I went with CLE instead, and I am so glad I did. She doesn't love Math, and she is still a grade behind, but she doesn't complain and is actually doing quite well.

 

HTH

Faithe

[MIch elle]

:lol::lol: Oooohhh....The way I remember it..... the very week I started using & really appreciating R&S Math 4 (Thanks to you!!!) was the very same week you posted about switching to CLE. I've been willfully ignoring all CLE posts since that time!!! :lol::lol:

 

Was it really that long ago???

 

:001_huh:

 

(PS - I am still thankful for R&S. It gave my very much still grammar-stage, concrete thinker the tools he needed to understand math - especially fractions. He turned 12 in September, his hormones have hit, and he is *finally* able to understand word problems without me.)

 

My older ds used only R&S math & English (gr. 3 & up); the only CLE product he used was CLE reading 7 & 8. When he started to take std tests in grade 7, I noticed things on the math portion of the tests that R&S math didn't teach at all and that concerned me. I looked at many math programs at that point and realized that R&S math teaches the basics very well but not enough higher level math that std. tests expect dc to know and most other math programs teach. So I switched younger ds to CLE math 5 at that point.

 

R&S is a good program but CLE is better for us! :D

[papillon]

It's so nice to hear all of these wonderful reviews for CLE. I've been considering buying Math and LA, and now I think I'll to add Reading to the list. These are all daily lessons, right? Thanks.

[blessed2fosteradopt]

I am loving CLE 6 Reading this year and it is the reason I am considering CLE 7 Math. My son and I are both getting a lot out of the reading program and my son is really enjoying the stories. I love R&S English but I am actually going to look at CLE for LA as well.

[mom31257]

I am glad to get to read this thread. I have been considering switching some of our language arts and math to CLE. My dd is doing CLE 7th Reading right now, and I feel that it is very good.

 

Thanks for the input!