Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: Grammar, ILL, Language Lessons, PLL, Spelling Workout, Writing Tales

This topic has 11 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 7 months ago by 4myboys.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

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October 17, 2012 at 1:56 am
4myboys
Participant
My older ds is really not impressed with ILL, and younger ds is finding PLL rather dull as well. Truthfully, I thought at first I liked it — but they aren’t doing anything for me at all now, either. I’ve been considering Writing Tales. I like that there is much they could do independantly (teaching time is a primium for me where I work half days) and includes spelling, vocabulary, grammar and composition. I have Apologia’s Jump In, but I don’t feel older ds is ready for it yet. He’s in grade 6, but it’s only our second year homeschooling and he’s just starting written narration. He struggles with dysgraphia. His printing has improved much, more uniform and legible, so I feel we are heading in the right direction there, but composition is still very difficult for him. I am also looking at changing spelling programs. Maybe Spelling Power…
Can anyone recommed anything else they really like that incorporates all of these things and won’t add a ton of time to our day?

October 17, 2012 at 2:05 am
LDIMom
Participant
We really like Spelling Power. We aren’t using it as much this year, but I plan to add it back after Christmas. I just needed to give myself a break from something that was parent-intensive. I will say SP is not very independent, but if you tweaked it I suppose it could be moreso.
We do use ILL and PLL. My 10YO son, 5th grade, is using ILL (he never used PLL b/c we were using Daily Grams at the time he would have used PLL; live and learn; that didn’t work for us at all).
My 12YO son, 6th grade but only speaking English since 2010, uses PLL. I expect him to finish with PLL this year. I don’t expect 10YO DS to finish ILL until next year sometime.
Here’s is what I did with it: we use it almost exclusively orally. I have found even with my ELL student that he does better with copywork from a book rather than the written work in PLL. So I just go over each lesson with them orally. We often skip the picture studies, because we do those in other ways. If a lesson seems like something they already know, I skip it. If a lesson seems to leave them confused, I make a note to myself to go back over it at a later date just to see if they really got it.
I do think over time it really works. For what its worth, I consider PLL to be HUGELY helpful to my 12YO son, who is still what I consider an ELL student. I credit it the most with how far he has come in his grasp and comprehension of the language (so that says a great deal for me in favor of PLL).
But as with every resource, mileage varies. I would say if it isn’t working, try something else. I am happy with it, but I won’t say the boys love it. None of mine though love grammar/language instruction except DD, who is 7.
HTH
October 17, 2012 at 6:59 am
Monica
Participant
My son really didn’t like ILL. He really, really despised it.
We are using Learning Language Arts through Literature this year and we both like it a lot more. It’s not so CM, but I really like its approach. It includes light spelling, some vocabulary, and a fair amount of grammar. We use Spelling Wisdom for dictation, and I allow my son to blog for his written narrations, but LLATL is a great addition to that. I plan to continue using it next year and also start it with my younger son next year.
October 17, 2012 at 12:05 pm
Rachel White
Participant
I think Writing Tales is a good alternative. If I hadn’t used PLL/ILL, then that would have been my second choice.
October 17, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Heather
Participant
Wow! This is why I am so thankful for this board. My daughter has finished PLL and ILL and I’ve just been pulling a mish-mash of things together for her this year on top of Spelling Wisdom and her handwriting practice. I’ve never heard of writing tales until now and I think it’s exactly what I’ve been needing! Thanks ladies!!
October 17, 2012 at 1:02 pm
momto2blessings
Participant
We love Writing Tales, too. I also have added in Spelling Workout….it’s very independent. However, this year I wanted to go more dication based so we’re using Spelling Wisdom 2 days a week and Spellling Workout 2 days a week (but not doing all the Spelling Workout exercises). Spelling Workout is cheap, and I like the review of phonics rules. :)Gina
October 17, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Heather
Participant
Is the TM necessary for Writing Tales?
October 17, 2012 at 3:53 pm
momto2blessings
Participant
Is TM necessary….it depends. I’m not using it w/WT 1 and I have no problem checking work quickly. However, I used to own the TM and I think it gave advice on lit. analysis (asking about characters, setting, conflict, etc.), maybe a little background on some stories, etc. We just don’t do that part. The TM also includes some games/activities, but we never did those either.
For WT 2, I think the TM is more helpful (to me) for quick grading. There are tougher grammar qu. and things like story ordering that I could figure out myself, but the TM is worth it to me for quick grading. HTH some:) Gina
October 17, 2012 at 4:05 pm
HollyS
Participant
We were using ILL for 5th, but my DD was struggling with composition. I’ve switched to Writing Strands 3, and we’ll throw in some of the ILL lessons for grammar and copywork, as she didn’t mind those lessons. She’s still complaining about the writing with WS 3, but the lessons break it into smaller steps and she’s doing very well.
October 17, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Corie
Participant
We used to do Building Spelling Skills, because I really wanted phonics rules learned. This year we are switching to Spelling Wisdom, for a more CM approach. However, I still want the phonics rules, as I actually do find them helpful even now, as an adult, when I come across new vocabulary. I picked up Classical Phonics and plan to use it as more of a checklist to make sure my 10yo dd has them down. CP is actually meant for beginning readers/spellers, but I haven’t decided yet how/if I will use it for my now 8yo and 4yo ds’s. I really just think it is going to be a handy resource for me and perhaps for my older students.
October 17, 2012 at 10:03 pm
ServingwithJoy
Participant
I didn’t read all the posts, so sorry if this was already mentioned. BUT…
ILL and PLL were bewildering to my kids (and to me!). I am looking forward to getting Spelling Wisdom in the mail this week. Basically, my plan is to do Spelling Wisdom, prepared dictation, copywork and oral and written narration. My oldest child is using All in One English for grammar, and loves it. I know Analytical Grammar is also recommended as a CM style grammar for OLDER students (7th and up). Hope that helps!
October 18, 2012 at 2:10 pm
4myboys
Participant
Thanks Ladies. I’m not really sure what to do right now. I think there has to be a much better option for us. I’ll give us a break for a couple weeks and just go with working on improving on the regular mistakes. He does pretty well with copy work, but must still write directly below the word he is copying. As soon as he starts copying from another source like a book or a white board or writing anything original material of his own he starts writing with a mix of lowercase and capitals and tends to forget punctuation and proper spacing.
Do you think maybe I’m rushing it by expecting written narrations to begin now — he is 12 and in 6th grade, but maybe I need to spend more time on conventions and copy work and leave the written narration for at least one more term? It just seems that he’s doing so very little work compared to his PS counterparts…