LA differences - how to explain?

[mom4knights]

Hello!

 

I am pretty new to homeschooling and was talking to a non-hs friend who had several questions about my choices for LA curriculum.

 

This next year for 1st grade, I have both the CLE LA for 1st and OPGTTR/FLL/WWE/AAS. I am going to try and take the summer to go over them all and decide what to use for 1st grade.

 

My friend had never heard of my curriculum choices and asked why I wasn't using Abeka or BJU and what the difference is between them all.

 

I actually was taught with Abeka in 1st grade but that was a really long time ago :D~ so, can anyone help me explain the differences in the LA programs for each curriculum?

 

Abeka -

BJU -

CLE -

OPGTTR/FLL/WWE/AAS -

 

Thank you!

[Ellie]

Well, I don't do "language arts," but I do have some thoughts, lol.

 

BJUP, ABeka, CLE, Alpha Omega, ACE, R&S are all publishers of textbooks/workbooks intended for use in a classroom, where groups of age-segregated children are all doing the same thing at the same time (CLE, Alpha Omega, and ACE are a little more flexible, though).

 

WWE/FLL/etc. were written with homeschooled children in mind, who are taught mainly by their parents, mostly on a one-on-one basis (or, in the case of AAS, at least with the idea of children moving at their own speed instead of group speed).

 

Philosophically, I prefer my homeschool efforts to look as little like a classroom as possible. :-)

[staceyobu]

Well, I don't own any of these, but I was just at a homeschool conference looking and looking at LA...

 

Abeka - traditional colorful workbooks

BJU - didn't look at this specifically but understand it to be much like abeka

CLE - workbook approach, more in depth than abeka, contains handwriting, spelling, and grammar in one workbook where abeka has a seperate booklet for each LA component; CLE is also divided into 10 workbooks for the year

OPGTTR/FLL/WWE/AAS -

OPGTTR is a phonics book to be done orally with the child in quick easy lessons

FLL is a light approach to grammar... multiple lessons on each part of speech, to be done in very short (five minutes probably) oral lessons with child, the lessons are scripted for the parent (read this "...")

WWE contains reading sections from real literature with questions about the reading and narration, dictation exercises

AAS is a spelling program, has hands on components of magnets, teaches the rules behind spelling, uses the Orton-Gillingham method (which is used for dyslexics but will work for anyone)

 

How's that summary for someone who doesn't have a k'er yet! ;)

[mom4knights]

Thank you for the replies!:001_smile:

 

I was also wandering if someone might be able to explain the difference in the approach that each one uses? I thought they all were phonics based but I thought I read somewhere that BJU uses more sight words?

 

Any thoughts?

[Ellie]

Thank you for the replies!:001_smile:

 

I was also wandering if someone might be able to explain the difference in the approach that each one uses? I thought they all were phonics based but I thought I read somewhere that BJU uses more sight words?

 

Any thoughts?

You mean for teaching dc to read? ABeka's phonics instruction is the best of the school textbook publishers, IMHO. BJUP isn't too bad, although it does have a slight sight-reading leaning--very slight, but you can see it if you're a phonics geek like me.:D

 

I haven't reviewed CLE/ACE/Alpha Omega's phonics instruction closely because none of them are anywhere on my list of materials to use for that.

 

OPGTTR is definitely phonics-based.

[mom4knights]

You mean for teaching dc to read? ABeka's phonics instruction is the best of the school textbook publishers, IMHO. BJUP isn't too bad, although it does have a slight sight-reading leaning--very slight, but you can see it if you're a phonics geek like me.:D

 

I haven't reviewed CLE/ACE/Alpha Omega's phonics instruction closely because none of them are anywhere on my list of materials to use for that.

 

OPGTTR is definitely phonics-based.

I am not familiar with ACE or Alpha Omega but I don't think CLE is made by them. I guess I am trying to figure out (1) which I am going to use next year -- OPGTTR/WWE/FLL/AAS combo or the CLE LA 1 program and (2) how to explain the diffence in those vs. a traditional homeschool LA program like Abeka or BJU?

 

Does that make sense? Can anyone help me explain the fundamental differences in the programs (or the difference in the approach used by each?)

 

Thank you! :-)

[Ellie]

I am not familiar with ACE or Alpha Omega but I don't think CLE is made by them. I guess I am trying to figure out (1) which I am going to use next year -- OPGTTR/WWE/FLL/AAS combo or the CLE LA 1 program and (2) how to explain the diffence in those vs. a traditional homeschool LA program like Abeka or BJU?

 

Does that make sense? Can anyone help me explain the fundamental differences in the programs (or the difference in the approach used by each?)

 

Thank you! :-)

It sort of makes sense, lol.

 

You're asking about the different publishers like ABeka, BJUP, Alpha Omega, Christian Light, and ACE, and products like OPGTTR/Writing With Ease/All About Spelling, yes?

 

I don't know how else to describe them than has already been done. :-)

 

ABeka, BJUP, and R&S are traditional textbooks. The phonics instruction in all of them includes multiple workbooks and readers. ABeka and BJUP will be colorful, R&S will not. ABeka is the strongest phonics. Spelling, composition, and penmanship are all different boooks.

 

ACE, Alpha Omega, and Christian Light are all individual little workbooks, with all components of English (reading, phonics, spelling, writing, penmanship) included (although I'm thinking Christian Light and ACE might have additional materials, so don't quote me on that).

 

Those publishers all produce their materials for classrooms. ABeka and BJUP assume that there are professional teachers conducting classes; ACE, CLE, and Alpha Omega do not.

 

My recommendation would be OPGTTR/WWE/FLL/AAS, for reasons I stated above. :-)

 

Girlfriend, the most important thing is that you pick something. You can't make a bad choice, one that you cannot redeem. Just pick something.

[siloam]

I am not familiar with ACE or Alpha Omega but I don't think CLE is made by them. I guess I am trying to figure out (1) which I am going to use next year -- OPGTTR/WWE/FLL/AAS combo or the CLE LA 1 program and (2) how to explain the diffence in those vs. a traditional homeschool LA program like Abeka or BJU?

 

Does that make sense? Can anyone help me explain the fundamental differences in the programs (or the difference in the approach used by each?)

 

Thank you! :-)

There is also the fact that most of the ones she listed are direct mainly at visual learners. Maybe not at the younger ages so much, maybe there is more teacher interaction which makes it auditory as well. I haven't used them to know for sure.

 

The programs you are using are directed more to a variety of learning styles, though FLL and WWE are primarily auditory you can have a visual learner look on with you or write it out for them. AAS specifically is geared to multi-sensory work, and works well for most learning styles including LD students.

 

In our case I think my kids would be puddles of crying goo if I made them do workbooks. They HATE workbooks. They really didn't even love ETC, but just tolerated it. They are much more hands on learners and do better with multi-sensory programs. :D

 

Heather