R&S English Placement Question

[Tidbits of Learning]

This is yet again about my upcoming 5th grader dd almost 10 years old. She did Abeka's Language A this year and we finished all but 2 units on Adverbs and Prepositions. I had read that R&S was a grade ahead and one curriculum publisher recommended starting 4&5 graders out in R&S 4. So I have a 4th and 5th grader coming up and bought 2 of R&S 4th grade English.

At the time, my dd9 was struggling a lot with math and was just burned out on Abeka's Language A. I didn't know how far we would get in ABeka so I didn't compare R&S 4 and ABeka Language A. A friend of mine that is a little more relaxed told me that I should stick with R&S 4 even though she passed the CAT with flying colors for language arts (think perfect score) and did well in Language A so that dd9 would like school and not feel burned out. However, she is going to be a 5th grader and has completed all but 30 pages of Abeka Language A.

Another good friend who is a little more rigorous and like-minded in home schooling philosophy is recommending to me that I sell the R&S 4 and buy R&S 5 b/c dd9 has already completed a rigorous language arts for 4th grade. Why repeat 4th grade language arts if she doesn't need to? You will be holding her back for no reason. Also, my friend said that it wouldn't hurt to briefly go over the 30 pages we hadn't finished to make sure dd9 understood the material.

So here I am asking the hive. If you were me and your dd had pretty much completed all but 30 pages of Abeka Language A (4th grade) and did well, would you start in R&S English 4 or R&S English 5?

Edited June 17, 2010 by OpenMinded

[SilverMoon]

I would start that fifth grader in R&S 5, and I wouldn't worry about those last 30 Abeka pages.

[momtofive]

Last year my son also completed the Abeka Language A as a fourth grader. I agree it was a rigorous program and he did great. This year we are moving over to HOD and believe that it will be the best year of homeschooling yet.

 

The plan for this year is to do R&S English 5 with him. The Creation to Christ program he will be in this coming year, paces the english instruction at half pace. He will finish English 5 at the end of next year as a sixth grader. This is because (according to the author of HOD, whom has done extensive research in this curriculum) R&S 5 is a foundational year in the instruction of grammar and diagramming. This could be a tough year if not done at a pace the student can handle. R&S English is a very advanced curriculum, to my understanding. It is recommended that students complete R&S 6 by eighth grade, as the levels 7 and 8 are considered credit worthy for high school english!

 

Hope that helps! :)

[Tiramisu]

Thanks to the OP. I had the same question.:)

[Soph the vet]

I would do R&S5.

[Tidbits of Learning]

Last year my son also completed the Abeka Language A as a fourth grader. I agree it was a rigorous program and he did great. This year we are moving over to HOD and believe that it will be the best year of homeschooling yet.

 

The plan for this year is to do R&S English 5 with him. The Creation to Christ program he will be in this coming year, paces the english instruction at half pace. He will finish English 5 at the end of next year as a sixth grader. This is because (according to the author of HOD, whom has done extensive research in this curriculum) R&S 5 is a foundational year in the instruction of grammar and diagramming. This could be a tough year if not done at a pace the student can handle. R&S English is a very advanced curriculum, to my understanding. It is recommended that students complete R&S 6 by eighth grade, as the levels 7 and 8 are considered credit worthy for high school english!

 

Hope that helps! :)

 

This was my original thinking when I chose R&S 4 for both my 4th and 5th grader. At the time, I didn't realize that we would come so close to finishing Language A. We had started it late. However, after talking to my friend and realizing how much we completed and how thorough it was...I am torn about my original plan.

My good friend pointed out to me that I would essentially be holding my daughter back in English by doing that. I am leaning towards English 5 strongly, but now I am wondering...does anybody that isn't using HOD break English 5 up over 2 years?

[SilverMoon]

I'm on my second pass through R&S English 5 right now. My second kid started it in her second semester of fourth grade. I really see no reason why it should be spread over two years. It's not that difficult. :001_smile: R&S breaks difficult concepts up into baby steps and keeps them in regular review. If a lesson is particularly hard for a child you could do the oral drill section one day, and the written drill section the next day to let it have more time to digest. I've only had to do this maybe 2 or 3 times with my dd who started the 5 book early. FLL 1-3 was the only grammar she had beforehand.

[momtofive]

Hi, back to give a little more info! :001_smile:

 

I mentioned above that we are spreading R&S 5 over two years. That is only because we are also doing a very comprehensive writing program also and doing both at once at full speed would be an intense amount of work for my fifth grader. HOD recommends it this way, only because they are coupling the two programs together.

 

If I were not doing HOD, I would just get the R&S English 5 and pace it out to be finished in a school year. I truly believe with your child's background (like my child had), that they would do fine with going into R&S 5 and doing it all in one school year. R&S presents their material well and if you do some of the lesson orally with your child, it won't be overwhelming at all!

 

Hope that helps, and good luck with your decision! :001_smile:

~momtofive

Edited June 18, 2010 by momtofive