Is anyone using Lightning Literature? Options

[Sammi]

I was thinking about using it for 7th grade next year.

If you have used it, what do you think?

Can you give me a bit more detail?

Thanks

[CareyJ]

I've never heard of it, do you have a link?

[Sammi]

Lightning Literature

[quiltinmommy]

I'm using it with my 8th grader... she's actually taking the high school Early American Lit course. The 8th grade program wasn't available this year so we took the jump for the older program. I am very pleased with it. The reading comprehension seems a bit weak, but it better than some I've seen and not at a point that I feel it's worth passing by. The writing portion is really awesome and is preparing her for upper level writing. We'll be continuing and my son will take the 7th grade program when he gets there.

I've written about it before...check out the archives.

I'm in a yahoo group about it and this recently came through the list... this is the outline of the jr. high programs. This is from the author.

LL7

Plot line
Writing a good opening
Plot line and subplots in a novel
Writing an outline
Introduction to poetry and rhyme in poetry
Limerick and haiku
Increasing your creativity
Nonce words
Dialogue - grammar and mechanics and uses
Stylistic tips for writing dialogue
Autobiography
Brainstorming
Sound in Poetry (Alliteration, assonance, etc.)
Cinquain and List poem
The Character sketch
Choosing a topic

LL8

Author's purpose
Taking notes
Setting
Rewriting in your own words
Vivid imagery in poetry
Free verse and the ballad
Writing about your culture
Rewriting (to improve your rough draft)
Details in writing
Citing sources
Character
The narrator
Figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, allegory)
Acrostic poems, alphabet poems, cento
Conflict
Genre fiction
Symbolism*
Bibliography*
Humor*
Writing a conclusion*
Meter in poetry*
The sonnet*
Writing a literary analysis*

The starred items have not been written yet, so I can't guarantee them
100%, but they're on my current outline. So far my outline hasn't
changed much, and I don't expect it to. Elizabeth

[Sammi]

Barbara Sue,

I thought I remembered you using it. Thank you for the reply. I think it is very difficult to find a good reading comp program, that doesn't ask silly questions. I bought Drawn Into the Heart of Reading by Carrie Austin, M.Ed.

It gives ideas of what to do, w/ what genre and it is good, but I am looking for more.

I looked over the site. It looks good. We were going to do Tom Sawyer this year, but then I changed my mind. They are doing it for the 7th grade.

I hope that someone is selling it at my hs'g conference. I would like to see it up close.

The writing part did look good. I like the discussion sections also. Then, I only got to see the one part.

Is there something you don't like? Or that your dd doesn't like?

[Dr. Pepper]

Karen - This looks like something I would be interested in for my dd when she hits 7th. Please continue to post your findings and I will be on the look out for it this year at the conferences.

[quiltinmommy]

Sammi,

I doubt you will find it at the convention.... to my knowledge, only Hewitt sells their resources and they don't do conventions. They have chosen to put their money into curriculum development. If you want to learn more about Hewitt and Lightning Lit I suggest you join the yahoo group. There is a lot of info in the archives and you can ask Elizabeth questions as well...she's one of the authors.

Hewitt Yahoo Group

I did find a copy of a book at a used curriculum sale last year..... unfortunately the line was about 2-3 hours long and I didn't buy it....BUT I got to see it before purchasing.

I asked my daughter if there was anything she didn't like....she said she doesn't like all the book selections..... but she's just diving into Moby Dick.....so maybe this isn't the best time to ask....
She likes the choices of writing assignments, I allow her to choose from the list. Each selection has 5 to 7 choices for writing assignments that follow the objective of the lesson.

The reading comprehension is the only area I feel is weak, but my daughter has strong skills in that area so it's not a concern. My overall goal is to train her to write at college level.... I feel that LL will do that for her.

I should say that I use a writing service called Write Guide. My daughter works with a writing mentor through her assignments, then they are also evaluated. This has been my saving grace concerning higher level writing. It's not cheap, but an area that I need help in. If you have a good writing background I'm sure you will be fine. I think Hewitt and other companies offer evaluation services of writing, but they don't offer the mentoring service that Write Guide provides.

