Carolinagirl1 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 ...What was your experience? Were you happier with R&S or did you regret switching from CLE, and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Maybe if you posted about whatever issues or concerns you are experiencing with CLE and what you like about the look of R&S people might be able to address some specifics that could help you. Hoping so, anyway. I have not used R&S or I would try to help. Good luck and best wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 We went the opposite way, Rod and Staff English never really worked for us, but CLE did. I agree with the PP, what isn't working/why would you like to switch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolinagirl1 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 We went the opposite way, Rod and Staff English never really worked for us, but CLE did. I agree with the PP, what isn't working/why would you like to switch? Well, see, the thing is - I can't really put my finger on what is not working. I like a spiral approach but it seems like sometimes we have to go back and find the page in the previous LU to jog my daughter's memory, which may not even be a bad thing, but maybe the mastery technique of R&S may work better. But that's not all. Sometimes it seems like CLE jumps around a little. For instance, this weeks lessons go from Adjectives to Note Taking to Finding the Simple Subject. Maybe there is a purpose to that? Then I wonder if spelling is weak or is it enough? Then I worry about composition - maybe there is more writing/composition in R&S? See, I didn't want to list the things that I'm concerned about with CLE because there are a lot of things I like about it and maybe it is working well for us but I wonder how it compares with R&S for someone who has made the switch? You know, always wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. Rod and Staff English never really worked for us Can you tell me why? I am concerned that the teaching time will be more than CLE because I am a little spoiled by the independent nature of CLE but I am spending a fair amount of time going over corrections and reviewing previous lessons and things she has forgotten anyway. So why didn't R&S work for you? I really just want opinions without creating bias based on my own concerns/wondering. I want to make sure my kids have a really good grammar foundation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 What grade is your child in? I have one in CLE 600 and one in 500 (and one in 100, but that's a different animal, lol). We used Rod and Staff 2, 3, 4, and part of 5 before coming to CLE and I do love the independence. But we have to go back and review sometimes-- However, with Rod and Staff, once we got to level 5, I found I really needed to do the Oral Review every day with my boys or they forgot it all too. Anyway--do you have the Reference Sheets CLE sells? And the English Handbook? Those have been very helpful to us-- Following this thread with interest because I'm not sure how much grammar we need after this--600 is getting pretty heavy; we will probably continue through 700 but I'm about ready to drop. He's covering more than I remember covering in high school-- B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 It apparently gets easier after the 600s! I know, they are WILD! Okay, so honestly, I also feel like CLE can be a bit jumpy and sometimes we need to go back and review something too if it hasn't spiralled around for a while. BUT, my children DO need spiral review, and CLE includes that. I do sub out CLE spelling for Rod and Staff in 3rd and up because I prefer more phonetic teaching. I cross off CLE's spelling portion, and Rod and Staff takes 15 minutes daily tops and is still very independent. Why didn't we like Rod and Staff for English, though? It didn't get done ðŸ˜. The textbook didn't work well for some of my children with sensory/paper type issues for some reason. They like workbooks better. They had to wait for me to help them with the teacher parts, and I have a lot of children's knit was very hit and miss. Those were our biggest stumbling blocks. Yes, CLE still needs me to hold the reins, but they can move on without me when they need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I think, for me, I can have a tendency to do the grass is greener thing. I seriously considered switching to Hake this year for some of those niggly reasons we share, but the writing instruction looks better in CLE. I ultimately decided to just keep on keeping on :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 It apparently gets easier after the 600s! I know, they are WILD! I so hope this is true!!! B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I had used BJU with dd before switching to CLE in 7th. I really liked it for her and used it through 9th. I began using it simply because of the handbook CLE sells and the page number references which are included in 7th and up. I have a difficult time realizing why something is wrong in grammar even if I know it is. Those references helped me so much if she did miss things. When ds came along, I tried BJU, but he needed more review. I tried R&S because I knew he didn't like a lot of writing and R&S had such great reviews and some oral work. It was okay, but I wanted something more independent by the next year. I am now using CLE for him, too. He is nearing the end of 5th, and he is really retaining it well. I love it and will use it through 9th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolinagirl1 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 What grade is your child in? I have one in CLE 600 and one in 500 (and one in 100, but that's a different animal, lol). We used Rod and Staff 2, 3, 4, and part of 5 before coming to CLE and I do love the independence. But we have to go back and review sometimes-- However, with Rod and Staff, once