Does anyone use Rod & Staff English & Reading?

[OKS]

I have been using English with my 7th grader since 3rd grade... but lacked the time/ability to do reading on my own, so I started using R&S Reading, in order to catch comprehension and other reading "skills" with it. What I am lacking, though, is some literature study. I don't want to overwhelm my kids with work, but I want them to learn about plots and conflicts, etc, and at this point, they don't seem to be getting that from R&S Reading. Can anyone help? Does this come into play at some point, or do I need to "add" literature study on my own??
thanks!

[Julieofsardis]

Here's a link to the curriculum from Hewitt - http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book/bgroup.asp?i=8081.

We really liked this curriculum for 7th grade. It uses whole books in a variety of genres and covers the elements of lit that you mentioned.

It is very doable in one year. Some say they complete it in a lot less than that.

We personally did not do a lot of the writing exercises, but did read all the books and did the workbook that goes with it.

If you have any questions, let me know!

Julie

[mamaof2andtwins]

I have used R&S reading through 7th grade, and some literary ideas and terms are introduced from 5th grade and up, but not enough to make it worth my while.

We switch to CLE reading in 4th grade once we finish Acts in the R&S reader. The CLE reading program is much more user friendly. The children enjoy the stories, literary terms and ideas are introduce early, and the workbook is much better organized.

I also use Hewitt's Lightning Lit in between CLE light units for my 7th grade and up children.

Jennie

[OKS]

Julie, thanks so much - I love Hewitt's Lightning Lit! This looks like what I think I was searching for. Can I ask what you do with your kiddos literature wise for the younger kids. It seems like all the literature helps for the younger grades are only comprehension - am I incorrect in thinking they can go beyond that in Upper elementary, and if so, do you have a suggestion? And, is there a way to get a Hewitt catalogue?
thanks again...
Stacy

[OKS]

Jennie, thanks also for your help. I use CLE Math with 3 of my kiddos, and R&S English with the older 2. I started using the R&S Reading for the older 2 this year, but I am not sure it is doing more than comprehension. May I ask why you use R&S 4 and then switch to CLE rather than just starting out with CLE Reading and sticking with it? Again, thanks for sharing what you do!
Stacy

[Julieofsardis]

I did not do anything for literary analysis before grade 7 other than a cursory discussion about setting, character, and maybe plot line. My dd really understands those things just from casual conversation and from the very few book reports that we did. My dd is in 8th grade public school this year and she has just encountered her first book report. She remembered everything she learned last year from LL.

I think kids are absolutely capable of learning those things at a younger age, but I'm just not sure that it's the best use of my time. I have wondered what the things Hewitt's offers in the lower grades are like. I think they are Best ______. Like Best Short Stories, and Best Poems, Best Fairy Tales, etc. I have thought of doing things a little differently with my ds, but I'm not sure what we'll do yet.

[MIch elle]

May I ask why you use R&S 4 and then switch to CLE rather than just starting out with CLE Reading and sticking with it? Stacy

R&S grade 1-4 reading is Bible stories. R&S reading begins with stories in gr. 5 with separate Bible study.


We used CLE readers 1-3 w/o workbooks because I found them to be a lot of writing. CLE reading grades 4-up is 16 weeks of reading which gives time for reading whole books too.

Join the CLE yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christianlightfamilies/)to see samples in the photos section of the group. I highly recommend CLE reading.


Here's what's included in CLE reading 7:

SUNRISE READING 700 – The Road Less Traveled

701
Labeling similes and metaphors
Interpreting similes and metaphors
Identifying the main ideas of paragraphs
Learning to form correct mind pictures from the story
Reviewing alliteration
Working with the Latin word parts
co-, con-, com-, col-
Learning about theme
Learning about imagery in poetry
Studying etymologies of words
Identifying internal and external
conflict
Learning to accept differences in
others
Working with personification
Working with the Latin prefix pro-
Learning to correctly read poetry
Reviewing mood in a poem
Working with humor in a story
Interpreting various dialects
Learning good judgment in reading
Learning about symbols
Working with the Latin word part
trans-
Studying about history and legend
Working with rhyme scheme in poetry
Learning qualities of parables
Thinking about fads
Studying humor in language
Reviewing internal and external conflict
702
Studying various Latin roots
Writing paraphrases
Identifying allusions in a story
Reviewing onomatopoeia
Working with the Greek word auto-
Finding where something is first introduced
Observing characters’ various reactions to a problem
Identifying the conflict
Working with story plot
Determining the importance of story
details to the plot
Thinking about heroes
Marking rhyme scheme
Identifying alliteration
Working with an expanded metaphor
Interpreting the story
Using context clues to define words
Thinking about right and wrong ways
to treat people
Working with the word part uni-
Learning about monologue
Interpreting figures of speech
Working with setting and mood
Determining rhyme scheme
Learning about and writing a parody
Practicing clear thinking
Making inferences
Determining character from speech
and actions
Reviewing static and dynamic characters
Organizing a paragraph in sequence
form
Developing good diction
Choosing words with good connotation
Working with imagery
Marking meter in a poem
Working with the word part peri-
Working with setting and plot
Reviewing conflict, crisis, climax, and
resolution
Writing the story from a different point
of view
703
Classifying related items from the
story
Working with the Greek word part tele-
Writing a basic outline of the story
Choosing correct descriptions of characters
Using context clues to find vocabulary
words
Working with metaphors
Marking rhythm pattern
Using the dictionary
Working with figures of speech
Determining broad and specific setting
Working with conflict and crisis
Finding vivid descriptions
Working with the Greek word phobos
Reviewing expanded metaphor
Interpreting symbols
Thinking about prejudice
Communicating clearly
Determining the reason for happenings
Working with the word part aqua-
Identifying setting and plot
Deciding which details are important to
the plot
Learning to think about what you hear
Writing rhyme scheme
Learning about eye rhyme
Interpreting the poem
Reviewing prejudice
Thinking about personal responsibility
Working with irony
Working with the theme of the reader
704
Reviewing characteristics of parables
Choosing the correct paraphrase
Comparing two similar stories
Classifying items
Working with the Greek word bios-
Making analogies
Learning the difference between imply
and infer
Finding allusions
Interpreting unfamiliar terms
Recognizing faulty thinking
Determining premise and conclusion
Learning about parallels in poetry
Identifying figures of speech
Working with the root word solus
Working with the Greek word part geo-
Working with the Latin word scribere
Identifying premise and conclusion
Learning about four reasoning
fallacies
Working with plot
Interpreting the image in the poem
Marking rhyme scheme
Writing contrasting parallels
Working with the Greek word chronos-
Thinking about fairness
Marking rhythm pattern
Matching synonyms
705
Defining stoop
Reviewing clear thinking
Working with the suffix -ism
Interpreting the metaphor
Learning about free verse
Dividing a poem into stanzas
Identifying faulty thinking
Reviewing conflict
Working with the Greek word micro-
Dividing a poem into stanzas
Writing clear sentences
Thinking about racism
Thinking about slavery
Reviewing irony
Learning about sarcasm
Determining setting
Making inferences
Reviewing premise and conclusion
Reviewing various word parts
Reviewing metered and free verse
Comparing and contrasting characters
Thinking about consequences of sin
Determining the symbol in the story
Choosing synonyms
Finding similes and metaphors
Working with the word part inter-
Considering different points of view
Matching themes with story titles

[MIch elle]

literature helps for the younger grades are only comprehension - am I incorrect in thinking they can go beyond that in Upper elementary, and if so, do you have a suggestion? Stacy

CLE reading 5:

