Abeka Language or CLE Language

[amandajh]

Which is better and why?

[Literary Mom]

Bumping because we just did CLE LA 3 and found it to be meh - I'm thinking of using Abeka Language A in the fall.

[noah&emmasmommy]

I wouldn't mind having an answer to this as well. We used CLE Language Arts 1 and while I did like it, I can tell that it will get tedious later on. I also don't want a program with spelling in it because we use Building Spelling Skills. I like Abeka as a choice, but am concerned that the writing instruction may be too light in the upper grades. I am leaning towards Rod & Staff for my daughter, but chose to do Abeka Grammar and Composition for my 8th gr. son over CLE Language Arts, because he's weak in grammar and composition and CLE placement tests put him back in 5th grade LA. I still think it's a viable choice for my daughter for 2nd grade, but the higher up the levels go, the more tedious they seem to be and I'm not sure how easy CLE can be tweaked if needed. While Abeka seems much more easy to work with.

[Moniksca]

We're using Abeka language A this year, it is very thorough. I have no issues crossing q's off because it does get repetitive. He has learned a lot. I've never used CLE. I think it would get repetitive to do it year after year. I did not use their writing portion and found it very weak. For next year we'll be using MCT town, and then we may go with BJU english for 6th since I don't think he'll be ready for essay voyage by then. I've heard the writing portion is much better in BJU although I usually use another writing program anyways. I showed my ds a sample of R&S and he turned it down right away, he needs colour and pictures.

[TracyR]

Wow, tough call.

I've used both. Abeka , I thought was good but it didn't work at all for my two oldest girls. We did the LA and still at the end of the program they didn't even remember what a noun was.

They needed something more spiral. Which is what CLE's LA is. This is why some think its tedious.

I don't think it is though.

If you have a child that picks up grammar well, remembers what they've learned from it and can apply it I think Abeka is just fine. Its more of a 'mastery' type program. You learn a chapter of nouns, then you go on to verbs, then on to adverbs,, etc. You get it.

 

CLE is like Saxon for LA. My girls just could not get it. I used Bob Jones for Grammar, Calvert and K12 and neither one of them could remember what a noun or verb was. It was so frustrating because I figured that something out of that wold work. But it didn't.

It wasn't until I found CLE did the information finally sink in to them with LA. It made sense to them.

So the trick is to use what makes sense to your child.

 

In the lower levels of Abeka you can easily get away without using a Teachers Manual but the higher up you go the more you would need it ( unless your a grammar buff). Abeka's LA has more writing in it than CLE, but with that said you can add any writing program you want to CLE to complete that.

There is some writing assignments in the Light Units but you need a writing program. I'm one of those kind of people that would rather add than subtract, KWIM?

 

Also for levels 300 and up with CLE all the information you need are in the Light Units. Making CLE more independent. Your child can read the information and if they understand continue on and work on their work. If they don't they can come to you for help.

 

I guess in the end it depends on what you want and what you think your child will do best with. You can easily adapt CLE to what you want. Some people don't use the spelling in the LA and use a different program entirely. Just have your child skip it. Want more writing? Then use a different writing program that suits your needs. Think it has to many problems? Then assign some evens and odds. Its always reviewing past material so your child isn't going to lose any of that info.

 

Its my two cents but CLE is more adaptable than a program like Abeka. But like I said that's my two cents.

The only way you can know if it works is buy purchasing a few of the Light Units and have your child give it a try and see. That's the beauty of CLE. You don't need to purchase an entire curriculum to see if it works. Just get a couple of the Light Units and give it a try. If it doesn't work then go on to something else.

[Literary Mom]

Appreciate all the feedback - the last comment was particularly helpful.

 

My daughter's memory is like an encyclopedia (she loves facts) and grammar comes easily to her, so that's why I'm trying to find something that is more independent yet thorough, but not dry (and not pricey).

 

She has liked CLE LA but I thought it was mostly too simple and rote for her - and that's just the grammar. We didn't use the spelling because she's advanced (we were using Spelling Workout but decided to take a break as she was already at the 6th grade level). And we didn't use the writing part as our extensive written narrations for SOTW have seemed sufficient (being a writer, I go a little nuts with those!).

 

This fall we're going to use WWE and Spelling Workout, so it's really just the grammar program we need. I think we can skip over parts of Abeka and make it work. She liked Abeka Arithmetic (now we use CLE Math) because of the colorful pictures and workbook-y format, so I'm hopeful this could be a good fit.

 

I was all set to get Growing with Grammar a few months ago, but then I revisited the samples and reviews, and changed my mind again! :lol: