Targhee Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I won't fawn and swoon over it, but I realized today this is a great program for us. There were many programs I thought were good looking programs, but... AAS moved too slowly, SWR and WRTR both seemed too complicated to implement (I even got to sit one-on-one with Wanda Sanseri while she took me through a lesson), and Phonics Road/Latin Road had me in tears of boredom while Beers was taking us through a sample lesson at the convention a few years ago... Anyway, this works for us. Laid out well, but not highly scripted, I can use it with three different kids at different levels/places (and all from the same book!), and it is packaged concisely without having to look into this other book or that list or take out a separate booklet, etc. I guess I just wanted to share - I feel contented and calm, and I know what we are using from now on. Whew... Now on to what to do for writing :-S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicmommy Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 That is a great feeling! Have you started it yet? I am interested in using it. I would love to know what all did you buy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 That is a great feeling! Have you started it yet? I am interested in using it. I would love to know what all did you buy? We've been using it for about 6 weeks, maybe more? I really like it, and i feel like the kids are learning it well and efficiently (not too much time in any one thing). I have kids working at three different paces. I bought the complete set with cursive workbook: Essentials book, cursive workbook, the spelling games book, two decks of game cards (blue and green), and then the phonogram, advanced phonogram, spelling, and grammar cards, reference chart, spelling journal . I bought additional printed workbooks for the other two kids. So far the only thing we haven't really used is the reference sheet and the spelling journal. We could use the spelling journal, but I don't both because I am lazy :-P I really like the workbooks printed - they are tomes and it would be cost prohibitive to print at home, I think. The pages are tear out (or you could leave them in) which makes it easier to write in. I also really like having the games book and the decks for card games. Most games require 2 decks, and a few require 3 (we don't play those games). The kids would much rather play games than drill phonograms as flash cards or do additional dictation. I have the kids play games with each other (only using the phonograms they all have learned). It's kind of nice. My 7 year old especially loves the games. Really, we do use all those flash cards too, but the games are the best for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrayshire Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 We are half way through the book with my second grader and almost finished with the advanced list with my fifth grader! This has worked out really well for us, too! The retention is great and I can add or take away what I want from/to this program AND still have something solid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Above The Rowan Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 LOE changed my son's life. I swoon over this curric all the time. This program reached him in a way I never thought possible. He went from havin screaming panic attacks at the mere SUGGESTION to read or write a letter to his dad (he lives 8 hrs away) - to now begging for more books and reading in bed with a flashlight for half am hour or more each evening. For both of my kids LOE has been the best purchase I have made in my homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a27mom Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I fawn over LoE ! Sometimes I feel like I need a disclaimer that I do not work for the company, I just love the material. ;) I loved essentials w/ my 6 y/o so much that I decided to add my youngest and go back and do foundations. (We will go back to essentials when we are through foundations. ) Reading is finally making sense to my logical/literal 6 y/o. Foundations has also been great for my 4 (now 5) y/o natural reader. We had issues at both ends of the spectrum with primer style phonics programs. The 6 y/o struggled with them and they didn't make sense to her. The 4/5 y/o breezed through them but they bored her and weren't really teaching her anything. LoE explains English so my 6 y/o has her need to understand "why" answered. And it is interesting enough to engage my natural reader, and she is learning the tools to read even better. I also love how the material is written. The lessons are so flexible and tweak-able, but very clear and easy to follow. Best curriculum decision I have ever made. Thankful for this board for introducing me to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 We loved it here too! :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Above The Rowan Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Aside from the curric itself, the customer service has been top notch. When I was deciding between Essentials and Foundatuons for my older struggling reader (we decided to place him in foundations and let him move quickly through it) - Denise Eide herself spent days emailing back and forth with me to make my decision and she has been a constant source of support and encouragement as we worked through the curric. That support and customer service was invaluable to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forgiven Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 We love LoE here too. My DD11, who doesn't need any more phonics work, sits in on my youngest's lessons. She loves it. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama mills Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 What is LoE stand for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer N. Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Logic Of English LOE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama mills Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mswin15 Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I agree here too! I've been really impressed so far in Foundations. It is actually FUN and my just turned 5 yo little boy loves it. I enjoy it too which can't be taken for granted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I've looked at it (briefly) because of all the rave reviews on this forum and it does look good! My question for those of you using and loving it is about the handwriting. We used HWT for K this year and for first grade I planned on maybe getting a ZBloser book. DS still needs practice, and I don't want to use the d'nealian or cursive style, but I like the looks of LOE. Any users of LOE using continuous stroke-style handwriting with the program? If so, how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer N. Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I actually use Zaner Bloser style with my daughter with Foundations. Neither the LOE cursive nor manuscript fits our needs (the manuscript is slanted and we need straight up and down letters). What I did is I found tactile handwriting cards in the Zaner Bloser style and I use those instead. You just sub out the handwriting. When Foundations says to teach writing a letter a certain way, you just teach it the way you want (using the terminology you prefer to describe the strokes you want your child to make, just be sure to know how you plan to describe the strokes and always use the same terms or nearly the same). The only tiny problem you will run into and it is easily fixed is on the handwriting pages, you may not see the style you want your child to learn. I just simply write the letter right on the workbook page the way I want my daughter to write it and I explain that the other versions of the letter are the way some people write them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyClassical Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I've looked at it (briefly) because of all the rave reviews on this forum and it does look good! My question for those of you using and loving it is about the handwriting. We used HWT for K this year and for first grade I planned on maybe getting a ZBloser book. DS still needs practice, and I don't want to use the d'nealian or cursive style, but I like the looks of LOE. Any users of LOE using continuous stroke-style handwriting with the program? If so, how? I'm in a similar boat. I used AAR 1 for Kindergarten and next year planned to do aar 2 with AAS 1 for my first dd and aar pre-reading for my pre-k ds who struggles with alphabet, numbers and is just beginning to not have a toddler grip on a pencil. The price seems really high and I'm also wondering is this a grammar and reading program.. Or primarily reading? We are using fll and wwe next year. I'd like to see others' reflections on using it in the younger years. AAR has a lot of little components and my daughter is finding the workbook pages "baby" games. I worry if AAR 2 is the same she will get turned off! I want a curriculum that works, that isn't a million little pieces to set up one lesson, and that I can administer while maintaining my sanity with an 18 month old and new born bouncing around (when we start school in Fall). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyseal Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I agree that the price is a bit on the high side, but to me it is worth every penny for the enjoyment my DD gets from the program and the quality of learning and understanding. (To save money, I get the .pdfs, open the TM on my laptop, and DD does workbook pages on the ipad w/stylus. Every once in a while I print out a page if necessary, but that's pretty rare. I use a separate handwriting notebook for any copywork or dictation in the lesson for that day. This will save money on workbooks since I have two more DC coming up through the program eventually.) I don't use a separate writing program right now, because Foundations contains copywork and dictation (at least in B-C, which we've used). I did add ELTL to our curriculum, mainly because it's so gentle and I wanted more classics in our curriculum. There is more grammar in Essentials, which we'll get into this fall (unless something magical happens with the publication of Foundations E & F). There are not a lot of components to the program -- I have phonogram cards for the games, but my DD actually prefers to do her phonogram review using the LOE phonogram app (I kind of like it too, because it can be done independently). Other than that, we just pull out the ipad and her handwriting notebook and we're good to go. I would highly recommend the program to anyone. I am a bit of a cheapskate, but I'll pay for high quality language arts. I think LOE fits the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 I use Essentials. As to handwriting - you can write however you want! The cursive is not d'nelian like the cover of the workbook looks - check out their Rhythm of Handwriting section on the website for a sample. https://www.logicofenglish.com/handwriting/cursive-workbook The print does have a subtle slant - no loopy curvy parts like D'nelian though. Most of the prompts in the workbook are type. My kids all used HWT prior to this - no problem. My 1st grader did HWT print in K and we switched to RoH cursive before starting LOE and she is doing awesome - best cursive writing of all my kids. I wouldn't let a subtle hand difference stop me from using a great program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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