Language Arts - is all of this necessary?

[guateangel]

This is our first year hs and I don't want to overdo it with my dd in the LA department. She struggles with her penmanship (writing is that of a 4-5 yr old) due to her visual motor integration disorder. I worry about her becoming frustrated with the amount of writing required with all of these programs.

 

I feel she needs to fully review what she's learned in K and 1st grade in order to build a new foundation (ps was horrible). She's formed some bad habits and I want to correct these, but at the same time not over do it.

So far I've purchased

FLL 1/2

AAS 2

ETC 3

HWOT 2nd Grade

 

Do I need to purchase WWE?

What about a phonics program? Should I begin with OPGTR for review? Her phonics is not the greatest; however, she reads at 'grade level'.

Thoughts?

[Rosy]

WWE is very gentle--if you got her level 1, it wouldn't add more than 10 min. and isn't terribly demanding in terms of writing.

 

I'm not familiar with ETC, isn't it a phonics/reading program? I don't think you'd need both that and OPG. I do think phonics is important, at least until they're comfortable sounding out words and reading from left to right.

 

I've gone back and forth on the need for a separate spelling program, since you already have it I would give it a try, but I wouldn't hesitate to shelve it if she's getting overwhelmed.

 

FLL 1/2 can be done almost completely orally, actually I don't think we've done any of the written activity suggestions.

 

Best of luck!

[Crimson Wife]

If you're doing AAS and ETC, adding another phonics program would be overkill IMHO. You can definitely do FLL 1/2 orally and probably there's a way to adapt AAS in order to minimize writing. Though personally if I were trying to reduce the writing, I would drop ETC and do AAS as designed. I don't know that ETC adds that much over and above AAS to make it worth the effort for a kid struggling with fine motor skills.

[krisandpaula]

Our LA line-up looks about the same for my ds (6):

 

ETC

AAS

FLL

WWE

HWOT

plus

Reading

 

We alternate ETC & AAS. Two days each per week on a 4-day/week schedule. We also alternate HWOT and WWE/FLL. Again, two days each. This way, we do reading and two other LA subjects everyday (I count WWE/FLL as one.) and then math everyday. This is the first part of our day, when these 4 things are done. . .breaktime! Then we come back and add in our electives on a loop schedule. (History, Geography, Science, Spanish, Music and Art) It looks overwhelming on paper, but I don't think you have to do them each everyday to cover the material in a thorough manner.

[Whereneverever]

If you are concerned about too much writing- OPG doesn't have any. I'd wait on spelling until I felt that she was reading confidently.

I'd skip WWE for now, too, and focus on other LA areas to start.

[Sahamamama]

FLL 1/2

AAS 2

ETC 3

HWOT 2nd Grade

 

Do I need to purchase WWE? What about a phonics program? Should I begin with OPGTR for review?

 

FLL -- At Level 1 you can do most lessons orally (or you do the writing). You can also do ONLY the grammar material from FLL (you have to pick it out of the lessons, unfortunately), nothing else. IMO, you don't need the copywork from FLL, unless it's tied to the grammar.

 

AAS -- Again, if you use the tiles you can eliminate some of the handwriting, but there will be some writing.

 

ETC/OPG -- I don't know ETC, but we've used OPG with great success. You could "Quick Test" your student in OPG to see where to begin reviewing. Starting with Lesson 40, have her read every fifth lesson until she has difficulty, then go back 10 lessons. Have her read every lesson, and adjust your starting point according to her comfort level.

 

HWOT -- If you minimize the writing in other LA areas and/or begin your school time with handwriting, your student will come to handwriting less fatigued.

 

One other thing we do here: Alternate something written (A) with something oral/non-written (B). Our usual daily line-up is something like this:

 

A --Handwriting OR Copywork

B --Grammar OR Narration

A --Spelling

B --Reading/Phonics

A --Math (written work)

B --Math Fact Drill (computer, flash cards, math songs)

A --Math (more written work)

B --Memory Work (poetry) & Recitation

A --Anything else

B --Anything else

 

It takes the pressure off those little hands (and the little mouth that likes to TALK). :D HTH.

[Ellie]

I don't believe in "language arts." :)

FLL 1/2

AAS 2

ETC 3

HWOT 2nd Grade

 

 

Do I need to purchase WWE?

I would probably not do both FLL and WWE yet.

 

What about a phonics program? Should I begin with OPGTR for review? Her phonics is not the greatest; however, she reads at 'grade level'.

Explode the Code is phonics. If you decide to use OPGTR, you wouldn't also need ETC. And probably not AAS, either.

[Mom0012]

Explode the code should suffice as a phonics review if she is already reading at grade level. They have an online version available if you want to avoid a lot of writing. I agree with Ellie about holding off on spelling until she is done with phonics, but on the other hand, I would think you could use AAS in place of ETC and cover both phonics and spelling at the same time.

 

Lisa

Edited August 11, 2010 by LisaTheresa

[patchfire]

One other thing we do here: Alternate something written (A) with something oral/non-written (B).

 

We do this as well (it was only at 9 that I stopped doing it with my oldest!). It does make a difference. :)

[Aurelia]

I don't think you need OPG or ETC if you're doing AAS. AAS will teach your child phonics through spelling, plus there's less writing in AAS than there is in ETC.

 

Also, I probably wouldn't add in WWE yet, maybe next year.

[MerryAtHope]

You already have 2 phonics programs on your list with AAS and ETC, so I don't think I would get another unless she really needs help with reading. I would start out with just AAS, maybe use ETC if you have a day you can't work with her & want her to do something independent. AAS will include dictation, so I might wait on WWE a year.

 

Remember that you don't need to do every component of LA every year--skills like reading, spelling, and handwriting you'll want to keep up with, but I like to think in terms of doing "units" when I do grammar and writing. HTH some!

 

Merry :-)

[1GirlTwinBoys]

This is our first year hs and I don't want to overdo it with my dd in the LA department. She struggles with her penmanship (writing is that of a 4-5 yr old) due to her visual motor integration disorder. I worry about her becoming frustrated with the amount of writing required with all of these programs.

 

I feel she needs to fully review what she's learned in K and 1st grade in order to build a new foundation (ps was horrible). She's formed some bad habits and I want to correct these, but at the same time not over do it.

 

So far I've purchased

 

FLL 1/2

AAS 2

ETC 3

HWOT 2nd Grade

 

 

Do I need to purchase WWE?

What about a phonics program? Should I begin with OPGTR for review? Her phonics is not the greatest; however, she reads at 'grade level'.

 

Thoughts?

 

Since she is reading at grade level, I would think AAS could take the place of OPGTR and ETC. She could use the letter tiles OR write on a white board, which is how I have my kid's do it.:)

 

A lot of people delay formal grammar until at least 3rd grade, so you could if you wanted. We're not doing formal grammar until next year with DD. WWE I is gentle and does include some VERY LIGHT grammar introduction.

 

I have my DD copy a sentence from our history lesson each day in her journal and she draws a picture about it. It's the paper that has the lines at the bottom and the art box above for drawing.

[Earth Angel_79]

Another alternative to handwriting that I tried with my son last year (we did just a few spelling tests) was to have him type it into a word document. It didn't seem to take any longer than handwriting nicely and I liked the idea he was getting an awareness of where the letters were on the keyboard. I'm almost convinced that keyboarding class was the most beneficial class I ever took in my life. ;) LOL