SUNRISE READING 500 – Open Windows

LightUnit 501
Vocabulary words
Cause and effect
Identifying strong, active verbs
Describing story characters
Identifying similes
Defining words from context
Choosing facts to support a statement
Writing progressive degrees of a concept
Working with personification
Proving or disproving statements about a
story
Identifying and interpreting figures of
speech
Completing analogies
Inferring facts not directly stated
Understanding circumstantial evidence
and proof
Defining and using homographs
Understanding the term idiom
Interpreting common idioms
Answering five W questions
Numbering story events in order
Telling what story characters learned from
the way God worked
Listing traits of story characters
Working with rhythm and rhyme scheme
in poetry
LightUnit 502
Working with vocabulary words
Defining words from context
Understanding a proverb
Creating an alternate story title
Identifying character’s feelings
Identifying the most important event in a
story
Completing analogies that have more than
one correct answer
Understanding a nonverbal message
Predicting what happened after the story
Inferring facts not directly stated
Marking poetic rhythm
Using principle and principal
Scanning for answers or topics
Evaluating story characters’ actions
Identifying a story’s main lesson
Understanding the meaning of prejudice
and its foolishness
Identifying a biography
Defining foot as used in poetry
Identifying metrical feet in a poem
Thinking about race prejudice
Working with synonyms
Marking rhythm in a poem
LightUnit 503
Working with vocabulary words
Inferring facts not directly stated
Telling what could have happened
Identifying main ideas and summaries
Describing story characters
Identifying a characters fears and hardships
Learning about other inventions of
Benjamin Franklin
Marking poetic rhythm and meter
Working with perfect and imperfect rhyme
Numbering unstated events in order
Identifying figures of speech
Defining and identifying metaphors
Finding evidence to support statements
Outlining a simple story plot
Explaining a figure of speech
Identifying metaphors, similes, and personification
Defining words from their context
Suggesting others whom the sinking of the
Titanic would have affected
Comparing a poem and a story
Identifying main ideas of paragraphs
Explaining the meanings of sentences
Understanding conflict, internal conflict,
and external conflict
Identifying areas of conflict in the story
LightUnit 504: Out in Nature
Working with vocabulary words
Identifying cause and effect
Identifying the story purpose and details
that further the story purpose
Working with guide words
Using the dictionary
Finding metaphors in the Bible
Inferring facts not directly stated
Defining biography
Identifying a metaphor in a poem
Scanning to locate facts
Writing an essay imagining he is Peter
walking on the water
Identifying a metaphor from the story
Defining words from their context
Marking the rhyme scheme of a poem
Writing another title for the story
Making a prediction
Categorizing natural resources
Naming reference books needed to find
answers to given questions
Identifying hints of how a character will act
Defining free verse
Identifying main ideas, story lessons, and
summaries of stories
Completing a poetic couplet
Reading about KJV Bible
Rewriting KJV phrases in modern English
Identifying characters, setting, external
and internal conflict in the story
Understanding a character’s actions
Imagining what might have happened
LightUnit 505
Working with vocabulary words.
Understanding story characters’ actions
and feelings
Describing story characters
Working with main idea, story lesson, and
summary
Thinking about idle words
Working with personification
Making a simple outline of a story
Categorizing words
Explaining an idiom
Identifying emotions as shown by words
Interpreting figures of speech
Defining circumstantial evidence
Scanning for answers
Imagining details not given
Imagining story characters’ feelings and
explaining possible reasons for their
actions
Telling what might have happened
Defining words from their context
Inferring facts not directly stated
Identifying similes
Choosing exact, specific verbs to replace
weak ones
Learning the term epigram

[OKS]

A week ago, I was totally stressed about this... thanks for giving me this info, I feel like I have some direction now. So, can I ask you some details?

I have a 2nd grader... I am thinking next year (3rd grade)starting R&S English (like I did my other 2), but keeping reading on whole books, discussing and writing summaries, and then adding CLE Reading in grade 4, with part of the year for whole books - sound ok? or does skipping CLE 3 make it difficult?

I have a 5th grader... she is currently finishing the 4th grade R&S readers (I started them halfway through the year last year). I have added some whole books for her to read, but not much - which I don't like. Based on your experience, should I pull R&S, put her in CLE 5th as soon as I can; or wait till next year and put her in CLE 6th with whole book studies filling out the year?

