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Lisa R
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| Posted: July 19 2006 at 6:37pm | IP Logged
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I'd really like to incorporate copywork/dictation into our schedule instead of workbooks (even Language of God or My Catholic Speller). I'd like our kids to learn grammar etc. from REAL writing. I just don't have the confidence to pull it off myself and know that I'm hitting all the areas of grammar etc.
We are using Beyond FIAR as our main curriculum and I don't want to do another book study for Language Arts.
So any comments on LLATL? It sounds complete as far as hitting on all grammar concepts.
Pros/Cons?
Thanks so much!
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God Bless!
Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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Dawn
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| Posted: July 20 2006 at 5:05am | IP Logged
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Lisa, I don't have an answer for you, but I am looking at the same program - so I'll be eager to hear the replies! 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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ALmom
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| Posted: July 22 2006 at 9:28pm | IP Logged
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I did use Learning Language Arts Through Literature (the red book) with my oldest a long time ago. I put off responding hoping someone who had used it more recently would respond.
It was fun for a little while, but did get very, very old very quickly. Peraps it would have been better if I'd been a more experienced homeschooling mom and done more modifications rather than slavishly following every instruction.
Sometimes it felt stilted because you were getting a little excerpt from a piece of literature without always having the whole story. It was OK for teaching grammar in context but I think what people have said in terms of narrating stories in short written works and then discussing one grammar error at a time, made more sense. I also heard that older level books had some troubling things in them. I never used the older level books. I think it would be easier to use what you are actually reading and use that for a source of dictation.
From what I remember about the red book - the stories and excerpts were beautiful - not twaddly. They were just truncated and we didn't always have access to the complete story. It also just got old - the same thing over and over- but that may have been because we did this every single day. This dc did end up with a very natural grasp of grammar when we did finally see what she could do with formal grammar. But my others have done just as well with more natural things, they just had to work a bit at the formal grammar in upper elementary. They didn't burn out, though. I almost hesitate to post as this was in my early days - and we were a lot more slavish so it may well have been how we did the book rather than the book itself.
Janet
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Katie
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| Posted: July 23 2006 at 1:21am | IP Logged
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Lisa,
I have used LLATL in the past - the red and the blue book. I really, really like the idea of it. It is pretty gentle, incorporates some fun and games, not too much writing for the younger grades, but plenty of reading comprehension with spelling and phonics all mixed in.
Here's the HOWEVER:  However, my main issue with it is that to me it only really "works" if your dc is at the exactly correct level in all LA - reading, writing, comprehension, etc.. If you child is reading well but lagging in writing or unable to grasp the grammar, it is a pain to do. If you do the lower level the readers are too babyish. And if the opposite is true, then all the reading suggenstions would be too hard. Somehow I could never make it fit us!
I hate to post a negative review, and hope you get a positive one to balance your decision.
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Mother of 5 in South America. No 6 due in April.
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Dawn
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| Posted: July 23 2006 at 5:54am | IP Logged
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Oh, I just realized I was thinking of a different program ~ Lingua Mater: Language Lessons through Literature. Before I start a new thread, I'll do a search.
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 23 2006 at 8:51am | IP Logged
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Janet, I had the exact same experience as you! I used the red book AGES ago for dd (now 16) and she and I both hated it. But, I was a new homeschooler so I thought maybe that was it.
Then last year I thought I'd give it another try with her and the Gold book for High school. She hated that too! Wouldn't even use it after she sat down with it and pre-read it. Maybe it just isn't a good match for our family because it seems like it would be a good program, but it just did not work for us. Plus, the higher level was pretty protestant in tone which turned dd off tremendously.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Lisa R
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| Posted: July 23 2006 at 11:55am | IP Logged
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Thanks everyone for all the help. 
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God Bless!
Lisa, married to my best friend, Ray and loving my blessings Joshua (17)and Jacob(15), Hannah(7) and Rachel (5)!Holy Family Academy
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Learning language Arts Through Literature
