The author's goal in writing this series is to "instill a love of great literature in children, expand their ability to read intelligently and deeply, improve their communication abilities, and prepare them for more advanced language arts concepts." The three key components to this series are literature, grammar and mechanics, and composition.
The Teacher Guide provides scripted questions for comprehension with answers, teaching tips, and daily schedules. You'll need something else for teaching spelling, learning to read, and penmanship.
The Student Workbook explains the lesson's concept for the child and includes Reading Journal Pages, Dictionary Pages, and Sentence Puzzle Pages. Workbook answers are in the Teacher's Guide. The Workbook and Guide can be purchased separately, in a set together, or in two different packs, one with and one withoutRandom House Book of Poetry for Children. You'll need something else for teaching spelling, learning to read, and penmanship.
The books read (in the order they are introduced) are:
Please note that one of the literature selections at this level is Wheel on the School, by Meindert deJong. Unfortunately this book is currently out of print and unavailable, but it is easy to find used copies or borrow from the library.
While there is a decided emphasis in Lightning Literature on enjoying and understanding the literature, the program is also decidedly comprehensive in its grammar and usage coverage and just plain expectant in its composition assignments. A Teacher Guide, a Student Workbook, and lots of classic (along with some contemporary) children's books are the components for the program. Progressing into chapter books, grade 3 continues to emphasize enjoying and understanding literature, while providing comprehensive grammar and usage instruction. Composition instruction is provided with more depth with optional extra challenges available.
Literature selections for Grade 3 include: Charlotte's Web, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Ramona and Her Father, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Wave, Tale of Despereaux, Rickshaw Girl, and Wheel on the School.
The Teacher Guide is the heart of the program and is necessary. It's here that the general flavor of the program is most obvious including its orientation toward teacher-student interaction rather than independent student work. Detailed daily instructions are written in first person to the parent/teacher. The flexibility built into the program is reiterated often with examples of how to adapt the teaching instructions for students who are sluggish or need extra challenge. Weekly schedules have a basic structure. Each day includes literature study, grammar/mechanics study, and work on the weekly composition assignment. All workbook answers are provided in the Teacher Guide
The Student Workbooks include some instructional material but are essentially consumable worktexts. Most of the grammar exercises are included here along with space to write thoughts about the reading selection (i.e. Reading Journal Pages: What this Story is About, What I Think of this Story, and My Favorite Sentence). The books are colorful and appealing. Literature Only Packages include all the literature selections needed for the course. The Grade 3 Full Year Package includes all the literature plus the Teacher Guide and Student Workbook. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children is used throughout the year and included in some of the packages.
Several curriculum packages are available. The Student/Teacher Set includes both the Teacher Guide and the Student Workbook. The Grade 3 Pack includes the Teacher Guide and Student Workbook and the Random House Book of Poetry for Children. The Literature Package includes just the literature selections needed for the course (without the Poetry book). There are two versions of the complete Grade 3 Package - one with the Random House Book of Poetry for Children and one without. These packages include the Teacher and Student Books plus the literature selections.
I feel this will be a great fit for my daughter
We have been using Grade 2 this last year and absolutely love this curriculum.
Used it last year for second grade and loved it
I have used the Lightning Literature Program in 1st and 2nd grade with my daughter and we have enjoyed it, so we are continuing on with the 3rd grade curriculum.