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Literature for 6th grade – Total Lang. Plus, Lightning Lit., Teaching the Classics or ….
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Lots of threads on literature have gotten me to start thinking about next year for my dd. she will be 11 and in 6th grade. Thus far, she’s read great books, narrated (oral/written) and we’ve read together, of course. Currently, she writes 3 narrations per week on either her history or literature book. The narrations are usually 1-1.5 pages. We correct spelling and grammar on polishing day, a few things at a time.
I need a road map for next year and coming years. I’ve read about the above programs, looked at samples and I’ll admit to being confused by the options. What is Socratic questioning? What do i need to do for 6th grade? Anyone have a well thought out plan to share. I will not be able to wing this at this time. I’m dealing with some health issues and brain fog is a major symptom right now. Clear, well-thought out plan, that’s what I need!
I’m feeling my lack of education from ps and even college. it stinks!
Christie
Christie – I am NO expert as I’m just starting the journey. This is my plan based on what others have recommended and what I liked as I researched options.
starting in 6th/7thish – Junior Analytical Grammar – we may do a diagramming book as well (First Whole Book of Diagramming) – we’ll also continue with written narrations and dictation
Then – Jump In by Apologia and at the same time be working on Our Mother Tongue
In 8th we’ll start Analytical Grammar.
In 9th we’ll do either the Lord of the Rings Literary Lessons OR Lightning Lit (American to start). I’m not sure if it will be too much to do both at the same time. We’ll see once I get the books in hand. I may also move LOTR up to 8th grade if I feel they can handle the work load. Or Lightning Lit. And continue with Analytical Grammar.
Sometime around 9th or 10th I’ll use the Epikardia program for essays/research papers OR Teaching the Essay. And continue with Analytical Grammar if needed. If we’re still liking Lightning Lit we’ll move through those courses (I’ll let the boys choose, for the most part).
My plan is to work through them at a pace that gets it done in time for college, but that doesn’t burn them out on writing (which they already don’t like). We’ll take it at their pace….we might move a lot faster than I expect or not. As long as we get it done by 10th/11th so they have some time to really polish their writing. I guess my plan is more of a flow of resources…once we’re done with one we’ll move to the next, sometimes using two at the same time.
I’m sure some of the other ladies can provide a better plan for you.
Heather
I haven’t got a complete road map right now, but I can tell you what has worked so far. We used the last section of Intermediate Language Lessons for 6th grade – a text my son loved so much he was loathe to part with it in 7th grade! For literature, I chose books from SCM, AO and other lists to cover both classics and some historical fiction, and I assigned regular oral and written narration. He also used SCM’s Swpelling Wisdom for dictation.
In 7th grade, he used Applications of Grammar(effective but I probably won’t choose to use it again), in conjunction with Lightning Literature’s 8th grade package, Spelling Wisdom and written narrations.
This year, for 8th grade, he’s using one of LL’s high school American history packs spread through the year, with SCM’s Spelling Wisdom again, in addition to a good deal of historical fiction. On weeks that he doesn’t have a LL written assignment, I require a written narration of his literature book, and every week I require a written history narration.
Next year, I plan to do the same thing, with the addition of Our Mother Tongue. We may add a resource for teaching essays and research papers, though I’ve been very pleased with the natural progression of writing skills CM’s methods; it’s really quite remarkable to me (and a relief) to see how much busywork is not needed.
It sounds like you’re doing wonderfully and have a great plan so far. I understand what you mean about “winging it” (btdt with the health issues and brain fog) which is why I’ve called in other resources to help, though I know many who do it without them. I pray your health issues clear up quickly!
Well, I’m no expert….really struggled with your qu. this year with my current 6th grader! But I’m finally feeling some peace and more direction. My future plans at 6th grade are:
1) Analytical Grammar. We do Jr. Ag. in 5th, and one season of AG ea. in 6th/7th/8th.
2) Spelling Workout.
3) Intermediate Language Lessons.
If ILL and AG are too much at once, I may stagger and not do as much ILL when doing AG (AG only takes 10 weeks per year).My main struggle has been what to do for writing. I’m so thankful to Linda here (missingtheshire) for rec. Write with the Best. It’s CMish w/short lessons and classic literature. Love it! This is our first lesson and I was so pleased to see my dd really enjoyed her first writing project. The lesson started with reading a section of classic lit. (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), examining why it was great lit., how vivid the descriptive words of the sea monster were, etc. Talked about different types of words and how to use descriptive words to help readers see, hear, taste, feel what you’re writing about. Did a dictation fromthe passage. Then taught her how to write a paragraph w/a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and concluding sentence. She enjoyed picking an object to write a descriptive paragraph about. Anyway, we will use this for writing in Jr. High.
