Logic of English Foundations A Review (and how we combine it with Montessori)

My daughter and I started Logic of English's Foundation A book in January 2018, when she was 5 years old and we are just finishing it now in January 2019. I started using the Montessori approach to reading and writing with her when she was a toddler, and while I really enjoyed that approach, I felt that I needed more structure. This program was exactly what I needed! It works well with our Montessori materials and philosophy and has lots of fun games and activities included. In this review, I show you inside the books and materials that we have been using with this program. Enjoy!
To see what else we are doing for her Kindergarten year, check out my Charlotte Mason Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum video: • Charlotte Mason Inspir...
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Hi! I'm Julia. I am a homeschooling Mom to my two fun little people, with one on the way. Our homeschool has elements of Montessori and Charlotte Mason. We recently moved to Vermont where we are starting a large kitchen garden and home orchard and trying to live more seasonally and sustainably. Come join us on our journey!
Here are some other places you can find me!
BLOG: musings.catchthemoonwellness.com/
INSTAGRAM: / julias_at_home
SHOP USBORNE BOOKS: e6151.myubam.com/

[@CandiceMi5]

Thank you for this review!

[@juliaathome]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jessicamazie]

Thanks for this review. We started with the Dwyer method and then I sent my daughter to kindergarten. We are homeschooling her for 1st grade. She sounds like she is where you daughter was. She knows her letter sounds and can read. I was worried about starting with A. I wanted to sure up her foundation and introduce cursive. Watching this help confirm that starting with A is right for us.

[@juliaathome]

I am so glad this was helpful. We have worked through very slowly, so we are just finishing up B (and she is 7 and finishing 1st grade), but she just hit a point where she loves to read and is reading really well! Just wanted to share to let you know it's ok to go slow.

[@themahayanamama6040]

This was very helpful! Thank you!!

[@juliaathome]

I am so glad it was helpful!

[@87lilylover]

Hi there, I am trying to decide whether to switch to LOE. Currently we are using the most recent version of TGTB level k and it is a struggle. I have to think of ways to make it interesting for my daughter and it’s really been tough for us the past 3 months. Thank you for this review, I am leaning towards switching but the price has got me on the fence. I’m afraid it won’t work for her, but at this point feel like we have to do something else because she has no spark for reading. Thanks again for this thorough review. 😊

[@juliaathome]

We have really enjoyed LOE, but I do want to share that it has not always been my kids favorite activity. They definitely have days when they don't want to do it, and it did take a while to get through the hardest part of learning to read to where it gets easier and more enjoyable. If your daughter is still in kindergarten it may be helpful to just take a few weeks off and then try your curriculum again. I have worked through it really slowly with my kids, and took off a few months at one point with my daughter. Not that I don't want you to try LOE, but since it does cost a bit more I wouldn't want you to be disappointed!

[@jennifermoyer3714]

Thank you for this review! I had started using the Dwyer method as well with my now 6 year old and we switched to logic of English foundations. Originally I had planned to just supplement with LoE but we seem to have dropped Montessori from our language arts. We just started Foundations B. I’m curious if you are using both curriculums and how (Dwyer and LoE)? Will you still use the farm etc for grammar or just follow LoE? I’m wanting to still incorporate Dwyer but don’t want to over do it for my son.

[@juliaathome]

I have not been doing both with my kids. We get to a certain point in the Dwyer method and then switch to LOE. I have added in some extra early readers for my son and have thought about adding in some puzzle word cards, but I have not figured out how to incorporate things like the phonogram pouches without it getting confusing. I actually skipped over the Montessori grammar lessons for the most part, but I am going to come back to some of them with my second grader soon. We will probably adjust them since she is a little older than some of them were designed for...

[@AprilKarl]

Great video! I am going through the letter sounds right now with my 3 year old (montessori way) and the Logic of English curriculum has me wondering if I should be teaching ALL the sounds. But I feel like that's too much for a 3 year old. How did your child do with learning only 1 sound for vowels to all the sounds the vowels make?

[@juliaathome]

That's great that you are starting the sounds with your 3 year old! What a fun time! I agree that all of the sounds are too much for that age. I started both of my older children with just the one sound and then introduced the others when we started Logic of English. They both did fine with it that way and I will do that again with my third.

[@AprilKarl]

@@juliaathome I love this strategy, thanks so much!!

[@maheanjum2611]

Ma'am please work book page by page flip through

[@devynrowe7492]

Where did you get your lined whiteboard? I can only find dual color ones.

[@juliaathome]

I got he lined whiteboard from Logic of English when I ordered the Foundations A set. You can also get it separately here: store.logicofenglish.com/collections/product-type-loe-staple/products/whiteboard-1 I ended up getting a second one when my son started the program.

[@THomasJPeel]

Great video. Curious how old are the kids and do they enjoy homeschooling?

[@juliaathome]

In this video my oldest was 6. Now they are 9, 7, 3 and 1! I think they enjoy it - they have a lot more free time than they otherwise would. :)

[@danielletaylor9733]

Where did you purchase the letters?

[@juliaathome]

The cursive letters are the small cursive moveable alphabet from www.montessoriequipment.com/default.asp. :)