Switching from AAS3 and VIE to PR--Best way?

[Veritaserum]

I've been using PR1 with my 6yo. She is in week 20. It took me awhile, but I finally like the program. I like it well enough that I want to switch my 8yo (3rd grade) from AAS3, Voyages in English 3, and handwriting to PR. I have a feeling it will streamline things for us and give a more cohesive LA program.

 

Is this how to do it?

 

1. Teach her the rule tunes and phonograms in PR1 and work through the Building Codes. Her spelling with AAS has been good, so I'm not sure we need to go through all the spelling lists. Likewise, her reading is good and I don't see a need for her to do the readers.

 

2. Start level 2. Here is where I could use the input of you more experienced moms. Should I have my 6yo and 8yo do level 2 together? Or will my older dd move more quickly? I'm not sure yet about using The Latin Road, but I would like to be done with PR by 5th grade or earlier (2012 - 2013 for my 8yo). Thoughts? :)

[abrightmom]

I've been using PR1 with my 6yo. She is in week 20. It took me awhile, but I finally like the program. I like it well enough that I want to switch my 8yo (3rd grade) from AAS3, Voyages in English 3, and handwriting to PR. I have a feeling it will streamline things for us and give a more cohesive LA program.

 

Is this how to do it?

 

1. Teach her the rule tunes and phonograms in PR1 and work through the Building Codes. Her spelling with AAS has been good, so I'm not sure we need to go through all the spelling lists. Likewise, her reading is good and I don't see a need for her to do the readers. My 8 year old is accelerating through Level One right now and he is a great speller for his age. This is our "Acceleration Plan". :001_smile: We continue to review the phonograms (we also switched over from AAS so we use them the AAS way but I drill with the PR cards and just add in the extra sounds as I go). I regularly drill phonograms by sight and dictation, esp. the harder ones. I am teaching him the "not plumb and level" words and any words that are a little tricky (i.e. people, leopard). We are doing most of the Building Codes although I'm skipping some of the easiest ones because he just doesn't need them. I am tackling the Building Codes "as a whole" rather than as we go through the spelling lists since we're not actually going through the spelling lists. Hope that makes sense.

 

2. Start level 2. Here is where I could use the input of you more experienced moms. Should I have my 6yo and 8yo do level 2 together? I don't think so. Unless your kiddos are at the same level or you want to hold the 8 yo back. There is no way I could keep my 6 and 8 year old together. What we DO do together is drill phonograms by sight and dictation (using their whiteboards). Or will my older dd move more quickly? Of course I can't know that for sure but in my house my older will move through Level 2 more quickly. I guess the one difference I can see is that your six year old is in Week 20 of PR 1 already whereas I haven't started my six year old other than drilling phonograms. I guess you'll have to see how the 8 year old handles the Acceleration Plan :001_smile: and then go from there. Level Two looks wonderful. I just received it and enjoyed looking through the materials. One thing I do think is that my oldest will move through the Little House study faster than written because he's a strong reader. That could happen with your 8 year old as well. I'm not sure yet about using The Latin Road, but I would like to be done with PR by 5th grade or earlier (2012 - 2013 for my 8yo). By the end of 5th? At this point you'd have to push pretty hard I think. Level Three and Four are rich! I have Level Three and it is a FULL program. Can you keep an open mind/plan about when you actually finish? I think you absolutely need a school year for Level 3 and a school year for Level 4. I don't think you'll accelerate Level One AND get through Level Two before the start of 4th grade . . .Unless your 8 year old moves incredibly fast through both levels. :001_smile: Thoughts? :)

 

Tina will have some good thoughts on this as well. She has experience teaching all levels. :001_smile:

[johnandtinagilbert]

Since you're finishing up AAS3, you're right on target for PR2. I'd start by going through the Building Codes in L1 first. One per day to set focus on the rules b/c she will refer to them in L2 a little bit. This will introduce her to the program and begin her understanding of the markings and songs. Then you can get right into L2.

