Renee in NC Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I have a 2nd grade dd who doesn't struggle with much of anything except for CLE Language Arts 2. It is confusing her so much! I have even gone through the current LightUnit and crossed out all the superfluous material. I don't really care how you pronounce "the" in front of particular words. Does it really matter? The 2nd LU seems to be entirely about how to work in a CLE school environment and how to be polite - neither of which have anything to do with Language Arts. There isn't enough writing. I do have their Creative Writing book, but I don't see what it is supposed to be for. It doesn't make sense to me at all. Does it get better? I only bought the first 3 LightUnits to start with. I am trying to decide if there is any reason to order the last 7 if I have to skip so much and then supplement on top of that. She might go back to ps next year, so I have to make decisions based on that. I downloaded writing rubrics/sequences, I have R & S Spelling 2 and 3. Does she need something else? If so, any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I like from 3rd grade on up better. That said, my 2 nd grader is doing CLE. I don't lose sleep over some of the things. She hasn't had any trouble though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I have a 2nd grade dd who doesn't struggle with much of anything except for CLE Language Arts 2. It is confusing her so much! I have even gone through the current LightUnit and crossed out all the superfluous material. I don't really care how you pronounce "the" in front of particular words. Does it really matter? Well, maybe not. But it was something that I learned and I think it makes for better speaking and reading. I notice when people pronounce it incorrectly. The same goes for "a/an". We skipped the schoolish stuff. It is introduced early on and comes up occassionally in the review. But if your child is returning to school, that might be helpful. :confused: There isn't enough writing. I do have their Creative Writing book, but I don't see what it is supposed to be for. It doesn't make sense to me at all. Second graders really don't write much. But later light units include creative writing. We did WWE1 and skipped the writing or I acted as DS's scribe. Does it get better? I only bought the first 3 LightUnits to start with. I am trying to decide if there is any reason to order the last 7 if I have to skip so much and then supplement on top of that. We loved it here. It is thorough and my children learn a lot from CLE. She might go back to ps next year, so I have to make decisions based on that. I downloaded writing rubrics/sequences, I have R & S Spelling 2 and 3. Does she need something else? If so, any suggestions? I think either CLE or R&S will be better than what she will get in PS. But keep in mind that they are focussing on writing even at the 2nd grade level more than CLE or R&S does at that grade level. They don't focus much on grammar. (generally, my DD went to PS up until 3rd) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) Well, maybe not. But it was something that I learned and I think it makes for better speaking and reading. I notice when people pronounce it incorrectly. The same goes for "a/an". We skipped the schoolish stuff. It is introduced early on and comes up occassionally in the review. But if your child is returning to school, that might be helpful. :confused: Second graders really don't write much. But later light units include creative writing. We did WWE1 and skipped the writing or I acted as DS's scribe. We loved it here. It is thorough and my children learn a lot from CLE. I think either CLE or R&S will be better than what she will get in PS. But keep in mind that they are focussing on writing even at the 2nd grade level more than CLE or R&S does at that grade level. They don't focus much on grammar. (generally, my DD went to PS up until 3rd) I am focusing more on writing because she might go back to ps - I know that they do a lot more writing than most homeschool programs. I've got a good rubric for that. A/an makes sense and she has been taught that, but the "thee/thu" must be regional? I've never heard of there being a diffference in which one you say. I'll have to pay attention when I use it. It doesn't matter in writing or reading. The biggest struggle she has had is with the dictionary pronunciations and phonics. She reads/spells on a 3rd/4th grade level. The way they pronounce words is not the way we pronounce words a lot of time.:confused: In addition, the overuse of the schwa is maddening.:tongue_smilie: I guess I am just trying to figure out whether I should spend the $25 on the LUs that I don't have or just use the R & S English 2 book that I have. If I am using something else for spelling now (R & S because it is less scattered), handwriting (she is doing HWOT Cursive), and writing (my own design) - should I just drop CLE all together? I do like CLE's math, but it is too slow for her. I just can't seem to win here.;) Thanks for the input. Edited October 17, 2011 by Renee in FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I am focusing more on writing because she might go back to ps - I know that they do a lot more writing than most homeschool programs. I've got a good rubric for that. A/an makes sense and she has been taught that, but the "thee/thu" must be regional? I've never heard of there being a diffference in which one you say. I'll have to pay attention when I use it. It doesn't matter in writing or reading. The biggest struggle she has had is with the dictionary pronunciations and phonics. She reads/spells on a 3rd/4th grade level. The way they pronounce words is not the way we pronounce words a lot of time.:confused: In addition, the overuse of the schwa is maddening.:tongue_smilie: I guess I am just trying to figure out whether I should spend the $25 on the LUs that I don't have or just use the R & S English 2 book that I have. If I am using something else for spelling now (R & S because it is less scattered), handwriting (she is doing HWOT Cursive), and writing (my own design) - should I just drop CLE all together? I do like CLE's math, but it is too slow for her. I just can't seem to win here.;) Thanks for the input. No, I don't believe it is just regional. It is standard grammar. