CLE Placement

[mom31257]

I really need some advice. I am considering switching to CLE for LA. My 7th dd is doing BJU 7th grade, making A's, and scored top 1%, college grade equivalent at the end of 5th grade on her ITBS. I just had her take about the first 3rd of Level 600 in the placement test and she has missed quite a few. I believe one of the main reasons is that she has not been introduced to a few of these topics. Is there a way to catch a child up without having to go very far back in grade level?

[LBS]

I'm not the CLE expert but recently went thru and carefully gave my son the placement tests from CLE, in order to place him correctly, and finding him all over the map using placement tests for other curriculum choices....I found their numbers are always a bit lower than other programs....i.e. if I were looking at 7th and 8th grade math programs in other curriculi, I would find that 5th and 6th were correct for CLE. I got over numbers, when I pulled my son from school. He is content that he works from a high school text in one subject, some middle materials on others , and some elementary stuff that is just fun and messy....all at the same time, but it is hard to get around those numbers, even when I try to not define "what grade" he is in. It is all around us. I'm new so maybe I was more sensitive....not sure if this answers your question, but the CLP website puts so many nice samples out there, plus there is a good thread about how much others love CLE, active right now....there will be folks who can help you knowledgably.

 

Good luck,

LBS

[mom31257]

I'm not the CLE expert but recently went thru and carefully gave my son the placement tests from CLE, in order to place him correctly, and finding him all over the map using placement tests for other curriculum choices....I found their numbers are always a bit lower than other programs....i.e. if I were looking at 7th and 8th grade math programs in other curriculi, I would find that 5th and 6th were correct for CLE. I got over numbers, when I pulled my son from school. He is content that he works from a high school text in one subject, some middle materials on others , and some elementary stuff that is just fun and messy....all at the same time, but it is hard to get around those numbers, even when I try to not define "what grade" he is in. It is all around us. I'm new so maybe I was more sensitive....not sure if this answers your question, but the CLP website puts so many nice samples out there, plus there is a good thread about how much others love CLE, active right now....there will be folks who can help you knowledgably.

 

Good luck,

LBS

 

Thanks! I don't know how she would feel about it because she has always worked at grade level or beyond. This makes me wonder about placing my ds. I am thinking about him using CLE for LA, Math, and Reading next year. I did not think going from 1st to 2nd I would need to do placement tests, but perhaps I should.

 

I think I'll get a better idea of what areas she actually needs help once she finishes the whole test. I'm having her do it this weekend. I finally found the CLE catalog. I am wondering if the practice sheets, reference charts, and book on basics of diagramming would be enough to help.

[mom31257]

Anybody else?

Thanks so much!

[amtmcm]

If you're willing to work with her on some of the concepts she hasn't seen yet then she'll probably do fine in a higher grade level (ie: 600). My DD consistently scores "past high school" in all Language Arts on the SAT test and I placed her in level 700 for LA and level 800 for Math and Reading. The LA is very rigorous, but it sounds like your DD will probably pick up on any new concepts pretty quickly.

 

Hope this helps a little.

[mom31257]

If you're willing to work with her on some of the concepts she hasn't seen yet then she'll probably do fine in a higher grade level (ie: 600). My DD consistently scores "past high school" in all Language Arts on the SAT test and I placed her in level 700 for LA and level 800 for Math and Reading. The LA is very rigorous, but it sounds like your DD will probably pick up on any new concepts pretty quickly.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

Thanks! She does pick things up very quickly, especially in LA. I scored the rest of her test and she got 66/100 right. I could tell just a few of those were careless mistakes on her part. It says they need to score 70% to go on to the next level, if I read it right. She missed all of the diagramming. There was some diagramming in 6th BJU, but there's been none this year at all. I am definitely getting the diagramming practice stuff. I wonder if the practice sheets for 6th and 7th, plus the diagramming, would get her ready for 8th next year? I may just call the company and see what their opinion is.

 

I really want to get things nailed down before we hit high school. Do you plan on using CLE LA in high school as well? Also, how is the 8th grade math?

[....]

We also do CLE Reading and Language Arts and I think it is at least a grade level ahead of where we were in public school. We're not in the middle school grades, though.

[amtmcm]

Thanks! She does pick things up very quickly, especially in LA. I scored the rest of her test and she got 66/100 right. I could tell just a few of those were careless mistakes on her part. It says they need to score 70% to go on to the next level, if I read it right. She missed all of the diagramming. There was some diagramming in 6th BJU, but there's been none this year at all. I am definitely getting the diagramming practice stuff. I wonder if the practice sheets for 6th and 7th, plus the diagramming, would get her ready for 8th next year? I may just call the company and see what their opinion is.

 

I really want to get things nailed down before we hit high school. Do you plan on using CLE LA in high school as well? Also, how is the 8th grade math?

 

CLE's instructions are very clear, and concepts are continually reviewed, so if you sit with her and get her up to speed on the diagramming she should do fine. My DD8th is doing very well with CLE LA, but I'm also speaking from experience with my DD4th who is ahead in math and behind in LA. I placed her in CLE LA at grade level anyway and sat with her to do the work. The spiral method ended up not being a good fit for her, but she learned a lot during the 2 months we used it and was able to keep up with a little help.

 

We're going to use BJU DVD's for 9th grade English next year on top of Classical Conversations to give DD a really solid intro to literature analysis. Mrs. Vick is the DVD instructor and I hear so many wonderful things about her on this board and love the sample lesson on BJU's website. DD will do one more big grammar review before she takes the high school SAT and we'll probably use Analytical Grammar.

 

We both love CLE Math 8! It has made math my DD's favorite subject this year! And that is saying a lot. We used Saxon Algebra 1/2 last year with an instructor and DD did very well. However, I didn't feel DD was ready for the logic to go into Algebra 1 yet. CLE Math 8 includes a lot of business math and geometry so she is seeing new material and it's not all just review for her. Later in the year CLE Math 8 also introduces slope and some other Algebraic concepts so she can "dip her toes in the water." I wish CLE Algebra 1 would be ready in their Sunrise Edition for next year.

[skaterbabs]

Thanks! I don't know how she would feel about it because she has always worked at grade level or beyond.

 

 

I just made a point of explaining to Yacko & Wacko that *this* curriculum is a little different and that grade ___ in CLE is equal to grade ___ in public school. So Wacko is working in the 500 level, which is about equivelent to public school 6th grade material.