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Why Formal Reading Curr. When Young?


amandajh
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I have looked at the CLE 400 Light Unit 1 and am just not sure what the advantage would be for my 4th (will be 5th grader) using this instead of reading real books, discussing them with me, and writing a narration when she is done like TWTM suggests.

 

I think it would make my reluctant, 3rd grader HATE to read.

 

So, why do would you use a reading program? If most of the things like topic sentences, poetry, etc. is in you grammar book anyway, why add more workbooks and take out the whole books? Just wondering if we will miss something that I am not thinking about.

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Not speaking from having used CLE...as I haven't. I have used Abeka and K12, though.

 

My oldest DS was a *very* reluctant reader. During his 2nd grade year, I went with "just real books." There were a variety, they weren't all long chapter books or anything, but DS flat-out-refused to read them. He was a good reader, too. They just "looked" long. After a few months of constant battles, I put him into K12's LA program. Yes, it was excerpts, and shorter pieces (except 4 novels) yes, there were worksheets... but the battles were OVER. The content of the excerpts was actually a "higher level" than the books he was supposed to read, but they were short. DS wanted SHORT.

 

Today, however, he has started to ENJOY reading. I now have to pry books out of his hands. He has started reading a non-fiction book about at-sea ship disasters, and he's ENJOYING it. He has also asked to read more "real books" for school vs. a Reading Program (although, I'm not completely "dumping" a Reading Program with him).

 

Each child is different, a Reading Program is exactly what I needed for my oldest son to get him reading. All of my younger, school-age children have also used them, but none of them have dug in their heels like my oldest.

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Well, there's more than just "how to read." CLE Reading has kids predict the plot, learn new vocabulary words, and learn literary terms. A lot of this stuff you can do just by talking with your kid as you read. I think the reading programs are designed for classrooms where the teacher can't do that with every kid.

 

My son has a lot of trouble reading and we just started a reading textbook that includes phonics as well as the stuff I mentioned above. He benefits from the very heavy-handed instruction. Most kids probably don't need that much.

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CLE Reading teaches things that I just don't get to: plot, setting, climax, aliteration, onomomopea, etc. It teaches rhyme and meter, how to read poetry, etc. Others may be able to accomplish this one on one, but it just doesn't happen here. They also read a literature book in addition to their Reading as a subject. My kids LOVE the stories. They are sweet, interesting, and engaging. I also have my youngers still read aloud to me so I can hear their fluency. The short stories are just right for that. All my kids are advanced readers but are doing CLE at grade level. It has been a nice addition to our curriculum.

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I'm using Scott Foresman (the 2000 edition) 4th grade, and there are two big reasons (and one little one).

 

The first is that DD really enjoys the variety. We get the real books from Sonlight, but she gets into the shorter stories and chapters from novels much quicker and doesn't get bogged down in "But that's a kind of book I don't like" or "The cover is boring" (both of which have been objections to books on Sonlight's list, some of which have a lot of description and background and just plain boring stuff before you get to any action whatsoever). And invariably, after she's read one of these stories, she ends up at the library checking out books by the author for free reading. This week, it was Garth Williams, after reading a chapter from "The Cricket in Times Square". (Which I KNOW we've read as a read-aloud, but I guess it didn't register). Since the selections were chosen for public schools, they tend to be very non-objectionable, and I've been pleasantly surprised at the quality and variety.

 

The second is that the worksheets focus on a variety of skills, and I can pick and choose those that aren't covered by Sonlight or by casual day to day life. For example, there's a research and study skills page with each story, and I didn't see a need to cover using a dictionary, because we do that reguarly-but I did print and go through the one on the card catalog, which is still on our state's test despite having been replaced with computers in even our tiny church/church school library.

 

The third...well, it's that we got the books free, so when DD latched on to the 3rd grade one, I figured we might as well use them.

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Curriculums like CLE are designed for private school and homeschoolers who prefer to allow their dc to work independently. Classroom situations and moms who have lots of dc who need to work more with the younger ones and let the olders be independent need programs like CLE. Some dc love workbooks! Some parents need the guidance a reading program offers.

 

It sounds like you don't need that type of program. If you are worried about missing teaching a certain element of literature, you could look at a program like DITHOR by HOD. DITHOR is designed for homeschooler and is to be used with any whole living book of your choice. Or you could get a study guide for books you are reading.

 

If my dc was thriving with how we were presently doing school, I wouldn't change! From what you said, I think your dc is thriving!

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Something I forgot to say-

 

I like using guided readers for dc learning to read. You don't have to worry about your dc stumbling across words with phonograms your dc haven't yet learned. I use CLE LTR with my dc because the phonics, handwriting and readers all line up (when you are learning the sound of /ck/ you are writing words like duck and muck and the readers use /ck/ words. New words are used repetitively in the readers.

 

After CLE LTR, I use living book easy readers to gain fluency and use R&S readers as "leveled" readers. R&S 'pushes' my dc's reading ability, while the easy readers are to develop a love for books and reading. I do not use the workbooks for the R&S readers. My dd struggles and this is why I am doing the above. If my dc took off in reading like many, I would adjust my strategy.

