UmMusa Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hey y'all, my 5th grader, the one who is so "done" with homeschool and is dying to get to public school, is nearing the end of FLL 4. We've been following TWTM for Language Arts, so we've been doing this: Spelling Workout Handwriting Without Tears FLL WWE We're about to start WWE4 (he had a hard time with it last year, but I think he can handle it at this point), he's chugging along just fine in his spelling and cursive, so I'm ready to find out what's next after FLL4. I love the grammar in there, but I was wondering if I'm supposed to get 'literature' from somewhere else? FLL is great with grammar, poetry, other skills. I wondered where they get to analyse literature, talk about stories, learn how to write essays? What do y'all recommend for our next step? Does he need something to beef up prose writing or is it wise to stick with WWE4? Looking forward to replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I use the same things as you for grammar stage language arts. For 5th grade, I switched to Hake Grammar and Writing, supplemented with Writing Strands. It's working very well for us. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 That sounds good, except I think we're good with WWE4. I'm more concerned about grammar and reading comprehension/literautre stuff. I feel like I'm slacking off in teaching "Lit" stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 There's a thread over on the Logic board with ideas for grammar now that ALL (which was to follow FLL4) won't be released anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I treat Literature as a separate subject area. A lot of the literature I want dd to read is covered in our History program, but I also use the CHOLL series to round out the book list. I don't do the whole CHOLL course as it's outlined, but I assign certain books that don't appear in the History lists, and then we have a short discussion about the book and I choose one assignment for my dd to do. So, my complete Language Arts program for 5th grade (including Literature Studies) looks like this: Hake Grammar & Writing Writing Strands Spelling Workout finish up Explode the Code series Classical House of Learning Literature We finished the handwriting books last year. But for penmanship practice, she keeps a commonplace book in which she copies favorite poems. We'll continue with SWO until she's done all the books and then start VfCR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morosophe Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I would recommend a genre-based study for lit comprehension, at least to start with. That'll help break you out of the purely history-based reading it sounds like you've been doing, and provide your son with some valuable skills for literature comprehension. I don't know if you are strictly secular, but if not, Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR) looks like a fascinating, if expensive, example of what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 I would recommend a genre-based study for lit comprehension, at least to start with. That'll help break you out of the purely history-based reading it sounds like you've been doing, and provide your son with some valuable skills for literature comprehension. I don't know if you are strictly secular, but if not, Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (DITHOR) looks like a fascinating, if expensive, example of what I mean. Thank you, this is what I was talking about. I haven't been teaching them about literary parts because we're doing FLL and WWE and nothing else lit-wise. I think I need to go re-read TWTM on this section. I'll go read the thread linked to the logic board, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Figuratively Speaking is another way to start teaching/discussing literary terms very painlessly. This thread on the high school board was comforting to me as well. The OP was asking for reading recommendations, but the thread morphs into discussing free reading and casual book discussions instead of formal lit. studies. It is very encouraging, imo. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=318712&highlight=reader Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 For fifth grade, you could start with Best NonFiction. Truly, it depends on what you want for content. We found that the approach to the literary elements and the additional writing prompts to demonstrate as well as the logic based evaluation of the story are what work well for us here. :) For writing and composition, we use Writing Strands and Writer's Express. For grammar, we use Rod and Staff. R&S is not easy for my dd. We are still in book 4. :) I let things move slowly versus switching things often. (Of course, NaNoWriMo too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Hey y'all, my 5th grader, the one who is so "done" with homeschool and is dying to get to public school, is nearing the end of FLL 4. We've been following TWTM for Language Arts, so we've been doing this:Spelling Workout Handwriting Without Tears FLL WWE We're about to start WWE4 (he had a hard time with it last year, but I think he can handle it at this point), he's chugging along just fine in his spelling and cursive, so I'm ready to find out what's next after FLL4. I love the grammar in there, but I was wondering if I'm supposed to get 'literature' from somewhere else? FLL is great with grammar, poetry, other skills. I wondered where they get to analyse literature, talk about stories, learn how to write essays? What do y'all recommend for our next step? Does he need something to beef up prose writing or is it wise to stick with WWE4? After FLL4 (so, grammar teaching): You could go into Rod and Staff book 5, though I'm thinking from your signature that you might want to know it contains Christian content. The actual grammar teaching is solid, though. About WWE4 or other (so, writing skills teaching): WWE4 will continue to help him with basic literature analysis skills. He will be talking about the stories in there, and he will be learning some things he needs to learn solidly before going on to learn to write essays. With that said, given his age, something you might consider is skipping WWE4 and putting him right into WWS (Writing With Skills, the next series after Writing With Ease). I read, somewhere on the big WWS thread on the logic stage board, that it's not entirely necessary for a 5th grader to have completed WWE4 before moving on to WWS. Also, know that in WWS, students will be looking deeper into literature and learning more skills incrementally in order to be able to write more involved essays later. Whether you choose WWE or WWS, know also that you can use the skills learned in these books across his curriculum. So, say he does the WWE or WWS lessons four days per week. On the fifth day, you can have him practice some of those skills on his history, science, or literature reading. You could have him write a literature narration, or outline something for science, or write a chronological narration from his history reading. All of those activities are analytical. One additional suggestion would be to download and listen to SWB's literature analysis lecture. It might be really helpful to you, and relieve your mind. hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thank you Colleen, i really appreciate this. After reading many topics on this subject, I was thinking that we could go to WWS. THanks for the R & S info. I see it is very successful and popular with others here. Is the content itself Bible related? I mean, if it's just about good character and stuff, then we don't have a conflict :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Thank you Colleen, i really appreciate this. After reading many topics on this subject, I was thinking that we could go to WWS. THanks for the R & S info. I see it is very successful and popular with others here. Is the content itself Bible related? I mean, if it's just about good character and stuff, then we don't have a conflict :D The content of R&S is Bible related. And as it gets into the upper grades, I'd say around book 7, it gets pretty heavy duty into indoctrination through the grammar exercises. I am a Christian, and the indoctrination drives me crazy, lol! But I suppose it's there because of the particular faith aspects of the publishers. There are other equally good grammar programs out there - I just don't know which ones they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 Bummer. I was just looking at their sample pages when you replied! I'll see what other good grammar there is. I downloaded WWS, so I need grammar and literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Bummer. I was just looking at their sample pages when you replied! I'll see what other good grammar there is. I downloaded WWS, so I need grammar and literature. I don't have my TWTM book handy, but I think there are some other grammar recommendations, with caveats, in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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