Tell me about CLE Reading

[Greta]

I am chronically worried that we are not doing enough for literature. We don't use a formal program, we just read the books recommended in LCC1 and chat about them. I was not an English major, so my chatting is not very deep. My track record for working poetry into our schooling is abysmal. And since my dd is a rather reluctant reader, whatever I make her read is about all that gets read.

 

So I'm thinking of trying a formal reading program, which we have never tried before. Money is a factor, especially since I'm not sure how well this is even going to work, so I'm seriously considering CLE because I've heard good things about it, and it's cheap!

 

I would appreciate any feedback on the program, especially the 5th grade level.

 

I was also hoping to get some advice about which materials to buy. Is the TM helpful, or can I skip it?

 

Thanks!

[blessedmom3]

Haven't used anything past 2nd gr yet ,but it's helpful to look at CLE site and see the Scope&Sequence for reading . It's impressive ! You can also look at their extensive samples to see what they cover.

 

I don't think you need the TM .Maybe the AK .

[Joyofsixreboot]

We've only done CLE 300. The TM hasn't been needed. I just scan the story if I need the answer. I also have a reluctant reader and the workbook does make him think. We do some of it orally to get some discussion going.

[....]

I use the kindergarten reading program and we've used CLE Reading 100. The K readers are great and the workbooks are good, too. For Reading 100, I would not use the Lightunit again...:glare:...I used it with my 1st grade son and the reading was so difficult for him that he couldn't even get to the workbook...but that might have just been him. I had just pulled him from public school and he was massively struggling.

 

The Readers are good, though. Good stories. I think the reading level is a little above grade level. I haven't used above 100 level, but would not hesitate to buy ANY of their readers. They have a very good program.

 

And they have a very active Yahoo Group, too - BTW.

[G5052]

I've used them for about awhile now, and I'm very happy with the results. We first got them because I was having a very hard time scheduling discussions on their reading, and they helped immensely with that. My 8th grader used them only for 4th-6th grade, and he's a pro at literature analysis and reading for detail in the paid literature class he's in.

 

They are a bit above grade level though, so you might need to go back a grade or two.

[Greta]

Thank you all for the encouragement! Since at least a couple of you have mentioned that they tend to run above grade level, I will take a look at the samples and see what would fit her best. The problem is, if it says the grade level on the book, she will be deeply offended by anything less than 5th grade!!! (Even if it would be best for her.) But maybe I can tell her that they really run a grade higher than they say. Hmm, I'm sure I can figure something out. Anyway, thanks again for the help!

[FriedClams]

We use and LOVE CLE reading but I will say that it's not a "literature" program but a reading program.

 

It does teach literary terms and application - very well I would say - but it's not whole books based. I would make sure you are still requiring lots of whole books based reading, narrations and other things to round out the program. I think CLE is awesome at filling gaps and making sure you don't miss anything - but if you depend on that for all your "reading" you will be disappointed. For us - it's 20 minutes of fun, enjoyable, insurance a day - not our primary means of building reading proficiency in my kids.

 

The books are at or below grade level - so don't judge placement based on the readers alone. The application / comprehension is at or above grade level. So mane people here base everything on reading level - and while kids may read well the application part can be challenging in CLE and placing them at the wrong level can be really frustrating for them. My kids are VORACIOUS, strong readers and we use CLE reading on grade level.

 

In grades 1, 2, 3 reading has 10 lightunits and it expected to be completed daily. At grades 4 and up it's only 5 units and is designed, I believe, to be alternated with writing time. We just use it daily, complete it in half a year, and then do a different reading comp exercise in the spring (like Progeny Press guides).

 

I love CLE reading. I think it's a great , undervalued program and my kids really love it. The stories are moral and encouraging. The work is challenging but not time consuming. I think it's a great way to make sure you cover all the bases without adding much to your day. I highly recommend it!!

[Beth in SW WA]

Dd 7 enjoys CLE Reading 3. I love the workbook'ish approach with the Light Units, it is inexpensive, covers comprehension, vocab, grammar, writing & a bit of Bible. A win-win if you want a formal reading curriculum.

 

We also read tons of living books & lit and discuss, narrate, etc.

[Dawn E]

The books are at or below grade level - so don't judge placement based on the readers alone. The application / comprehension is at or above grade level. So mane people here base everything on reading level - and while kids may read well the application part can be challenging in CLE and placing them at the wrong level can be really frustrating for them. My kids are VORACIOUS, strong readers and we use CLE reading on grade level.

