Lost :( EG, FLL, WWE???

[Emagine]

I am at a total lot. My boys are both on the spectrum. My 7 year old is pretty much on target in these areas. My soon to be 11 year old requires a good bit of reminder, 1:1 and working through things. He loves GWG and is to begin level 4 in it. However, as much as he likes it and does not fight about it I am seeing how he is not asorbing too well. He is reading and spelling delayed.

 

I am toying over just going back with him to my youngest and working over from scratch. Is this is a stupid idea? Will I be making a mistake? He did not start talking till he was 5 so everything in that department takes some extra TLC.

 

CLE bombed for us. I am looking at Easy Grammar but I also would like a good writing program. They both are doing WWW but it seems to easy and brainless. I was also thinking about FLL/WWE.

 

I see samples, I honestly do not know if I am sold on any of the above. I do not know where to go from here or even what to order. What grades, books...feeling in a fog!

[TarynB]

You're not alone in your feelings about GWG and WWW. I've seen some here who used them more than a year or two (or more) say the same. We tried GWG and dumped it, poor retention, too easy to get the correct answers without understanding the concept.

 

What did you/kids not like about CLE? Knowing that might help guide further suggestions.

 

For your older DS, it's hard to answer whether or not you should go back with him and start over in the same level of grammar curriculum as your younger. If you feel he needs that, it probably isn't a mistake. You know him best and how he might respond to that. Would he see it as a negative, sibling rivalry, etc.? Or maybe any potential "rivalry" would have a positive, motivating effect? However, I think typically, students can jump into any grammar curriculum at grade level with no problems, because so much of it reviews and builds on itself year to year. Since you say he is reading and spelling delayed, maybe use a grammar level that matches his reading/spelling ability currently. I have no experience with FLL, but I have experience with and can recommend both Easy Grammar and Hake Grammar. (But I don't care for the writing portion of Hake, which is a separate workbook, not part of the main textbook, so easy to exclude.) I did use the lengthy sample of ALL (Advanced Language Lessons) before that product was shelved indefinitely, and I can say that if FLL is anything like ALL, I wish I could have used FLL with my DS. Anyway, here's a recent thread about Easy Grammar, in case you missed it. You said your older "requires a good bit of reminder", so maybe the spiral review (LOTS of review) in Hake would work well for him too.

 

You said you saw the WWE samples, but did you see the diagnostic evaluation for WWE placement? On this page, click on "Writing With Ease Diagnostic Evaluations".

 

I also have experience with Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) and like it very much. It gets good reviews for use with both typical students, who may or may not be writing-reluctant, and those with learning differences. It is very incremental and procedural. Here's a recent thread on it too. My DS thrived with IEW. He loved knowing exactly what was expected in every assignment and having a framework to guide him. The majority of negative reviews of IEW are from those who haven't actually used it, they just dislike the idea of it, and I suspect many of those have kids who happily write creatively for fun anyway - and that's not my situation, LOL. Would be happy to answer any questions you might have about something I've used.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

:grouphug:

[Kathryn]

WWE and FLL have both worked very well for my autistic son. We have also done two levels of GWG and WWW. He enjoyed them, but I don't feel like he got all that much out of them.

[Emagine]

Ty for the replies. I went later in the day after this thread to look at an EG book. Looking at grade 2 I can see my son knowing the beginning. My youngest too. But about halfway I saw things he repeatedly forgets, does not do now. I am trying to decide how to do it. I thought about in the beginning doing 2 pages a day and slow down where needed. In a lot of cases he is on level with my 7 year old. Trying to decide because I really become torn when I see him in lower levels. I also do not want to create a struggle for older ages either.

 

We tried CLE. I liked the spiral. But it was too much on a page and so on that he would spaz out just when opening a page. I tried doing a highlighter game with him. When mastered it we not highlighted except every now and then. After a bit of that he was still not into a cluttered page. His words.

 

I looked at samples of FLL last night online. Sadly, I do wonder if I should follow the crowd with popular stuff. I also know though that the learning styles in this house are different.

 

We're doing R&S spelling. While we're nearing the end of grade 2 book with bot boys this has been the only one that seems to be sticking. We spent a very long time on AAS learning the basics etc. The connection with reading, grammar and spelling I see pretty balanced despite being delayed. Now areas like Grography, Science, Math etc my boys soar in.

 

 

[TarynB]

Wish I could offer more to help. Easy Grammar's pages are pretty uncluttered, as I recall, and all black and white too. If you go that route, maybe you could add the supplement Daily Grams that goes with Easy Grammar for more review if he needs it. You may have done this already, but consider posting on the Learning Challenges sub-forum too. Hopefully you'll get more BTDT advice.

[Walking-Iris]

My oldest ds is on the spectrum and WWE has been wonderful. Mainly the oral questions and oral narrations/summarizing has helped him in other areas of his life. He used to have a hard time talking to someone and telling an anecdote from his day or recent experience. The guided questioning has systematically taught him how to get his thoughts in order and share a narration, not just from what he's heard read aloud but a narration of his own life as well. I use Bravewriter as a writing spine.

 

I also used EG with him in 3rd, and instead of Daily Grams, I used Evan Moors Daily Language Review along with it. It did a great job of building a solid grammar foundation.

 

I plan on using FLL with my 1st grader. Most of it is oral with some copywork and poetry memorization and such. Honestly I would use it with something else for a spectrum child, if at all. It can be really difficult for them to just straight memorize a definition without any tactile or visual cues to reinforce it. It's already the one thing I'm disliking about FLL.

 

 

The 2nd grade EG book is in basically a Daily Grams format. You would do better at starting with the 3rd grade book imo. Also spectrum kiddos tend to be very visual. Have you watched Schoolhouse Rock with them? That stuff works!

 

You might also, just for visual and tactile supplementation, look into the Montessori grammar symbols method. Use them as enrichment along with the EG and/or FLL.

 

http://www.montessorialbum.com/montessori/index.php?title=Grammar_Symbols

 

http://www.montessoriprintshop.com/Elementary_Grammar_Boxes.html