Ohio12 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 advice please. dd (age 6) is reading fluently, her handwriting is quite good, if a little slow. we are slowly doing abeka math first grade, sotw ancients and classical music appreciation. in the fall i will add art appreciation and science lap books (pretty minimal, once a week) what should i do for language arts? people have me thinking i need to do writing with ease, first language lessons and spelling workout. this seems like TOO much. she already narrates her history, copies a verse a day and memorizes a poem every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Personally, I would use CLE (test to see which level). My 9 year old is doing CLE and it is just enough for him. If she is doing copywork and writing elsewhere and you are happy with it, then there is no reason, IMO, for a formal writing curriculum at her age. Same with reading - if she reads regularly and comprehends well, then you may not need a "reading" program either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Well, in my opinion, a first or second grader does not need grammar. Nor do they need a spelling curriculum. I think oral narrations, copywork, some memory work, and lots of reading are all that a child that age really needs. However, my first grader is using and enjoying Writing With Ease 1. It's easy, the lessons are short, and it works in some copywork. He has used some FLL but once we started WWE, it seemed to me that the FLL was even less necessary. I don't think you need both. All of the content of FLL can be completed orally (if at all) if the child is doing WWE. My son doesn't really need that because he's been listening to his older brother's FLL lessons for so long that he knows all the definitions. If he didn't, I'd probably just use FLL orally to cover those. We do love the FLL CD. It's fun just to listen to it and the children learn alot that way. I prefer to start spelling (as far as a formal curriculum, teaching rules and patterns) after a child has had alot of experience with copywork. The only exception, I think, would be if the child needed extra practice/reinforcement of phonics. There are spelling curriculi that lend themselves well to that use. I like Spelling Power and it's not even recommended at all until the child is eight years old or older. Next year, I'll be using a curriculum that schedules Rod & Staff English 2 with my then second grader. I plan to do those lessons orally since they will already be scheduled for me. That along with copywork and oral narration will be the bulk of his LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 If you are teaching your dd to read, and penmanship, and she's memorizing poetry and doing some copywork, you *are* doing "language arts." If you are asking if you need to start grammar, no. Not spelling, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 We got FLL, WWE, and All About Spelling to start in the Fall (first grade). We didn't want to wait after looking through them though, and started a few weeks ago. My almost 6yo is enjoying them. Good luck and I hope it is an easy decision for you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 If you are teaching your dd to read, and penmanship, and she's memorizing poetry and doing some copywork, you *are* doing "language arts." If you are asking if you need to start grammar, no. Not spelling, either. :iagree: Unfortunately my upcoming first grader can't read yet, so we'll be doing LLATL Blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio12 Posted March 27, 2009 Author Share Posted March 27, 2009 This is SO interesting. I guess I should know by now that this is what happens when you ask on the boards! Melinda and Ellie gave me two totally opposite answers. Of course neither one is right..or they both are, however you want to look at it! I guess I need to follow my gut for my child. I am thinking that I lean a little more towards what Ellie said, but if I want to do ONE thing, FLL or WWE..can anyone discuss a little more about which would be better for me? The version of WTM that I have does not discuss WWE at all. Was it created to be done in addition to FLL or instead of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxMama Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 what should i do for language arts? people have me thinking i need to do writing with ease, first language lessons and spelling workout. this seems like TOO much. she already narrates her history, copies a verse a day and memorizes a poem every month. Sounds like you have your bases covered! I also use WWE/FLL/AAS combo. I like WWE because it keeps a record of his narrations and the copywork is already selected for me. You already have narrations and copywork so you really don't need this. Another very important reason that I like WWE is that it keeps daddy happy! He likes seeing a writing curriculum on the shelf so there is a writing curriculum on the shelf.:lol: I am using AAS for a supplement for phonics instruction and because I do not believe my 6yo will be a natural speller (speech issues). If I felt that he would be a natural speller then I would've have delayed spelling instruction. FLL is not time consuming but honestly I'll probably be dropping it soon. My personal preference is informal grammar for the younger years. I am using it for the poetry memory work but could easily come up with my own selections. If you have narrations/copywork/memory work then you have all your bases covered just keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 My fluently reading first graders use: -FLL -A Reason for Spelling -copywork -real books for reading, I ask questions about their reading but don't really expect narrations yet -math -science and history as outlined in the science section in WTM (Assuming this is the oldest child. Youngers would be rolled into bigs' science and history wherever possible) This was my pattern for my older two, and I'm planning the same for my third kiddo for this fall. I haven't used WWE, or Spelling Workout at that level. FLL goes very quickly, my kids have always enjoyed their FLL lessons and look forward to it. It's very gentle grammar, bite-size pieces. I did add in a spelling book for my good readers, kinda traded the phonics book in for spelling when they were reading well. My one child that wasn't reading well kept plugging through phonics that year. The spelling book I listed above is pretty gentle, no harsh quizzing or tons of writing. Spelling Workout may very well be the same, or tweakable to make it that way. If you've already got a good grasp on the copywork and narration I doubt you need WWE. Don't get me wrong, it looks like a great book, and I'm sure SWB has done it in gentle bite-size pieces like FLL. It's just easy to do with nothing but the explanations in TWTM. I've done it that way through two children already and am confident in it being enough. I'd rather choose our copywork and narration from the stuff we're already doing than have it mapped out for me. I think the personal preference between wanting it mapped out and wanting to choose it yourself is the determining factor for using WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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