R&S vs FLL

[Guest Shanna]

I am really trying to decide what to use in the earlier years. Why would I choose one over the other? I would like to hear both sides.

 

My line of thinking is that I am using R&S for the older ones why not just streamline and keep R&S for the youngers. But, I do see that FLL has everything in one book so I wouldn't have to supplement for copywork and dictation.

 

So many choices!!!

[Tabitha]

I am really trying to decide what to use in the earlier years. Why would I choose one over the other? I would like to hear both sides.

 

My line of thinking is that I am using R&S for the older ones why not just streamline and keep R&S for the youngers. But, I do see that FLL has everything in one book so I wouldn't have to supplement for copywork and dictation.

 

So many choices!!!

 

I don't know how R&S is at that age, but my oldest loved FLL. It was a nice mix of things so that she never got bored with it - poem memorization, oral narrations, etc. We didn't do much of the copywork. With dd#2, I'll be using it in full working in the copywork.

[Parrothead]

I've never used R&S, but have used FLL for second and third grade. I'm planning on using it for 4th also.

 

For me the pros are that it is scripted. it covers sparts of speach, poetry memorization, dictation and copy work, narrations, there isn't much teacher prep at all and dd has learned quite a bit from it. I would have never thought to have her memorize the prepositions.

 

The cons are that I don't think it has enough dictation and narration. But that might just be us. I don't do narration for history and science. I should/could incorporate more in our grammar lessons easily. I just don't think about it. Another is the repetition. Some kids may need it. Once dd gets the definition of each part of speech I only have her review it instead of saying it aloud three times. It is something easily skipped.

[Sue G in PA]

FLL 1/2 was a bomb...for both ds6 and ds8. Neither retained much and both got very bored about 1/4 way through. I do still use it for narrations. It is a good curriculum if you have auditory learners who need repetition. The scriptedness did not appeal to me, but that is easily remedies by simply using your own words after you get the basic "jist" of the lesson. R&S 2 we started to do orally as well and I gave ds8 *some* written work. It's another good curriculum. But, I soon gave it up as well and decided that we did NOT need to study grammar using a text until 3rd gr.

 

So, now, I have R&S3 and FLL3 (teacher text) and am waiting on the student text. Both are thorough curriculums. R&S moves a bit more quickly through the concepts (For ex/ R&S covers ALL types of nouns in 1 lessons while FLL3 breaks it up into several lessons covering common, proper, plural, etc.). It is a gentler approach, IMHO. Both cover the same concepts...just in different orders. R&S 3 does NOT get into many writing exercises except introducing the friendly letter and maybe some other concepts. FLL3 does this as well but also uses copywork and dictation as well as narration ala SWB style. FLL3 is workbook format, R&S is text and can mostly be done orally w/ the exception of diagramming. Some are put off by the fact that FLL3 gives the student the lines for diagramming and simply has them fill-in-the-blank. R&S does not do this..the student must make the lines themselves and fill in the proper part of speech. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet for retention sake, KWIM?

 

Honestly, you can't go wrong w/ either and using FLL 1 -4 and then switching to R&S would NOT be a problem. HTH...sorry so long! :)

[nutmeg]

 

For me the pros are that it is scripted. it covers sparts of speech, poetry memorization, dictation and copy work, narrations....

And that's pretty much why I decided against it. :) I looked into FLL, but I wanted something that focused on grammar (just the facts, ma'am), and R&S perfectly fit the bill.

[Guest Shanna]

And that's pretty much why I decided against it. :) I looked into FLL, but I wanted something that focused on grammar (just the facts, ma'am), and R&S perfectly fit the bill.

 

That is why I wonder if I would like it or not. I already have them narrate after every reading. They do copywork every day. We read poetry a few times a week. They haven't gotten into memorizing it because we already memorize so many other things (hymns, folksongs, scripture, catechisms) that I think to add one more would be a bit much at the moment.

 

So I am thinking that since I alredy do all these other areas that FLL would just be overkill for us. Plus, I really do not want to give up these areas as I like having them do what I want them to memorize not what some one has written in a book for them to do. Not trying to sound snarky there.

[Sue G in PA]

since you have so much of the copywork, memorization and narrations covered on your own. You didn't sound "snarky", btw...those thoughts were ones that I had at the beginning! I never used the copywork in FLL 1/2 b/c we always had scripture to copy as well as character building copywork. As for FLL3...I'm not sure what we'll end up using. I just like the gentle intro. to grammar for my 3rd grader who hasn't had much.

[mia78]

I'm sooooo glad you all are having this discussion. You know how you have so many questions, you don't even know where to start. I was thinking about the same thing. I have FLL and was wondering if R&S 1 and 2 would be better. The scripting is really annoying. As the PP said, they are already memorizing religious things and doing religious copywork, so they just need the bare bones grammar. It'd be overkill with FLL.