Hunter or anyone whose still using Climbing to Good Enlish?

[mama25angels]

How are things going with it? What level are you using? Do you use it the way it is or do you cut out some things and use something else for those parts? Do you do the writing? Thanks

 

I'm sorry about the error in the subject line and it won't let me change it

[Hunter]

I'm still using it. I skip NOTHING, but I do it slower, and repeat many of the writing lessons over and over. The longer I use it, the more I slow down. I'm learning that importance of writing stamina, and the lessons need to be easy to work on stamina.

 

I don't use the upper level extra practice sheets, preferring to spend more time repeating the composition lessons. It's the composition that I love so much about the series.

 

I supplement a little sentence composition during spelling. Right now I'm using YesPhonics--a Spalding knock-off--for spelling. For sentence composition, I'm actually using a cheap diagramming workbook, as examples. http://www.currclick.com/product/35069/Diagraming-Sentences?manufacturers_id=345&it=1 I'll draw a sentence diagram, but don't require the student to do any more diagramming than required in CGE.

 

For report writing I'd like to add

The Parent's Guide to Raising Researchers and Developing Science Writing Skills but...I don't think I'm going to get to it. If I was still teaching children and had to log science and social studies hours, I'd be using these resources to cover those subjects, instead of completing textbooks. Other than that, when I'm pressed fitting in and affording the basics, I resort to mostly DVDs to cover content. And some real books, below grade level textbooks as read alouds, and hobby resources. Some of my students get in to a mood to have me read the KJV and Bedell every day, and when I'm doing that, a LOT of content is being covered.

 

And I use Spalding's WRTR 6th edition for handwriting. Cursive lowercase and manuscript uppercase, and I am rabidly obsessed with handwriting skills.

 

Reading is McGuffey's Readers and for those ready for it, Glencoe Literature The Reader's Choice 2000. Just the student books focusing on reading stamina and vocabulary. I skip almost everything, but I do adore the paintings. The textbooks are dirt cheap at Amazon. Books 1-5, American, British, World. These are the novel supplements for the texts. And I just took advantage of the Yesterday's Classics sale that ends today.

[mama25angels]

Hunter, would you mind telling me what levels you've used? I'm looking at level 3 for a 4th grader and i'm very excited about WHAT is being taught. Do you recommend that I get the respelling flashcards? He was a struggling reader, but has improved greatly. He does not have great comprehension skills so i'll be working on those.

[Hunter]

Hunter, would you mind telling me what levels you've used? I'm looking at level 3 for a 4th grader and i'm very excited about WHAT is being taught. Do you recommend that I get the respelling flashcards? He was a struggling reader, but has improved greatly. He does not have great comprehension skills so i'll be working on those.

 

If you are going to jump into level 3 without doing level 2, the respelling flash cards are essential, or you will need to skip the respellings altogether.

 

If you can afford to buy level 2, you might want to just have it on hand, especially for the respelling exercises. I start all students in level 2. Some of them just do some of the workbook, and others all of it. Because of my obsession with handwriting, some super basic lessons are perfect as handwriting practice. There is a lot of spelling and basic punctuation covered in 2. Level 2 has a lot of information that Spalding WRTR expects a teacher to cover but doesn't provide the information for. I need level 2 at least on the shelf. I've switched to YesPhonics, but there are still some subtle things I still include during spelling, originally from WRTR, especially sentence composition.

 

CGE does very little review from year to year. Once it's covered, the student doesn't see it again. The Amish have 8 years to prepare a student for adulthood, and cannot afford to waste paper on pages a teacher won't have time to teach. Also extra pages are confusing to teenaged teachers. Lessons are broken up into exactly what a student is supposed to do in a day. Lower levels have a lesson a day. Upper levels are 3 times a week, with supplementary lessons for the other 2 days.

 

I personally have decided if I can just get through level 5 with some students, that will be good enough. So I review lessons from previous books. Students get their own workbook, but I keep a reference set always available to review with, that no one writes in.

 

Because of my seizures and my general post trauma mess, sometimes my ability to see the big picture, and to remember things, and even speak properly is very compromised. When I'm like that, I teach from the workbook exactly as written. Then when I come up for air and am feeling better, I spend some time reviewing and repeating.

