CLE or R&S for independent work

[GalmiBorn]

I need some help planning for next year. I am planning to use HOD Bigger with extentions for my 4th and 5th grade dd's and just Bigger for 2nd grade ds. What I really need is LA, Bible study, and maybe a reading comprehension for my kiddos that can be accomplished without alot of direction for me. We've used FLL and WWE, WWW and GWG, tried MCT. This has been a difficult year in terms of my health and we've had weeks that I haven't been able to do much more than direct and give help when needed. My question is this: which of these two options CLE or Rod and Staff would be the most open and go and kid friendly? I do want a bit of rigor but we do writing in other content areas and I might be teaching a IEW writing class at co-op. This would give me the confidence that on those weeks that I just don't have the health to be super homeschool mom :crying: I know that they will be getting the basics (along with math of course)

Thanks!

[WiseOwlKnits]

CLE is open-and-go and from 4th grade up teaches directly to the student. It's not meant to have the teacher right there hand-holding. In my experience (we've used CLE since 1st grade), even the lower grades don't require a huge amount of time on the teacher's part. I probably spent 15 minutes doing LA with my daughter in 1st and 2nd grade and then would have her do the "We Remember" section on her own with just coming to ask me questions as needed.

 

It's also quite rigorous from what I've seen.

 

Hope this helps!

[GalmiBorn]

Thanks for the replies ladies! I am leaning toward CLE but R&S is a little less consumable so I'm hoping some with experience there might chime in. I was planning on purchasing the Bible, LA and maybe reading from one of those publishers.

 

- for those who use CLE, do you find that you need any extra writing instruction as they get older?

[Ellie]

R&S would be my first choice for English and spelling (they are separate subjects in R&S). They are specifically written to be done independently (although the English teacher guide does have an oral scripted classtime, when and if you want it). I like the fact that the English series is not a workbook; I think the act of actually having to write on actual paper is a good skill. :-)

[FriedClams]

CLE!! Yes, it's consumable - but that's what makes it substantially less tedious than R&S. All the copying in R&S would not have worked for my kids. CLE teaches to the kids, including how to grade their own work (taught in grade 2), and is as rigorous as R&S. My only comment would be that they are KJV and we are not, so that may require some tweaking for you.

[KeriJ]

We are loving R&S. The spelling has worked very well for my girls to do independently. I really do love the program. It seems really easy in 2nd grade, but as it progresses, I see the value of it. By 4th grade, it has really picked up and become more challenging for my oldest. The words seem easy, but the value, in my opinion, is the workbook exercises and the thought process they need to put into them.

 

English takes a little more time from me, but only long enough to make sure they understand the new concept. Then I send them off to complete some of the exercises on their own. However, my 4th grader is becoming much more independent and often starts and finishes the lesson without me.

[KeriJ]

Oh, and I wanted to add, I love the price of R&S. Around here I'm always able to find the English books and teacher's manual used , and the spelling workbooks are very reasonable.

[GalmiBorn]

Thanks so much for the help. I'm still really torn between the two simply for the sake of money vs. convenience. The lightunits would sure be easier to tote around when we travel! Yikes. OK, then- does CLE ever have a sale?

[WiseOwlKnits]

I've never seen it on sale, but it's very easy to find the TM used and you can often find most, if not all, of the LU's used as well. I think I paid $25 for CLE LA 3 this year. There's a Yahoo group for CLE where people sell stuff. If nothing else, buy the TM used and then purchase the LUs new.

 

It's entirely possible that it does go on sale too and I just haven't paid that much attention to it. :D

[jer2911mom]

Note that the CLE LA 100 and 200 levels were revised within the last two years and have a different format. I don't believe an older TM will work with the new light units. They were going to revise 300 for this coming year, but the project got pushed back to Spring 2014.

 

HTH,

Kathy