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Looking ahead to Grade 1, suggestions for lang. arts?


melissel
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and will continue using Growing with Grammar 1/2. I'm planning to add Primary Language Lessons to it for some picture study and narration. As far as reading and phonics, I'm still deciding. I will probably continue Primary Phonics. I'm contemplating Spell to Write and Read (we use the phonogram cards but haven't jumped in to the full program). I will probably just have her do a lot of reading from whatever level she is comfortable in.

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Many of us have different ideas for what is included in language arts especially at the younger grades.

 

Are you looking for grammar? For first grade with a good reader, FLL (the second grade portion) would cover grammar, some copywork, and some poetry. R&S2 would would work. Or you could skip grammar till she is older.

 

An option that is similar to LLATL is the new Sonlight LA, it was designed be Beechick and you could pick the level to go with the readers she is ready for.

 

I had a hard time with my dd and LA this year because she was reading very well and everything looked too easy and too hard.

 

I settled on working her towards independent reading in chapter books, learning poetry, and doing copy work and hand writing. I wasn't able to find a program that met the level we needed at the pace that we needed.

 

Look at what component of LA you need - grammar, handwriting, reading, reading comprehension, poetry, dictation, spelling, vocabulary. Decide which parts are important to you. Find the level you need. Look carefully at the speed and amount of busy work in the program.

 

Good luck.

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Many of us have different ideas for what is included in language arts especially at the younger grades.

 

Are you looking for grammar? For first grade with a good reader, FLL (the second grade portion) would cover grammar, some copywork, and some poetry. R&S2 would would work. Or you could skip grammar till she is older.

 

An option that is similar to LLATL is the new Sonlight LA, it was designed be Beechick and you could pick the level to go with the readers she is ready for.

 

I had a hard time with my dd and LA this year because she was reading very well and everything looked too easy and too hard.

 

I settled on working her towards independent reading in chapter books, learning poetry, and doing copy work and hand writing. I wasn't able to find a program that met the level we needed at the pace that we needed.

 

Look at what component of LA you need - grammar, handwriting, reading, reading comprehension, poetry, dictation, spelling, vocabulary. Decide which parts are important to you. Find the level you need. Look carefully at the speed and amount of busy work in the program.

 

Good luck.

 

Hmm, this is a very good question. She's naturally language-oriented, so I think much of her learning will be organic, as it has been so far. I guess my priority would be to read and discuss really good literature, and lots of it. I was looking at the Junior Great Books site, and I like their approach a lot, but wasn't loving the reading selections. We do poetry as an ongoing thing, so I'll probably just keep incorporating it. Vocabulary would be nice, but she's constantly asking me the meaning of words she doesn't recognize anyway, so we can probably put that on the back burner. Handwriting is a necessity, because she wants to write stories and poems of her own, so I need to get her to where she can do that.

 

I haven't looked at FLL in awhile--I'll definitely revisit, because our library has a copy. I'd like to take a closer look at Sonlight too.

 

What is this WWE several posters have mentioned? Everything I came up with via Google involved wrestling. While my DH would absolutely LOVE a WWE-oriented HS curriculum, I'm not sure it's the way to go with my DD :D

 

Karen, thanks for helping me reframe my question so I can envision our goals more clearly.

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Vocabulary would be nice, but she's constantly asking me the meaning of words she doesn't recognize anyway, so we can probably put that on the back burner. Handwriting is a necessity, because she wants to write stories and poems of her own, so I need to get her to where she can do that.

 

At this point her vocabulary will develop just through reading. I don't think you need a formal vocab curriculum until later.

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What is this WWE several posters have mentioned? Everything I came up with via Google involved wrestling. While my DH would absolutely LOVE a WWE-oriented HS curriculum, I'm not sure it's the way to go with my DD :D

 

 

 

WWE is actually Writing with Ease - it is the new writing thing from PeaceHill Press. There will be a workbook for the first two levels. It is supposed to help with copywork, narrations, and dictation. The manual covers essentially grades 1-4 and there will be workbooks for grade 1 and 2. There are samples on the website. I am planning to use it with my dd7 next year.

 

I like the junior great books too. Have you considered Five in a Row for literature? I did a co-op class this past fall with 1st - 3rd graders. We did literature and art activities from it. They all enjoyed the stories and the manual gave good information and discussion ideas. The picture books are well chosen and not babyish at all. My dd is a strong reader, and I still assign some of these books as reading practice.

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Here is what we are using this year with my 1st grader who started reading at 3 and now reads on a 4th gr level:

 

  • FLL (2nd gr)
  • SWO-B & C (we went through A and the 1st half of B in K)
  • RFH
  • McGuffeys readers, plus any other books she likes

At this age, I think the most important thing is to have her read, read read! The rest is just extra!

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