Logic of English Foundations Review?

[TheAttachedMama]

Hi There,

I have a very sweet little 5 year old boy.  He is definitely "the baby" in our family---if you know what I mean.   There is a 5 year gap between his next older sibling, so there really aren't many kids around his same age in our family.   Because of this, he has become very used to getting to play all day while I teach his older siblings.  (Dyslexia runs in our family, so I still have to give my older kids a lot of support in their content subjects.   I feel like he has also had way more screen time than my other older kids which I think is part of the problem.)  

I have been slowly, and gently trying to do a little bit of "school" with him each morning.  I was hoping to do things very simply:   reading lesson, learn to write letters and numbers, and do a right start math lesson -or- singapore K workbook page.  (Which ever he is more into.)  However, he has been getting upset when I tell him it is time for school lately which makes me sad.   I think he wants school to be more FUN...you know?  More educational games and things like that.   The problem is...I am one weary, multi-tasking mama.   And I am having a hard time mustering up educational fun for him on the fly.    This evening, I am looking longingly at LOE Foundations.    Is this my magic solution?  Or am I having a grass is greener on the other side moment?   

Also, what do you think about their cursive first philosophy?   We've already started teaching him to write the capitals using HWOT pre-k book.  Will he be confused?  

[memmerrill2]

I just started Logic of English Foundations with my daughter who previously "hated school," in her own words.  We truly love it and it's transformed school for us!  She's 7 and I suspect mild dyslexia with her.  She can't read beyond cvc, and had been asking to learn cursive.  We needed a change and I chose LoE Foundations, beginning with level A.  She's 6 1/2 years younger than her older sister and I have the time to spend one on one on the lessons with her.  It's truly fun and within a week her attitude about school changed.  She even spends spare time now working on cursive.  Today she asked to do a second lesson so she could learn more.  It's been a night and day difference for us!  I recommend it wholeheartedly!  As far as the cursive thing goes I agree with Denise Eide's, the LoE author.  Also, after two years of HWOT print instruction, my daughter has transitioned just fine.  My issue is that I was wearing myself out trying to make school more fun and multi-sensory for my daughter.  LoE foundations does all the work for me.  It's pretty much open and go.  Sometimes we need "supplies," but it's usually stuff we already have.  Good luck with your decision.  It has put the joy back into school for us.  

[Tanaqui]

Many nations using the Roman alphabet teach cursive first with no serious issues. (Mind, many of those nations also print children's books in script, so you can interpret this fact as you wish.) Just make your choice and don't worry about it.

[momofabcd]

Historically, cursive was taught first, even in the U.S.  It helps prevent b & d confusion, among other benefits.  Children grow up knowing how to read print and cursive.  It really isn't an issue.  Two of my children learned cursive first and only.  They picked up manuscript by osmosis, and they utilize both on a daily basis. 

[JAYY]

We just finished Foundations A with our 4.5 year old and have started on B. We love it. I love that it is open and go. My only prep is to get out the materials for the lesson and so a 30 second scan of the lesson before I teach it. DD loves that it is fun. Some of the game I initially thought sounded a bit dumb but then those are invariably the ones my DD lives the most lol.  Lessons have a variety of activities with plenty of opportunities to move so these are not long stretches of seat work. DD doesn't beg for "Dragon School" every day like she does Key to learning @ Home activities (that program is brilliant) but she's happy to do it when I bring out the books.   If you decide to give it a try I would give it at least 7or 8 lessons before you decide if it is for you. Also watch all the teacher training stuff online- very helpful! 

The cursive first is not a hill to die on IMO. I understand the logic and we thought about going that direction at first but  we went with manuscript for various reasons. So you could keep doing manuscript or switch to cursive.  I doubt your son would find it confusing. 

 

 

[socody]

I am doing Foundations A with my k’er this year after having taught my two older kids to read with OPGTR. This one needs more hands-on, multi-sensory activities to learn. At first, I loved it! I loved that it was all planned out, she was active, she was doing worksheets. Now that we are at the end of A, though, I can’t say it was a magic “fix-all.”

cons: Lessons are very long— like we usually take a week for each one. There is a new spelling list every lesson. She can barely READ words at this point, She is certainly not ready to spell, at least not that many words at a time. They are learning to write the letters at the same time they are learning their sound— I’m not sure those should be concurrent skills.

pros: Colorful worksheets that are fun for a busy 6-year-old; Helps the child truly understand the way letters sound and how to put them together to make words; easy prep for games. 

