R&S English 3 vs. FLL Level 3?

[Leimarie]

We've started this year using the R&S English 3, but we're just not "feeling the love", KWIM? I'm using FLL 1-2 for my younger children and am contemplating switching over with my 3rd grader. What can you tell me? Is FLL a more complete language arts program? I feel that the R&S is definitely written for classroom use so I find myself cutting out many of the repetitive exercises in order to keep my reluctant reader/write engaged. Will FLL work for us as a more personal, one-on-one English curriculum? None of my local friends are using FLL for me to get a look at right now.

 

Thanks!!

[SilverMoon]

Neither one is a complete LA. Their focus is grammar, with a bit of writing on the side. FLL adds some poetry memorization. :)

 

R&S doesn't expect you to do every practice set. The TE suggests you choose which form of review is best for your situation. :) At that age I'd have my kids read the lesson on their own, and do the oral drill section with me. Diagramming and word tenses that ought to be spelled go on the whiteboard. If it seems like they could use more practice I'll assign the written drill section, which can also be done orally if wanted. If they ace the oral drill section we skip the written drill and go straight to the review section. We rarely do the worksheets. This keeps lessons short and sweet, and I know right away if they aren't grasping a certain concept.

 

FLL also has mostly oral lessons that are short and sweet. This one is totally teacher dependent. There is no way to tell them "Just do the next lesson." It's 3 days a week to finish a level in one year. R&S is 4 days a week.

 

Personally I like both of them for their own reasons. In your shoes I'd do R&S orally and either do just one drill section, or assign just the odds/evens. I prefer to tweak until the curricula works for us rather than switching.

[Leimarie]

Thank you! I think that's the nudge I needed. This is our first year at home so we're certainly still running our paces, it's tips like that that I find very useful!

[Bright_Future]

R&S doesn't expect you to do every practice set. The TE suggests you choose which form of review is best for your situation. :) At that age I'd have my kids read the lesson on their own, and do the oral drill section with me. Diagramming and word tenses that ought to be spelled go on the whiteboard. If it seems like they could use more practice I'll assign the written drill section, which can also be done orally if wanted. If they ace the oral drill section we skip the written drill and go straight to the review section. We rarely do the worksheets. This keeps lessons short and sweet, and I know right away if they aren't grasping a certain concept.

 

In your shoes I'd do R&S orally and either do just one drill section, or assign just the odds/evens. I prefer to tweak until the curricula works for us rather than switching.

 

Thank you for this information. Sometimes hearing "do it orally" and actually putting it into practice are two different things. You have given me a lightbulb moment today by sharing how it works with your family.

 

Thanks again,

[JenC3]

We are doing R & S 2 and we do most of it orally. I only have dd do some of the review section, but I do have her copy the rules into her grammar notebook. I plan on keeping it this way until 4th grade otherwise it just seems like busy work.

[Homemama2]

We're using R&S 3 after using FLL 1/2 for the last 2 years. We do pretty much everything orally. I read the lesson outloud, and go over all the exercises outloud, or I write them on the white board (we skip every other problem if he doesn't need all the practice). The only writing I have had him do so far this year is the diagramming and I also have him do the workbook pages b/c I bought the workbook. We keep it nice and short, and he's learning alot. But if I tried to make my ds do all that writing, he'd just curl up and die, lol!