Finally, I have a 7th grader.. and I did not do right by this kid! He loves to read, and he has read a lot of books, writtten book reports, etc., till this year. I started him on R&S Reading this year... for some reason I started him on level 5 - I think it seemed where he was at based on the Scope & Sequence. I also planned on using the Covenant Home Curriculum Readers Guide with Robinson Crusoe and Captains Courageous. I knew he needed structure, but I am not happy with where he is at. I love Lightning Lit after looking at the samples. Again, based on your experience, should I immediately go to LL7 and CLE 7 and pull the plug on my "plan"?

One other, slightly related, question... I know R&S Grammar is supposed to give them writing instruction, but quite honestly, we are in R&S 7 and I still don't see it. I have been thinking of starting a writing program, something like Writing Strands with all of them, but wonder if maybe I am just jumping the gun and I should wait R&S out.

Sorry about dumping every ounce of anxiety about this on you... thanks for the help!
OKS

[mamaof2andtwins]

Jennie, thanks also for your help. I use CLE Math with 3 of my kiddos, and R&S English with the older 2. I started using the R&S Reading for the older 2 this year, but I am not sure it is doing more than comprehension. May I ask why you use R&S 4 and then switch to CLE rather than just starting out with CLE Reading and sticking with it? Again, thanks for sharing what you do!
Stacy


Sure you may ask. First, I didn't know about CLE reading when I started teaching. I just came across CLE about 3 years ago when I needed to change from R&S English to something else. A friend let me look over her light units and I was pleased. I was already using R&S to teach the twins to read and didn't see a need to switch.

Secondly, I use R&S to cover Bible history. Nowhere else have my children learning the kings of Judah and the history of Israel. I am really struggling getting through R&S with my last child. She is just finishing unit 3 of 3rd grade and we have 2 more units to go in 3rd grade and at least 1 in 4th grade. I may just do the book of Acts in the 4th grade reader.

It would be nice if you could blend the content of R&S with the set up of CLE in the first 4 grades.

Jennie

[mamaof2andtwins]

A week ago, I was totally stressed about this... thanks for giving me this info, I feel like I have some direction now. So, can I ask you some details?

I have a 2nd grader... I am thinking next year (3rd grade)starting R&S English (like I did my other 2), but keeping reading on whole books, discussing and writing summaries, and then adding CLE Reading in grade 4, with part of the year for whole books - sound ok? or does skipping CLE 3 make it difficult?

I put one of my twins in the 4th grade CLE reader after finishing the section on Acts in the R&S 4th grade reader and she did fine. She has even stepped up to all the writing. So, skipping CLE 3 made no difference to us.

I have a 5th grader... she is currently finishing the 4th grade R&S readers (I started them halfway through the year last year). I have added some whole books for her to read, but not much - which I don't like. Based on your experience, should I pull R&S, put her in CLE 5th as soon as I can; or wait till next year and put her in CLE 6th with whole book studies filling out the year?

I would see no problem with putting her right into CLE 5 after finishing (or deciding you are finished) with R&S 4th grade. Honestly, my kids can't handle past Acts, so we end. Even if you put her in CLE 5 you can still alternate each light unit with a chapter book.

Finally, I have a 7th grader.. and I did not do right by this kid! He loves to read, and he has read a lot of books, writtten book reports, etc., till this year. I started him on R&S Reading this year... for some reason I started him on level 5 - I think it seemed where he was at based on the Scope & Sequence. I also planned on using the Covenant Home Curriculum Readers Guide with Robinson Crusoe and Captains Courageous. I knew he needed structure, but I am not happy with where he is at. I love Lightning Lit after looking at the samples. Again, based on your experience, should I immediately go to LL7 and CLE 7 and pull the plug on my "plan"?

