MCT Island level and CW Aesop A ???

[MyLittleWonders]

Would these two programs (MCT Grammar Island and all the other books at that level and Classical Writing Aesop A) work well together for either 4th grade or 5th grade? We are doing well this year with CW Primer and are just starting FLL 3. But I'm debating what we are going to do next year for 4th. My two options I think are:

 

1. FLL 4 & WWE 4 or

2. CW Aesop & MCT Island level

 

But then I think maybe I should do option 1 for fourth grade and option 2 (both level A & B of Aesop in one year) for fifth. Any insight? Any suggestions? (No more programs to look at though ... it's dangerous enough around here with all the links in thread! :lol:)

[jeri]

for my 4th. We haven't made much progress this year with CW though just 'cause life keeps intruding. On the other hand, MCT is going great! I'm doing this becauuse I really like CW, even though I initially found it very hard to implement. However, my eldest is 12, went through it all and is now on Diogenes. Basically, I am happy with CW and see no real reason to change to the MCT writing program.

 

jeri

[siloam]

Would these two programs (MCT Grammar Island and all the other books at that level and Classical Writing Aesop A) work well together for either 4th grade or 5th grade? We are doing well this year with CW Primer and are just starting FLL 3. But I'm debating what we are going to do next year for 4th. My two options I think are:

 

1. FLL 4 & WWE 4 or

2. CW Aesop & MCT Island level

 

But then I think maybe I should do option 1 for fourth grade and option 2 (both level A & B of Aesop in one year) for fifth. Any insight? Any suggestions? (No more programs to look at though ... it's dangerous enough around here with all the links in thread! :lol:)

 

My questions is what are your goals? You have 3 different programs on the table, which is fine, but if you do all three then you might have trouble getting through any of them, right?

 

Now you do need summary skills in order to do Homer, so if that isn't in place it is a must to do CW. You could do it before Aesop, with Aesop, or in between Aesop and Homer. If the summary skills are already there then you really don't have to do WWE 4 at all, and that would take one of the options of the table.

 

Between MCT and CW that is up to you. From what I can see they don't follow the same philosophy. I also don't know how much work is involved in MCT. Aesop isn't that heavy for a 4th grader, and might be considered light for a 5th grader. Maybe you could alternate programs through 4th grade and then do both in 5th?

 

But if you really want to do all of CW, then you probably should focus on Aesop for 4th grade (unless they need WWE then do that first) and move on to Homer in 5th.

 

Heather

[MyLittleWonders]

Thank you both for your input. I think I need to stop trying to figure it all out! With that said, though, I have another question. ;)

 

If I wait until 5th for Aesop and 6th for Homer (thus doing WWE 4 next year, and potentially doing WWE 3 this year, alternating with CW Primer), will the material be too easy? I do love what I read of the samples for CW, but at the same time, really desire the background and foundation provided through WWE.

 

I do think I've decided to stick with FLL all through the 4 levels for consistency sake. And though I love CW Primer, I'm wishing we had done WWE 3 this year for consistency (I struggle between the need for consistency and the desire for something new LOL). I'm thinking about the MCT materials just for grammar (I'm not sure where to go for grammar after FLL). But, I know (at least I'm pretty sure ;) ) that I want to eventually do all the CW levels; I think.

[MariannNOVA]

Aesop isn't that heavy for a 4th grader, and might be considered light for a 5th grader.

Heather

 

:iagree: My third graders are going to complete AESOP b/c I really like it. We are waiting for MCT-Grammar Island to arrive and we will do both at the same time...as long as it makes sense.

But, I couldn't agree more with Heather's assessment.

[MyLittleWonders]

Hmm ... now I'm not sure what to do. I definitely think I want to finish the FLL/WWE series before venturing on (though, this is said as someone who broke rank and went with CW Primer for 3rd grade :tongue_smilie:). But, Aesop for 5th might be too light (right now I think ds#1 would have a hard time with Aesop as a 3rd grader as his writing/reading is just now approaching close to a "3rd" grade level, and really he's about a year behind in those two areas; we are using CW Primer and FLL 3 to get him up to speed along with AAS and HOP for reading). I'm guessing ds will be at grade level by the end of 3rd grade, which means by 5th grade, he should be able to handle 5th grade reading and writing material (not that he'll necessarily *want* to, but that's a different conversation!). I guess knowing that I'm going to do WWE 4 and FLL 4 next year is enough for now. I do love the look of all the CW stuff (well, at least Aesop and Homer - I poured through the samples of both). Maybe we'll end up doing Aesop in 5th, but he'll be able to get through it more quickly than if we had done it in 4th or 3rd.

[siloam]

Hmm ... now I'm not sure what to do. I definitely think I want to finish the FLL/WWE series before venturing on (though, this is said as someone who broke rank and went with CW Primer for 3rd grade :tongue_smilie:). But, Aesop for 5th might be too light (right now I think ds#1 would have a hard time with Aesop as a 3rd grader as his writing/reading is just now approaching close to a "3rd" grade level, and really he's about a year behind in those two areas; we are using CW Primer and FLL 3 to get him up to speed along with AAS and HOP for reading). I'm guessing ds will be at grade level by the end of 3rd grade, which means by 5th grade, he should be able to handle 5th grade reading and writing material (not that he'll necessarily *want* to, but that's a different conversation!). I guess knowing that I'm going to do WWE 4 and FLL 4 next year is enough for now. I do love the look of all the CW stuff (well, at least Aesop and Homer - I poured through the samples of both). Maybe we'll end up doing Aesop in 5th, but he'll be able to get through it more quickly than if we had done it in 4th or 3rd.

 

If he is still struggling in reading then you can do Aesop first then WWE 4, or you could alternate to give him a break from the reading in WWE 4...though I guess Aesop expects a child to read the model, but your could skip that step and just read it aloud.

 

You could also use MCT and plan to wait and use the CW Older Beginners set.

 

It might be one of those things to plan in pencil, because a lot of it sounds like it is based on reading level, and maturity.

 

Heather

[MyLittleWonders]

Thanks Heather. Short of being able to see all of it in my hand (without having to buy all of it ;)), it is nice to have someone with experience with at least a couple of the programs for been there, done that help. :D

[siloam]

Thanks Heather. Short of being able to see all of it in my hand (without having to buy all of it ;)), it is nice to have someone with experience with at least a couple of the programs for been there, done that help. :D

 

I know what you mean. I have those people who are ahead of me who's brains I pick. I am glad that I can in turn help someone else.

 

Heather