Rod & Staff - is anything else included?

[NicoleJ]

Hi All!

Just wondering: I see that HOD includes R&S as their main LA spine. Just wondering: are there any other things sheduled or written in for you to use or do to add to the R&S for English? So, for eg, are there any other creative writing assignments, or other fun activites written for you to do, or is it just plainly the R&S book to do a page or two of a day?

Thanks!! Nicole

[Carrie]

Nicole,

Rod and Staff just comprises the grammar portion of HOD, so depending on which HOD guide you use, the other aspects of language arts are covered in full.

For example, our guides include everything from daily copywork assignments to guided practice in oral narrations, from clear instructions to guide kiddos through writing written narrations to in-depth poetry study. We also include Bible verse memorization in every guide and memorization of poetry in later guides. The Storytime sessions in our younger guides include a literature study with a focus on the variety of genres, comprehending and thinking more deeply, and reading with moral discernment. Creative writing lessons begin in Preparing Hearts through the poetry of Robert Frost and continue on in CTC with Write with the Best. Children add to a Common Place Book starting in our older guides and keep adding quotes, Bible verses, and passages through the years that are worthy of being re-read again and again.

Each guide has its own special focus on language arts depending on the state standards that are required to be fulfilled at that age. But the list above will help you glimpse all of the language arts skills that are wound throughout each day of plans within our guides.

Blessings,
Carrie

[my3sons]

I think you were looking at PHFHG? We did that last year, and it has many wonderful writing components. These come to mind:
*creative writing lessons using Robert Louis Stevenson's poetry
*copywork of poem once a term
*copywork of Bible verse in Common Place book
*copywork of quotes, etc. for history and science notebooking several times weekly
*dictation
*guided written narration with history

My ds who doesn't naturally love writing is learning to love it. I've been thrilled with the progression. If you're looking at a different guide, let me know and I can give a run-down of that one instead.

In Christ,
Julie

[NicoleJ]

Thanks so much lovely ladies! I have some R&SGrade 2 books here and I have being going through the Bigger week plans that I printed off from the HOD website and have been seeing how the LA portion of Bigger worked. I really like the Godliness of the R&S books, I love the simple pictures. However, I found it really just focused on grammar (which we don't focus on much in Australia) and thought it was really lacking in the creative writing portion of LA (of which we focus a lot on in Australia). Of course, they need to learn some grammar, but here instead of learning the names of the parts of a sentence or a paragraph, etc, they learn how to write a proper sentence or paragraph or poem or whatever by enjoying good literature and then 'having a go' at writing good literature, and if it doesn't sound right, then it isn't. Does that make sense? So, I guess that's why I am asking if HOD includes other scheduled creative writing components, as I couldn't really see them there.

Thanks so much for your help! Nicole

[Carrie]

Nicole,

I wasn't sure which guide you were using, so now I can be more specific with my response! In Bigger Hearts for language arts, kiddos do a poetry study complete with reading aloud classic poems along with an introduction to the various poetic devices. There is also daily copywork scheduled from various resources (including the Bible passages, history passages and quotes, and science passages).

The kiddos practice oral narration daily complete with a guided list for both teacher and student of how narrating works. The "Storytime" part of the plans includes a mini-literature study with emphasis on reading with moral discernment, recognizing the various story elements, comprehending on a deeper level, and an introduction to the various genres in literature. The skill of memorization is taught through weekly memorization of Bible verses.

Spelling is covered through either spelling lists or dictation passages, both of which are provided, along with the methodology of how to study both. Rod and Staff grammar covers beginning creative writing and paragraph writing in the final unit of English 2. We save a formal introduction to creative writing until Preparing Hearts, until kiddos have had plenty of copywork from excellent writers upon which to model their own writing.

During my eleven years as a public school teacher, we did much creative writing with kiddos from very early ages. As the kiddos passed through the grades, we discovered that doing creative writing early often caused kiddos to form poor habits in punctuation and capitalization, while emphasizing invented spelling (because kiddos were too young to know how to spell correctly yet). Over time it was tough to undo the habits of incorrect grammar, punctuation, captilization, and spelling just for the sake of getting the written word on paper from an early age. We also discovered that young kiddos often had trouble having any ideas about which to write, and even if they knew what they wanted to write they couldn't put it into words on paper. They hadn't been exposed at that age to enough excellent writing to truly know what it looks like. We also found that those who had a God-given gift in the area of writing did well no matter how we taught writing.

