krisperry Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Would you please share your language arts sequence? Choosing something like CLE or Rod&Staff and following it all the way through sounds lovely when it comes to planning. However, I've read where many of you don't use the same program from 1st/2nd - 8th and I'm particularly interested in seeing the sequences that have been created using a variety of materials. If you subscribe to an educational philosophy that impacts your grammar choices, please feel free to share that information as well. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historymatters Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Hi! I subscribe to a mainly CM philosophy with Classical leanings. Our LA sequence has been and will be in the future thus: 2nd-4th-Primary Language Lessons, done mostly orally. oral narration, copywork 4th-6th - Intermediate Language Lessons, written and oral start written narrations, copywork, dictation 5th- add in Meaningful Composition to prepare for Bar and Bat Mitzvah training (it requires book reports, so I'm preparing them a year in advance) If going well, continue w/Meaningful Composition (MC) and written narrations 7th & 8th Our Mother Tongue (OMT) following the 2 year plan per AO's recommendation. I don't think I'll have to use MC all the way through to 12th. There's a resource called Writer's Inc.that I plan to use as soon as I think they have enough of the foundation down to just need a resource to check themselves and mature; I am assuming by 9th grade, if not sooner, I'll drop MC and just continue with Writer's INc. (perhaps Write for College) and OMT as referrel/correcting resources and continue with written narrations, oral narrations, and other compositions. I really see no reason to continue feeding them with curriculum that teaches a finite subject; plus writing is so easily integrated in Literature and History subjects; it doesn't need to be a separate subject. To simplify and have them be more independant is my goal (not to mention less curriculum saves money). They will both be continuing in their Hebrew studies and will have been taking Latin since 5th grade; then they'll be beginning Greek in HS. So that's another reason I will not be drilling them in a rigorous grammar course; all of these things in combination will be plenty. Hopefully that answers your question, Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornerstone Classical Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I've tried FLL, BJU, R&S, and PLL....I'm sticking with FLL. It's thorough, and I think the amount of work, and how it's written is the best for a homeschooled child. IMO... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy to monkeys Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquinas Academy Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I'm mostly classical, somewhat CM, in my language philosophy. All grades include lots of reading as well as copywork, memorisation, and narration. In addition to that, here is our English sequence (French, Latin, and Greek are also studied): K: Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading 1st: OPGTR, Language Lessons for the Very Young 1 2nd: Primary Language Lessons 3rd: PLL, Classical Writing Aesop A, Spelling Wisdom 4th: Intermediate Language Lessons, CW Aesop B, SW 5th: ILL, CW Homer A, Poetry for Beginners, SW 6th: Analytical Grammar, CW Homer B, Poetry for Beginners, SW 7th: AG, CW Diogenes Maxim, Intermediate Poetry, SW 8th: AG, CW Diogenes Chreia, Intermediate Poetry, SW 9th: CW Herodotus, Ancient great books 10th: CW Plutarch, Advanced Poetry (Note: Advanced Poetry will be studied at the same time as the Middle Ages and Renaissance, not necessarily in 10th grade), Medieval and Renaissance great books 11th: Classical Writing Demosthenes, early modern great books 12th: Senior thesis, modern great books ETA: Since CW's more advanced books aren't out yet this is subject to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 This is our last sticky area. We've tried several different programs, also. FWIW, my kids know lots of grammar (so, the bouncing around didn't harm them). Here's what I think is our permanent sequence: 2nd grade: Growing with Grammar 2 + Primary Language Lessons 3rd grade: Growing with Grammar 3 + Primary Language Lessons 4th grade: MCT's Grammar Island series + snippets of Intermediate Lang Lessons (outlining, etc) 5th grade: MCT's Grammar Town series 6th grade: MCT's Grammar Voyage series 7th grade: MCT's Magic Lens 1 series 8th grade: MCT's Magic Lens 2 series So far, everyone seems pretty compatible with these choices. :glare: We are NOT a language arts family (we're more of a math and science family). My kids can't stand LA, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 current 8th grader: 1- Hooked on Phonics, First Language Lessons 1/2 2- SRA Reading, Classical Writing Aesop 3 - Primary Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Island 4 - Intermediate Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 1 5 - Intermediate Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 2, MCT Grammar Town 6 - Lingua Mater 7, MCT Grammar Voyage, GP SYRWTL English 2, Excellence in Lit 1 (first half) 7- Put That in Writing 1, MCT Magic Lens I, Excel. in Lit 1 (2nd half,) GP SYRWTL English 3 8- FLVS Honors English 8, Kolbe Greek Lit current 6th grader: 1- Hooked on Phonics, First Language Lessons 1/2 2- Primary Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 1 3- Primary Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 2 