Nuclear Meltdown and Change of Plans for English/Language Arts

Week One and I'm changing our English curriculum after The Meltdown Heard Around the World. 

I switched our line-up to Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts along with Writing with Ease 3 and Spelling Workout F.  

Here's the link to Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts at Royal Fireworks Press.

This is literally the world's most expensive language arts curriculum, but I already own several levels, so I was able to dig it out of the bookcase and show him the books.  He apparently liked the idea of fish and pelicans teaching him the parts of speech, because hey, filling out a grammar workbook page is too simple.  We tried the program out this week and he really likes it.  I had to shelf Daily Grams 6 and Wordly Wise 3000.  Apparently, traditional workbooks are not for him, so for everyone's safety and mental health, the workbooks have magically vanished.

 I also had to buy a higher level of Spelling Workout to match his spelling level.  So, we are going to start Spelling Workout F, which is 6th grade spelling.  

We have completed the first week of Writing with Ease 3 and he seems to tolerate it.  He is having a hard time summarizing and condensing his narrations into 2-3 sentences, so I'm glad WWE3 is covering that skill.  He basically retells the entire story when he does a narration.  I will probably continue with Writing with Skill 1 next year.

All of our other subjects are going well.  Saxon Math is shockingly going well (I never would've guessed that one).

Switching Our English/Language Arts

 I unfortunately have to redo our English/Language Arts plan.  

I gave the fifth grader a reading level test last week and he is testing at an early 7th grade level.  I have him in the 5th-6th grade McGuffey Reader.  I'm looking at the McGuffey Fourth Eclectic Reader (which is around a 6th-7th grade reading level) and the print is very small and light.  With his dyslexia, that print is going to be too difficult for him to read well.  

We are almost finished with Queen's Language Lessons for the Elementary Child.  That workbook was perfect for him a year ago as a struggling reader.  Now, I feel like he needs something more rigorous.  I bought a used copy of 6th Grade Voyages in English (a textbook used in Catholic private schools).

We are continuing with copywork and dictation for now.  I feel like there's something missing here, though.  He's not doing spelling, because we are learning spelling through copywork/dictation.  

I think my plan will be:

• Voyages in English 6
• Independent reading
• Copywork/dictation
• Finish Handwriting without Tears' Cursive Success  

I feel like that should be enough English/LA for an advanced fifth grader.  

Math is another issue I need to look at.  I realized after looking at math textbooks that he is on a 6th grade math level also.  I don't know if I need to beef up math.

A Great Post on Teaching Language Arts without Curriculum

 "The Fox and the Grapes: A Mini Unit Study" - a blog post from www.diyhomeschooler.com 

https://diyhomeschooler.com/the-fox-and-the-grapes-a-mini-unit/

I thought these were interesting step-by-step instructions on how to teach grammar, writing and spelling using literature (without a curriculum).

Revised Language Arts Plan for 4th Grade

 We spent a month on Masterbooks' Language Arts (3rd grade level) and only reached Day 10 in the workbook.  Also, that was the worst tears/frustration my dyslexic 4th grader has ever had with schoolwork.  So, we dropped Masterbooks on Monday and I spent the week coming up with a new plan.

Here's my plan for the school year.

Reading and Spelling

• Barton Reading and Spelling (we're in level 3)
• Lexile level readers from the library

Handwriting 

• Handwriting without Tears Cursive

Grammar

• Reading through the Brian Cleary grammar books + some homemade grammar exercises that I'm going to put on the dry erase board once a week (exercises based on the books we read)
• A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink.  What is a Noun?
• A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime.  More About Nouns.
• To Root, to Toot, to Parachute.  What is a Verb?
• Slide and Slurp, Scratch and Burp.  More About Verbs.
• I and You and Don't Forget Who.  What is a Pronoun?
• Hairy, Scary, Ordinary.  What is an Adjective?
• Dearly, Nearly Insincerely.  What is an Adverb?
• Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally.  More About Adverbs.
• But and For, Yet and Nor.  What is a Conjunction?
• I'm and Won't, They're and Don't.  What is a Contraction?
• Cool, Whoa, Ah and Oh.  What is an Interjection?
• Under, Over, By the Clover.  What is a Preposition?
• Straight and Curvy, Meek and Nervy.  More About Antonyms.
• We're going to watch the grammar songs/videos from Schoolhouse Rock.
• Schoolhouse Rock/Grammar Rock Videos (on Youtube)
• "A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing"
• "Verb, that's what's Happening"
• "Conjunction Junction"
• "Interjections"
• "Unpack Your Adjectives"
• "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here"
• "Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla"
• "Busy Prepositions"
• "The Tale of Mr. Morton"

Writing

• Bravewriter (The Writer's Jungle)

Homeschool Day 6/11

 12th Grader

• All-day Ballet Camp

4th Grader

Sonlight D (history, Bible and literature)

• The Corn Grows Ripe
• Luther's Catechism for Kids

Reading/Language Arts

• Barton Reading & Spelling
• Bravewriter
• Freewriting - which HE LOVED!!!

Math

• IXL 4th Grade Math Workbook
• Beast Academy

Art

• Artistic Pursuits
• Lines & drawing

French

• We rewatched the rainforest animals video (French with Mr. Innes)

Update on Language Arts

• I dropped Masterbooks Language Arts after Monday's meltdown where he hid under a chair 
• I put together a new LA plan and it is going so much better
• My new language arts plan:
• Barton Reading & Spelling
• Lexile readers from the library (he's reading Commander Toad right now)
• Bravewriter (writing program)
• Brian Cleary's grammar books (what is a noun, verb, pronoun, etc)
• He loved the freewriting exercise and the Brian Cleary book about nouns

Struggling with Masterbooks Language Arts (and dyslexia)

For fourth grade language arts, we are using Barton Reading and Spelling (a program specifically for dyslexics), Handwriting without Tears, readers from the library and Masterbooks' Language Lessons for a Living Education 3.  

My son does really well with Barton Reading.  It's boring and you have to win the lottery to be able to afford it, but he's progressing in his reading and spelling.  And the font is great for dyslexia.  Barton uses larger, bold text and my son does so much better reading with text that is larger and more pronounced.  The exercises with the wooden tiles are also very helpful.

Handwriting without Tears Cursive = so far, so good.  You can't go wrong there.

He's reading Commander Toad and the Intergalactic Spy (a library book) and he's able to read almost every word.  It's a big confidence booster.  Commander Toad and the Intergalactic Spy is about a 590 Lexile, so maybe a late 2nd grade reading level...

He is seriously struggling with Masterbooks' language arts.  I think this curriculum might be ok for a student with mild dyslexia, but I don't know if my son will be capable of continuing it, even using it a grade below his.  I'm not real happy about this, because it was relatively expensive and I don't like to curriculum-hop.  But, he's not going to learn anything or enjoy learning if he's crying during language arts.  He's very resilient and used to struggling in everything, so if he reaches the point where he's crying, something is really wrong.  

I'm at a loss as to what language arts program would work for my son.  I'm considering putting together a language arts program for him from scratch.  

Googling language arts + dyslexia doesn't seem to be helpful, either.  There are lots of reading programs for dyslexic students, but I don't see any writing and grammar programs for dyslexic students.   

I don't feel like just learning to read is enough at this point, though.  He needs a bit of writing and grammar instruction, especially at his age.