Swandel Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I'm looking for some solid alternatives to First Language Lessons (for First Grade). I like the material covered in this curriculum, but don't like the out-of-context literature in the book...I'm not sure of what I'm looking for. Maybe whole literature based? Preferably not text book or workbook based. Just looking for some alternatives to research! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 (edited) What about this: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/language-lessons-through-literature-levels-1-2/16270485?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1 I've never used it, but I've seen it posted here before. I'm making my own first grade language arts curriculum for ds next year. We'll be doing narrations of Bible stories to make a Bible story book. Copywork and simple grammar will be introduced through fairy tales. Edited February 11, 2012 by Lisa in the UP of MI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karensk Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Have you looked at Learning Language Arts Through Literature? The grammar and spelling instruction is correlated with the literature assignments, which includes several whole books. However, the grammar and spelling content are quite light, IMO. From the ones I've seen, the grammar instruction in integrated language arts programs is lighter and less thorough than that in separate grammar programs. I haven't seen any integrated programs at the elementary levels that have the students memorize the definitions of the parts of speech, the list of be verbs, the list of helping verbs, the list of pronouns, and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swandel Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 karensk, have you used Learning Language Arts Through Literature? As a former teacher, I wonder if I can combine the solid content in First Language Lessons with something like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 We're using Phonics Road and are really happy with it. We incorporate narration in history and science to practice that skill (I write them down for her) and we do separate simple copywork and dictation that I come up with in a writing journal. ETA: Never mind, it is late and I didn't realize you wanted literature based until my post was up. PR2 does have literature study but you do most foundational phonics/spelling/handwriting in PR1 and work up to it. Good luck choosing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) ... do you have specific goals? If you are willing to wait a year, you might be very happy with Emma Serl's Primary Language Lessons. It is meant to be begun in second, and I would hesitate to begin it earlier unless the child is quite advanced in reading, comprehension and writing. Also highly recommended, though I haven't seen it myself, is English for the Thoughtful Child which was suggested in earlier editions of WTM, I understand. I think this may also be better started at age 7 or so. We ourselves are going to begin either KISS grammar or Michael Clay Thompson's Island series between now and next fall, depending on various factors incl. finances -- KISS is excellent and free and just grammar, and if we do that we'll probably do the Serl book too. This year we are doing WWE and Modern Speller, and that is sufficient exposure to copywork and sentence structure for me, since Button wasn't ready for the other programs I'm interested in. I couldn't use FLL with him b/c he never gave anything like the "correct" response! it was hopeless. Edited February 12, 2012 by serendipitous journey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 I personally don't think anything can fully replace the effectiveness of First Language Lessons. If I couldn't use FLL, then CLE Language Arts and Primary Language Lessons would be my 2nd choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Primary Language Lessons for second and third grades. We are just finishing it up right now and going to ILL in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karensk Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 karensk, have you used Learning Language Arts Through Literature? As a former teacher, I wonder if I can combine the solid content in First Language Lessons with something like this? ...maybe as part of 3rd grade language arts. We skipped the spelling lessons and most of the grammar instruction, since we were using Spelling Workout and FLL. I liked the lit and poetry units in LLATL-Orange, and we did do all the copywork/dictation lessons. It worked fine for us, but then the sentences in the grammar lessons of FLL weren't coordinated with the lit units. If you were to use FLL with LLATL, you might opt to skip the narrations and poetry in FLL, using it only for grammar, and then create your own narration lessons based on the LLATL lit unit. Also, I believe LLATL-Red and Blue are set up differently than subsequent levels because of the phonics instruction and so might not be adjusted as easily as Orange. In summary... lit/poetry units: LLATL-Orange copywork/dictation: LLATL-Orange vocabulary: LLATL-Orange grammar: FLL-3 spelling: Spelling Workout HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rai B. Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 What about this: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/language-lessons-through-literature-levels-1-2/16270485?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1 This is what we are using! You read the entire literature book, so in level one you read a Beatrix Potter book, or a fairy tale (Orange Fairy book) or a novel chapter, and then you read from the Language Lessons book--a short lesson, and a poem, and a fable, and then there is copywork everyday. Many days there is an extra that rotates through once a week (If you use it everyday, which we do because dd asks for the stories) so there is a picture study, picture narration, or extra copywork of a line of poetry or a maxim. Narration is introduced very gently. In first level (which is about late kindergarten or beginning of first grade) is mostly usage. The copywork is a sentence from the day's reading which uses the punctuation they are learning. The memory work is what the vowels are, days of the week, and the seasons and months of the year. The second level has a grammar workbook, and the memory work includes grammar definitions. It starts later and goes faster than FLL. (Verbs are introduced on lesson 11 of level two.) Looking at the table of contents for level two--It covers nouns--common and proper; verbs--action, state of being, linking, and helping; pronouns--first, second, and third person; types of sentences; adjectives; predicate adjectives; prepositions; interjections; and adverbs. And homophones and antonyms. Since I bought it blind (I couldn't find any reviews at the time) my explanation is kind of long.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 It starts later and goes faster than FLL. (Verbs are introduced on lesson 11 of level two.) Looking at the table of contents for level two--It covers nouns--common and proper; verbs--action, state of being, linking, and helping; pronouns--first, second, and third person; types of sentences; (snip) Just for clarification, we are on Lesson 12 of FLL 2, and have covered all of these already as well (many in the last part of FLL 1). The format may be gentle, but I do think FLL is often underrated in how much material it covers. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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