60-day returns • free shipping on USA orders $129+
Help with language arts!!
- This topic has 8 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 1 month ago by
.
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
- Posts
Hi. I am a mom of five and I use the Charlotte Mason method I have a son who is a struggling learner and his two grades behind. He is supposed to be a fourth-grade but is at second grade level so he is working along with his second grade sister.We use spelling wisdom along with using language well. I also have them do their math curriculum and then we do handwriting out of the McGuffey readers. We do not know book in any subjects using writing. He does drawing and his notebooks for history and science. I just don’t feel like this is enough. He cannot write one sentence by himself. It’s very upsetting to see that my children aren’t as bright as some of the other kids we are around.I just want to make sure that we are doing the curriculum right.
Are you doing oral narration/composition with him? That practice will lay the groundwork for his writing sentences of his own once he is ready. How does he do with oral narration?
Oh I’m sorry! We do oral narration also. I read to them in our morning cirlcel time either Science or Geography living books from Ambleside and we are doing Little House in the Big Woods now for Literature so I have him orally narrate after I read to him. He does ok with that. It seems to be better since the beginning of the year.
I guess I am just worried that he cannot spell or read well. I just want to make sure that only doing writing twice a day with his spelling wisdom and copywork are enough. I know everyone says trust the process and I am trying. I thought about trying to dictate small sentences to him using short vowels and then when he can spell those words,move onto long vowels. I’m just not sure. Should I just keep doing what I am doing?
I am using pathways readers. I got the idea from simplycharlottemason.
I have noticed an improvement since we started these, but he is only in the second book of 1st grade.
My kids really like those books!
Does he seem to struggle with all types of learning or just certain things? Like reading, is it all aspects of reading, or just certain things.
I am just wondering if more is going on, and he might need some changes to help him before he is ready to move onto writing.
I do know that some children do take longer to learn to read, no reason in particular, it just takes more time. Other children have different learning struggles that when methods are changed they start improving more. My children don’t really start reading fluently until 7.5 – 8 years old, but I know many that read fluently earlier and later. Reading can be difficult because there is such a broad range of “normal”
I’m having him tested for Dyslexia and other learning disabilities in the next month, but I’m just wondering… with any of my children, is Spelling Wisdom/Using Language Well, a Copybook (handwriting) ,math curriculum, oral narration, and reading(pathways), are all I need for Language arts at this level? Because I am not doing dictation or written narrations at this point.
I think it is enough, but since you are concerned about learning disabilities his work will look different than other students. After his evaluation hopefully you can have some steps and tools to help him more. Reading through the SCM forum there are many parents HSing children with learning disabilities of all different types and there is a wealth of great information from these families.
Does your son enjoy school? Any specific subjects or things that he enjoys or seems to gravitate towards?
Right now I would focus on what he enjoys to help build his confidence and hopefully make school enjoyable along the way. From talking to friends, I have found that so many kids struggle, but parents don’t really talk about it, they tend to talk about the students/children who seem to be a bit “ahead of the curve”. My good friend’s daughter, in 3rd grade, is still really struggling with reading, but she is bright and sweet and so creative, artistic and very caring, so my friend focuses on those when people ask about school and how it is going. She will bring up different subjects not just specific skills, but who are they learning about.
My DD is in 4th grade she is currently for LA she does…
Spelling Wisdom – which is also copy work (no need to double up, since her penmanship is good)
ULW – goes along with Spelling Wisdom
Oral Narration – History and Science
Written Narration – once/week from her History independent reading (we use SCM history guides which starts adding independent reading in 4th grade)
She is also doing Jr. Analytical Grammar, but I don’t think fully necessary. We do standardized testing (required by our state) so I want her familiar with terms and basics. She enjoys Jr AG and the lessons are short.
Independent reading (she prefers to read out loud so she reads out loud to me every day) She also reads books in her free time, often to her younger brothers.
Along with the above for LA she does – Math, Science (Apology as a family), History (SCM History guide), Art, Picture Study, Hymn Study (our first year trying it out as a family, using SCM hymn book guide), Poetry study (also first year using SCM poetry guide book)
Thank you so much for your help. I really love the curriculum Sonya put together and so I’m trying to stick with that as much as possible. We do Classical conversations so I implement Charlotte Mason in Science and History according to what we are learning. They do Nature walks and journal with Science and History. We are taking the Spelling Wisdom and ULW slow and I am going to try to try taking his oral narration and writing it down for him to copy once a week.
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
- The topic ‘Help with language arts!!’ is closed to new replies.