S/o reading comprehension thread...CLE Reading

[MotherGoose]

Hi,

I looked into samples of CLE reading. Currently we are using Sonlight. Dd is 5th grade, but reads several grades ahead and has always scored in 98% on standardized tests for reading. So there are no problems. We go through the questions, but don't do much with the vocabulary and really nothing with the literary devices. We are using worldly wise online for vocabulary. We are using CLE language arts. Here are my questions: I'm concerned about introducing all the literary devices. I know from experience that I'm not going to read books and do this myself. She tends to get bored with novel unit studies before we get to the end of them. She's either already read to the end of the book and is over it or she's not interested in the book. CLE seems to do a nice job of introducing it all. So would you start using it for those reasons? What grade? She could easily read the 8th grade books. How thorough is the vocabulary? Knowing CLE as I do, I imagine they review the vocabulary in subsequent lessons, is that right? I might also email CLE about this, as they've always been very responsive to questions. Thanks

[Farrar]

I don't know CLE, but an alternate suggestion might be to do Figuratively Speaking in a year or two. Literary devices really isn't pressing in 5th grade. And if she can read that well, then just getting her reading more would be my priority, not having her do reading comprehension questions that you know are too easy for her.

 

In terms of really doing a novel, you might consider doing the Glencoe Lit Library guides. Those have good analysis questions and active reading activities as well as some tie in and reflection questions, but aren't as big as "unit studies" about literature.

 

Just a thought...

[Storygirl]

I've used both CLE and parts of Figuratively Speaking, and I think FS fits what you are looking for more than CLE does. You can look at the scope and sequence for CLE on their website to see what they study.  CLE uses short stories (not classics but their own readers) instead of novels.

 

I was a super fast reader as a child. On average, I read one novel per day. It can be frustrating for a fast reader to have to put the book down and wait to read it until it is time to do the lesson covering that chapter. That can be a problem with Sonlight, because they draw out the books over a longer period of time.

 

You could easily add Figuratively Speaking onto what you are already doing with Sonlight, but it is something you would want to do and discuss with her instead of assigning it as independent work. Once you have introduced a concept from FS, you can bring it back up again whenever there is an opportunity to tie it to whatever she is reading. Doing this through discussion does mean that you will need to have read the books along with her.

 

If you don't think you will read the same novels that she does, due to time constraints, you might look into a literature program that uses short stories instead of novels as your basis for discussion. I really think that children who are big readers benefit both from just being allowed to read and also from having specific reading assignments that they will discuss with others. Since she is homeschooling and doesn't have a class of other students to discuss books with, I think it would be good for you to have specific things that you read together. Perhaps you do this with Sonlight's readalouds, but if not, you could add some short stories in.

 

I do like CLE Reading, because it teaches reading skills that don't always come automatically. The stories are easy to read, but the lesson material is not easy, so I wouldn't jump her up to the eighth grade level if you decide to use it. I would start her on grade level. If you don't think she will like the gentle Mennonite themes in the stories (it's not everyone's cup of tea), you could start a thread asking about supplementary literature programs that use short stories instead of novels.

[MotherGoose]

Thank you for the suggestions! She is in a homeschool coop where they discuss literature, and literary elements and stuff. It's well run. However all of the reading is well below her reading level and some of it is below grade level. But that's a whole other matter :). I do enjoy reading, but I won't be reading all her books, just don't have time for that. I do readalouds; perhaps I could introduce elements of this during readalouds time. Good to hear too that it's not such a big deal until high school. So what is a big deal in 5th grade? Just reading comprehension? We have that down pat. Loving books, have that too. Maybe vocabulary though. She is enjoying the current poetry unit in CLE language arts. I read poetry to them nearly daily, but I don't get into the different types of poetry and rhyme styles that CLE does. I like that. I'm thinking and typing here. I welcome any more suggestions or comments.

[Jess4879]

Thank you for the suggestions! She is in a homeschool coop where they discuss literature, and literary elements and stuff. It's well run. However all of the reading is well below her reading level and some of it is below grade level. But that's a whole other matter :). I do enjoy reading, but I won't be reading all her books, just don't have time for that. I do readalouds; perhaps I could introduce elements of this during readalouds time. Good to hear too that it's not such a big deal until high school. So what is a big deal in 5th grade? Just reading comprehension? We have that down pat. Loving books, have that too. Maybe vocabulary though. She is enjoying the current poetry unit in CLE language arts. I read poetry to them nearly daily, but I don't get into the different types of poetry and rhyme styles that CLE does. I like that. I'm thinking and typing here. I welcome any more suggestions or comments.

 

CLE is very dry.  We used it for a short spell, but the kids just burnt out on it.  Now we read Mosdos.  We are currently reading the Coral level and all of my kids are loving it (7, 10 & 13).  We only have the textbook and there is A LOT in there.  There are also workbooks to go along with it and apparently the TG has a ton of extras too, but we've never used either.  The discussion questions really get the kids thinking and there are writing activities that you can add in as well.  The textbooks are pricey, but they are worth every penny.  :)

[MotherGoose]

I remembered that I have Teaching the classics in my bookshelf, as well as critical conditioning. Think I'm going to try using those as guides for some of the books we are reading aloud (and I'm going to move around the Sonlight book list to make sure we are reading aloud so I don't have to read separately the really good ones. Thanks for your help!