 

The beauty of homeschooling: being able to adjust and fit the personal needs of your dc!

Edited by Tabrett
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We use CLE reading 4-8 grades. It doesn't take the place of reading whole books per WTM. It is only a one semester course, and covers MANY things whole books/discussion/analysis would not. Here is a link to CLE's scope and sequence for reading. You can see what it covers. Scroll down to page 27 to begin with CLE reading grade 4 (which is the beginning of reading as 1 semester course w/out phonics instruction included):

 

http://www.clp.org/documents/3201/original/Elementary_Scope_and_Sequence_2009-2010.pdf

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I have looked at the CLE 400 Light Unit 1 and am just not sure what the advantage would be for my 4th (will be 5th grader) using this instead of reading real books, discussing them with me, and writing a narration when she is done like TWTM suggests.

 

I think it would make my reluctant, 3rd grader HATE to read.

 

So, why do would you use a reading program? If most of the things like topic sentences, poetry, etc. is in you grammar book anyway, why add more workbooks and take out the whole books? Just wondering if we will miss something that I am not thinking about.

 

I didn't use a formal reading program. Honestly, I never even thought of it; I thought it was my job to read to her until she did it herself.

 

Now, she was a very early and is a very strong reader. If she had been slower to develop in reading, I may have considered it but I doubt it. Who knows, though?

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The reason I resisted using a reading curriculum with my boys was that the reading curriculums I used as a child were nothing but decoding curriculums and I didn't even know what reading was, enough to be able to pick a curriculum, that was any better than what I had been subjected to.

 

My boys learned to read using the KJV and whatever helps we needed to learn to fully understand it. At the beginning they were pretty much learning to read by accident, and then as I learned more I understood what was happening and just stuck with it.

 

I'm still learning how to read. I'm finding better and better resources...but still have a way to go.

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Curriculums like CLE are designed for private school and homeschoolers who prefer to allow their dc to work independently. Classroom situations and moms who have lots of dc who need to work more with the younger ones and let the olders be independent need programs like CLE. Some dc love workbooks! Some parents need the guidance a reading program offers.

 

It sounds like you don't need that type of program. If you are worried about missing teaching a certain element of literature, you could look at a program like DITHOR by HOD. DITHOR is designed for homeschooler and is to be used with any whole living book of your choice. Or you could get a study guide for books you are reading.

 

If my dc was thriving with how we were presently doing school, I wouldn't change! From what you said, I think your dc is thriving!

:iagree:

 

I remember my reading program from school. I can't say it sucked the fun out of reading but I sure didn't learn much. I read it quickly, filled in the blanks appropriately and then opened up my "real" book while I waited for class to get over.

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We use CLE reading 4-8 grades. It doesn't take the place of reading whole books per WTM. It is only a one semester course, and covers MANY things whole books/discussion/analysis would not. Here is a link to CLE's scope and sequence for reading. You can see what it covers. Scroll down to page 27 to begin with CLE reading grade 4 (which is the beginning of reading as 1 semester course w/out phonics instruction included):

 

http://www.clp.org/documents/3201/original/Elementary_Scope_and_Sequence_2009-2010.pdf

 

I want to echo what the others have mentioned. CLE Reading covers topics that WTM narrations don't deal with (at least my style of narrations). The little workbooks are nice for independent work. We also like CLE Bible workbooks for the same reason. Short, sweet & inexpensive. :)

 

Dd 7/2nd grade does CLE 300 Reading -- along with reading advanced lit daily (Little Women, Hobbit, Wind In The Willows, etc).

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CLE Reading teaches things that I just don't get to: plot, setting, climax, aliteration, onomomopea, etc. It teaches rhyme and meter, how to read poetry, etc. Others may be able to accomplish this one on one, but it just doesn't happen here. They also read a literature book in addition to their Reading as a subject. My kids LOVE the stories. They are sweet, interesting, and engaging. I also have my youngers still read aloud to me so I can hear their fluency. The short stories are just right for that. All my kids are advanced readers but are doing CLE at grade level. It has been a nice addition to our curriculum.

 

I agree that I would not be able to teach these things by using WTM narration either. But are these things important in the middle grades? I don't think I learned things like this until high school.

I do like the CLE readers. I plan on using them, but was just not sure whether the workbooks would be an advantage at this age (4th grade).

I see how I could use something like CLE reading along with whole books and WTM narration since it only has 5 light units. We could do CLE 2 days a week and that does not seem like a big burden.

I'm going to have to think, pray, and talk to my husband about it.

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I never dreamed I'd use a formal reading curriculum but we are using CLE 4 this year and I love it. I don't think I'd use it til 4th or 5th grade and probably just for a few years. I think it's really beneficial, for my daughter anyway.

 

I have the readers for grades 2-4 and the first light unit for 4. I agree that I don't think I am going to use it until the 4th grade. My dd who is in the 4th grade now would be fine doing this a couple of days a week in addition to her other reading. My son, age 8 and not a lover of books in general, needs to just read right now. I am still trying to help him gain fluency and enjoy stories.

 

Soooo, after thinking, praying and talking with my husband, I think we will just try the first light unit for level 400 next week and see how it goes :) Can't go wrong with a $2 workbook......:)

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