Christian Light vs Climbing to Good English for LA?

[CaryHaven]

I have been putting together our own curriculum since Kindergarten and actually really enjoy searching for and creating worksheets, videos, books, etc.   My husband wants to be a bigger part of homeschooling though, and he doesn't know my "system", I'm going to start a curriculum with my now second grader (either now halfway through the year or starting in 3rd).  I'm drawn to both of these programs and read some reviews, but not many directly comparing them.  Can anyone help me with this?  Pros and cons welcomed!  I have already picked a history curriculum, and between two math programs as well (CLE is one of them) - I keep hearing so many good things that once I think I've decided, I read something great about the other.  I've seen some samples of CLE but not much of CGE.  Thanks in advance!

 

*Edited to add - If I use CGE, are the teacher's manuals and practice sheets a necessity?

Edited February 6, 2017 by CaryHaven

[Guest]

DS used CTGE 1 and 2 and some of 3. He now does every other year of CLE LA alongside a progym writing program (Cottage press primers first, now Writing Tales, later cc or cap).

 

For CTGE at that level, no I don't think you'll need the manuals or extras.

 

So the thing is that CTGE is really good and SUPER, super, SUPER cheap. I think they are like five bucks at RR, right? For that reason alone, I vote that you get it and try it out. It'd be no huge loss if it didn't work out.

 

But I recommend CTGE over CLE at that level, too, because CLE is just **a lot**. It's sooo much. And I just think it's really unnecessary for a kid that little. CTGE has cheap little pictures throughout to color if you want....they practice writing letters. Even the much-maligned dictionary respellings are a gentle, fun little thing in the 2nd grade book. And of course you can simply skip anything that seems unnecessary to you, and you won't feel like you're doing something wrong in doing so, because by like the second week, you'll have gotten your five bucks' worth.

 

Oh! Just checked and it's 4$. So much the better.

 

And once you decide on something, quit reading about other things!! There's always someone out there using something you're not because what you like wouldn't work for THEIR kids.

[Paige]

I've used both and I think they are equally easy for the parent. CTGE has a more gentle feel, IMO, and has cute things that the kids like. Both are good programs, but overall I prefer CTGE for myself. I did not find the extra parent guide or worksheets necessary at that age.

 

The reason I switched is because I feel that CTGE is more of a mastery based program and CLE has more built in review. Some kids don't need the review in CLE and it will become tedious and boring. Some of my older kids needed the review, however, and CTGE did not have enough of it.

 

I probably would have used CTGE again with my youngest when she started school because she needs less review, I liked it, she'd have liked it, and it was cheap,but I was ordering CLE for the others and felt like just placing one order. I hadn't seen the 1st or 2nd grade CLE at the time so I didn't know what to expect. I liked CTGE better, but not enough to drop the CLE I was using to buy it. The dictionary respellings in CTGE were not for me, but I have no guilt in skipping stuff.

 

Bottom line: CTGE if your kid does well with mastery programs, CLE for spiral. CTGE also has less overt religious content. They have really sweet moral lessons, but not so much the, "Because we prayed....or she got in trouble because sin..." that you'll see in CLE. 

 

Also, I love the readers that go with CTGE. They were so good for my early readers. They make them feel like they are reading big books and really build confidence. The stories are not the mind numbing Magic Treehouse type with sentence fragments all over the place. It's not high lit or really exciting, but very sweet and pleasing to the kids. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Paige

[Tenaj]

My two youngest are enjoying CTGE this year.  I wish I had discovered it earlier.  I do split some lessons over two days for my kids if there is a lot of writing.  I was planning to skip the dictionary spelling sections but my 9 yods loves those sections and is really good at them so he usually does them before I tell him to skip them - LOL!

 

You can't beat the price.  We've been satisfied with the amount of review that's built in.  

[CaryHaven]

Excellent, everyone, thank you!  I actually have CTGE 1-8 in my cart at Rainbow now LOL.  It's so cheap, and that way I could look at all of it in advance and decide when I need to start buying the teacher's manuals after seeing the kids' books.  I personally prefer master, and so does my older.  I'm not sure I won't supplement with something when they're in 7th/8th, but I know I'll have to find something after that anyway, so may not need to.  And Cylon lover, yes LOL you're right on the just quit reading reviews once I've decided.  All week my husband has been telling me, "Just go to bed!"  I'm up till 4:30 every night reading reviews LOL.  Thanks again!

[8Arrows4theLord]

You will need the teacher's manuals once they get into diagramming and some of the more difficult concepts, about 3rd or 4th grade or so.