we got to level 5, I found I really needed to do the Oral Review every day with my boys or they forgot it all too. Anyway--do you have the Reference Sheets CLE sells? And the English Handbook? Those have been very helpful to us-- Following this thread with interest because I'm not sure how much grammar we need after this--600 is getting pretty heavy; we will probably continue through 700 but I'm about ready to drop. He's covering more than I remember covering in high school-- B I have one in 2nd - and for that grade I am loving CLE (and I absolutely LOVED Learning to Read!). My older one is in 4th with CLE now so if we did switch, we would do it for 5th grade. I'm glad you mentioned the Reference Sheet - I pulled it out and gave it to her today - that eliminates a lot of the going back and looking something up again. I don't have the Handbook yet though - maybe I need to order it. I notice that CLE only has LA through 8th grade and then switches to Literature, but with R&S it continues through 10th, with 10th looking like more composition. That was another thing I was concerned about with CLE. Does it have enough composition? I tried to supplement this year with a composition curriculum but it is not getting done. I thought maybe R&S would eliminate that problem. From looking at samples of R&S it looks like it builds on grammatical topics well so that students really get the nitty gritty of grammar. With the jumping around of CLE, it does seem to break up the grammar with other topics such as telephone manners, study habits, etc which maybe makes it seem more "gentle". I don't know - this is just such a hard decision!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I have one in 2nd - and for that grade I am loving CLE (and I absolutely LOVED Learning to Read!). My older one is in 4th with CLE now so if we did switch, we would do it for 5th grade. I'm glad you mentioned the Reference Sheet - I pulled it out and gave it to her today - that eliminates a lot of the going back and looking something up again. I don't have the Handbook yet though - maybe I need to order it. I notice that CLE only has LA through 8th grade and then switches to Literature, but with R&S it continues through 10th, with 10th looking like more composition. That was another thing I was concerned about with CLE. Does it have enough composition? I tried to supplement this year with a composition curriculum but it is not getting done. I thought maybe R&S would eliminate that problem. From looking at samples of R&S it looks like it builds on grammatical topics well so that students really get the nitty gritty of grammar. With the jumping around of CLE, it does seem to break up the grammar with other topics such as telephone manners, study habits, etc which maybe makes it seem more "gentle". I don't know - this is just such a hard decision!! CLE LA ends, but there is English I in 9th grade. It is all grammar and composition. There is another English course focused on composition in 11th grade. My plan is to use CLE through the 9th grade English course and then use SAT/ACT grammar/English prep books as review throughout high school. Dd took the ACT last spring and the English section was all grammar and usage. I supplement with another writing curriculum, IEW, because he learned it in a co-op the last couple of years and I need a lot of hand holding in that area. I'm a math person, so I love the structure and checklists of IEW. I am currently only using some of the writing assignments in CLE. My goal is to use both throughout middle school and move on to other types of writing programs in high school, but I'm not sure yet what I will use. I might outsource writing by then, too. Dd took an outside class that is no longer offered in our area, and it helped her tremendously. I honestly don't think you'll go wrong either way, but I would choose the one that works best for your life as the teacher. The curriculum that gets done is the best curriculum of all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrightmom Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I honestly don't think you'll go wrong either way, but I would choose the one that works best for your life as the teacher. The curriculum that gets done is the best curriculum of all. ETA: Never Mind. I'm such a dolt .... I was thinking this thread is in regard to switching FROM Rod & Staff to CLE and that is what my question is about. Sorry ..... :coolgleamA: Maybe I'll have to start yet another CLE LA thread because I really want to ask my question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 It's enough composition for us. If I added something else, it would not get done. As a PP mentioned, there are two years of lit and 2 years of English for CLE in high school. Some people mix it up and do 1/2 of a lit course and 1-2 of an English course each year (they used to recommend that schedule, actually). We aren't there yet, though :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 ETA: Never Mind. I'm such a dolt .... I was thinking this thread is in regard to switching FROM Rod & Staff to CLE and that is what my question is about. Sorry ..... :coolgleamA: Maybe I'll have to start yet another CLE LA thread because I really want to ask my question! That's probably my fault because I did that and wanted to share my experience regardless! Sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolinagirl1 Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 ETA: Never Mind. I'm such a dolt .... I was thinking this thread is in regard to switching FROM Rod & Staff to CLE and that is what my question is about. Sorry ..... :coolgleamA: Maybe I'll have to start yet another CLE LA thread because I really want to ask my question! That is ok if you want to share your experience too. I need all the info I can get to make a decision!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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