 

...

 

I love CLE reading. I think it's a great , undervalued program and my kids really love it. The stories are moral and encouraging. The work is challenging but not time consuming. I think it's a great way to make sure you cover all the bases without adding much to your day. I highly recommend it!!

 

:iagree: I added CLE into our day last year simply to make sure I was covering all the bases. I started at grade level even though dd was a very early reader and was reading well above grade level. I'm glad that I did. I wasn't crazy about the level 2 lightunits because they were so heavy in phonics, and they used some symbols we weren't used to. However, the phonics helped her spelling, and we just skipped anything we needed to. This year we are using the 300 series, and dd enjoys it very much. It is not cumbersome...she's usually done in 10 minutes at this level, maybe 15. The stories are sweet character stories.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Dawn E

[Greta]

It does teach literary terms and application - very well I would say - but it's not whole books based. I would make sure you are still requiring lots of whole books based reading, narrations and other things to round out the program. I think CLE is awesome at filling gaps and making sure you don't miss anything - but if you depend on that for all your "reading" you will be disappointed. For us - it's 20 minutes of fun, enjoyable, insurance a day - not our primary means of building reading proficiency in my kids.

 

This sounds great! I will still require her to read independently from the LCC suggestions (whole books) and we will still chat about those. And even though she's 11, I still read aloud to her from great books too! We also require half an hour of free reading each day - but it's totally free and she usually chooses brain candy like the Warriors series. But filling in the gaps and making sure we're covering our bases is exactly what I'm looking for!

 

The books are at or below grade level - so don't judge placement based on the readers alone. The application / comprehension is at or above grade level. So mane people here base everything on reading level - and while kids may read well the application part can be challenging in CLE and placing them at the wrong level can be really frustrating for them. My kids are VORACIOUS, strong readers and we use CLE reading on grade level.

 

I see. Thanks so much for explaining this! My initial viewing of the samples was just the reader, not the workbook, so I was surprised the people were saying it was above grade level. Now I understand! :001_smile: Since 4 and up is designed to be half a year, I think we'll start with 4, but maybe, depending on how it goes, try to do both 4 and 5 this year.

 

Thanks for your thorough description/review. I'm sold on it now!

[Melissa in CA]

OK, I will give you a different take on it...

 

I liked what it covered, thought it would be GREAT. My ds HATED it.

 

HATED.

 

IT.

 

He is a good reader and has been since an early age, but being forced to dissect his reading got really old, really quick. He began to dread reading, and to be honest, a lot of it felt like busy work. I began doing some of it orally with him and started to see how/why he disliked it so much. With some of the questions I was like, "Who cares??!!" :lol: I think perhaps my ds takes a bit after his mama. :blush: I, of course, did not tell him my feelings on the program, but after a good solid try, and much complaining on his part, I let him drop it. We sold it, moved on to LL.

 

Now having said that, I wish it would have worked out. Like I mentioned I really liked what it contained; so much more so than LL. I thought about going back another grade, but we were already doing it a grade level behind. Perhaps had I done that though it would have worked out. He is a lot like me though, he wants to read for enjoyment...and while he did enjoy the stories in CLE...he did not enjoy answering copious questions about them. Also because we started at the 7th grade level, there were things previously taught in other levels that he did not know...which made the program much more dreary for him than had he begun at a much earlier age. And learning analysis forms/ literary techniques in a spiral format was a tad confusing.:001_huh::confused:

Edited November 30, 2010 by Melissa in CA

[Greta]

OK, I will give you a different take on it...

 

I liked what it covered, thought it would be GREAT. My ds HATED it.

 

HATED.

 

IT.

 

I appreciate the dissenting opinions too. :001_smile: I will proceed with caution. The last thing I want is to make my dd, who is already a reluctant reader, start to hate reading. If that happens, we will quickly nix it. But I'm just so worried that she's not reading deeply, kwim? And I wonder if this might help her do that, or maybe show me that she's getting more out of her reading than I think? One can hope.

 

What is LL? Lightening Literature? Are you happy with that?

[Melissa in CA]

Oops! I meant to put in that we began in the 7th grade level not 6th. I have 6 in my brain today! I fixed my previous post.

