EFTTC or QLL

I know this has been discussed a million times before. I apologize in advance.

Here’s the thing. I’ve been working on a solid plan for starting a FRESH NEW year in January (the 9th, to give me this week to recuperate from Christmas and next week to get all my ducks in a row). I have most everything laid out and feel at peace with it. I think it is a solid plan. My question comes with language. I have owned Queen’s Language Lessons (for little ones vol 3 and very young vol 1) for a long time now but have yet to commit to using them. Based on the descriptions on her site, they are the PERFECT levels for where my two daughters are at.

Then, I recently bought EFTTC used, intending to follow Sonya’s ideas instead ~ let my 7 yr old only do Math, Copywork and Reading and do the EFTTC orally with my 3rd grader.

The more I think about it, it seems easier to just use the appropriate QLL books and let the girls progress all the way up through high school. I mean I do HAVE them.

But, I also HAVE EFTTC now.

Would it be crazy to have each child do their QLL books (no more than 5 or 10 min per day) on their own and ALSO do the EFTTC twice a week ORALLY with my older one? That sounds a bit redundant, but I hesitate on which to give up.

Are they really the same caliber? I know that Sonya has said she only recommended EFTTC because that is what SHE used, but is Queen “good enough” to use all the way through? Is it AS GOOD as EFTTC?

Seasoned CMers, please help. :=)

p.s. I also feel the need to “assign” reading (literature) for my 9 year old (3rd grader). Should I just let her read what she wants and start “assigning” reading in 4th grade? Or should I be “assigning” her to read some of the 1st grade stuff (Trumpet of the Swan, etc) on her own? She’s a great reader, but my girls are so close in age that we do all literature and the like together as read alouds. When do you assign separate readings for your older one? Since they are 1st and 3rd grades, we still read all of the Nature and History aloud as a family, too. Should I just wait til 4th grade and assign her the additional history readings?

Many blessings!

Melissa

http://www.irienarrowpath.blogspot.com