I also plan to use Lightening Lit. in 8th grade. The Lord of the Rings Lang. Arts around 9th. Maybe more Lightening Lit. in high school (not there yet!) Epi Kardia or Analytical Grammar’s Research Paper courses in h.s.
Socratic questioning is: http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/socratic_questions.htm. Teaching the Classics teaches how to apply this to all readings. I’m debating whether to buy TtC, or just use Lightening Lit. and try to weave in qu. like the above into our readings. I keep a sheet of these Socratic qu. in my teacher binder, but have yet to use them!
I hope that wasn’t too jumbled:) Hopefully more people w/older kids will chime in! Hope you feel better soon. Blessings, Gina
I have an upcoming 5th and 6th grader. This is my “plan” so far( I will add-in foreign lang. b/c I think that’s a part of LA, too):
5th/6th-
BOTH:
ILL
Meaningful Composition 4 1 and 4 II
SW
narration (we have to do better in this)
Simply Grammar stretched out over a year, after the first few chapters of MC
SON:
Megawords
Seq. spelling
Shalom Ivrit Modern Hebrew Bk. 2
Latin for Children A
DD:
Word Roots Cd-Rom Critical Thinking Co.
Shalom Ivrit 1 Modern Heb.
In 6th/7th
BOTH:
Write with the Best Vol 1
SW
OMT
SON:
Megawords
Continue Shlaom Ivrit 2
LAtin for Children B
DD:
LfC A
Cont. SI 1
In 7th/8th
BOTH:
Write with the Best Vol 2.
OMT
SW
Figuritively Speaking
Narration
SON:
Megawords if necessary
LfC C or Latin Alive! w/Ecce Romani
Shalom Ivrit 3
DD:
LfC B
Shalom Ivrit 2 Mod. Hebrew
IN 8th/9th
BOTH:
LL from LotR
SW
Narration
SON:
Latin Alive! w/Ecce Romani
Cont. Shalom Ivrit 3
DD:
LfC C or Latin Alive!
Cont. Shalom Ivrit 2
In 9th-12th for Both:
Epi Kardia for Essay and Research papers
Narration
SON:
Begin Biblical Hebrew studies
Latin Alive!
Beginning Greek
DD:
Shalom Ivrit 3 and then Biblical Hebrew
Latin Alive!
Probably no Greek for dd
Perhaps either Lightning Lit. or Excellence in Lit.? I don’t know…
I’d rather just get Teaching the Classics and have them apply the
principles to all the good literature they’ll be reading during those years and not use any guides. I’d like to choose the literature, not a “program”.
The book The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is supposed to be a valuable resource.
I don’t know how long I’m suppposed to use SW.
Rachel
Oh my! These plans a scaring me half to death! I have no plan! I’m still trying to find a good grammar program and look at all the stuff you guys are planning!
I think I need more help than I thought!
Perhaps you could reassure yourself looking at SCM’s plans, Amanda. I think it’s wonderful that so many resources are available and people find them helpful, and yet I think it can be done very simply with a grammar program, literature, narration and dictation.
That’s what I had been planning by, Evergreen! I’m not going to stress…I’m just going to breathe and continue using the simple plan 🙂
Well, Amanda, you started my 2 day panic when you started that thread again about grammar…
I have now looked at every program talked about here – I even downloaded 2 of the KISS things to check it out. I think that I like the looks of Winston. I have to admit the hands-on moving things around appeals to me.I have littles still coming up (I feel sorry for my older guinea pigs) and I am looking at these programs so far – Primary and Intermediate Language Lessons, Grammarland, Winston Grammar, Our Mother Tongue, Write with the Best 1 and 2, LL for LotR, and the Lightening Lit and Composition. I also have on my list Epi Kardi and Jump In. And of course, we are adding in Getting Started in Latin…and probably the Getting Started in Spanish.
I wish I could have them all right here with no pressure and could look and touch them all. It would really help with the decisions…since I am sure that lots of the same material will be covered in them, so maybe I could narrow down my choices.
Ok so for us we use language lessons from Queens for 5th and add in one TLP book (as the LL don’t take us an entire year).
