Compare Rhetoric programs--Fitting Words, Memoria Press, CAP Rhetoric Alive

[Amy M]

• James Nance's Fitting Words
• CAP's Rhetoric Alive
• Memoria Press's Rhetoric package

How did you choose between these programs, if you used any of them? Has anyone tried to compare them? I would be open to online classes as well, if you think any are better than these programs. We need to choose for our high school, and since we are missionaries overseas, I need to try to stick with what I pick. Mailing different choices over here is a nightmare.

[cintinative]

I  know this is six months old but I really would like to hear opinions on this. 

[MamaSprout]

We liked and used Rhetoric Alive as a semester elective. I taught it with a small group of dd’s friends. The tone is engaging and the assignments are interesting. I think it would be best with at least two students, but probably not more than 6-8 unless you meet more than once a week.

[Guest]

@MamaSprout, what did you use to complement Rhetoric Alive for the second semester? Did you count it as 0.5 credits?

What did you student do for English / Comp after Rhetoric Alive?

Thanks for letting me revive an old thread. 

DD is a rising 10th grader. She’s currently finishing WWS3 and a lot of mom-directed home grown lit analysis + persuasive writing.

We are considering Discovery of Deduction for Eng / Comp for 10th grade, Rhetoric Alive 1 for 11th  (but not sure whether to do it as 1 semester or try to add to it adn make it a full year), and not sure for 12th… I’d love your feedback on Rhetoric Alive.

[Ann.without.an.e]

We are currently working on Art of Argument, will follow next year with Discovery of Deduction, and then probably do Rhetoric Alive (maybe as a Schole Academy class). 

[desertflower]

My son is currently in Discovery of Deduction. The class is great and so is the teacher.  I would not consider it as a writing intensive course though.  Of course, I'm comparing it to their online Writing and Rhetoric class.  Now that was intensive.

I chose CAP because I heard good things about that class (and the Art of Argument class) and I liked the relaxed approach.  I have done a few Memoria Press programs and it just didn't work well for us when my kids were younger. 

We never tried James Nance before. 

I'm not sure if he will pursue Rhetoic Alive.  I'm inclined to do critical thinking books through the critical thinking company and logic of mathematics through IMACS or self study.  My son would enjoy those types of approach to logic more. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, desertflower said:

My son is currently in Discovery of Deduction. The class is great and so is the teacher.  I would not consider it as a writing intensive course though.  Of course, I'm comparing it to their online Writing and Rhetoric class.  Now that was intensive.

I chose CAP because I heard good things about that class (and the Art of Argument class) and I liked the relaxed approach.  I have done a few Memoria Press programs and it just didn't work well for us when my kids were younger. 

We never tried James Nance before. 

I'm not sure if he will pursue Rhetoic Alive.  I'm inclined to do critical thinking books through the critical thinking company and logic of mathematics through IMACS or self study.  My son would enjoy those types of approach to logic more. 

Thanks @desertflower- this is helpful.

 What kind of writing assignments does the class have?

 Which teacher is your son taking the class with?

[MamaSprout]

6 hours ago, WTM said:

@MamaSprout, what did you use to complement Rhetoric Alive for the second semester? Did you count it as 0.5 credits?

What did you student do for English / Comp after Rhetoric Alive?

Thanks for letting me revive an old thread. 

DD is a rising 10th grader. She’s currently finishing WWS3 and a lot of mom-directed home grown lit analysis + persuasive writing.

We are considering Discovery of Deduction for Eng / Comp for 10th grade, Rhetoric Alive 1 for 11th  (but not sure whether to do it as 1 semester or try to add to it adn make it a full year), and not sure for 12th… I’d love your feedback on Rhetoric Alive.

Ummm. That's been awhile. I'm pretty sure that's the year we did British Lit  (America Reads + some full length stuff). We counted Rhetoric Alive as an English elective. She did AP Lang the next year. Pretty sure. I wrote all of this out at one point. I'll see if I can find the post.

ETA

Okay... It was the World Lit year. Pasting from an old post about thesis writing:

 

We did WWS3 as a stand alone in middle school (w/o doing WWS1 or 2).  Kiddo had already done LAoW and we ended the WW3 year with They Say, I Say. It seemed to all compliment each other well.

I guess we also did most of America Reads British Lit the year we did WWS3? That's one of the few books dd wanted to keep.

The next year we did World Lit using an older Holt textbook that had decent writing assignments in it and also wrote across the curriculum, then AP Lang sophomore year. Comparative SciFi Junior year (last year of high school).

I teach/ have taught comp from grades 4 (homeschool co-op) through 300 level college classes, so I maybe inserted thesis writing where needed? I don't recall, but WWS3 suited our needs for that year. It got done. We didn't do every assignment on every page, though. ETA We did Rhetoric Alive with a small group of friends as an elective the year we did World Lit. It made a nice prequel to AP Lang (Blue Tent) the next year.

ETA2 late elementary/ middle school was a mash up of Writing & Rhetoric, Lightening Lit American (with composition assignments but not comprehension questions), Windows to the World, and Warriner's 3rd course. DD was accelerated to accommodate a co op group that I taught. It worked okay for her because she really wanted to do LA with a class.

Edited February 16, 2023 by MamaSprout

[desertflower]

1 hour ago, WTM said:

Thanks @desertflower- this is helpful.

 What kind of writing assignments does the class have?

 Which teacher is your son taking the class with?

So far, if you have the book, just answers to the questions in the book and worksheets he provides which contain similar questions as the book.  I'm pretty sure that there will be one paper due by the end of the school year. 

Peter Belfry.  He's great.  I signed up one of my daughter to take his Art of Argument class for next year.

Discovery of Deduction is only 1 high school credit. 

[Guest]

Thanks @desertflower.

i think I’ll want to add in additional writing if I want to call it a composition / English credit. I’ll need to think about how to do that.