4- Intermediate Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Island, GP Jr. English 3 5 - Intermediate Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Town, GP SYRWTL English 1 6 - FLVS Honors English 6, LLLotR, GP SYRWTL English 2 7 - FLVS Honors English 7, SYRWTL English 3, Excellence in Lit 1 8 - FLVS Honors Engish 8, GP English Year 9, Kolbe Greek Lit Current 2nd grader: 1 - Hooked on Phonics, Classical Writing Primers 2 - Bridge to Latin (first half,) GP Jr. English 1, SRA Reading 3 - Bridge to Latin (2nd half,) GP Jr. English 2, Kolbe Elementary Lit 4 - Latin Road to English 1, GP Jr. English 3, Kolbe Elementary Lit 5 - Latin Road to English 2, GP SYRWTL English 1, Kolbe Elementary Lit 6 - Latin Road to English 3, GP SYRWTL English 2, Kolbe Jr. High Lit 7 - FLVS Honors English 7, LLLotR 8 - FLVS Honors English 8, Excellence in Lit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historymatters Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Hi! I subscribe to a mainly CM philosophy with Classical leanings. Our LA sequence has been and will be in the future thus: 2nd-4th-Primary Language Lessons, done mostly orally. oral narration, copywork 4th-6th - Intermediate Language Lessons, written and oral start written narrations, copywork, dictation 5th- add in Meaningful Composition to prepare for Bar and Bat Mitzvah training (it requires book reports, so I'm preparing them a year in advance) If going well, continue w/Meaningful Composition (MC) and written narrations 7th & 8th Our Mother Tongue (OMT) following the 2 year plan per AO's recommendation. I don't think I'll have to use MC all the way through to 12th. There's a resource called Writer's Inc.that I plan to use as soon as I think they have enough of the foundation down to just need a resource to check themselves and mature; I am assuming by 9th grade, if not sooner, I'll drop MC and just continue with Writer's INc. (perhaps Write for College) and OMT as referrel/correcting resources and continue with written narrations, oral narrations, and other compositions. I really see no reason to continue feeding them with curriculum that teaches a finite subject; plus writing is so easily integrated in Literature and History subjects; it doesn't need to be a separate subject. To simplify and have them be more independant is my goal (not to mention less curriculum saves money). They will both be continuing in their Hebrew studies and will have been taking Latin since 5th grade; then they'll be beginning Greek in HS. So that's another reason I will not be drilling them in a rigorous grammar course; all of these things in combination will be plenty. Hopefully that answers your question, Rachel I forgot to mention that I'll be starting Music of the Hemispheres next year with my 5th and 4th gr. and hopefully continue with the Poetics Program through untill the end. Blessings to you, Rachel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Learning to read: Phonics pathways + EtC 1-4th grade: Phonics Road + WWE style copywork/narration/dictation 5th-8th: IEW for writing, but I'm not sure about the rest. I won't be repeating what I did for my oldest in the grammar department (abeka, cle). Maybe MCT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneyFernDotOrg Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I don't use a curriculum, but we read and write frequently and in multiple forms; everyone did research papers this year, we have written sonnets in our study of Shakespeare, letters to solicit donations for our food pantry, essay exams and journal entries. One of my students is conducting a snail-mail correspondence with her grandmother and is writing a fan letter to Stephen Colbert. One of my high schoolers wrote an entire book in April as part of my writing contest, and she is now working on editing and putting it together for publication. All grammar comes from the writing, and everything gets covered at some point or another (we had a quite a debate on swum and swam the other day). There are structured lessons on process, organization and style, and lessons as necessary on grammar and punctuation. We also read a ton of varied material to see what good writing looks and sounds like. Several students are developing marketing plans for inventions and a cupcake business, and they are creating Twitter accounts to master the art of the 140-word advertisement. Students read between 15-40 books a year, alternating between what I select for them and what they select for themselves (and often reading several books concurrently, and including five books that we read as a school). We have conversations about language and words constantly; we re-write lyrics and commercials and we structure arguments constantly. I don't believe in writing assignments for their own sake; students will be more motivated if they have some choice in the matter, and I can make sure their work is what it needs to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisperry Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 current 8th grader: 1- Hooked on Phonics, First Language Lessons 1/2 2- SRA Reading, Classical Writing Aesop 3 - Primary Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Island 4 - Intermediate Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 1 5 - Intermediate Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 2, MCT Grammar Town 6 - Lingua Mater 7, MCT Grammar Voyage, GP SYRWTL English 2, Excellence in Lit 1 (first half) 7- Put That in Writing 1, MCT Magic Lens I, Excel. in Lit 1 (2nd half,) GP SYRWTL English 3 8- FLVS Honors English 8, Kolbe Greek Lit current 6th grader: 1- Hooked on Phonics, First