TheAutumnOak Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Does anyone here use RS English?...We are using RS English, Grammar, Spelling, Reading as applicable in grades 1 and 5... My real question is - How do you get through it all?...It seems to move quickly to me and I am not sure we will get through it this year...Does anyone have suggestions for how much to cover?...This is my first year using it and maybe I just need to get use to it...I like it, just worry that we won't finish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I just use it for english. That said I have noticed it revisits concepts quite a bit. Knowing that helps me not to worry to much about complete mastery of each lesson. For example, 2 weeks ago my boys were working on posessive nouns...this week they are working on them again. Dd who is a level ahead is also working on possesive nouns...so I know my boys will get it again next year. Basically, I try not to stress about perfection...and steadily move thru. Hope that helps!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamarie Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 DS is using R&S for reading, spelling, science and social studies. In order for DS to finish the reading in one 9 month school year, he'd have to do an entire lesson every day. Well, in the fall that was not possible. It was taking him an hour or more to get a lesson done and it would usually end in tears. So I decided to split it up where he'd do "before you read the story" one day and the next day he'd read the story and do "after you read the story." Once he got through unit 1 and was more accustomed to the program, I had him start doing 1 lesson a day. There's no way he'll finish the book by June. So either I will just have him work on it through the summer until it's done or else have him pick it back up when we start school again in the fall. For the other subjects, it's 1 lesson a week to get through them in a year. (30 weeks I think) So he does spelling 3 days a week, 1st day for part A, 2nd day for part B, third day for the spelling test. Any words missed he has to write out 3 times and I might retest him another day. He misses 1 word maybe every 3 weeks so it's not that big a deal. Science and social studies I let him break down into 1 or 2 days per lesson. SS seems to have longer lessons so he usually does them over 2 days. Science he usually does in one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 The Bible Nuture and Reader materials are the biggest time suckers. English and spelling shouldn't take that long, unless you do everything orally instead of going over the lessson briefly and then letting the dc read the lessons and do the assignments independently. I'm not a big fan of BNR series, but I do like Building Christian English and Spelling by Sound and Structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) The Bible Nuture and Reader materials are the biggest time suckers. English and spelling shouldn't take that long, unless you do everything orally instead of going over the lessson briefly and then letting the dc read the lessons and do the assignments independently. I'm not a big fan of BNR series, but I do like Building Christian English and Spelling by Sound and Structure. I agree with everything, although I am a fan of the BNR series (for the most part). I actually might just buy the reader (for next year) for my dc to read on their own, and use Pathway Readers for school. I haven't decided yet. English is awesome. I use R&S spelling for my 2nd grader, but it's too easy for my 4th grader (we use Building Spelling Skills instead). I reccommend sticking with the English (I think it's the best out there) and the spelling, for sure. If the reading is too tedious, try something else if you like. I do want my children to know the Bible stories, so I do not mind having the books for that (even if we do not use them in school next year, I will still buy them). If you can get through it, though, you may as well continue with it. ETA: If you are using the phonics, just make sure to thoroughly explain the directions. That subject is a little more teacher intensive, but it's just two work pages per day, so it's not bad. Edited January 26, 2011 by Jinnah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanna Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Does anyone here use RS English?...We are using RS English, Grammar, Spelling, Reading as applicable in grades 1 and 5... My real question is - How do you get through it all?...It seems to move quickly to me and I am not sure we will get through it this year...Does anyone have suggestions for how much to cover?...This is my first year using it and maybe I just need to get use to it...I like it, just worry that we won't finish... I used R&S English one yr (grade 4) in btw using Shurley Eng. I couldn't get through it all. Like simka said, concepts are revisited through the yrs (no matter what you use) so whether you get through the whole book or not will be a non-issue down the road, JMO. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 We're using level 2 and we do a lot of it orally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I don't do the reading past 1st grade, and with both of my 1st graders I actually started them in the reading/phonics in K and spread it over 2 years so that we could get through it. Even doing it that way, my current 1st grader will not finish the reading/phonics by the end of 1st. I have found that it works better with her to alternate the days. One day she does the phonics, the next day a reading lesson. Then we read lots of "real" books throughout the day to practice her skills. I am aiming to get her through all of the phonics, so we may drop the reading towards the spring to accomplish that. And since we don't do the 2nd grade reading (we move into WTM reading narrations after 1st grade) I will just have her finish grade 1 reading along w/starting the 2nd grade phonics and English next year until she finishes grade 1 reading. Then she will make the transition to WTM reading.... clear as mud? But we get mostly through math each year (within 10 or 12 lessons) and all of the way through English. A note on the 2nd grade English when you get there: In the teacher book it suggests doing the last unit ALONGSIDE the next to last unit. The last unit is writing. So about halfway through the next to last unit we added a writing lesson from the last unit to our day, and we got through the book. Luckily I noticed that comment before it was too late in the T.M. 3rd grade English is a lesser amount of lessons and we will finish it and the spelling and math just fine in a year. Just a long explanation of we do it :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 ...A note on the 2nd grade English when you get there: In the teacher book it suggests doing the last unit ALONGSIDE the next to last unit. The last unit is writing. So about halfway through the next to last unit we added a writing lesson from the last unit to our day, and we got through the book. Luckily I noticed that comment before it was too late in the T.M. ... I did not know this... thanks for the heads up. I will go take a look at it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 You're welcome! I know I didn't notice until it until we were pretty much there, so I thought I would put it out there for those who aren't reading their T.M I may have been off. The last unit may have been dictionary skills not writing, or maybe it was dictionary and writing. But either way, there is no way to do the 6 units in a regular school year, so their suggestion to double up the last units was just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Does anyone here use RS English?...We are using RS English, Grammar, Spelling, Reading as applicable in grades 1 and 5... My real question is - How do you get through it all?...It seems to move quickly to me and I am not sure we will get through it this year...Does anyone have suggestions for how much to cover?...This is my first year using it and maybe I just need to get use to it...I like it, just worry that we won't finish... I have heard moms tell me that they split the book and do the first half one year and the second half the next year. I have heard that it repeats itself. I have Rod and Staff English 6. This is my first year with this program. We are at the half way mark now. Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I like the pre-K/K grade workbook series for the little people. I've used it for 3 of my kids so far. I use the English Grammar series starting with the 2nd grade book. 2nd grade we do all orally. Starting in 3rd grade we use the worksheets for extra practice. Lessons that don't have a corresponding worksheet are done orally. It's a good balance. I like that the program is cyclical so that if they don't totally "get it" I know the topic is coming around again and usually a 2nd pass through seems to solidify these concepts. I also use the Pathway Readers series with workbooks. The workbook's provide the vocabulary, spelling, reading comprehension, and reinforce the grammar rules. Love this series for my active, don't love reading, kids. They're getting additional "fun" reading in their history. We've used the social studies and science. I do like the science. I find it very through. The social studies/history piece doesn't follow the 4 year cycle of history and I found that frustrating to keep jumping through history every unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share Posted January 27, 2011 Thanks everyone for the help...I am glad to see that some kids do need more than a regular 36 week school year to finish it all ;) I am debating whether I am going to continue with school in a light way over the summer as well...We just started in January (we are in week 4), and it would be easier to do less material in a day, but do more days in a year...Or maybe I just need to get use to the 5-6 hour school day, though it is killing me I must say :tongue_smilie:...I am leaning heavily towards spreading it out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 We use R&S for grammar and math. Keep in mind it's written for a classroom and there is enough practice and drill for several students in a class setting. Did anyone mention that yet? We are just now halfway through our math book, but we do 4 day weeks here and we'll just go into summer until we're done. Or I'll look through the next book and see what will be covered again and not finish. :) In grammar I often combine two similar lessons. So if there are two chapters talking about plurals, we'll go over both and then do the worksheet that covers both. We're less than halfway through the grammar book, cause we don't get to it everyday and get grammar in other places so I don't sweat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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