I am interested in Abekas language arts but since I have never used any of their products I am looking for some opinions. Are they teacher lead or self lead? Good/bad? Anything I should know?
What grade are you looking at? We are using Language A and C, and 3rd grade and 1st. My older kids can do it without me, IMO its very self lead. My youngest is actually 5/KG so I do teach her more often. I go over the lessons beforehand and check it afterwards, but thats more for me than them! We have been using them for 4 weeks now & I am very happy with it. You should know that its all worksheet type lessons, which works for us.
I have kids in grades 2, 3, 4, and 6. Because I am having a baby in September I am looking for something that is self-lead, which it sounds like this is. Do you use just the language book or the whole "kit" that they sell?
Minthia, have you looked at CLE? It's very independent. Even my first grade grandson last year could do much of his independently, after he got the hang of the layout and expectations. He'll be doing second this year. It includes grammar, spelling, and handwriting in every lesson, and composition in most. IMO, CLE LA is at least as good as Abeka's reputation. I'm basing this opinion on a student of mine who did CLE "a level below" for five years with me, then went to an all-Abeka high school, and rapidly became the "English guru" of the class. She had not been a "gifted" or especially high-achieving student with me, working one level below all five years, but found that she could research, compose, comprehend, diagram, spell, and handwrite better than any of the kids who had been at this all-Abeka school since K, 1, or 2.
My 6th and 4th are using Language, Reading Comprehension & Spelling/Vocab/Poetry from ABeka. I didn't buy it as a kit though. My 6th grader's book (LangC) states lessons 14-23 to be done in "Creative Writing" - there are no lessons 14-23 in the LangA book. I did get a Creative Writing book, but through Apologia, not ABeka, and my son does it daily. For my 3rd and 1st graders I got Letters and Sounds in addition to Language and Spelling. We all love the workbooks. They are self lead, very bright and colorful and have a lot of information, broken down into small bits, followed by practice and review.
