MotherGoose Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 If I might switch my 3rd grader to CLE for LA? Specifically to get grammar and spelling. We are doing FLL and Sequential Spelling. She would like something more independent (and I certainly wouldn't mind it!) She actually likes diagramming okay, but doesn't much like all the scripted stuff in FLL, which I know I could and do modify, but still it's pretty teacher intensive. If so, where would I start? Midway through the year? She reads well above grade level so that's not a concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 If I might switch my 3rd grader to CLE for LA? Specifically to get grammar and spelling. We are doing FLL and Sequential Spelling. She would like something more independent (and I certainly wouldn't mind it!) She actually likes diagramming okay, but doesn't much like all the scripted stuff in FLL, which I know I could and do modify, but still it's pretty teacher intensive. If so, where would I start? Midway through the year? She reads well above grade level so that's not a concern. I think you would start with CLE's placement test. There's also Schoolaid's "Climbing to Good English" and "Working With Words," and Rod and Staff's "Beginning Wisely" (3rd grade English) and Spelling by Sound and Structure. All of those can be done pretty independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted December 11, 2014 Author Share Posted December 11, 2014 Thanks! We used R & S last year and did not like it--would prefer a workbook format. I looked at Climbing to Good English and we don't need the reading or the writing portions. I printed out the placement test for CLE LA, and then showed samples to DD, which she liked, so perhaps we will give it a go. She has very low toleration for Mama doing anything but talking genuinely with her. And the Sequential Spelling takes awhile because she asks questions about some of the obscure words, which is great, but also time-consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 I love love LOVE CLE for Language Arts. It's the only thing from them we use, but I absolutely love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnmusic Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 I love love LOVE CLE for Language Arts. Ditto. We do supplement spelling and writing with other programs but those are "extra" for us, and in a pinch (aka busy days), we often skip going to these other programs and the kids have still gotten strong grammar, some spelling, and a little bit of writing (that's the weakest area, IMO, but it's weakest area in most other all-in-one LA programs too). Oh CLE LA, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... -Love the spiral nature (if I can forget what's the difference between indirect & direct object, why do I think my dc wouldn't?) -rigorous diagramming practice -clear teaching embedded into the text -even things like the fact that it's split up into 10 skinny booklets that make it easy to "do the next thing" -few but friendly illustrations -straight-forward and unbusy pages -lessons split up into bite-size daily chunks that aren't too long -and best of all...my dc do it entirely on their own, requiring nothing from me (except to be available to answer questions and check their work) Yup, we're hooked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted December 13, 2014 Author Share Posted December 13, 2014 Ditto. We do supplement spelling and writing with other programs but those are "extra" for us, and in a pinch (aka busy days), we often skip going to these other programs and the kids have still gotten strong grammar, some spelling, and a little bit of writing (that's the weakest area, IMO, but it's weakest area in most other all-in-one LA programs too). Oh CLE LA, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... -Love the spiral nature (if I can forget what's the difference between indirect & direct object, why do I think my dc wouldn't?) -rigorous diagramming practice -clear teaching embedded into the text -even things like the fact that it's split up into 10 skinny booklets that make it easy to "do the next thing" -few but friendly illustrations -straight-forward and unbusy pages -lessons split up into bite-size daily chunks that aren't too long -and best of all...my dc do it entirely on their own, requiring nothing from me (except to be available to answer questions and check their work) Yup, we're hooked! Why do you supplement the spelling? I was hoping to hand that off too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 What's CLE? I can't seem to place it right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted December 13, 2014 Author Share Posted December 13, 2014 Christian Light Education. It's Mennonite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 If I might switch my 3rd grader to CLE for LA? Specifically to get grammar and spelling. We are doing FLL and Sequential Spelling. She would like something more independent (and I certainly wouldn't mind it!) She actually likes diagramming okay, but doesn't much like all the scripted stuff in FLL, which I know I could and do modify, but still it's pretty teacher intensive. If so, where would I start? Midway through the year? She reads well above grade level so that's not a concern. I would just start next year with Grade 4, personally, rather than trying to jump in midyear. But you could start in the middle of grade 3. There are placement tests, but we went from Rod and Staff English 3 straight into CLE 400 last year with no problems--since you are at a similar level, I have no problem advising that :) Now the higher levels--like 600--I would be leery of advising someone to jump right in :) My oldest is in 600 and it's a bear--there are so many ticky-tacky terms and concepts that he has covered, it would be hard to catch up coming from somewhere else--- CLE sells "Language Arts Reference Sheets"--I highly recommend getting those. I was able to recall much of what was covered in 400, but by 500, I would forget things and had trouble helping the boys correct their work--and having the "Reference Sheet" was a huge help. And at some point, buy the "English Handbook" that CLE sells--good reference guide once they get into middle school grammar. We switched for similar reasons to you--streamlining. My boys had been doing various spelling workbooks, R&S Grammar (and FLL for 1st and 2nd grade), WWE, and penmanship books. I had a toddler who was about to start PreK work last year--and I decided using CLE LA for spelling, penmanship, grammar, (some) writing, as an independent subject, would help a LOT. And it has. The boys can just work through it independently; it takes me about 5 minutes to correct, I make a list of missed problems to hand back to them, they correct it. Easy peasy. And they like it-- It covers paragraph writing, outlining, research skills--all thoroughly but without a ton of practice. We are adding writing to it, with notebooking pages in MFW and with Apologia Jump In that we do VERY sporadically. I think the writing instruction in CLE is very barebones but good. Not enough, IMO, but not terribly lacking. B-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 My kids have called CLE LA "the fun reading." :) I think I even started a thread about it, once. It is so gentle...but so thorough. We got burned out because I tried to add in remedial phonics, spelling (for my struggling reader) and a separate writing. We're going back to CLE after Christmas, but this time I'm letting go of my worries and trusting the program as is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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