Help me out - Language Arts (crosspost)

[naturally]

(cross-posting for exposure) :o

 

If you were to break down "Language Arts" into individual subjects what would you have?
 

~Reading (Start with phonics/learn to read, then reading/reading comprehension, then lit/analysis)

~Handwriting/Penmanship

~Grammar (nouns/verbs/etc, punctuation)

~Spelling

~Vocab

~Writing (letters, paragraphs, reports, creative)

 

Am I missing anything?

 

I really need to change some things in this area and I am lost on where to even begin looking. There are so many and I am still learning how my boys learn best.

For time issues, I'd love to have more than one subject together. But for progress, I don't mind them being separate so we can go at their pace, if each subject doesn't take forever. 

 

Oldest -

Spelling - He wants to go back to AAS. He's been using R&S spelling and *I* like it better because it's more independent. We are still discussing it. I wouldn't mind going back to AAS if other areas are more independent.

Pemanship - he just does copywork to practice cursive.

Reading - I've been having him "just read" but I need a little more direction with it. I like the looks of CLE but am just not sure. I need something with follow-through for me.

I know that R&S Eng is NOT working with him. Too much on the page (visually) and too much writing/copying over. We've tried doing orally but still hasn't worked great.I think he needs more spiral/review worked in. I've looked at CLE but he would have to start at Level 100 and I don't need the phonics, handwriting, or spelling so it seems a waste. But he needs to start back "at the beginning".

So what about everything else? Writing? Grammar? Vocab?

I've been looking at Critical Thinking's Language Smarts. He likes how the small sample looks. He liked CLE too so I think workbook is good.

 

Middle -

Still learning to read. Can do cvc words with blends but still sounds them out. I have Phonics Pathways and ETC and think I will stick with that but I wonder if I should do *more*. He reads Gaydos readers and I have Abeka Handbook if I need it. He LOVES to do school and I need more for him but what?

Penmanship - he also does copywork to practice.

He isn't doing anything else in LA right now and that's fine with me.

 

I really need to get oldest figured out.

I need easy to implement, open and go, mostly independent (if most of the teaching is in a TM, it won't get used).

 

Any help would be great. I've been over-thinking this for weeks now and I am tired! I just need answers and a plan.

[5LittleMonkeys]

For your oldest you might look at Mosdos for his reading\literature and vocabulary.  I never, never thought I'd like a textbook for this subject but I love this program.  If you just do the textbook and the workbook, foregoing the TM, which in my opinion is best for a classroom teacher and only useful for the answers to the workbook exercises if you need them, it is very, very open and go and independent.  Dd is getting reading practice in lots of different genres, exposure to beginning literary terms\ideas, vocabulary, comprehension, writing exercises, and answering critical thinking questions. There isn't a schedule with this but we've had great success by just having dd read the introduction and literary information about a story\poem in the text, answering the questions in the text about the reading,  and then moving onto the workbook exercises.  Once she's finished with the workbook, which may take 2 to 3 days, she moves onto the next story or poem. 

 

I'm not very familiar with grammar workbooks since I teach grammar within the context of copywork, dictation, and then their own writing in elementary and then move onto Analytical Grammar in 6th grade, but if Junior Analytical Grammar is like AG then I believe it could be very open and go and fairly independent.  AG reviews in that you parse every part of speech that you've learned in every sentence of every lesson...JAG may be set up that way as well.  

 

 

 

 

[Roadrunner]

For your oldest you might look at Mosdos for his reading\literature and vocabulary. I never, never thought I'd like a textbook for this subject but I love this program. If you just do the textbook and the workbook, foregoing the TM, which in my opinion is best for a classroom teacher and only useful for the answers to the workbook exercises if you need them, it is very, very open and go and independent. Dd is getting reading practice in lots of different genres, exposure to beginning literary terms\ideas, vocabulary, comprehension, writing exercises, and answering critical thinking questions. There isn't a schedule with this but we've had great success by just having dd read the introduction and literary information about a story\poem in the text, answering the questions in the text about the reading, and then moving onto the workbook exercises. Once she's finished with the workbook, which may take 2 to 3 days, she moves onto the next story

Would you say there is enough writing with Mosdos that you don't need a separate writing program? Or is it mostly fill in the blanks, short sentence type assignments?

[5LittleMonkeys]

I've only looked in depth at the book we are using which is Coral, the 5th grade level.  A friend is using the 3rd grade level and has reported that the writing assignments are similar but geared for the output ability of younger dc. I have the 8th grade level but we've just started it and I honestly haven't looked in depth at all of the writing assignments nor have I purchased the workbook yet. Based on what dd14 has turned in to me the writing assignments in the text are similar to the 5th grade level but geared to an older child's output.  

 

The workbook contains "In Depth Thinking" and "Drawing Conclusions" sections that both require written answer of 1 to 5 sentences. It also includes "One Step Further" sections that range from short 1 paragraph essay type assignments to longer creative writing assignments. There are also many graphic organizers that require writing lists, outlines, or topic points.

 

The text itself includes includes short response comprehension questions in addition to writing assignments ranging from short to mid-length creative writing in addition to essay type assignments of 2 to 3 paragraphs. 

 

In my opinion, the writing is plenty IF you're dc is also writing some in other content subjects.  With the exception of the day dd actually does the reading she is writing a fair amount every day with Mosdos.  I would say on average she will have a minimum of 2  writing assignments per week from just this program. Of coarse you always have the option of skipping some of the assignments.  There is no writing instruction though so you would need to be comfortable teaching writing as you go.  

[TarynB]

For your oldest you might look at Mosdos for his reading\literature and vocabulary.  I never, never thought I'd like a textbook for this subject but I love this program. 

 

We love Mosdos here too.  We use it for lit only though and do a separate program for explicit writing/composition instruction.  DS does the Mosdos reading and then tells me about the intro (literary elements), the author background, and the actual story, then we cover the questions in the book verbally.  My DS is in the middle of his 2nd year with it, and he's already requested to use it again next year too. 

 

Around here, spelling as a subject morphed into/was replaced by a vocab program around 5th grade.  (I do still keep a list of any misspelled words from his writing and we go over those occasionally.)  If your DS still needs spelling, I wouldn't try to do both spelling and vocab separately yet if it makes LA take too much of your day.  Until then, your DS will probably pick up quite a bit of new vocab from quality reading materials anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much about that yet.  Similarly, penmanship/cursive gradually faded away and was replaced by typing instruction.  Finally, if you want a mostly independent grammar workbook program, also look at Easy Grammar or Hake Grammar.