 

Also, I just wanted to say that I think you may have an entirely different experience than us by starting at the 4th level...and if you have a completely different type of child than mine, you're going to LOVE CLE. ;)

[Greta]

Also, I just wanted to say that I think you may have an entirely different experience than us by starting at the 4th level...and if you have a completely different type of child than mine, you're going to LOVE CLE. ;)

 

Thanks. :001_smile: I hope we will!

[Melissa in CA]

.

 

What is LL? Lightening Literature? Are you happy with that?

 

Yes, it is. And yes, I am happy with it for now. I like the whole books approach. I am trying to decide what to use in 9th grade next year though. Not sure if I want to continue with LL, use BJU's 9th Reading w/DVDs (which I own) and add in whole books, or make up my own Lit alongside some Sparks books for help in analysis.

 

Ugh. Don't know. :glare:

[Greta]

Dd 7 enjoys CLE Reading 3. I love the workbook'ish approach with the Light Units, it is inexpensive, covers comprehension, vocab, grammar, writing & a bit of Bible. A win-win if you want a formal reading curriculum.

 

We also read tons of living books & lit and discuss, narrate, etc.

 

I had been thinking about ordering a roots-based vocabulary program. But I think I will hold off for now and see if the vocab in CLE is sufficient. Do you think it's enough?

[DianeJM]

I have a reluctant reader; we have used CLE Reading for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and now 6th. He just does not like to read. Period. But we read the selection together for the most part. I started off reading a paragraph and then him reading the next and so on, then more recently I would read the first page, he would read the next page, and so on. Now I'm reading the first page and he's reading two pages. The stories are only a few pages long. We do the workbook, not every single activity, though, and I do use the teacher manuals (I feel like there might be something I'm missing if I don't get them).

 

I am using it on grade level, and am having no problem whatsoever. I am there to explain anything he doesn't understand in the workbook. I LOVE the way it teaches literary devices and vocabulary, dictionary skills (etymology in 6th), and pretty much every little thing that is associated with reading. The stories are great, for the most part.

 

I'm very happy with what we've done in CLE Reading.

 

Let me also say that, along with CLE, I also use Reading Detective for reading skills, and in the past I've used books that teach specific skills such as summarizing, finding main idea, and other reading type skills.

 

Last year in 5th, we did a semester of Teaching the Classics for literary analysis, along with the CLE, and that went very well.

 

Sounds like you really want to try the CLE. My advice would be make it work for you, don't work for IT. Maybe choose the activities in the workbook you want to do, leaving out what you don't think you need. I always change the Bible verse. I cross it out and write it in the version we use at home (ESV), so that means when it comes time for a test or quiz, I don't quiz that part, because there may be a fill in the blank item on a quiz for the Bible verse, and we learned it in a different version. I have no problem with that. Don't feel like you have to do every little thing. From my experience, a little work in CLE goes a long way, with great benefits.

 

All the best!!

[Punks in Ontario]

I am chronically worried that we are not doing enough for literature. We don't use a formal program, we just read the books recommended in LCC1 and chat about them. I was not an English major, so my chatting is not very deep. My track record for working poetry into our schooling is abysmal. And since my dd is a rather reluctant reader, whatever I make her read is about all that gets read.

 

So I'm thinking of trying a formal reading program, which we have never tried before. Money is a factor, especially since I'm not sure how well this is even going to work, so I'm seriously considering CLE because I've heard good things about it, and it's cheap!

 

 

Thanks!

 

I could have written this post! This year I've started my 7th grader. Yes, it is challenging and it is filling in holes that I haven't - like poetry. I'm planning to keep using CLE for the younger boys. They both enjoy their readers and find the workbooks very doable. All the boys also have to read novels, and we'll be adding a novel study and a Shakespeare play for the olders. Likely we just won't finish all the CLE workbooks to accomodate this.

[Greta]

Thanks, Diane, for the advice, and for mentioning the other resources you've used.

 

Sounds like you really want to try the CLE.

 

I get waaaay too much of a thrill from buying new curriculum. :lol:

[MIch elle]

I had been thinking about ordering a roots-based vocabulary program. But I think I will hold off for now and see if the vocab in CLE is sufficient. Do you think it's enough?

 

... as well as some logic. CLE reading is at grade level; it's just that the lightunits are challenging. I suggest helping dc with the LU's as much as needed because it is demanding (but worth the effort esp. in grades 6-8).