Language Lessons 1/2 2- Primary Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 1 3- Primary Language Lessons, Sequential Spelling 2 4- Intermediate Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Island, GP Jr. English 3 5 - Intermediate Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Town, GP SYRWTL English 1 6 - FLVS Honors English 6, LLLotR, GP SYRWTL English 2 7 - FLVS Honors English 7, SYRWTL English 3, Excellence in Lit 1 8 - FLVS Honors Engish 8, GP English Year 9, Kolbe Greek Lit Current 2nd grader: 1 - Hooked on Phonics, Classical Writing Primers 2 - Bridge to Latin (first half,) GP Jr. English 1, SRA Reading 3 - Bridge to Latin (2nd half,) GP Jr. English 2, Kolbe Elementary Lit 4 - Latin Road to English 1, GP Jr. English 3, Kolbe Elementary Lit 5 - Latin Road to English 2, GP SYRWTL English 1, Kolbe Elementary Lit 6 - Latin Road to English 3, GP SYRWTL English 2, Kolbe Jr. High Lit 7 - FLVS Honors English 7, LLLotR 8 - FLVS Honors English 8, Excellence in Lit 1 Your progression is very interesting to me. I see a lot of "me" in there. Clearly the Galore Park materials and Latin Road "won out" over MCT and then PLL/ILL. Do you mind explaining your journey? I'm currently using the MCT materials ( I do generally like them - the grammar the least) and was considering the PLL/ILL for next year for my younger crew. After seeing your list, I think I might need to look at Galore Park a bit closer since I seem to be following your progression :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisperry Posted May 16, 2011 Author Share Posted May 16, 2011 This is our last sticky area. We've tried several different programs, also. FWIW, my kids know lots of grammar (so, the bouncing around didn't harm them). Here's what I think is our permanent sequence: 2nd grade: Growing with Grammar 2 + Primary Language Lessons 3rd grade: Growing with Grammar 3 + Primary Language Lessons 4th grade: MCT's Grammar Island series + snippets of Intermediate Lang Lessons (outlining, etc) 5th grade: MCT's Grammar Town series 6th grade: MCT's Grammar Voyage series 7th grade: MCT's Magic Lens 1 series 8th grade: MCT's Magic Lens 2 series So far, everyone seems pretty compatible with these choices. :glare: We are NOT a language arts family (we're more of a math and science family). My kids can't stand LA, unfortunately. This looks very close to what I was contemplating. With a dash of Analytical Grammar I think. A sticky area for me to. I feel like I keep chasing myself in circles. So I stop and go back later and it isn't long before I'm going around and around again :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Your progression is very interesting to me. I see a lot of "me" in there. Clearly the Galore Park materials and Latin Road "won out" over MCT and then PLL/ILL. Do you mind explaining your journey? I'm currently using the MCT materials ( I do generally like them - the grammar the least) and was considering the PLL/ILL for next year for my younger crew. After seeing your list, I think I might need to look at Galore Park a bit closer since I seem to be following your progression :tongue_smilie: I think there are multiple reasons really. One is just the fact that I am teaching more kids and so have less time. MCT and PLL/ILL are both time consuming. Another is that my younger two are different learners than the older two. They like a more workbook/independent style. They have never enjoyed the snuggly read alouds on the couch the way my older two did at that age. My dd7 was so happy to switch from FLL to CW Primer. She is my quickest learner and likes to know what needs to be done and do it (on her own if possible.) A third reason is that my eldest is now at the test taking stage and I can see areas where I could have done more. My favorite thing about the Galore Park English books is that the first 2-3 sections of each chapter are about analyzing literature. There is generally a fiction work, a non-fiction work and a work of poetry for each chapter. I think these sections in GP are well done, do wonders in preparing a child for testing later, and come with an answer key so I don't have to always do all the work in making sure my kids get the right answers. None of my other language arts curriculum addressed literature passage analysis as well as GP and the kids enjoy the books. In looking back, I do not think my eldest got much out of PLL/ILL. Nothing really stuck. LM7 and PTIW did help her with writing though. My dd11 got more out of them, but she is a natural writer and speller so she would likely have done well with anything. As for MCT, I've never liked the writing so we didn't use it. I do like the vocabulary books, but my kids start Latin early and it just felt like overkill. The poetry got too hard for me to teach after the second or third book. It was so much work for a class my kids we're interested in. The grammar books I would continue with now except that I think the Bridge/Latin Road program covers very similar territory and adds in the extra Latin benefit. It also suits my dd7 more than the more story-like MCT grammar books. And a final reason is probably that I am more excited about teaching something new than something I've already read through/prepared for/graded twice before. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 K WWE1 and FLL1, SWO 1 1st R&S 2 English, R&S Spelling 2, Primary Lessons in Language and Comp. 2nd Writing Tales 1 R&S Spelling 3 3rd Writing Tales 2 R&S Spelling 4 4th Classical Writing Aesop or Imitation in Writing? R&S Spelling 5 5th Classical Writing Homer A, R&S Spelling 6 After that we will hopefully keep following CW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisperry Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 I think there are multiple reasons really. One is just the fact that I am teaching more kids and so have less time. MCT and PLL/ILL are both time consuming. Another is that my younger two are different learners than the older two. They like a more workbook/independent style. They have never enjoyed the snuggly read alouds on the couch the way my older two did at that age. My dd7 was so happy to switch from FLL to CW Primer. She is my quickest learner and likes to know what needs to be done and do it (on her own if possible.) A third reason is that my eldest is now at the test taking stage and I can see areas where I could have done more. My favorite thing about the Galore Park English books is that the first 2-3 sections of each chapter are about analyzing literature. There is generally a fiction work, a non-fiction work and a work of poetry for each chapter. I think these sections in GP are well done, do wonders in preparing a child for testing later, and come with an answer key so I don't have to always do all the work in making sure my kids get the right answers. None of my other language arts curriculum addressed literature passage analysis as well as GP and the kids enjoy the books. In looking back, I do not think my eldest got much out of PLL/ILL. Nothing really stuck. LM7 and PTIW did help her with writing though. My dd11 got more out of them, but she is a natural writer and speller so she would likely have done well with anything. As for MCT, I've never liked the writing so we didn't use it. I do like the vocabulary books, but my kids start Latin early and it just felt like overkill. The poetry got too hard for me to teach after the second or third book. It was so much work for a class my kids we're interested in. The grammar books I would continue with now except that I think the Bridge/Latin Road program covers very similar territory and adds in the extra Latin benefit. It also suits my dd7 more than the more story-like MCT grammar books. And a final reason is probably that I am more excited about teaching something new than something I've already read through/prepared for/graded twice before. :D Thank you so much for taking the time to post all that. It was extremely helpful as I deal with the time factor, independent learner issues, and overkill in general too. I had not heard that about GP - the literature analysis I mean. Now, I'm super intrigued as that is something that I've been on the hunt for.... I've wanted it included in an LA program but in a secular manner and that has been hard to find. I'm especially thankful to hear your thoughts on how parent intensive the PLL and ILL are. I might need to rethink these as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 This thread is about piecing together LA, I think you'll find it useful. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245775&highlight=dictation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) Well, I've jumped around and tried just about everything out there, but I *think* I've finally hit on a winning combination. The longer I homeschoool and the more comfortable I become as a homeschooler, the easier it is for me to make adjustments to the curriculum I like to my children's learning styles and my teaching style. So, my new language arts sequence is: K-1st: Phonics Road Level 1 - lots of review, lots of practicing on the whiteboard, lots of games using the phonograms, like the ones in Happy Phonics and Phonogram Fun Pack from Beall's Learning. I still have "reading pathways" on my shelf to help build fluency with reading if necessary. 2-5th: Phonics Road Levels 2-4 5-8th: IEW TWSS and/or SWI A with OM syllabus for writing across the curriculum. This fall will be the first time I try this out with my upcoming 6th grader, but I used IEW SWI-A this year and really loved the progression of skills taught, so I think I can transfer that to writing across the curriculum next year with the OM syllabus as our source materials. Edited May 23, 2011 by LoveBaby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 My kids all kind of taught themselves to read early before I introduced phonics and then that bothered me and I spent a lot of time, (too much), obsessing about phonics and trying too many different things. So they're all past that now, but when my baby is older, I plan to start OPGTR or some simple primer like that, at a young age. Just 5 minute lessons at first, oral, working up to 15 min or so a day. That is all I'm concerned with (that and tons and tons of reading aloud). My kids learned a ton through fun, informal math exploration, and fun, informal intro of letters and writing until age 6. Giving my kids the little HWT chalkboards, showing them a letter and letting them copy, and giving them little notebooks from early on, was all they needed. They would want to know how to write something in their notebook and I would show them the letters and they would copy it. We would pretend to take each others orders and play restaurant, or make lists of things they liked, they'd help me make a short grocery list, we'd draw things and label them, etc. So I'll stop rambling and be more succinct about the rest of our sequence. 1st and 2nd- FLL 1 and 2, WWE 1 and 2, HWT if needed, lots of readers and read alouds. Continue phonics if needed or switch to something like AAS. 3rd-8th- CLE LA, WWE, poetry memorization, AAS as needed for as long as it takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.