LA: Tell me the pros and cons between

[jenniferp8]

Bravewriter language arts (using literature), the LLATL program, and IEW Fix It for learning grammar.

What do you like or not like? What do you use? Is it too intensive to use multiple levels with multiple age children?

[OneStepAtATime]

They are pretty different programs.  I have only used the new Fix-It, although I have seen the others, so I can only comment on Fix-it.  I think which program would work best for your situation probably depends on you and your kids.  They are all good programs.  Things that are working for us with Fix-it:

 

1.  Lesson is only 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week so it leaves plenty of time for other things.  

 

2.  After the first lesson of each week, the student can work fairly independently to completely independently for the other three lessons, depending on the student and the lesson.

 

3.  Could easily be used with multiple children.

 

4.  Based on real literature.

 

5.  Includes vocabulary/dictionary skills.

 

6.  Easy to accelerate.

 

7.  Easy to slow down.

 

8.  Very, very little prep needed.

 

9.  Mostly open and go.

 

10.  No griping over doing it.

 

11.  I add in cursive copywork but it doesn't add much time to the lesson so we are still done in 15 minutes or less.

 

12.  So far there has been good retention and it is showing up in writing in other areas.

[sweetpea3829]

I have used LLATL, and none of the others.  

 

I loathe LLATL...lol.  I really really wanted to like it.  But I don't.  I stuck it out for Blue, Red, and Yellow levels.  That would be first, second, and third grades.  I would say the color levels are more or less a half grade to a full grade behind.  Depending on your kiddo.  The literature selections for 3rd grade were kind of weak and they weren't exactly included in most of the daily lessons.  In fact, the weekly lessons were mostly based around a literature passage from literature selections that were not part of the curriculum (though it has been said you could easily use those selections anyways).  

 

I supplemented the spelling with AAS (which I would have done anyways).  I used our own literature selections.  Pretty much, the only aspect of it that we used, by yellow level, was the grammar.  

 

It is also very outdated.  

 

We have ditched it this year and are trying EIW.