Okay I have been looking it over and think Grace would like the lessons but I have some questions. I am looking at second grade here. I see for science and history there are 5 units. So how long will those units last? Will the five units be enough to last the whole school year? I also see there are 10 language arts units. So is that for the full year? How long does each unit take? And do I need the teachers guides at this level? Thanks in advance for any responses.
I have not personally used them, but www.cathyduffyreviews.com has some reviews of their materials, and for language arts she says the manual is essential, and on their website it says that for the Science there are 5 units and each one takes about 17 days to do, so that's only 85 days.
I think 10 is for a full year...so I'm guessing that those with 5 are only half year (or taught a 1-2 times per week for the entire year). I'm sure if you call the publisher they can let you know. I know Rod & Staff (another mennonite publisher and so wonderful to deal with) has specifics for similar type subjects (like art is x times per week for X number of minutes per week).
Yes, with a 5-unit subject, you can either do it every day for half the year and something else for the other half, OR you can alternate units between science and social studies, OR do one "A days" and the other "B days" ... or any other way it suits you. Bible is only five units, and they suggest two or three days a week for the whole year. If you want to expand on a subject, there's plenty of room to do that too. Most things are ten units, with each lasting 17 days, for a total of 170 scheduled things and some ten days or so for illness, interruptions, field trips, etc. But you can easily do one in 15, and finish early or do a unit study or special project to finish out the year. I love CLE! I've been using it for nine years now.
Lindina, I have been looking into it for my girls.... do you use all of it or just some, and how does it compare (ahead or with or behind) others.
Ahead/with/behind others ... hmmm. That's hard to say, really, because I haven't used everything in the "others", but I think it's generally advanced. Definitely at least a year ahead of our local public schools! I haven't used every single thing, as I do try to match the curriculum to the kid and not just force one approach onto every kid. Mostly I choose CLE for reading, language arts, and math, and science and history could be something else, depending. The language arts as well as the math is built on the incremental-spiral model, which I love. The reading comprehension is challenging, and CLE gets to literary analysis stuff well before 8th grade that I didn't get until high school. I love the way they handle poetry - gave me a new appreciation for it. It's thorough, but also gentle, and God-honoring. The reading and LA are in Sunrise Editions all the way through high school, but the math only through 8th grade at this time. [I've used all the reading through 8th, LA through 7th, and math through 6th, some "mini courses" here and there, and fifth grade social studies and science.] The social studies - 1st and 2nd are Sunrise lightunits, and the 3rd, 4th, and 6th are Sunrise with textbooks. With textbooks, you can choose to do text only or text with lightunit studyguides. The 5th and 7th aren't Sunrise just yet, but they're working on it. The science is mostly still the older non-Sunrise format (like lifepacs), which is why I haven't used much of this yet, For science I'm committed to R&S for the forseeable future.
I like the idea of alternating science and social studies. I also really like the looks of the language arts program and the science and social studies units seem to be something I believe my daughter would thrive with. I really think she would enjoy them. I have not looked at reading or Bible yet because I still have HOP and I do my own thing with Bible. At least I have been but I will check it out too. I am almost positive I will go with the language arts but there are still some other choices I want to check out on social studies and science. I have asked some people what they use so I can check it out before making any decisions. I still have a month or so before begining 2nd grade.
Tiff, MaryJane started Christian Light this year, and I REALLY like it. I think we're going to use it for awhile. She likes workbooks, she likes visual things (which she really struggled with in Bible especially, I could see the stories just woosh past her head)...in this Bible curriculum (which I think is meant to do every other day, but we do it every day) I read the days story then she has the little activity to do and I've been really impressed at how she's able to see the just simple black and white drawings..but that's enough for the story to "click". Also, I have to highly recommend the little story books (the miller's)...they're FAB! To suppliment Bible for when we get done with the workbooks I got one of the miller's books and a workbook that goes with it. I went a little crazy at their booth last year at convention But I'm glad I did. And I bought the teacher's guide for the first books only to see if I needed them (for 3rd grade) and I didn't so didn't buy any more. Her dad is teaching her math, science, and history...and I'm doing some supplimental dictation (from mfw), spelling (also from mfw), language, bible, and of course reading (which is spectacular!) can you tell I'm a fan? Go minnonites! woo hoo!!
