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My daughter is going to be 5th grade this year and we're using Creation to Christ. We've been very relaxed in our language programs in the past, but this year we're going to use the Rod and Staff language as recommended in CtC. I read that we should start with level 4 because she hasn't used it before.

I also read that CtC only uses half the Language book.

This would mean that next year, she'll be in 6th grade but still finishing Level 4 Language.

Should I have her do 2 lessons a day in the Language so she's done with Level 4 this year? Would that be really time-consuming?

I think doing 2 lessons a day would be time consuming even if you did them mostly oral which is what Carrie and Julie recommend. I also think it might feel overwhelming to your dd. I think I would be more tempted to do Grammar every day. It will add some time to your day on the 2 days that is isn't really scheduled, but only about 20 minutes.

I am in a similar position with my dd. I chose Rod and Staff 4 because my dd hadn't had much writing instruction. She enjoys writing, but I could see where improvements could easily be made with some quality lessons. She did well with the grammar instruction with CLE last year, but there was little separate writing. I wanted my dd to go through the lessons with the added writing. I am doing a lesson per day. We've just begun, so I can't comment on the extra time, but doing most of the lesson orally with a dry-erase board definitely speeds things up compared to the workbook method. My dd is used to grammar being part of her daily routine. I looked at both the level 4 and level 5 books, and decided that the writing instruction in 4 would be the best place to start my dd in the Rod and Staff series.

I think you'll be right on schedule to just do the Rod and Staff as is. We did half of R&S 4 last year with CtC, and will be finishing it this year with RtR. My son is a "6th grader" this year. (CtC and RtR are the only guides where the English is taken at a slower pace.) Then for 7th, he'll do R&S 5. In 8th, he'll do R&S 6. HOD reccommends completing Rod and Staff 6 by 8th grade as their 7th and 8th levels are high school credit worthy. So, it seems to me that you'll be right on track with what is reccommended.

Kathleen