Using R&S English Independently

[hollyhock]

Do you have 5th, 6th or 7th graders using R&S English independently? If so, what does this look like in your home? Do they do all the written practice? Just the worksheets?

 

I am looking to have my oldest get more independent with English next year (for 6th) as I will have 3 kids using R&S (and a new baby) and it's going to get a bit hairy if I do it all orally with each of them.

 

Please give me suggestions! Thanks! :D

[angela in ohio]

I have found it best, by the 6th grade or so, to have them read the lesson, then I go over it with them and do some problems to make sure they understand it, then they do the written work on their own. We have never done it only orally, though, so it might be a bit of transition for your dc. You could start by not assigning every problem.

 

I think it's best to make sure they aren't mistaken before they complete a page or two of exercises and cement the wrong way in their heads, and it really only takes a few minutes. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. ;)

[2_girls_mommy]

I spend a lot of time on R&S english with my 3rd grader. She still needs me to sit with her through all of the oral drill and to get started on the day's written work after we go over the lesson in the T.M.

 

But my 5th grader and I spend only about 5 min. on her R&S grammer at this point. I don't know if I could have her go completely independent, but I do see that I spend less and less time with her on it as she gets older. It could be because she is naturally gifted in the language arts though. She could read most of the lessons and do it on her own, and sometimes does. But I check in with her and make sure she knows what she is doing. Some of the lessons are just complete review from the year before, and I don't spend any time with her on those. I may just have her give me a few answers from the oral drill to make sure she has got it and then not even have her do the written on those days.

[SilverMoon]

I have found it best, by the 6th grade or so, to have them read the lesson, then I go over it with them and do some problems to make sure they understand it, then they do the written work on their own. We have never done it only orally, though, so it might be a bit of transition for your dc. You could start by not assigning every problem.

 

I think it's best to make sure they aren't mistaken before they complete a page or two of exercises and cement the wrong way in their heads, and it really only takes a few minutes. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. ;)

 

:iagree: We tried independent for a time, just long enough to realize they weren't learning it as well as they used to. Now we do the quiz from the TE and the oral drill together, and they do written on their own. Diagrams go on a whiteboard. I only get a worksheet out for lessons like punctuation, where it's much more practical than having them write a whole sentence just to show proper comma placement.

 

I'll have three R&S English users this year, and one in FLL 3. Last year it was two in R&S and two in FLL. My method is kickstarting the older kids on their independent work, then doing the mom-intensive lessons with the youngest. As one child begins working on their own (at my elbow for the smaller ones) or finishes their seatwork, I move to the next youngest one.

[amyco]

My dd excelled in grammar and in 7th grade did R&S all by herself; I would check the papers. I just assigned her all the odd problems in each lesson. I think it depends on the student; I would not trust my son to be as independent. One think you could try is having the student explain the lesson to you after he has read it. I'm considering doing that!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Do you have 5th, 6th or 7th graders using R&S English independently?

R&S is one of our semi independent programs, but it only takes 5-10 minutes of teaching time each day on my part.

If so, what does this look like in your home?

I go over the lesson in the TE with them and give an assignment which they complete independently. They are encouraged to read the lesson in the book before completing the assignment, especially if it's a new topic.

Do they do all the written practice? Just the worksheets?

It depends on the lesson. Generally I have them do all of the written practice if there is no accompanying worksheet. If there is a worksheet and it's a review topic, then I assign just the worksheet. If it's a new topic and think that more practice would be beneficial, then they complete the written exercise one day and the worksheet on the following day. I have schedules for R&S through level 8 on my blog that you can look at to get a better idea of how often we do just the worksheet versus both the exercise and worksheet if it would help.

[Bear23]

First we do a pretest and it helps know how to schedule the next week. If she knows it she will read the lesson and go off to her room and do the work on her own. If she did poorly in an area we will work on the lesson together. I make sure we do the oral review before each lessons