Ohdanigirl Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Over the months, as I have read and reread threads, I have noticed that most people who love LL for 7/8 dislike the high school levels. The consensus seems to be that they are not as meaty or well made as the 7/8 packages. I love LL7 and will be moving one to LL8 real soon. The curriculum seems thorough, and ds seems to learn well with it. Seeing what others have said, I am, wondering what other choices are available for grades 9-12. DS loves to read, so I would like to keep him challenged, while allowing his skills to continue to grow. If you liked LL7/8, but moved on to a different program in HS, what worked for you? Thanks in advance. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 We are just finishing LL8 and ds has loved it. His writing is amazing now, where it was once a disjointed mass now it is flowing and engaging. However, I am in the same boat. What to do now because I heard the HS LL was not good? I have been looking at Learning Language Arts through Literature, the gold books (2 HS level books one American and one British lit) and taking 2 yrs for each by doing more in each book. My oldest son used the Brit Lit one and enjoyed it. I am also thinking of Learning Literature from Lord of the Ring. It looks like it could be interesting and my husband is interested in reading these books again...thought my son and dh could do this together. Another on my radar is Winter Promise LA for HS 1. I will be looking at this thread with interest, hoping to get some more ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 From my research on the WTM board - I see that the one most don't like is the Medieval. Shakespeares, British early and late, American early and late seem to be more highly though of. My plan is to use CLE reading 8 and LL 8 2nd semester next year while we study middle ages. I'm also buying a few great books to read with sparknotes. I would also love to find Omnibus 2 and 5 used! :) For early modern in 9th she will use LL early British and early American - each 1 sem. courses. For modern in 10th she will use mid-late British and mid-late American. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I was one of those who like 7 and 8 but was really unhappy with the high school materials we tried (early-mid-19th cent British and American). I thought the book selections were pretty good, but the support materials were pathetic (about like reading an article on Wikipedia) and the discussions of literary concepts limited and shallow. The times when I really wanted help (Carlyle's essay on Scott?!? Hello?!?), there was virtually none. And the writing assignments were pathetic. They were *not* the types of essays I want a high schooler working on! They weren't even essays! It was okay (more or less) since we were using the material in middle school, but if I were using it for a high schooler, I'd have scrapped the writing assignments completely and started from scratch. This year we're using Windows to the World, which has far better material for discussing beginning literary analysis and walking kids through writing literary analysis essays. It's really significantly better. Since it focuses on short stories, it wouldn't be enough for a full literature credit on its own, but if you supplement with a few full-length works (and accompanying discussion and writing), it could be. I think in the future, I'll just be pulling my own stuff together a la WTM. I can certainly do better than Lightning Lit (eyeroll). But I appreciate the foundation that Windows to the World has provided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yinne Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 There is a syllabus on the IEW website that turns Windows to the World into a full literature course. I have used it with two of my kids this year and have been very pleased. Best $5 I have ever spent! http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/sla-e Yvonne in NE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheryl h Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 There is a syllabus on the IEW website that turns Windows to the World into a full literature course. I have used it with two of my kids this year and have been very pleased. Best $5 I have ever spent! http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/sla-e Yvonne in NE To this excellent recommendation (thank you), I would also like to add that www.oaopp.com also offers a live, on-line literary discussion lead by Missy and Adam Andrews. That would be a great combo with the IEW Windows to the World/Teaching the Classics syllabus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 DD18 is using Lightning Lit's American Lit (Early and Mid) this year because she needs a composition credit. We have found these to be very good with good reading choices. She's a senior (she missed the composition credit somewhere along the way), but these would be just fine for a 9th or 10th grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I used LL 7 & 8 with my oldest and am doing it again with dd now. Ds will be switching to Excellence in Lit next year and dd will switch in 9th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 We used Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings in 9th grade. You may read my review here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 We are using LL for 9th - both the Early to Mid & Mid to Late. I am happy with it - the assignments, the books, overall pleased with it for 9th grade. I am not sure what we'll use for next year, but I will be looking into staying with LL if I am happy with what I see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmsurbat Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 FYI: Some of the early high school level Lightning Lit guides have been redone, so it might be worth checking in with Hewitt to see the changes. Definitely check out the samples available on the site.... FWIW, we liked both the 7&8th grade guides as well as the high school ones... HTH, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 FYI: Some of the early high school level Lightning Lit guides have been redone, so it might be worth checking in with Hewitt to see the changes. Definitely check out the samples available on the site.... FWIW, we liked both the 7&8th grade guides as well as the high school ones... HTH, Thanks. I will check out any samples. I am no where near any conventions, so I can't get my hands on them to look through the books. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LBS Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Maybe you might like: The Big Read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 spam reported Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 My dd used LL 8th grade, and then we switched to Notgrass for 9th. She hated Notgrass and specifically requested to go back to LL. She chose Shakespeare Tragedies and enjoyed it. I combined it with a writing instruction program for a full English credit. This year, she chose World Lit. She is enjoying the selections and has definite opinions on the authors. Maybe both of these are newer, as some posters suggested. We have no complaints about high school LL; in fact, we've both been very satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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