Christian Light Reading... can you tell me more?

[TMarie]

I'd love to hear some opinions on the Christian Light Reading program. http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1234857159-352240&subject=6&category=934
How much time per week does this program take?
Will we really learning about Literature? (whatever that means :001_huh:, I was a science major and need some serious help with teaching LA.)
Do I want the Teacher Guidebook? Is it necessary? Is it helpful?

Also, am I crazy to consider a separate Lit. program? We are using TOG and doing a ton of reading for history. My kids are UG, LG, D. All the lit discussions really seem to start at the R level. (we have a lit worksheet weekly but I don't feel my kids are learning much about literature from these.)

[mamaof2andtwins]

We use CLE reading for 4th grade and up. Which grades did you think you would be using it for? I can't answer how it would work with TOG because I do not use that program.

To use the program you will need the reader, the LightUnits, and the answer key. There is no necessity or benefit in having the teacher guide book that I have found.

I am not sure what you mean by, "Will we be really learning about literature?" CLE teaches vocabulary, literary elements (conflict, character, setting, other terms, etc.), word origins and roots, comprehension, and poetry.

My children do a lesson per day. It takes about 30 minutes or so to do a lesson. We alternate using a LightUnit with studying a full length book.

Jennie

[GreenKitty]

CLE Reading is a reading/workbook program which covers 15 weeks. This program covers many areas, poetry, scripture, non-fiction, fiction, historical fiction, literary terms, vocabulary, reading comprehension, character etc. The guides have the writing lesson in them and further readings for each lightunit, though I feel the program can be used without the guide. These are inexpensive enough to try out, also you could join the yahoo group as well for more info. HTH We've enjoyed using them.

[MIch elle]

to teach many things in one easy package: literary elements, vocabulary, criticial thinking & more; and the stories/poems are good too!

CLE reading 8 includes:

SUNRISE READING 800 – Where Roads Diverge

801
Analyzing story characters
Working with the Latin word roots
annus, quattuor, and junctum
Identifying setting in a story
Defining and identifying foreshadowing
Identifying figurative language:
metaphor, personification, simile
Understanding and identifying allusions
Considering the results of respecting
older people
Understanding and identifying conflict
Relating characters’ actions to “where
roads diverge”
Understanding what an essay is
Identifying the theme of an essay and
a story
Interpreting unusual figures of speech
Rewriting a passage to eliminate a figure of speech
Identifying the lessons taught in a
fable
Identifying the theme of a fable
Identifying paraphrases
Paraphrasing passages
Identifying personification
Extracting lessons from characters’
mistakes and examples
Identifying the parts of plot: conflict,
crisis, climax, resolution
Labeling a plot map for a story
Understanding and identifying prejudice in story characters
Identifying a strategy for avoiding
wrong judging
Interpreting symbolism in literature
Considering anger as a response to
stimuli
Considering and identifying satire
Identifying the main ideas of paragraphs
Writing the main idea of a paragraph
Interpreting a metaphor from a
Scripture verse
Gaining information from letters, dialogue, and narrative
Identifying allusions
Comparing a character’s situation to a
Bible character’s
Identifying the main points of stanzas
of poetry
Identifying summaries of stanzas of
poetry
Marking the rhyme scheme of a poem
Identifying eye rhyme
Contrasting two characters
Interpreting the meaning of a poem
Applying the message of a poem to
life
802
Identifying first- and third-person narrators
Considering how point of view helps
develop a story
Identifying characters as static or
dynamic
Identifying a selection as romantic or
realistic
Identifying the theme of a selection
Determining the likely veracity of statements
Analyzing a poem’s structure
Identifying beautiful language in a poem
Working with the Latin roots jactum and
dentis
Identifying the possible varying sides of
a story
Interpreting description
Analyzing character in relation to
‘‘where roads diverge”
Analyzing how characters took responsibility
Analyzing setting
Identifying foreshadowing
Applying principles from the story to life
Interpreting passages from an essay
Inferring from the essay
Identifying onomatopoeia
Marking the rhyme scheme of a poem
Identifying similes
Identifying a paradox
Interpreting poetry
Comparing a poem and an essay
Identifying mood-creating words in a
poem
Telling why the first person to declare
his cause usually seems right
Understanding unity in a poem
Writing an additional stanza for a poem
Marking meter in a poem
Learning the term iamb
Identifying the thesis of an essay
Identifying examples that support the
thesis
Identifying the double meaning of a title
Working with the French root para
Comparing characters’ actions to
Scripture passages
Determining character traits from actions
Interpreting symbols in a story
Using context clues to determine word
meanings
Identifying the elements of setting
Interpreting and applying Bible verses
Identifying an allusion
Identifying proper response to life situations
803
Identifying a story frame
Telling how a character obeyed a Bible
command
Telling how someone could have better
obeyed a command
Defining denotation and connotation
Identifying the denotation and connotation of words
Identifying the climax of a story
Determining the broad setting of a story
Working with the Greek roots biblos
and philos
Identifying reasons for characters’ feelings
Interpreting figurative language
Describing how different views of the
same thing can be both right and
wrong
Choosing the most likely correct view of
an incident
Identifying the lesson taught by folktales
Describing the characteristics of folktales
Comparing two versions of a folktale
Determining word meanings from context clues
Inferring details from the story
Identifying character qualities from
characters’ actions
Paraphrasing text from the story
Interpreting an allegory
Summarizing a list of items
Identifying a statement that best states
the idea of a number of statements
Interpreting symbolism
Describing the results of jealousy and
envy
Analyzing characters’ actions in light of
“where roads diverge”
Identifying irony
Thinking clearly about disagreements
Tracing the internal conflict in a story
Identifying a character as static or
dynamic
Working with the Latin root centum
Understanding the reasons for a character’s actions
Identifying an allusion
Understanding stereotypes
Identifying indications of prejudice
Explaining the irony in a statement
Applying a verse to the story
Paraphrasing a poem
Interpreting symbolism in a poem
Identifying the main idea of a stanza of
poetry
Learning the term anecdote
Identifying the keyword in an anecdote
804
Identifying problem-solving skills
Identifying actions that show persistence, observation, and understanding
Identifying protagonist and antagonist
Relating setting to mood
Identifying character traits from actions
Identifying the elements of plot: conflict,
climax, resolution
Working with the Greek root hydro
Analyzing a character’s actions in light
of ‘‘where roads diverge”
Explaining how “talk leads to penury”
Identifying the resolution of the story
Determining word meanings from context clues
Paraphrasing lines of poetry
Explaining the poem title
Identifying mood or atmosphere of stanzas of poetry
Identifying the theme of a poem
Matching paraphrases to lines of poetry
Completing two parodies of a poem
Identifying four types of fallacies in
thinking
Marking rhyme scheme and rhythm
Identifying alliteration in a poem
Identifying the moral
Paraphrasing a verse
Working with the Latin roots terra and
pedis
Identifying unfair judgments
Determining character by observing
actions
Identifying couplets
Identifying refrains
Telling how a refrain affects the mood
of a poem
Identifying irony
Identifying the theme of several verses
Matching a popular saying to a proverb
from Proverbs
Explaining the meaning of unusual
phrases
Identifying foreshadowing
Analyzing character in light of the story
verse
Noting the descriptive language used to
describe setting
Inferring details from the story
Matching figures of speech to their
meanings
Describing aspects of the story setting
Explaining characters’ actions
805
Determining meanings of words from
context clues
Inferring details from the story
Analyzing characters’ actions in light of
“where roads diverge”
Understanding the historical background and setting
Identifying four types of fallacious thinking
Comparing and contrasting two characters
Considering how others can stereotype
you and your family
Relating setting and mood
Identifying the double plot of a story
Identifying the theme of a story
Considering the effect of one’s actions
on others
Matching lines of poetry to paraphrases
Identifying the theme of a poem
Paraphrasing lines of poetry
Matching lines of poetry to anecdotes
that illustrate them
Identifying foreshadowing
Determining character from actions
Identifying how different characters
would respond
Identifying “victim” and “overcomer”
responses
Identifying how characters obeyed a
Bible commandment
Defining parallel
Identifying three types of parallelism in
Hebrew poetry
Identifying the meanings of stanzas of
poetry
Identifying an implication of the poem
Identifying the part of the plot
Working with the theme of the story
Identifying a character as an “overcomer” or a “victim”
Identifying protagonists, antagonist, and
conflicts
Explaining irony in story events
Drawing lessons from story events

Join the CLE yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/christianlightfamilies/)to see samples inthe "Photo" section of the group. ALso the full scope & seq. chart is in the files.

[Tami]

but simply use the reader for devotional-type, Godly reading. My dd loves it, and it is a great way to build a Christian worldview. We don't use it for literary analysis or for literature at all.

[blessed2fosteradopt]

I am considering using it for my son next year. I just purchased the reader, teacher's manual and answer key from the yahoo group for a very good price. You might want to join the group for more information. They also have some samples posted.

Good luck with your decision.

[TMarie]

Thanks everyone for responding!
I will definitely take a look at the yahoo group.

Wow-wee, MIch elle! Now that's what I'm talking about. ;)

[razorbackmama]

I have used both CLE and TOG. I greatly prefer CLE.

[titianmom]

Best I've used. And we've used a couple of 'em. Their entire programe (Reading and LA) is the best and very reasonable. My daughter has learned more over the past 6-8 mths than she's learned in the past few years. Highly recommend.
TM

...FYI, their math is great, also. It's spiral similar to Saxon only a lot less expensive. Very thorough.

[TracyR]

I really like their reading program. But if you ask my daughter she'll tell you otherwise. LOL.
I agree already with what the other ladies here have already said.
If you want to use it for literary studies and analysis you NEED the Light Units to go with it. Otherwise you just have a book. The reader ONLY contains the stories and that's it. Any questions for the program are in the Light Units.