Learning Language Arts Through Literature

[Tutor]

My 7yo went from struggling reader to voracious reader in about 3 months, so I am looking for a language arts program that involves a lot of reading but is all inclusive to cut-down on prep for me. LLATL appealed to me since it includes reading, grammar, vocab, spelling and writing in one program, but I know very little about it.

If you've used it, could you let me know what you think? TIA

Oh, and his handwriting is still very rocky, so is it a program that would provide handwriting practice while allowing me to adapt it to verbal answers if he gets overwhelmed with the writing?

[ncmomo3]

I used it for a year for a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grader. It is not strong in grammar. You definitely could do many of the exercises verbally. It also starts each lesson(weekly if I remember) with dictation or you could use it for copy work. It is a very gentle approach with very little to no prep. on your part, but it wasn't a good fit for us. HTH

[Ellie]

you could use LLATL, but I'm thinking what he mostly needs is access to lots and lots of books that he can just read for the sake of reading, not as part of grammar and writing and all that stuff.

I like the idea of LLATL but it just never appealed to me enough to do it. I also thought it looked weak in grammar. However, I have read comments from many people who have used LLATL through high school, with no supplementing, whose dc have done wonderfully well in college and beyond.

It couldn't hurt to try it for a year, as he's so young.

And be sure he has a library card :-)

[Kate CA]

My 7yo went from struggling reader to voracious reader in about 3 months, so I am looking for a language arts program that involves a lot of reading but is all inclusive to cut-down on prep for me. LLATL appealed to me since it includes reading, grammar, vocab, spelling and writing in one program, but I know very little about it.

If you've used it, could you let me know what you think? TIA

Oh, and his handwriting is still very rocky, so is it a program that would provide handwriting practice while allowing me to adapt it to verbal answers if he gets overwhelmed with the writing?

You also might look into Total Language Plus (http://www.totallanguageplus.com/). I had my son do the earliest one, The Courage of Sarah Noble and he learned a nice amount of grammar, had lots of handwriting practice as well as spelling, vocabulary, sequencing, and questions about the text. We were very pleased.

I also noticed a new company last week called http://www.queenhomeschool.com/ that has a lovely Language Lessons curriculum.

HTH!
Warmly,
Kate

[MIch elle]

language arts inludes spelling, handwriting, and grammar.

[Tutor]

I was planning on having him read, read, read, read, read, but I was also planning on starting him in spelling and he is already doing grammar and handwriting with other programs. I was just hoping that maybe I could find a single program that would allow me to cover all of those subjects with less prep on my part since he's my third, and there are other things I'd like to plan but don't have the time for. I stumbled across LLATL and thought maybe it would fit the bill but didn't know anything about it.

I think I am going to just go with what we've been doing, and I'll try to see if I can streamline the prep some more. Thanks for all of your help.