 

You will begin L2 with a review of Level 1 words, and it is very likely she'll know the words by memorization. This is a good spot to be, b/c it makes identifying rule tunes easy and allows for time to practice the markings. The BC you completed will reinforce this. You'll discover, it won't take long for the entirety of both markings and Rule Tunes to stick. Be patient with the literature study, as the "reading" part will seem easy, but the book is the tool to teach many things, particularly writing skills at this level. We often read ahead b/c we enjoyed the story.

 

So far as combining your girls, I would not put them together. I suspect your 8yo will move much faster than the 6 year old and you don't want to rush or bore either one. You'll find as a teacher, that once you move through the higher levels with the elder daughter, teaching to the younger will be a piece of cake, as you'll have the dvds watched, notes taken, and will apply it all better b/c of more practice.

 

I imagine you can finish L2 and Start L3 by the end of the school year (assuming your "end" is May or June) with little problem. There are some posts on my blog on tips for accelerating. You can knock out spelling lists to the tune of 3/4---1week per school day. You may opt to work out of daily sync between the components, too. That's not problem in Level 2, although you'll find the need to stay in sync is beneficial in mid-Level 3 and higher. How quickly you get through L2 will depend on the time needed to complete grammar and writing, probably more than spelling.

 

Once you get to about mid-level 3, it's tough to accelerate b/c the content is pretty rich. I have a 5th grader using L3 currently and we are doing no more than a day and a half per day, often only one day at a time. The grammar is plentiful at this point and the writing instruction increases in time spent. The good part of L3 is there are more opportunities for the dc to work independently and that all the grammar work is application, application, application b/c it comes directly from the literature selections. I've blogged recently about a couple of those days, too to give you an idea of time frame and activities.

 

Many people take longer than one school year to complete levels 3 & 4. In your case, that would likely run you into 6th grade, at least a portion of it. I'm hoping to finish dd11 (now grade 5) before the end of 6th grade, perhaps mid to 3/4 of the way. The content puts us right on task to tackle serious middle school writing and paves the way nicely for The Latin Road, which is pretty tough and suitable for Logic Students w/ strong understanding of English Grammar (which she'll have from PR).

 

For the younger lot, who is no longer accelerating at all (we started a little late, so we accelerated a little initially), I will take 3 years to complete L3 & L4.

 

Let me know if I can help at all. I'm always happy to chat PR.

[Veritaserum]

Thanks for the response. My 6yo is bright, but I'm sure my 8yo would be able to move more quickly. I think I was just fantasizing about combining kids and streamlining my day. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm leaning toward accelerating PR1 and likely accelerating PR2 (I'll have to see it before I know). If we work through the summer, it seems possible to do PR3 next year, right? She will be in 4th grade. She has had grammar and spelling in the past, so some of PR will be a review. That should allow us to move more quickly through at least the first two levels.... I think. :)

[Veritaserum]

Thanks, Tina! Your experience is valuable. :) I'm going to order PR2. Should I get the student pages for dd8 or have her use notebook paper and save the student pages for dd6? Dd6 will be ready for PR2 by the fall for sure. Just wondering if I should order an extra set of student pages or not. :)

 

If I'm understanding correctly, I should work dd8 through the Level 1 building codes and make sure she knows all the phonograms, markings, and rule tunes. Then I should start her in PR2, which we will likely be able to accelerate until we hit the literature study. At that point we should slow down. Does that sound good?

 

Our school year ends at the end of May, but I'm not opposed to working on one program for each kid during the summer if needed.

 

Since you're finishing up AAS3, you're right on target for PR2. I'd start by going through the Building Codes in L1 first. One per day to set focus on the rules b/c she will refer to them in L2 a little bit. This will introduce her to the program and begin her understanding of the markings and songs. Then you can get right into L2.

 

You will begin L2 with a review of Level 1 words, and it is very likely she'll know the words by memorization. This is a good spot to be, b/c it makes identifying rule tunes easy and allows for time to practice the markings. The BC you completed will reinforce this. You'll discover, it won't take long for the entirety of both markings and Rule Tunes to stick. Be patient with the literature study, as the "reading" part will seem easy, but the book is the tool to teach many things, particularly writing skills at this level. We often read ahead b/c we enjoyed the story.