The last area that I found a bit overwhelming was there was no lesson plans to give as a guide to accomplish the program. Technically a high school student should do two of the LL guides a year. My daughter is 8th grade so we've choose to only do one guide.....but I don't feel that we dilly dallied through this book.... I'm not sure how we'll get through two guides. Hewitt has responded by creating a general lesson plan..... they are beginning to include those with each guide. If you already own a guide Hewitt will send you the info through email. This has helped us greatly...just to give us a time reference.

As a side note, I believe that the 7th and 8th grade programs do come with a lesson plan as well.... I haven't used them yet.......

Overall I have been quite pleased, we will continue down this path.

[Sammi]

This has been extremely helpful. I thank you for the time you put into your answer. Thank your daughter as well.

I saw that with the 7th grade, they included a schedule. I do like that. Which I am sure I will tweek, but it is nice to have a starting point.

There are many writing programs out there, that I find interesting too. This year, we started out w/ one, which I thought would be great for my son, but it soooo did not work out. He actually said to me this past week, I don't ever want to do another writing program again, I just like writing papers.

I was very impressed w/ how his research paper turned out. It was a bit of a challenge in the beginning, but he surprised me and I feel as if he learned so much from the experience.

So I wonder, if this program, will be the type of program that would be beneficial for his writing style. I actually mean thought process.

I think I will check out the Yahoo group. That may be a good way of seeing what questions others have and how it is working for them.

I do have writing experience. I have been published in quit a few national publications and am working on my book now. But the difference b't me having experience and being able to teach him, is two different animals.

I love to write and it seems to be something that is easily accomplished. So when he doesn't "get" what I am trying to teach, I don't understand, b'c it seems so clear to me.

I should look into that writing mentoring thing. See what they have to offer.

I know that writing is one of the issues that many hs'ers have...or rather the teachers have w/ hs'g.

Thanks...I've really enjoyed this topic.

[quiltinmommy]

You're welcome!

I did want to emphasize that LL is not just a writing program.... the literature selections do correlate...so a lesson focusing on plot uses a literature selection that has a strong plot line that a student can follow and see the progression. Later they take what they learned from observing a strong plot line and apply that to their writing.

I don't know if you are familiar with TWTM but Jessie Wise talks about how copy work is done to allow children to read and write properly. When they copy good literature they tend to extend those skills into their own writing, using good grammar and such in their own writing. I feel that LL is similar... they read good literature and then the lessons are applied into the writing. Am I making sense?

I tweak the schedules too... but I do like a guide.... we generally read a chapter a day...but in a book like Moby Dick where there is over 140 chapters (I think) that would never work.... so I pulled out the schedule and looked at what she felt was a good pace for reading the book.... she's still going to read it for 9 weeks.... but at least I have a time table.

Good luck with your choice.... we were really floundering with literature until I found LL. I tried a program that used excerpts for reading.... which I like for younger grade levels....but I really disliked it for higher level reading. I also tried just using reading guides from Progeny and such but I found that we just kind of flittered from one thing to the next..... there was no progression. I like that LL did the work for me in doing that. Also with the high school level courses, they offer different levels.... a slower track, a regular track and an honors track. I found the syllabus to be useful with those programs (though they don't have one for 7th grade). The syllabus helps me to see what she can and should be doing at her grade level, but still gives me options to fit her abilities.

[Sammi]

That is exactly what I liked about what I saw. How they discussed the literature. I have that in my Drawn Into the Heart of Reading, but I really don't love how they have it laid out. I also like that LL does it per book. My book is a generalization, so I have to fit it to the book. Which, is not the best of situations. I am sure I am missing much.

I joined the Yahoo group. I am just waiting to be admitted.

I have used WTM in the past. I incorporate it into our studies. I think it is a good outline to follow, but of course, like so many, have tweeked it to make it my own.

The selected reading isn't too bad. Tom Sawyer will be good. Helen Keller good. I think it will be just fine.

So there is a 2nd half to the 7th grade? Did I miss that? Or does only the high school one require 2?

Thanks again for your help.

[quiltinmommy]

I'm sorry.... no 7th grade is a single course for the whole year. As will the 8th grade book. The high school Lightning Lit is meant to be a semester.

[Sammi]

do you know her approximate time frame for the 8th grade book?

I feel that so many times, I am waiting for a book! UGH!

First SOTW, vol 1, now MOH, vol 3 now this!!

[quiltinmommy]

No I don't... I haven't been paying attention because it doesn't affect me. I believe it's suppose to be ready this fall though....