FLL vs R&S questions

[jwoodbri]

-Is R&S actually less teacher intensive than FLL? (Specifically FLL 3 and 4)

 

I bought three levels of R&S preparing to move my 3rd grader into R&S level 3 or 4 but level 4, in particular, looks like I would still be needed quite a bit. With my oldest son, it took 2 years (3rd and 4th grade) to complete FLL3 and the repetitive script kills me. (Maybe I should just not fully read it?)

 

-If you use R&S do you have them hand write everything into a notebook or have them just write a few of the exercises? R&S also looks like a lot more writing which my boys won't be very excited about.

 

-How much does FLL 4 repeat level 3? The table of contents looks so similar. Would it be fine if I have my 5th grader do level 4? (Afraid it would take two years again) but I'm wondering if I would be better off doing FLL 4 with him and then moving him into R&S 6 next year if I can pull it off.

 

I just have sooo many teacher intensive curriculums and I'm trying to add my non-reading K/1 daughter into the mix who I'll need to spend a fair amount of time with. Feel like I need a few subjects that the kids can do fairly independently.

 

Thanks for any advice you have to offer!

[Ellie]

-Is R&S actually less teacher intensive than FLL? (Specifically FLL 3 and 4)

 

I bought three levels of R&S preparing to move my 3rd grader into R&S level 3 or 4 but level 4, in particular, looks like I would still be needed quite a bit. With my oldest son, it took 2 years (3rd and 4th grade) to complete FLL3 and the repetitive script kills me. (Maybe I should just not fully read it?)

 

-If you use R&S do you have them hand write everything into a notebook or have them just write a few of the exercises? R&S also looks like a lot more writing which my boys won't be very excited about.

 

-How much does FLL 4 repeat level 3? The table of contents looks so similar. Would it be fine if I have my 5th grader do level 4? (Afraid it would take two years again) but I'm wondering if I would be better off doing FLL 4 with him and then moving him into R&S 6 next year if I can pull it off.

 

I just have sooo many teacher intensive curriculums and I'm trying to add my non-reading K/1 daughter into the mix who I'll need to spend a fair amount of time with. Feel like I need a few subjects that the kids can do fairly independently.

 

Thanks for any advice you have to offer!

 

Some people make R&S teacher intensive, but it was not written with that in mind. Many years ago, the publisher surveyed schools which used R&S materials and found that most of them were one-room, multi-grade schools with only one teacher, who did not have time to do lots of lecturing and projects and whatnot; often, she only had time to check homework and make the next assignment. So as R&S began to revise its existing textbook series and write new ones, they kept that in mind by writing scripted oral classtime for those who were able to do that, but they put everything the children needed to know right in the textbooks so they can work independently if necessary. The oral class instruction just makes it a script; there is no new information whatsoever.

 

When I used R&S English in my little one-room school, the children wrote their lessons on loose-leaf paper, not in notebooks. I required them to do most of the work, because they needed it, but it is expected that teachers assign only as much work as their students need.

 

it will be important for you to require your ds to read the instructions carefully and only write what he is supposed to write. In Beginning Wisely, for example, the instruction might be to write *only* the correct verb in six sentences--that's only six words. One assignment is to answer each question with a complete sentence--that's only six sentences. Another requires the dc to write the correct word or phrase for *four* sentences. A longer assignment requires the dc to write what kind of sentences (telling, asking, commanding, or exclaiming); there are 12 sentences, so they have to write 12 words (you could, of course, require only every other sentence, or the first six). There is copy work; one lesson is to copy a three-stanza poem, which could be one stanza a day for three days.

 

By requiring the writing, your ds will be perfecting his penmanship while improving his grammar and writing skills. You could spend a few minutes of face time with him first, then let him work on his own while you spend time with your dd.