 

So far as combining your girls, I would not put them together. I suspect your 8yo will move much faster than the 6 year old and you don't want to rush or bore either one. You'll find as a teacher, that once you move through the higher levels with the elder daughter, teaching to the younger will be a piece of cake, as you'll have the dvds watched, notes taken, and will apply it all better b/c of more practice.

 

I imagine you can finish L2 and Start L3 by the end of the school year (assuming your "end" is May or June) with little problem. There are some posts on my blog on tips for accelerating. You can knock out spelling lists to the tune of 3/4---1week per school day. You may opt to work out of daily sync between the components, too. That's not problem in Level 2, although you'll find the need to stay in sync is beneficial in mid-Level 3 and higher. How quickly you get through L2 will depend on the time needed to complete grammar and writing, probably more than spelling.

 

Once you get to about mid-level 3, it's tough to accelerate b/c the content is pretty rich. I have a 5th grader using L3 currently and we are doing no more than a day and a half per day, often only one day at a time. The grammar is plentiful at this point and the writing instruction increases in time spent. The good part of L3 is there are more opportunities for the dc to work independently and that all the grammar work is application, application, application b/c it comes directly from the literature selections. I've blogged recently about a couple of those days, too to give you an idea of time frame and activities.

 

Many people take longer than one school year to complete levels 3 & 4. In your case, that would likely run you into 6th grade, at least a portion of it. I'm hoping to finish dd11 (now grade 5) before the end of 6th grade, perhaps mid to 3/4 of the way. The content puts us right on task to tackle serious middle school writing and paves the way nicely for The Latin Road, which is pretty tough and suitable for Logic Students w/ strong understanding of English Grammar (which she'll have from PR).

 

For the younger lot, who is no longer accelerating at all (we started a little late, so we accelerated a little initially), I will take 3 years to complete L3 & L4.

 

Let me know if I can help at all. I'm always happy to chat PR.

[Veritaserum]

Thanks, Tina! Your experience is valuable. :) I'm going to order PR2. Should I get the student pages for dd8 or have her use notebook paper and save the student pages for dd6? Dd6 will be ready for PR2 by the fall for sure. Just wondering if I should order an extra set of student pages or not. :)

 

If I'm understanding correctly, I should work dd8 through the Level 1 building codes and make sure she knows all the phonograms, markings, and rule tunes. Then I should start her in PR2, which we will likely be able to accelerate until we hit the literature study. At that point we should slow down. Does that sound good?

 

Our school year ends at the end of May, but I'm not opposed to working on one program for each kid during the summer if needed.

 

Still wondering about buying one set of level 2 student pages or two. :)

[johnandtinagilbert]

Thanks, Tina! Your experience is valuable. :) I'm going to order PR2. Should I get the student pages for dd8 or have her use notebook paper and save the student pages for dd6? Dd6 will be ready for PR2 by the fall for sure. Just wondering if I should order an extra set of student pages or not. :) You can easily save the money on PR1 and do the pages yourself. Getting them for 2 is anther story as you'll have a lot more to do. Is it still something doable on notebook paper, yes. You decide if you want convenience at this point.

 

If I'm understanding correctly, I should work dd8 through the Level 1 building codes and make sure she knows all the phonograms, markings, and rule tunes. Then I should start her in PR2, which we will likely be able to accelerate until we hit the literature study. At that point we should slow down. Does that sound good? The literature study actually comes on right away, and depending on your dds dictation and writing abilities, you'll have to gage if you can zoom through it or not. The actual reading part will be very easy for her, and since the first 3 days are generally just reading, you'll easily be able to speed up the process to some degree. You may also find a day here or there when you want to slow down on the grammar section, but only if something needs the extra time. Either way, the program can be flexible to meet your needs.

 

Our school year ends at the end of May, but I'm not opposed to working on one program for each kid during the summer if needed.

Between now and next fall, yes, you should be able to get 1&2 knocked out. Finishing 3 in one school year can be done, just be prepared for about an hour a day with her. Not bad considering it is for all of language arts.