Logic of English?

[MapleGrove3]

Hi, I have 3 kids and am considering Logic of English Essentials to use for all three. I've never actually put my hands on the curriculum, so I wanted to make sure it would be the right fit by asking those who have seen it. My oldest is 11 and is an excellent writer, but not a great speller. My 9 year old is being tutored by an Orton-Gillingham specialist and is thought to have some mild dysgraphia. This causes him to also struggle with spelling and letter formation. My youngest is almost 7, but advanced. He reads chapter books and spells well for his age. I have several questions, the main one being... would this curriculum be a good fit for us? Is it something I could teach to all of them at the same time and then cater the written work to each child's level? I'd also love to know what the difference is between the 1st Edition, which I can find used, vs the newer editions. And do you need the full curriculum set or can you get by with a few pieces? I have downloaded the Good and the Beautiful, and it looks wonderful. But I just love the idea of teaching them the main lesson all together vs 3 diff English lessons daily. 

[Tanaqui]

Well, it is an OG program, isn't it?

[MerryAtHope]

Actually it's Spalding-based, so it will organize things differently than an O-G program and typically Spalding isn't as incremental as O-G. 

[Targhee]

On 7/19/2018 at 8:17 AM, MapleGrove3 said:

Hi, I have 3 kids and am considering Logic of English Essentials to use for all three. I've never actually put my hands on the curriculum, so I wanted to make sure it would be the right fit by asking those who have seen it. My oldest is 11 and is an excellent writer, but not a great speller. My 9 year old is being tutored by an Orton-Gillingham specialist and is thought to have some mild dysgraphia. This causes him to also struggle with spelling and letter formation. My youngest is almost 7, but advanced. He reads chapter books and spells well for his age. I have several questions, the main one being... would this curriculum be a good fit for us? Is it something I could teach to all of them at the same time and then cater the written work to each child's level? I'd also love to know what the difference is between the 1st Edition, which I can find used, vs the newer editions. And do you need the full curriculum set or can you get by with a few pieces? I have downloaded the Good and the Beautiful, and it looks wonderful. But I just love the idea of teaching them the main lesson all together vs 3 diff English lessons daily. 

While you never know until you try something, I think it would work for your family.  However, you will really need to consider what will be best for middle child (continue with tutor? OT for dysgraphia?).

Yes, you can teach them all at once using Essentials, and there are different level spelling lists and different games/activities in the workbook that will meet their different needs.  You do need to do a little bit of figuring that out (the book points you in the right direction, but you will have to make the call for your kids individually). *After answering your next question is seems like 2nd edition is more guided in this regard*

Here is a quote from the FAQs on their website about the difference between editions: (also see this more comprehensive link https://www.logicofenglish.com/essentials/2nd-edition )

Essentials second edition, released in 2015 (Lessons 1-15) and 2017 (Lessons 16-30) is a major revision and expansion of the program, including three levels of spelling lists, grammar practice, and vocabulary instruction in each lesson. 

This edition includes additional grammar concepts and advanced phonograms that were not covered in the original (2012) edition, but the most significant change is the three levels of spelling lists, with corresponding new three-level practice activities and vocabulary instruction, in each lesson. The new vocabulary sessions introduce over a hundred new Greek and Latin roots not included in the original edition. 

The first fifteen lessons of the expanded new edition were originally released as Essentials 2nd Edition, Volume 1. This corresponds to the first half of the original edition of Essentials. In 2018 we began selling these 15 lessons, as well as the second half, in smaller sets of lessons: Lessons 1-7, Lessons 8-15, Lessons 16-22, and Lessons 23-30. Each lesson includes three levels of application and practice, so students can complete all thirty lessons and then repeat an additional time for deeper mastery by starting back at Level 1 using the next level up.

What pieces of the resources you use all depends on what you want.  I used first edition (when my oldest three were 6, 8, 11) and I really liked having the game cards for practicing.  It looks like there are even more games contained in the workbook that in first edition so they may not be as useful. The phonogram cards are not essential but they are helpful.  We didn't use the spelling journal.  I don't remember there being morpheme cards (we must not have used them even if they had them for first edition) but it seems like an important part for studying cognates and Latin/Greek roots.  We used Rhythm of Handwriting to teach my 6 and 8 year olds cursive (the older had used HWOT at age 10), and I bought the PDF and the sandpaper tracing letter cards.  But I *think* you can get away with just the teacher and student books (at least for 1st edition).

HTH Best wishes

[Tanaqui]

6 hours ago, MerryAtHope said:

Actually it's Spalding-based, so it will organize things differently than an O-G program and typically Spalding isn't as incremental as O-G. 

 

Thanks for that. I got completely mixed up, I see!

[MapleGrove3]

Thank you so much! That is exactly what I was wanting to know. On the LOE website, they compare themselves to O-G. I am still learning about O-G and am not familiar with Spalding. This has been a long road to find someone to help us. For years I consulted with our pediatrician and several Special Ed teachers I knew, and they all told me to wait until after 3rd to see if his struggles with writing would correct on their own. So this summer, I finally got an assessment done and found a tutor. The pediatrician has recommended an OT if we don't see improvement with the tutor. Our tutor actually has me sit in on sessions and watch her methods and such, so that I can use them with him at home throughout the week. We are really hoping the combination of using a more O-G style method, plus the practices she is teaching me, will help him. It sounds like LOE would not only be beneficial to him, but all of my kids. Thanks for all the info and helping to point me in the right direction!