It’s also expensive, imo, so I’m not sure at this point that we will go on with B. 

 

[smarson]

I’m  using LOE Foundations with my third child this year. I love it but I have learned to modify it. With my first child I did it as written, starting in K. The lessons were long(ish) but it wasn’t really a problem for me since she was the only one I was teaching.  Once she was in book C or D I realized she needed much more reading practice so when I went through it with my next child, I used what I learned with #1 to teach #2. The second time around I did much more review and skipped a lot of the physical activities. And this 3rd time around we just bust through the lessons. Honestly, it’s  my favorite part of the day. I love LOE Foundations and would recommend it to everyone!

As for cursive first, read the articles and things other people have said and go with your gut. I went with cursive first since that’s what LOE recommends and we have not had any trouble whatsoever with reading or writing with any of my kids, of which 2 are dyslexic and likely dysgraphic.  Around 3rd grade my daughter wanted to switch to manuscript and we’ve settled on a happy medium - for copywork I make them use cursive and for whatever else they may use manuscript (once they get to this age. Before 3rd grade, I try to keep them fully doing cursive) but they have to form their manuscript letters correctly.  I’m very particular that they know how to for, their letters correctly so I don’t mind what they use.

[heres_a_llama]

For those having have issues with LOE Foundations' spelling lists, it may be that you are using them the traditional way (memorize, write them down so many times, use them in a sentence, take a test in a few days, etc). My understanding from the blog post is that they're meant to be used for spelling analysis. Hope that helps any who are struggling with it; mine is too young for us to have begun.

[Ellie]

On 10/10/2018 at 6:38 PM, TheAttachedMama said:

Hi There,

I have a very sweet little 5 year old boy.  He is definitely "the baby" in our family---if you know what I mean.   There is a 5 year gap between his next older sibling, so there really aren't many kids around his same age in our family.   Because of this, he has become very used to getting to play all day while I teach his older siblings.  (Dyslexia runs in our family, so I still have to give my older kids a lot of support in their content subjects.   I feel like he has also had way more screen time than my other older kids which I think is part of the problem.)  

I have been slowly, and gently trying to do a little bit of "school" with him each morning.  I was hoping to do things very simply:   reading lesson, learn to write letters and numbers, and do a right start math lesson -or- singapore K workbook page.  (Which ever he is more into.)  However, he has been getting upset when I tell him it is time for school lately which makes me sad.   I think he wants school to be more FUN...you know?  More educational games and things like that.   The problem is...I am one weary, multi-tasking mama.   And I am having a hard time mustering up educational fun for him on the fly.    This evening, I am looking longingly at LOE Foundations.    Is this my magic solution?  Or am I having a grass is greener on the other side moment?   

Also, what do you think about their cursive first philosophy?   We've already started teaching him to write the capitals using HWOT pre-k book.  Will he be confused?  

School for a little 5yo person should be fun. In fact, there should be very little school and lots of fun. Because five.

Does he have puzzles to play with? sorting blocks? Cuisenaire rods to goof off with? Lots of artsy stuff? And can't his older siblings give up half an hour a couple of times a day so that you can spend time with your little guy?  Couldn't you get him started with some Charlotte Mason-type stuff that he can work on while you work with the sibs, and then come back to him? Is there nothing he can sit in on?

I would wait for LOE, if for no other reason than that it is very teacher-directed, which means you'd have to be leaving the older siblings alone anyway. Instead of doing LOE, I'd do other, more fun stuff. He's still young; he doesn't have to do LOE yet.

Manuscript writing is a newcomer in the written-English world. For hundreds of years, "writing" was cursive, the end. Did you read "The Secret Garden"? At one point Mary says that she doesn't know how to print. 🙂

[TheAttachedMama]

Well, this is sort of an older thread.  (Posted by me last October.)    ......And for those wanting an update (now May), LOE foundations **was** the magic solution (for us).  🙂

It is such a fun program.   It gave me just enough direction to think up some fun learning activities for my son.     The program feels like play, but my son has learned a lot.    

[Momof3boys]

On 5/1/2019 at 12:13 PM, TheAttachedMama said:

Well, this is sort of an older thread.  (Posted by me last October.)    ......And for those wanting an update (now May), LOE foundations **was** the magic solution (for us).  🙂

It is such a fun program.   It gave me just enough direction to think up some fun learning activities for my son.     The program feels like play, but my son has learned a lot.    

Hi! I just stumbled upon thud thread in a search. Did you guys continue with foundations? If so, how did you like it?!