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xp: the Potters School or CLRC or ??? need shoring up on writing


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I read on one of these threads --it may have been @RootAnn?? --said that CLRC's lit and comp is not much writing instruction?? I need my kids to have good feedback on their writing. We have lost ground this year and I want to regain it.  But I also want good lit instruction.  It looks like my 8th grader could *possibly* do English 1 with The Potter's School pending him doing okay on the assessment. I'm not sure what I would do with my rising 7th for lit and comp there so that is a possible negative.  I am not seeing anything about an assessment for the intro class at CLRC.  

Is anyone able to compare these two? I have friends that have used the Potter's School for English and really liked it.  I saw that they do have integrated humanities for 9-12th and I like that since we are not staying with WHA and that is why I was attracted to them. However, CLRC also has great books classes *if* we decide to revisit that route.

ETA: I am asking about the "lit and comp" classes at CLRC. I confused people by referring to the Great Books classes. My children will be 7th and 8th so I am not looking at those yet. 😃 

Thanks in advance!

 

Edited by cintinative
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I think the 'limited writing instruction' might have been about CLRC's Great Books classes bit wasn't said by me. (So far, my kids have only taken foreign language & an elective from CLRC. I have a kid who is going to try their Intro Lit & Comp in the fall because they now offer a twice-per-week one hour version in addition to the usual once-per-week two hour class that I did not think was a match for this kid.)

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25 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

I think the 'limited writing instruction' might have been about CLRC's Great Books classes bit wasn't said by me. (So far, my kids have only taken foreign language & an elective from CLRC. I have a kid who is going to try their Intro Lit & Comp in the fall because they now offer a twice-per-week one hour version in addition to the usual once-per-week two hour class that I did not think was a match for this kid.)

 In this thread: 

you said:  "How about CLRC's Introduction to Literature & Composition? ($300 for first semester if paid before June 1st. You can wait to register for 2nd semester until later in the fall, would be $300-$360 depending on if you get the early registration price.) They don't really teach writing, but they do have good written feedback on papers, generally."

Were you referring to the Great Books' class and mistyped? Or maybe you have changed your mind??  

So are you saying that you think this is a good fit for a kid who needs writing instruction? Thanks so much for clarifying!!

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:blush: I must have meant their GB classes based on madteaparty's comments!

When I have a dilemma like this, I email all my questions to each teacher of each class and pick the one that seems the best fit for that particular kid. (I have had very bad fits before and try not to mess up too much like that again. I've already nixed a class due to an email back from a prospective teacher who rubbed me the wrong way.)

If $$ is no object and you want stellar writing instruction, Cindy Lange can't be beat. She's just super pricey.

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Ds14 took TPS English 1 Journey Through Narnia in 6th grade. He did very well. Then for 7th grade, he took English 2 with lots of different lit genres, the first quarter devoted to poetry. He did well until he was diagnosed with T1D at the beginning of second semester. So I asked to have him audit the class ad do as many assignments as he could. 

To this day, he credits his writing skills to TPS writing classes. For his 8th grade, he is taking Elegant Essay at our Homeschool co op. For ninth grade he will do advanced speech at co op. For tenth, he will go back to TPS for its well known Advanced Composition. 

I highly recommend TPS writing. 

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We’ve never used TPS, but I have heard others say the writing instruction is good.  My dd is taking CLRC’s GB class and I think the writing instruction is excellent.  There is a lot of reading and writing each week, as well as a 2 hour discussion.  Each week, the students write a short paper on a topic related to the reading.  They also answer discussion questions in full sentences and must give quotes from the reading as examples to support their answer and then explain.  So, claim, example, analysis — which seems to be one of the most important things to learn how to do in many types of writing in order to create strong arguments.  There is also a focus on strengthening arguments with counter-arguments.  On top of that, there are a couple of longer papers that involve an outline, a rough draft, which she gives feedback on, and then a final draft.  Ms. Turscak knows what she is doing.

Edited by Mom0012
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And as much as I love CLRCs GB class, you’ve got to think your child will be okay with the heavy reading assignments for it to be a good fit.    Honestly, I did not think my dd would enjoy the reading in the class she’s taken this year, but I knew she could do it and be fine with it based on what she’s read in the past.  It turns out that she has really loved the reading and the discussion.  Many of the students in the class are very enthusiastic about the material and that has a big impact on my dd.

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1 minute ago, Mom0012 said:

And as much as I love CLRCs GB class, you’ve got to think your child will be okay with the heavy reading assignments for it to be a good fit.    Honestly, I did not think my dd would enjoy the reading in the class she’s taken this year, but I knew she could do it and be fine with it based on what she’s read in the past.  It turns out that she has really loved the reading and the discussion.  Many of the students in the class are very enthusiastic about the material and that has a big impact on my dd.

 

Thanks, yes, we have experienced this with GC1 at WHA. My intention is to just look at lit and comp for next year for my 8th and 7th graders and then *maybe* jump to Great Books again in 9th. 

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1 minute ago, cintinative said:

 

Thanks, yes, we have experienced this with GC1 at WHA. My intention is to just look at lit and comp for next year for my 8th and 7th graders and then *maybe* jump to Great Books again in 9th. 

Well, I always wish I had made time for a couple of years of writing with TPS when my dd was younger.  If you want to focus on Lit and comp, it seems to be a very good choice. 

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4 minutes ago, Mom0012 said:

Well, I always wish I had made time for a couple of years of writing with TPS when my dd was younger.  If you want to focus on Lit and comp, it seems to be a very good choice. 

 

They offer lit/comp in 7th and 8th at CLRC. Do you have experience with that?

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Aha! Found some old threads on CLRC's Intro to Comp/Lit: (I tried to put them in chronological order)

Online class for beginning lit analysis - lovelearnandlive looks for a class for her dd (7th); ends up choosing CLRC's Intro Lit/Comp & updates in Oct of the following year
Struggling with choosing Literature class for 8th grader - same OP from previous thread - now Dec & searching for what to do the following year
Classical Learning Resource Center (CLRC) - Comp & Lit Classes Question - includes several people who talk about what their kids got out of the class(es)
Intro to comp and lit from Clrc
CLRC Great Books - this has input from some people who have taken (or are currently taking) both the GB classes & Lange's class *bonus - you posted in this one!*

Some of the posters from these threads should be able to weigh in to answer some of your TPS questions, too!

 

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