Homeschool World Forum

[fraidycat]

Hello,

I am brand new and gearing up to get started homeschooling my two kids after the Christmas break. I've been online searching curriculum choices and reviews until my head has just about exploded from all the options.

Anyway, I've narrowed down my choices and would like a little feedback or pros/cons from anyone who has tried/used either or both of the these program options for each of my kids.

For my 4th grader DD, I have narrowed it down to:

Learning Language Arts through Literature
OR
Total Language Plus


For my kindergartener:

The Writing Road to Reading
OR
Phonics Pathways/Reading Pathways

I really need to get my DS on a phonics system soon, so I might start him afterschooling sooner than Christmas break. He's learning to "read" at school, a.k.a. memorize words, and I want to get him going in the right direction ASAP. He WANTS to read his bedtime stories too, so I try to toss a little bit of phonics in, but I could/should be doing more.

[elliemaejune]

Both LLATL and TLP are good.

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.
_________________
Married to Mr. Ellie for over 30 years
Mother to 2 dds and 2 dsil
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[fraidycat]

Thank you.