I am not familiar wit he Covenant Home Curriculum Readers, so I cannot speak to that, but I would vote for using CLE 7 and LL7. Actually you could just get CLE 7 and then read novels. I have abandoned parts of LL7 and LL8 because they were not quite meeting my needs. I though the comprehension questions were rather shallow, mostly literal level questions. The writing exercises are good, but I am dealing with a nonwriter in my oldest.

One other, slightly related, question... I know R&S Grammar is supposed to give them writing instruction, but quite honestly, we are in R&S 7 and I still don't see it. I have been thinking of starting a writing program, something like Writing Strands with all of them, but wonder if maybe I am just jumping the gun and I should wait R&S out.

I also did not think R&S had enough writing. I do not like Writing Strands though. I would definitely suggest adding something for writing. We have had to go back to basics here and work on paragraph writing. I did my own plans for this as I didn't find anything that fit the bill for me.

Jennie

[MIch elle]

I have a 2nd grader... I am thinking next year (3rd grade)starting R&S English (like I did my other 2), but keeping reading on whole books, discussing and writing summaries, and then adding CLE Reading in grade 4, with part of the year for whole books - sound ok? or does skipping CLE 3 make it difficult?

I have a 5th grader... she is currently finishing the 4th grade R&S readers (I started them halfway through the year last year). I have added some whole books for her to read, but not much - which I don't like. Based on your experience, should I pull R&S, put her in CLE 5th as soon as I can; or wait till next year and put her in CLE 6th with whole book studies filling out the year?

Finally, I have a 7th grader.. and I did not do right by this kid! He loves to read, and he has read a lot of books, writtten book reports, etc., till this year. I started him on R&S Reading this year... for some reason I started him on level 5 - I think it seemed where he was at based on the Scope & Sequence. I also planned on using the Covenant Home Curriculum Readers Guide with Robinson Crusoe and Captains Courageous. I knew he needed structure, but I am not happy with where he is at. I love Lightning Lit after looking at the samples. Again, based on your experience, should I immediately go to LL7 and CLE 7 and pull the plug on my "plan"?

One other, slightly related, question... I know R&S Grammar is supposed to give them writing instruction, but quite honestly, we are in R&S 7 and I still don't see it. I have been thinking of starting a writing program, something like Writing Strands with all of them, but wonder if maybe I am just jumping the gun and I should wait R&S out.

OKS

We used CLE readers 1-3. During that time, I bought CLE reading gr. 2 workbooks for 1 of the books and thought it was too much writing (still have them) and never used them.

When my oldest was in 7th gr. we tried LL&C 7 and found it not to our liking - too light. I found CLE reading 7 after using CLE readers for years! The workbooks were just what I was looking for in a comprehensive reading program. He began with CLE reading 7 never having used the workbooks. We tried to do LL&C 7 and CLE reading 7 but it didn't work for us because I wanted to pick more interesting books than LL&C 7 used. He and I learned so much using CLE reading 7 & 8 before he attended high school this year.

My younger ds start with CLE reading 4. Did CLE reading 5 and has yet to begin CLE reading 6.

Both dc did fine starting CLE reading at their level. CLE reading is challenging! It takes much more work in reading than my boys were used to, but it's GOOD for them. :001_tt2:

Starting CLE reading in grades 5 or 6 is a fine place to begin. Do whatever works for your budget. ;)

R&S English writing instruction is excellent! It's in there, but it's not enough. We use IEW history based writing (http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/index.php?q=catalog/theme-based-writing)in addition to R&S English.

My older ds is beginning his first essay on Romeo & Juliet and his English teacher gave a hand-out that concisely summaries what R&S English teaches for composition instruction. After reading the hand out, I said to him last night, "Does this sound familiar from R&S English?" Topic sentence, unity & coherence, etc. :D

[OKS]

January seems like a good time to make changes... you ladies are awesome! Thanks for willingly sharing your experiences and opinions; I have hope for reading/literature... and a little validated that although R&S writing instruction is solid, it's just not scheduled frequently enough. Heavy sigh of relief over here... thanks so much!
OKS