Linz1084 Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I don't want to overdo 1st grade, but I want to have some tools in my back pocket. We are currently doing AAR and I plan to stick with it. I also was planning to do Brave Writer Jot It Down and add Quiver of Arrows when my son is at that point. BUT - I keep reading great things about ELTL, and I am drawn to simple and structured. I have looked at the samples for both. ELTL seems to offer a bit more hand holding and seems more well-rounded maybe? But I'm having a hard time getting a handle on what the differences really are. Could I easily swap one for another? Would ELTL work well with the rest of the Brave Writer lifestyle (Jot it down, etc...)? If you picked one or the other, what was your reason why in the end? Also - if I am then choosing a grammar program based on copywork, is it reasonable to skip out on handwriting elsewhere? We have been doing HWOT, but my son doesn't love it. I'm a little indifferent. Maybe there are drills we could do? Finally - AAR. I want to stick with it since it is working. I know that barefoot meanderings also has a RLTL program. Is this strictly for reading? If I end up using ELTL would it make any difference at all if I use RLTL, or is it fine to use AAR in it's place? Would it function that way? Lots of questions... :-) Thanks for your help!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcitedMama Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I think you can definitely drop HWOT. DS did pre-k - 1st HWOT books and I wasn't impressed. ELTL will have better practice with their copywork. Every lesson has a sentence from the assigned reading and sometimes adds a line from a poem to memorize. Their is an Aesop's fable to read in every lesson from level 1 and occasionally the student draws a picture related to it. Every few lessons is an art piece to look at as well. The grammar is very gentle and introduces things like punctuation then points it at in the copywork. I know in another post you said you were having a baby soon so this might be a great snuggle curriculum since you can read together and then assign the copywork. You could even get the workbook like I did if you want to make it super easy for yourself. I LOVE AAR so I think you should definitely stick to it. From what I saw of RLTL it would be a completely different style of teaching phonics. You definitely don't need to use it to use ELTL. We did AAR and ELTL. I can't speak to the BraveWriter program. It intrigues me but they don't seem to explain it very well so we haven't used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF612 Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 We do ELTL and AAR. You don't need to do RLTL to benefit from ELTL. Drop HWOT and get the workbook for ELTL for handwriting practice. I know nothing about BW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 I really like BW, so I'll chime in for it. :) BW isn't super structured, but that also makes it extremely adaptable. The adaptability is what makes this program work for me. If you include the various aspects of the BW "Lifestyle", it's a pretty full-fledged, well-rounded program, which is what appealed to me from the beginning - the program incorporates a wider range of LA aspects than anything else I saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linz1084 Posted February 9, 2017 Author Share Posted February 9, 2017 Has anyone switched between ELTL and BW? I'm a little concerned about BW not being structured. For me that means it may not happen very well. I have a new baby coming in a month, so being able to just "do the next lesson" is appealing. I think maybe in a couple years the flexibility would be nice. And my kids would still benefit from it. Perhaps I'll just have to try them both at some point! This is why I end up with so many curriculums!! 😣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 (edited) Personally, I would go for something structured that would get done with a new baby coming, and then try BW in a couple of years. But I'd also say that in first grade, it's okay if you just focus on reading and handwriting, and then add in spelling (after AAR 1), and just work on grammar and writing informally (correcting speech by gently restating things for them, fun computer programs like Jump Start that teach basic grammar terms, casual writing assignments like journaling--draw a picture and write a line or two, interactive journaling, writing notes or thank yous, wish lists or lists of favorite things etc...). Here's a blog post on planning language arts that you might find helpful. Some first graders are ready for a full program, but others aren't--and in a year when you are adding a baby, you may or may not be ready as well! It's okay if you need to pare back. All About Spelling includes dictations that gradually get longer, and in level 3 includes a Writing Station activity that serves as a nice bridge between dictation and outside writing. Edited February 9, 2017 by MerryAtHope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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