JJMom Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I've been reading a lot of posts about LA curriculum and how to combine the necessary topics, what's too much, what's not enough and I'm confused. I have a dd7 (2nd grd) and am not exactly sure what covers what... WWE...what does this actually cover? GWG...this looks good CLE LA...nuts and bolts, but is this a repeat of GWG? Spelling...is this not included in CLE LA or WWE? Is a reading/lit program totally separate from the currics mentioned above? If so, does anyone integrate those two subjects somehow? Sorry if this is a repeated question from a previous post...I'm just starting out HSing (in 3 weeks) with a toddler and baby on the way, so I'd like to simplify things as much as possible. TIA for listening to my ramble! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn E Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I've never used WWE, but I gather that it is more a writing curriculum using copywork and narration. It is meant to be used alongside FLL or another grammar program. GWG is a basic grammar program that is a solid one. We used GWG 1/2, and I really liked the program. I wasn't satisfied with the review format. CLE LA is what we are using this year. I like it a lot more than GWG. You would choose one or the other...or another... :001_smile: The things that I like about CLE are that it includes spelling, handwriting and grammar; that it provides great review and builds on concepts learned; and that it teaches children to prepare for quizzes. If you have a child that struggles with spelling, the spelling section may not be sufficient. It is fairly independent at this stage and beyond. It is also very thorough. Just to throw something else in your mix, I'm looking at MCT for next year. It is not a traditional grammar program...but from what I have read it is great for creative kids and for inspiring a love for language. I'm still hanging on to my CLE for now until I have thoroughly reviewed MCT, but we'll see. CLE also has a great reading program. We are using this now and plan to continue it. Dd is a strong reader with great comprehension, but I like to have this just to make sure our reading bases are covered. Some people opt to just provide great books for their children to read. Just like with almost any topic, there are many opinions on LA. The important thing is to search for the programs here and read as many posts as you can, get your hands on the products at a homeschool store or convention, and make your decision based on the needs of your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I've been reading a lot of posts about LA curriculum and how to combine the necessary topics, what's too much, what's not enough and I'm confused.I have a dd7 (2nd grd) and am not exactly sure what covers what... WWE...what does this actually cover? GWG...this looks good WWE 1 has copywork and extracts, which the child reads, or is read to, for content, and then writes out a sentence about it. You learn about capitalizing proper nouns, writing the date, etc. GWG 1 and 2 has some capitalization, but nouns, verbs, subject, predicate, etc. I add to this spelling (SWR and AAS modified to compliment each other), and once we finished REading Pathways, we just do read alouds. He is currently reading me SOTW 2 (which he has listened to on tape) for fluency and confidence, and the old Birds (or Sea Creatures or Animals) Do The Strangest Things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 WWE...what does this actually cover? WWE is a writing program. It covers copywork and dictation GWG...this looks good GWG is a grammar program. Is a mastery based program. It is just covers grammar. You would need to purchase a seperate spelling and handwriting program. CLE LA...nuts and bolts, but is this a repeat of GWG? Spelling CLE LA is not a repeat of GWG. It is different in that it includes , grammar, handwriting( for early levels) and spelling all in the same program. GWG does not have all of this. Does it make it better? No. But if your looking for an all in one program CLE would be a good choice.If your looking for just a seperate grammar program and you want to use seperate programs for handwriting and spelling then GWG would be a good choice if you like the looks of it. Just a matter of preference that's what it boils down to. They are all very good programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Basically Language Arts includes: Reading - in the early years a phonics program, later a "reading" program, or just reading good books Grammar - the parts of speech, sentence structure, usage, punctuation Writing or Compositon - initially putting together a few sensible sentences to build into paragraphs, later essays and research reports Handwriting - printing then script Spelling - learning some spelling rules In the later grades, after you drop spelling - Vocabulary Some programs like LLATL combine all these into one program. FLL and GWG are grammar programs only. WWE is a writing program. Rod and Staff and Writing Tales combines both grammar and writing. HTH, Stacy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Oh, well, because those of us who've been doing this for a long time, with several kids, just get bored and want to make trouble by making things complicated. :D:D When you are starting out, you want to start simple!! Read WTM and choose something(s) that sound appealing. . . Go with that for a year or more. . . as you go along, you will absorb some of the nuanced details from this board (and other sources) and will come back to the details when you want/need sth different. For 1st gr, IMHO, all you need for LA is to teach the child to read (phonics program) and a touch of handwriting (handwriting workbook.) Keep it simple!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 That's why I am switching to Phonics Road. No worrying about gaps or overlap. All in one, and it is still based on Orton-gillingham method of spelling (which goes back to Webster's) and the classical method. What we are using now is great for second grade. In K-first grade we used Zaner-Bloser handwriting and OPGTR (phonics) along with readers from tanglewoodeducation.com and Sonlight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celly B Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I think LA curricula seem so complex because the strands of reading, writing, and grammar/mechanics are intertwined. I can't speak to the the other curricula you mentioned as I have no experience with them, but I can tell you about our experience with FLL & WWE this year (1st). They are both written by SWB and work really well together. WWE is a writing program that focuses primarily on copywork of sentences from good works of children's literature and narration of passages from those same works. While doing copywork, students are taught to focus on the conventions of grammar/mechanics (capitalization and punctuation). Each week the copywork has a grammar/mechanics focus, which corresponds to the same focus you're doing in FLL if you started it at the same time. There are two days of copywork each week and two days of narration. With the narration, students are learning the skills of summarizing (and improving reading comprehension at the same time). FLL is focused on introducing grammar/mechanics. The lessons are short and painless, and there is continual review. She includes some narration exercises that we usually skip since we are doing narration in WWE (and also in history and science). I really like how my dd finds that the lessons from FLL are reinforced in WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celly B Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I forgot to mention that neither FLL or WWE covers spelling. We use Spelling Workout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I think LA curricula seem so complex because the strands of reading, writing, and grammar/mechanics are intertwined. :iagree:Good point! To the OP: My main consideration was to get all of these subjects from a single source. I checked out a lot of companies, but for the secular homeschooler a source with the philosophy of TWTM can be difficult to find. I am so glad I found Phonics Road. If it isn't your cup and if you don't mind religious materials, you could start out with Rod and Staff for all LA subjects and stick with them and your confusion would be ended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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