Bare bones, independent LA?

We are using ELTL this year and I really like it.  My 8th grader is using Level 5 and I think it’s a good fit for her.  There are simple writing assignments that include summaries and outlines.  She writes these on short fairy tales that are part of the lesson.  The lessons also include poetry, picture study, literature, copywork, dictation, and grammar.  We do the poetry and picture study as a group.

I was already using Spelling Wisdom for dictation, so we are continuing with that.  ELTL has dictation passages from the literature assignments, but I like that SW passages were chosen based on the most commonly used words.   We are currently using Print To Cursive proverbs.  I’m just skipping the copywork from ELTL for now.  Once they work on cursive a bit, they’ll be doing copywork (hopefully in cursive) from their poetry and literature selections.

I have 5 DC (4 are school-aged) and am finding this pretty easy to use.  My 5th and 8th graders are pretty independent with it…I just help them a bit with writing or grammar if they need it and go over their poetry/grammar memorization with them.   My 3rd grader is using level 2, and I read aloud her literature selections (some families listen to them on Librivox instead).  We also read her lesson together, but it’s usually pretty short.  My favorite part is that there are only 3 lessons per week.  We split them up over 5 days, but I’m finding it to be very do-able with 3 kids.

The new Using Language Wisely program might be worth looking into as well.  It has grammar lessons to go with Spelling Wisdom.  The only problem would be that there are only a couple levels out right now…Your oldest would probably need something else.

Okay, the other thing to do is ask yourself: What do you want each child working on for LA?  My response (not knowing your kids beyond the description above) would probably be:

7th grader: Keep reading for pleasure.  Ignore grammar for a year.  Pick up Simply Charlotte Mason’s Spelling Wisdom (it is for prepared dictation, which covers spelling and grammar, but what I do is have it also used for copywork.  We do 1 passage per week, copywork one day, write out words they don’t know how to spell the next day, study the words and copywork the passage again on day 3, look at punctuation on day 4 and practice words, then do the actual dictation day 5.).  Then focus on narration.  Many oral narrations and ONE written narration in a week.  For this written narration you aren’t worried about his grammar, spelling, etc.  You want to hear his ideas.  And trust that with regular practice they will get longer. By the end of the year move up to two written narrations per week.

The 5th grader can use Spelling Wisdom the same way (for copywork, spelling, punctuation, dictation).  Have them read for fun.  Introduce written narrations once a week, with MOM help.  For this age pencil phobic consider he writes a sentence, you write one (that he narrates to you), then he writes, you write, etc.  Over the year move to he writes 2, you write 1, and then he writes 3, you write 1.  You get the idea.

The 3rd grader can do copywork with words he’s working with in reading (Do you use a particular reading program? For example I’m using All About Reading with my 1st grader so each time we start a new lesson we start working on new words.  Those can be his copywork, or we can copy a sentence from his reader.)  He does only oral narration at this age.  And read to him and rest of the family from one good read aloud all together.

The 1st grader – copywork the alphabet and numbers for starters, one letter or number per day, just a few times.  (Free pages abound online, the fewer times they write it the better).  Keep working on learning to read slow and steady (no more than 10 minutes per day).  Oral narration.

If you want to get picture study or other things in then do it as a group.  Look at a picture on Monday.  Tuesday read a poem aloud.  Wed listen to part of a music piece. Repeat weekly.

I feel for you!  I’m due with #9 at the end of the month and it will be my 7th son.  The girls are 14 and 9, the boys are 10, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2.  Craziness and fun with not a lot of extra mom time left over!

Aimee,

That sounds much like my DD!  She’s really struggled with writing.  We’ve used numerous writing programs over the years.  The ELTL lessons have gone well with her this year.  So far she’s only had to write a few sentences per assignment, but there hasn’t been much complaining or dawdling over the writing assigments.  One thing I think that’s really helped has been to have her type out the narrations.  She is keeping them in a Word file and I’ll print it out at the end of the term or year.  My 10yo DS also prefers typing them.

My DD also has a couple friends that she emails often and that’s helped her writing as well.  It’s gotten her really comfortable getting her thoughts and ideas written out and it’s been motivating for her as well.  Honestly, I think this has helped more than any formal lessons she’s done.

I have been where you are. 🙂 LA is our focus this year, and I believe it is the most important subject. It cannot be neglected, and it will serve your kids well to put any effort that you can afford into this area.

What I would suggest, though its not CM at all, is Christian Light Education’s LA and/or Reading curriculum. Don’t do the grade they are in, but do whatever level they actually place at, even if its several levels below their grade. Its comprehensive and independent. They will have to learn how to read questions, write answers, and work alone. Start where they are and make the time to check their work regularly.

My oldest (of 8) is 17, and when I was busy having babies I neglected his education by allowing him to be too independent. I didn’t check in and teach in the areas of LA and math, and those are the areas where he struggles now. We used Heart of Dakota since he was in 4th grade, which is a boxed CM curriculum. It served him well in making him independent, using CM methods, and giving him lots and lots of amazing books to read. His knowledge of history, church history, bible are astonishing. But he needed more guidance and accountability in math and LA. He’s now dual-enrolled at college, making an A in English, but I can see where I failed him, and its humbling. All of that to say, make sure you are checking in with them at least weekly, but it would be better to look over their work daily.