When we moved into homeschooling and read more of Charlotte Mason's philosophy, much of her thoughts on writing made sense to me. So, now at HOD we delay "creative writing" until kiddos have copied enough from excellent passages to know what good writing looks like and to have also begun forming the habit of correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Once the excellent foundation is laid in those areas, we move into formal lessons on writing written narrations. We also creatively write from poetry in Preparing Hearts, and then continue in that vein in CTC (adding a formal writing program at that point as well).

My own kiddos are avid writers, pouring out "books", letters, stories, and a love for the written word. They are inspired by the excellent writing that they have heard since they were young and automatically weave that into their writing. It is a stark difference to the struggling writers that I spent over an hour of my public school teaching day every day in a "Writer's Workshop" session trying to get them to write anything of worth. I fully agree that an exposure to great literature and copywork of excellent passages eventually leads to good writing. We pray that you will find the same to be true for you!

Blessings,
Carrie

[NicoleJ]

Thanks so much Carrie! That really has cleared it up for me. I guess I just couldn't *see* the creative awriting aspect in any of the HOD materials (other than the specific writing books when you get to the older guides) and I was wondering what was happening with creative writing in the younger guides.

Thanks - I have printed off you answer and will file it for future reference when I am looking at Preparing for the year after next.

Blessings, Nicole

[funkmomma71]

I have to just say this about the LA in HOD, my dd made a book today, completely her idea, and it contained very few errors. She is only five and has completed LHFHG and Beyond up to unit 5, I was very impressed with her initiative and the completed work. I credit her success to today with what she has learned with HOD so far and am eagerly looking forward to many more years of using this curriculum. Any worries I have about whether she is learning enough are usually dispelled on a regular basis by my dd progress and desire to do school. Thanks Carrie!!

[Carrie]

Nancy,

Isn't it fun to see those little minds excited about writing and able to do it in with fairly strong language skills from a young age! Thanks so much for sharing about your precious daughter! It inspired me today.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Patience]

I just wanted to say how much I've been thinking about this post. I really never quite understood the reasoning behind the combination of copywork, poetry and grammar, though I must say, it's been working wonderfully for me both practically as a teacher, and in terms of giving the children what they need). I was feeling a bit like my daughter needing more writing instruction this year until I read this post. It helped me remember that often times doing light school, is better than heavy school and keeping the delight factor a part of things. And about the time that I read this, my daughter happened to be working on a piece of writing that she started sometime in the middle of last year...

"It all started back on that cold and wet day in February. We were all standing at the window, quietly staring at the drops of falling water. The little ones had their noses pressed up against the window pane, they seemed more interested in making fog than in watching for the carriage. Finally we heard the carriages wheels grinding up the little stone path. We all seemed to jump were all ready. Everything was packed. It was getting late...

So I'm thinking this method is working for us

[my3sons]

I just wanted to say how much I've been thinking about this post. I really never quite understood the reasoning behind the combination of copywork, poetry and grammar, though I must say, it's been working wonderfully for me both practically as a teacher, and in terms of giving the children what they need). I was feeling a bit like my daughter needing more writing instruction this year until I read this post. It helped me remember that often times doing light school, is better than heavy school and keeping the delight factor a part of things. And about the time that I read this, my daughter happened to be working on a piece of writing that she started sometime in the middle of last year...

"It all started back on that cold and wet day in February. We were all standing at the window, quietly staring at the drops of falling water. The little ones had their noses pressed up against the window pane, they seemed more interested in making fog than in watching for the carriage. Finally we heard the carriages wheels grinding up the little stone path. We all seemed to jump were all ready. Everything was packed. It was getting late...

So I'm thinking this method is working for us

Oooo, I am drinking my coffee, and your daughter's story was the perfect compliment to that. I feel like I am standing at the window too, ready for my carriage to arrive. Your daughter is already becoming accomplished at creating a mood within her writing - yes, I do believe this method is working very well indeed.

In Christ,
Julie

[Carrie]

Patience,

What an amazing beginning to a story! Your daughter is doing a terrific job of painting a picture in the reader's mind, which is a tough thing to learn to do! It gave me tingles.

Blessings,
Carrie