Rod and Staff English Question

[momtofive]

We are new to HOD this coming year. I have actually just received my boxes today and feel like it's Christmas!!! I just LOVE the books and am so excited to start using them this fall. I do have a question, as I haven't ordered the R&S English yet. I need to find out where exactly to place my sons. I have heard that you can do them at half speed, and that they are advanced. My boys have used A Beka Language and Phonics in the past and have a good grasp of these skills. Would I place them in the corresponding grade/book (for example, fifth grader in English 5, and third grader in English 3)? I need to know, as I already mentioned above, I haven't ordered these yet and don't want to order the wrong one and have them be frustrated. The catalog I have doesn't really give me a clear view of the depth they go into.

Thank you, for any help!

In Christ,

Lisa

[momtofive]

I know, I know, I'm replying to my own question! I just thought I would post a little more info. I did go online to R&S and looked around a bit more on what is covered in each of the levels. There are a few things in the second grade level that my son's books did not cover from last year. So I need to know now, if I should get him the second grade book or the third grade book? Maybe the third grade book would cover those things as a review? I'm just not sure and I really don't want to make things hard for him. Last years materials didn't really explain things well and that left he and I both frustrated. I really like what I'm seeing in the R&S english books, but just need to figure out which level is the best for him.

Thanks again,

Lisa

[Kathleen]

Lisa,

I've only used levels 2 & 3 of R&S so far, but I can tell you about that (and what I think I know). I used Abeka's language for my son in 2nd grade, and then we did R&S 2 the following year with Bigger for "3rd grade". I know that he remembered a lot more from doing R&S. It wasn't difficult at all at that level. But R&S does pick up speed quickly. This year for "4th grade" (when he was 9) in Preparing he's done R&S 3. It was a good fit. HOD takes R&S at half-speed for the next 2 guides (CTC and RTR) alternating with the writing programs they schedule and the other LA in the guide. This is to prevent grammar burnout in the middle grades. So, we'll be doing R&S 4 during "5th & 6th grades". Then we'll do R&S 5 in 7th and R&S 6 in 8th. This will put us ready for high school level grammar. I know that Carrie reccommends completing R&S 6 by 8th grade...and we'll be right there. Does that help you??

What levels of Abeka are you completing...and which HOD guides will you be jumping into?

Kathleen

[momtofive]

Kathleen,

Thank you so much for answering my question. I appreciate it. You basicly have the same scenario as me. My son just completed the A Beka second grade Language 2 and Letters and Sounds 2. I did notice when looking at R&S Samples that their second grade book covers nouns and verbs and my son has not had any coverage of that this year. I was afraid if I put him in R&S 3 that they will assume the student knows that and move along. I don't want to put him in that situation. He is already a hesitant learner (a.k.a. ~hates phonics/language ). I am hoping that it was just the material we used before. I have discovered this year that his learning style is completely different than what we've been trying to do with him, and it isn't working. It's a big change for us, but I truly believe that HOD is the curriculum that will suit his needs. I have been in much prayer over this situation, and feel that God has led us to HOD. This last year of school was probably the hardest I've had, and I only wish I had gone with HOD sooner. But at least we can start now.

This coming August we will be using CTC for my fifth grader, Beyond for my third and first graders and LHTH for my four and two year olds.
Thanks for your help.

In Christ,

Lisa

[Kathleen]

If I were you, I'd go with R&S 4 for your oldest and follow the plans in the CTC guide for that. (It will last you 2 years.)

I'd do R&S 2 with the 3rd grader, and just use a lesson per day. We did most of it orally. We read the little lesson, then did about 2/3 of the lesson orally or with me writing the answers as he told me on a marker board (if the writing was important to see). Then I let him finish the rest of the lesson (about 1/3) on the markerboard and I checked it before we erased. (For some reason the markerboard was WAY more fun that paper... We had a small one about the size of a sheet of paper.) He was also anti-writing at that stage of the game and did NOT enjoy Abeka the previous year. He did great with English though...and it was very painless! (For both of us! ) This year he's enjoyed R&S 3, too. (And now writes on paper. ) We've done a lot of diagramming and going through level 2 1st was the thing to do for us. It would NOT have been as painless if I'd jumped into level 3 the previous year.
By the way, you should just need the student text book for level 2. I wouldn't get the Bigger guide to schedule it either - unless you're using the Bigger guide for some other schedules like math or the dictation. Then you can just use the schedule there. From level 3 up, the teacher's book for R&S has some helpful oral review that I'd use, but that's not in level 2 and I didn't find the teacher's book necessary for that level.

I'd use Beyond as-is for your 1st grader. It has some gentle grammar lessons on Day 5 of each unit in the guide.

Kathleen