[Mommyfaithe]

Thank you all for the encouragement! Since at least a couple of you have mentioned that they tend to run above grade level, I will take a look at the samples and see what would fit her best. The problem is, if it says the grade level on the book, she will be deeply offended by anything less than 5th grade!!! (Even if it would be best for her.) But maybe I can tell her that they really run a grade higher than they say. Hmm, I'm sure I can figure something out. Anyway, thanks again for the help!

 

I used level 400 with my 5th grade dd. Actually we did level 4 & 5 in that year. We both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this program! She is now using level 700 and it is still her favorite subject. I love how it teaches literary terms, thinking skills, reading between the lines, poetry, etc. I have used levels K, 1,2,3,4,5,6,& 7 so far with assorted kids and I have loved them all, and better yet, my kids LOVE the stories. With my little guys, we do the workbooks orally....I have them do all of the writing starting in 4th grade....That way, I get to re-use all the lightunits up to the 3rd grade...and my poor little boys hands don't get too tired.

 

I especially loved the level 400-600 books. Oh, and just tell her the books are leveled and only go up to level 800. They are not grades, just levels and she can finish 2 levels in 1 year if that will make her happier. We were able to without any problem.

 

Faithe

[Greta]

Oh, and just tell her the books are leveled and only go up to level 800. They are not grades, just levels and she can finish 2 levels in 1 year if that will make her happier. We were able to without any problem.

 

Perfect! Thanks for the idea, and for the rave review of the program. I ordered the 400 level materials this afternoon. I'm very excited! :D

[Greta]

... as well as some logic. CLE reading is at grade level; it's just that the lightunits are challenging. I suggest helping dc with the LU's as much as needed because it is demanding (but worth the effort esp. in grades 6-8).

 

Great to know. Thanks!

[Greta]

I know that I haven't replied to every single post, but I want you each to know that I did read and appreciate every single post! Thank you all for the help. I'll report back when we've had a chance to use it and evaluate it.

[DianeJM]

Hey Greta,

A practical suggestion about using a lower level book with a kid who is self-conscious about grade level:

 

Put a book cover on the book, like right after she sees it for the first time, she will only see the book cover from then on.

Also, put a smiley face sticker over the 4 on the cover of the light unit - or keep the pages folded back so that the cover is never visible.

 

I have used stickers over the grade number on things like that before, and it helps :)

 

Have a great time with it!!!

Blessings,

[Beth in SW WA]

I had been thinking about ordering a roots-based vocabulary program. But I think I will hold off for now and see if the vocab in CLE is sufficient. Do you think it's enough?

 

The glossary/vocab work in CLE 3 is plenty for us -- on top of LOTS of advanced lit that dd reads often. We haven't done a roots program....yet.:)

[mama25angels]

quick question, do those of you who have children doing reading in the lower levels of CLE, do you read the stories to your kids and then have them answer the LU questions? Thanks

[Greta]

Hey Greta,

A practical suggestion about using a lower level book with a kid who is self-conscious about grade level:

 

Put a book cover on the book, like right after she sees it for the first time, she will only see the book cover from then on.

Also, put a smiley face sticker over the 4 on the cover of the light unit - or keep the pages folded back so that the cover is never visible.

 

I have used stickers over the grade number on things like that before, and it helps :)

 

Have a great time with it!!!

Blessings,

 

Great ideas! Thanks so much!

[Greta]

The glossary/vocab work in CLE 3 is plenty for us -- on top of LOTS of advanced lit that dd reads often. We haven't done a roots program....yet.:)

 

Good to know. Thank you! :)

[FriedClams]

quick question, do those of you who have children doing reading in the lower levels of CLE, do you read the stories to your kids and then have them answer the LU questions? Thanks

No. The student reads & answers the questions. The unit tells them when to read aloud as well.

[mama25angels]

No. The student reads & answers the questions. The unit tells them when to read aloud as well.

 

Thank you!!!

[G5052]

I recommend that you read through the majority of the stories yourself as a parent. If you are one who watches doctrinal differences and are not Mennonite, you will see some doctrinal values portrayed in the stories, especially as you go up in grade level. We are not pacifists and DH and I both hold jobs that conservative Mennonites would not approve of, and these values required discussing some of stories as we went higher. Some folks on this board haven't had any issues with this, but it is something to be aware of.