Choosing Language Arts programs
Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:36 pm
I would tend to go with TLP, only because you choose a specific book and read the whole thing, rather than excerpts.
I am a big fan of Spalding (WRTR is the manual for the Spalding Method). It teaches children to read by teaching them to spell, and also includes penmanship, basic capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing. I especially like the part that it's everything in one fell swoop, your whole English course.
Phonics Pathways is very good, too, but you do have to add penmanship and writing and all.
Spalding has a learning curve. You will need to study the manual for two or three weeks before you can begin teaching. Remember that a *beginning* Spalding class is over 30 hours. Once you're actually teaching, there's no prep work or anything; it's just the front end that takes time. It's worth it, of course; you just should be prepared for it.
And you can do Spalding with all of your children, regardless of their ages. Spalding is infinitely flexible that way.