With all of this oral and written narration, spelling (all about spelling), and personal literature (classic) books.
6th – LL from Queens and 1 or 2 from the TLP books
7th – Grammar Key (which I just got about a month ago and am really loving)
then continuing on with these items
OMT
TLP
Jump In
Which will get us through the end of 8th grade.
then in 9th my plan is to do the LOTR course as my boys will love it.
10th – 12th : I will be doing World Lit, American Lit, using TLP and LL and then finishing it all up with a research paper program.
I also have some really great books for them to read: Eat, Shoots & Leaves, The Elements of Grammar, the Elements of Style.
I try to keep mine very simple.
Keep poking at each subject and you’ll get it. I know I had a LOT of help getting this narrowed down. Misty
Oh no!! I’m so sorry for causing you stress! I have been dreaming about grammar, if that makes you feel any better LOL!
I’m planning on trying Winston out on my 2 today and then I’m gonna have to just let it all go for about a week since I have too much going on in my life. I’ll come back to make a decision at a later date (hahaha)
I’ve tried Primary & intermediate Language Lessons, Grammarland and Getting Started with Latin. So you have helped me narrow down some of this and given me a good list to look at! 😉
FYI, I’ve used ILL as a grammar program, and tried to supplement with a writing program – that was just too much writing and not enough grammar. I’ve come, through the years, to see ILL more as a writing, language, poetry and dictation program than strictly a grammar program; if I were looking just for grammar instruction I would not choose this resource. Right now we’re using R&S grammar lessons a few days a week alongside ILL’s writing instruction for the 5th graders, skipping ILL’s lessons that will be redundant. It’s a nice blend.
Don’t you all wish that someone would write a good program that would cover EVERYTHING? LOL! I’m beginning to think that I’m just gonna have to pull from here, there, and everywhere. I don’t think that one program has it all. (Or maybe I’m asking too much of a good langauge arts program)
Mine have used PLL and are getting ready to use ILL. I agree that they are lightest on grammar; that’s why we supplemented w/Grammarland this year (4th/5th) 1x/week and skip the dictation parts, since we use SW. I think they are both great materials and would always recommend them to others; I just have to move a little faster in writing skills than I had originally planned for their 10-13 age range.
I am adding in MC 4 for personal reasons, but maybe only for one semester (or two terms), maybe a year-depends. I am needing to improve their writing skills quicker than I normally would have done due to a religious class they are in which requires writing. I will adjust ILL accordingly, as needed.
AMANDA: I ENJOY planning! I like to spend time on these things; I have many spiral notebooks with all sorts of plans and lists on them! That’s how I narrow down, by writing and listing. When I look at a list like the one I wrote, it’s actually calming, not stressful to me. I don’t think my plan is necessarily all that complicated; things on paper can appear more complex than they are in practice.
I have the next 2-3 years, before high school, to be more intensive, temporarily, for a reason-so that come high school, they will function comfortably and almost completely independent; no need for extra grammar or writing instruction beyond the Epi Kardia stuff. By the time they get to HS, things become more simplified again-besides the other basic HS subjects, it’ll be just languages and written narrations for LA; no more grammar instruction or spelling instruction. Does that make sense?
My husband’s health continues to deteriorate and I need them to prepared to go it alone on most things. I expect that they will be able to take the TtC materials and apply them without me as the in-between, too; which reduces the need for any extra “curriculum” for literature.
One of the best preps we can do in the language arts department is to read some of the classics ourselves ahead of time. I think a lot of my insecurities stem from the fact that I started reading quality literature as an adult. I am thankful that my children will be better prepared for their adulthood than I was because they have a literature rich childhood. Having a general familiarity with a book, any Mama can be a natural Socrates with simple questions.
I went to a conference to listen to Andrew Kern from the Circe Institute. I came back so inspired by his Lost Tools of Writing. He simplified the questions for me with his should/have inquiry structure:
“Should (name any character in the book including minor characters) have (any action by that character)?” This subject/predicate questioning will send one directly to the heart of the literature. Finding what was honorable or not in the book is essential to really pulling out the wisdom from the classics. It is about discussing heart issues. Some fun can be had when trying this with very minor characters with their small actions.
I have now looked at every program talked about here – I even downloaded 2 of the KISS things to check it out. I think that I like the looks of Winston. I have to admit the hands-on moving things around appeals to me.
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