Is CLE Language Arts a little "over the top"?

[Meadowlark]

I just gave my kids the diagnostic tests, and boy-I felt like a failure. I have not taught my 2nd grader how to diagram yet, and neither of them knew a thing about those dialect marks that CLE teaches. While that didn't bother me a whole lot, I DO think the heavy focus on grammar at such a young age is a litle..well, over the top. Plus, I've heard quite a few people say that it's so grammar heavy that it's almost ridiculous.

 

So, I'm wondering if this is really for us. So many pay say how thorough and independent it is, which I like the sound of. I'm just not sure you know? Maybe I just need a little convincing that it's really as great as I hope it is.

[Insertcreativenamehere]

We've used it for grades 2-5 and it is very thorough. My kids have learned a great deal -- more than I ever did in school! But we are jumping ship next year because my boys pick up new concepts so quickly and don't need as much repetition as CLE provides. We may be back at some point since it is a solid program. It does just seem like too much right now and I'd rather put more time into other areas.

 

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[JumpyTheFrog]

I started my 4th and 1st graders on CLE Language Arts for their grades a few months ago. Being forced to mark the vowel sounds has really helped my 1st grader with his reading, and we are only on unit 5 out of 10. My older son didn't need the written component to take off with reading, but apparently something about it is finally making reading click with my younger son. I wish I had begun using it earlier.

[alisoncooks]

I would say that it is very thorough -- and a good choice if that's what you want your homeschool to look like*.

 

 

 

*I did not want to spend that much time on LA in the early grades, so we moved on after giving it a try.

[FriedClams]

We start at third grade for the phonics marking issue. I think FLL is awesome for grades 1 and 2, then shifting to CLE at third (when writing endurance and a little maturity for workbooks kicks in) is a great balance.

[boscopup]

My kids didn't have any trouble with the grammar (but they're all math minded, and grammar is somewhat mathematical - diagramming has been easy for everyone in my house). But the diacritical marks... yes. My 3rd son did CLE LA 100 and 200, and I just had him skip that stuff if it got too ridiculous. Toward the end of the year, we switched to ELTL, and I like it much better. Language arts is probably still taking about the same amount of time, but my kids are reading/listening to more good literature and poetry during that time, and I like the writing instruction better (copywork, dictation, oral narration to written narration).

[JessReplanted]

It is very thorough in the younger years, and I think it is great. I also don't put a lot of focus on the little dialect marks.

It did become over-the-top for us by level 7 and I had to look for something else.

[Paige]

I agree with most of the above. It's very thorough but when you get past elementary school, it gets a little ridiculous. I got the 9th grade level for my son because I liked 1st-3rd grade and it was crazy. DS had a thorough grammar background and could do it but it was so excessive and I could see no reason for spending the amount of time it was taking for essentially nit picky things. 

 

In the lower grades, I cross out what I don't like but I began to see value in the dialect marks even if I sometimes disagreed with how they placed them.

[SnMomof7]

I think going up to 5th grade is great. We struggled through 6th and did the first 3 books of 7th, but the other levels were very good. We've used them all now with various children completing different ones depending on age.

[mamakelly]

I have my 2nd grader working through the grade 2 books. I cross off the phonics sections. Honestly, it takes him like 15 minutes to do the lesson. The lessons are super short IMO, I think it's a good "get it done" program.