 

And now that I finally found a list of types of sentences, with examples, in the Mark Twain diagramming workbook, I've finally hit my groove for composition. I just really needed that one supplement. I could have lifted them from CGE, but it's hard for me sometimes, really hard, when I'm all scrambled. It's nice to have it all in one place, in order, to be used during spelling and McGuffey lessons.

 

Oh, and I have used levels 2-5. I'm trying to complete all the workbooks myself so I'll be better able to teach from them. The TM tells you to do that. I got bogged down in level 5 with a student. Lessons were taking longer than necessary as neither of us had mastered level 4 enough to be fast. Writing should be easy. If it isn't, a student is in over their head. It's not about UNDERSTANDING a composition lesson. It's about being able to effortlessly apply it in everyday life.

 

When we are avoiding lessons because they take too long, I've learned it means we need to back up a level. Ellie said it in a Saxon thread recently. When lessons are taking too long, it means a student needs MORE practice not less.

 

I did muddle through a lot of high level courses with my boys. But never mind the brain damage I've sustained and continue to get, I never really mastered some basics. I used to be able to wing it and work off fumes. Now I need to master things a step at a time, and...that is what most of my students need too, so... we are going slow and steady and focusing on foundations, no matter how far I have to go back. And it's been pretty far back! :tongue_smilie:

Edited July 31, 2012 by Hunter

[lotsofpumpkins]

How are things going with it? What level are you using? Do you use it the way it is or do you cut out some things and use something else for those parts? Do you do the writing? Thanks

 

I'm sorry about the error in the subject line and it won't let me change it

 

We just started using CTGE a few weeks ago. I have a 4th grader and a 5th grader, both using it at grade level. So far, I REALLY like it. We used R&S for a few years, and I wanted something more open-and-go for me. With R&S, I had to go through the lessons ahead of time and plan out exactly which exercises I wanted the dc to write out. I also felt guilty when I didn't get to the oral drill with them.

 

We are using the practice sheets along with the workbooks, so that we have English 5 days per week. We are doing the writing in CTGE without supplementing. We aren't skipping anything in CTGE either.

 

I really like that CTGE gets right to the point in each lesson. R&S uses a LOT of words; I'm noticing that even more now that I'm using CTGE. (I have a 2nd grader using R&S).

 

CTGE is a winner for us. :)

[mama25angels]

LotsofPumpkins--Thank you!

 

Hunter--Could I get by just using the TM for CTGE 2 or should I get the workbook also? Do I need a separate spelling program (I have R&S Spelling4) or is the respelling in CTGE enough?

[Hunter]

LotsofPumpkins--Thank you!

 

Hunter--Could I get by just using the TM for CTGE 2 or should I get the workbook also? Do I need a separate spelling program (I have R&S Spelling4) or is the respelling in CTGE enough?

 

I think the grade 2 TM will be good enough if you need it to be. The respellings are dictionary pronunciation exercises, not spelling.

 

Any spelling or even no spelling is enough. Studies show that spelling curricula very, very, very seldom show improvements in student writing. I try to be one of those people that defy the studies, but...alway try to remember the keep it all in perspective.

[Hunter]

When I teach "spelling" I am teaching handwriting, phonics, vocabulary, parts of speech and sentence composition as much--if not more--than spelling.

[mama25angels]

Thank you!

[Hunter]

 

We are using the practice sheets along with the workbooks, so that we have English 5 days per week. We are doing the writing in CTGE without supplementing. We aren't skipping anything in CTGE either.

 

 

 

I tweak CGE, but it was written to be used as is. Open and go, for teenaged teachers, divided into daily lessons.

 

I just want people to know that instead of dropping CGE, if students are struggling, that they can very successfully tweak it, if they WANT to.

 

Many of the Amish don't make a big deal out of students who are not totally understanding the lessons. It is VERY rare to hold a student back. The curriculum is written in such a way that if the student didn't master earlier levels, that they will be able to complete the lessons, without having their nose rubbed in it.

 

I choose to move back, but for a family that must keep a student placed in a workbook with the right number on it, they will be able to drag a student through.