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-pronounce-the.aspx and http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/the.htm I had a teacher in 5th grade that would make us restate the sentence if we didn't use "thuh/thee" properly. That was in a Texas school where accents were thick! I was from the midwest and the rule came naturally for me. I'm in my 30's, so I don't think it is that antiquated. The complaint about the schwa is common with CLE users. And that might be regional because we tend to schwa a lot of words so we haven't had an issue with the dictionary pronounciations. They do less of that at the 3rd grade level in LA. Although we do not live anywhere near the region of the publishers of CLE. So I don't quite understand that regional thing either. It sounds like you should drop CLE. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 No, I don't believe it is just regional. It is standard grammar. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-pronounce-the.aspx and http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/the.htm I had a teacher in 5th grade that would make us restate the sentence if we didn't use "thuh/thee" properly. That was in a Texas school where accents were thick! I was from the midwest and the rule came naturally for me. I'm in my 30's, so I don't think it is that antiquated. The complaint about the schwa is common with CLE users. And that might be regional because we tend to schwa a lot of words so we haven't had an issue with the dictionary pronounciations. They do less of that at the 3rd grade level in LA. Although we do not live anywhere near the region of the publishers of CLE. So I don't quite understand that regional thing either. It sounds like you should drop CLE. ;) That's really interesting - I have never been taught that (the South, the Midwest, and FL.) I don't even know if I use it properly or not.;) I'll make sure she understands it. I might try the last LightUnit I have and see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 i don't like CLE LA either. we love their math & still use it. we used their reading program & liked it as well. but the LA wasn't a good fit, so we ditched it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I was taught the thee/thu as well and I am from the midwest. Just good grammar when speaking. One of the things I disliked in CLE 2 was the schoolish stuff, holding pencil, sitting... and it wouldn't be so bad if it was just the first lesson of the LU, but it spirals and keeps coming around. I crossed it off. What did me in however was the pronunciation symbols that seemed unstandard to me. I used R&S Phonics and they seemed to make a lot more sense whereas CLE's use symbols for pronunciations that are obvious. Okay, CLE 3 much, much better. Some schoolish stuff; minor. A good chunk of the pronunciation symbols gone. For me when I used R&S Phonics it was wonderful. Moved on to CLE LA and we just went ... "huh?" I'd just cross it out. The program is inexpensive enough to just bypass it, especially knowing that it'll go away in CLE 3 for the most part. I use CLE Math love it, CLE Reading...loved it up to 4, and CLE LA AFTER level 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Read the (thu) first link. Thee/thu is not equivalent to a/an, which are DIFFERENT WORDS. Thee/thu is varying the pronunciation of one word. I have never heard this before EVER, and I know a lot about grammar. I would say that this is a fight that people had better give up on LOL. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disney Dreaming Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I have a 2nd grade dd who doesn't struggle with much of anything except for CLE Language Arts 2. It is confusing her so much! I have even gone through the current LightUnit and crossed out all the superfluous material. I don't really care how you pronounce "the" in front of particular words. Does it really matter? The 2nd LU seems to be entirely about how to work in a CLE school environment and how to be polite - neither of which have anything to do with Language Arts. There isn't enough writing. I do have their Creative Writing book, but I don't see what it is supposed to be for. It doesn't make sense to me at all. Does it get better? I only bought the first 3 LightUnits to start with. I am trying to decide if there is any reason to order the last 7 if I have to skip so much and then supplement on top of that. She might go back to ps next year, so I have to make decisions based on that. I downloaded writing rubrics/sequences, I have R & S Spelling 2 and 3. Does she need something else? If so, any suggestions? :iagree: This drove me crazy! I am from the south(have lived in GA and NC only) and I have NEVER heard this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Read the (thu) first link. Thee/thu is not equivalent to a/an, which are DIFFERENT WORDS. Thee/thu is varying the pronunciation of one word. I have never heard this before EVER, and I know a lot about grammar. I would say that this is a fight that people had better give up on LOL. :lol: Disagree. Thee/Thu is a serious issue. Perhaps it should be labeled "diction" instead of "grammar," but it is an issue. I don't remember discussing it until I got into vocal diction...but it's common usage to say "thee" before a word beginning with a vowel and "thu" before a word beginning with a consonant. It is nothing short of an abomination to mess this one up in song.:svengo: No matter how much I disagree, it's NOT something I'd care to hammer out in the 2nd grade.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Thee/Thu is a serious issue. Perhaps it should be labeled "diction" instead of "grammar," but it is an issue. :iagree: Using "thuh" for everything is pretty widespread in some regions of the US, including here in California, but to an outsider's ear it tends to sound flat and sloppy even in speech, let alone in song. "Thee" flows together beautifully with vowels. To me, it's just a short step between "thuh apple" and "da apple." ;) We started teaching this distinction at an early age, because our children were picking up the local pronunciation from other adults. Fortunately, all the English curricula we were using (including others besides CLE) backed us up on this. Edited October 18, 2011 by Eleanor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie-txmama2six Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I would use R&S. We tried CLE for a couple of months while we stayed with my parents thinking it would be less teacher intensive, but I really didn't like it. I prefer the mastery approach of R&S. If you already have the book, try it for a week or two and see which one works better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 CLE LA gets better after 2nd grade. We were frustrated too when we used 200 LUS, but we just kept on going, We are on 304 LU now, no more phonics in 300 LUS, very minimal schoolish stuff/phonics. No more complaints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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