I found out they sell this at my local christian book store. I am going to try and make it today before Samantha's private lesson to check it out.
Hi, I use CLE and I think that it is a little advanced as compared to like Abeka. CLE is very gentle tho and really easy to teach. I am using level 2 for my 3rd grader and it's pretty good but sometimes I will supplement things in. I feel the spelling is a little weak for average spellers so we use BJU spelling 3 along side of it. I really like that they still review spelling rules with the suffixes and stuff. It has really made me learn things I didn't know and I'm now a better speller because of it. Not sure if I'll use it again next year, as I'm looking into ACE so I can seperate components again. Time will tell. Make sure you have your child take the free diagnostic test to see where they place, it will make life so much easier for you and them. HTH
I use ACE right now with my 11th and 4th grader. It seems a little boring for her(my 4th grader) in the Social Studies and Science. I like the Word Building, although its pretty repititious in every book. I like the English. I was thinking of switching to CLE at least for the Social Studies and Science. Can anyone tell me how they compare like 5th grade ACE to CLE or is there another curriculum similar out there that they like. Thanks. Karen
Karen, right now I'm very much liking R&S for science from third through tenth. It's a textbook in traditional style, with a range of topics (life, earth, physical, and health), text and questions, built-in reviews of previous lessons and chapter reviews, and tests. Each lesson has several activities (demonstrations or experiments or projects) that you can choose from or just disuss. I really don't care for the fifth grade CLE, sad to say, (although I've heard from other people that they like it just fine!) but I'm thinking that when they get it redone into Sunrise Edition I'll like that a whole lot better. It is designed to cover the topics in order of the days of Creation. Only the fifth grade course is like this -- third on up (except fifth) is still in the lifepac-like format, only without color (and therefore less expensive than lifepacs per workbook by more than a dollar). I have nothing against this format, but with textbooks I can reuse without having to re-purchase. For social studies, I do like the CLE fifth grade, even though it's not in Sunrise Edition. It's a text with lightunit studyguides. You can choose to do it by textbook only, which I prefer, but the kids I've used it with much prefer to do it with the studyguides. The Lightunit tells you "read pages xx-yy and answer these questions", so that's pretty easy to use. There are quizzes and a unit test for each lightunit. The TM is really just an AK. You can still use the questions in the text for further discussion... I have used ACE fifth grade for social studies, and it's way boring to me too. I find the CLE has lots more in terms of thinking skills, where I find ACE primarily fill in the blanks which are almost exactly like the sentence in the text, and the quiz/test questions are almost exactly the same too. I have also used R&S fifth grade social studies, and while I don't find it quite as interesting as the CLE book, I still prefer it to the ACE.
Lindina, I am going to use it for language arts, and reading this yr. Do you need the TM or can I just use the answer keys., I worked and mygirls went to a ACE school so I know about how they work.... so I don't want to buy TM if I don't need to.... thanks
What grades would that be, Shelby? 1st, 2nd, 3rd the TM is indispensible and also contains the answers. 8th grade math, too. Pretty much everything else in LA/reading you can get by with the AK, unless you think you'll need the Alternate Unit Tests in case they didn't "get it" first time around -- these are in the TM. DO use the LA diagnostic before buying!
Yep, you can do with just the AK. You do know, right? that the reading from fourth on up is built for just half a year. You can do it all in one semester then do something else, or you can do it two or three times a week for the whole year, or alternate a unit with a novel....
Ok I was looking at the TM for the science and social studies and it looks like they are geared more for a classroom and not needed for 2nd grade. If I am wrong please someone tell me! I am really liking the looks of this curriculum but I'm really strapped for cash and can't afford to make a mistake or buy things I do not need.
