I'm looking at CLE stuff for ds7, dd8, and dd11 and I'm wondering how important the teacher's guides are. $7 or $9 isn't much each, but multiplied by 3 kids for each subject, it adds up. I'd rather spend that $ on other things if I'm not going to use them.
I use CLE for math and in the past I have used it for science and reading. I like having the guides because it makes it so much easier for me to check the students work. Look at it this way................if you buy the guide for the older kid you won't have to buy it again when the younger children reach that level. So it would be a one time purchase. I would say it would be more important to have for the 11 yr old than the 7 yr old and it would depend on the subject. Are they essential? No. But they are nice to have.
Check if the TG has answers, as not all have them included. I learned that the hard way. If not, just get the answer keys. I agree that having the answers makes checking work SO much easier.
I know in CLE math the TG had the answers in them until 4th grade (which is where we are now). Now I get the answer keys. If I remember correctly the TG and answer keys are about the same price. I know the TG helped me with science but I am not a science person and need all the help I can get!
I have the TG for reading for 3rd grade. It was cheaper to get that since it had all the answers to all the books instead of just buying the answer keys. I tend to look at the cost, also for reading especially in 3rd grade they have you read a story out of the TG that is not in the book.. I can't remember when in the yr but I do remember that I was glad I had gotten the TG. For my oldest I just buy the answer keys.
All the math through 8th grade now has reduced size student pages with the answers. Reading and LA have reduced size student pages with answers through 3rd grade, but 4th and up don't. If you have one using first and second grades, the TMs are pretty much indispensible. I'm not using CLE for science and history, so I forget what they have, exactly. R&S TMs -- some are just answers, and some have reduced-size student pages with all kinds of teacher helps around the margins! And they're not terribly expensive... I always like have the TGs, because of the Alternate Unit Tests in the back, as well as the teacher helps EVEN IF I DON'T USE THEM (like reading grade 4 and above).
