Logic of English

Logic of English has earned a reputation in the homeschool community for its thorough, multisensory approach to teaching reading, spelling, and language arts. Parents who have used this curriculum with their children offer valuable insights into its strengths and challenges.

What Parents Love About Logic of English

Many parents are impressed by the comprehensive, rule-based approach that makes English spelling logical rather than mysterious:

"One book covers phonics, reading, spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, composition, and beginning grammar... it helps make sense of the English language, as there are rules and phonograms to explain almost every single English word and its spelling." The Curious Schoolhouse

The multisensory activities keep children engaged and help concepts stick, especially for active learners:

"I think why we are seeing success with LoE is that it is a multi-sensory program... Each day is different for [my daughter]. One day she could be playing games, doing spelling lists and a grammar lesson. The next day she could be drawing pictures of the nouns on her spelling list... making them plural. All of this is included in LoE." Parent of dyslexic child on 4Real Forums

Parents of struggling readers often see breakthroughs with this structured approach:

"We moved on to Logic of English, after trying All About Reading (not enough progress) and Barton (super boring), and it has made our time so much more enjoyable." Homeschooling with Dyslexia

The ability to use one program with multiple children at different levels is particularly appreciated by homeschool families:

"There are three levels in one curriculum, which means we can start each kid where they are and build on skills year after year... it's great for struggling readers... and ESL students... It can be used as a follow up to Foundations (which we didn't use, so it's not a requirement)." Proverbial Homemaker

Many parents notice their children developing strong language skills that extend beyond just reading:

"The rules and fingerspelling method are very effective at improving my children's spelling... While it's teaching spelling, it builds their vocabulary and grammar skills. The method is solid, teaching kids to spell and read in a logical manner that is linguistically accurate and sets them up for later success." Proverbial Homemaker

Challenges Parents Have Encountered

The most common struggle for parents is the high level of teacher involvement needed:

"They can feel cumbersome and overwhelming to me as the parent... quite a learning curve and then hard to keep up with while teaching multiple children. Too often, it got dropped from the day." Proverbial Homemaker

The program's many components can initially overwhelm parents:

"When you first open your package of goodies from Logic of English... it can be overwhelming. I speak English just fine, but when faced with 74 phonogram cards and 30 spelling rules, I felt like I had to learn a whole new system!" Parent from community discussion

Some parents question whether all children need such an explicit approach:

"The more I have read about how children learn to read, the more skeptical I am that children really need all of those rules... 99% of reading adults never knew that rule and never needed to know it. Some kids... might be helped by this knowledge – others would rather just be told that this word spells 'circus.' Know your child!" The Curious Schoolhouse

The time commitment required can be daunting:

"It's got a LOT of activities packed into each lesson... If you looked at the lesson and thought, wow, we have to do all of these things before we can move on, then it could easily be overwhelming... Spoiler alert: we don't do it all, and you shouldn't either." The Curious Schoolhouse

Some parents report that the pacing didn't work for their children:

"LOE was confusing for my 1st grade grandson who is moderately dyslexic. He needed a program with a slower, logical, cumulative sequence... and time to acquire auditory skills before moving to phonics." Grandmother commenting on Homeschooling with Dyslexia

How Parents Successfully Use Logic of English

Successful users of Logic of English often share similar approaches to implementation:

• They adapt the program to their child's needs, skipping some activities or slowing down when necessary
• They focus on consistency rather than completion - even short, regular sessions yield results
• They use the online lessons when available to reduce their teaching load
• They organize and familiarize themselves with the materials before starting with their child
• They treat the games and activities as the heart of the program, not just extras

"The curriculum is our tool, not our boss." The Curious Schoolhouse

"She now knows all of the single-letter phonograms... can sit for 45 min. at a time with LoE... These successes remind me that we just need to keep plugging away. Consistency is key." Parent of dyslexic child on 4Real Forums

Who Thrives With Logic of English?

Based on parent feedback, Logic of English works particularly well for:

• Children with dyslexia or other language-based learning challenges
• Active, kinesthetic learners who need movement incorporated into lessons
• Students who benefit from understanding rules and patterns
• ESL/ELL learners who need explicit instruction in English phonics
• Families looking for a complete language arts curriculum that integrates reading, spelling, and grammar
• Parents willing to invest time in interactive, multi-sensory teaching

Children who may need adaptations or a different approach include:

• Intuitive learners who pick up reading naturally without explicit instruction
• Students who need a very slow pace or minimal information per lesson
• Children who prefer independent work without much parent involvement
• Families with time constraints that make daily interactive lessons challenging

The Bottom Line

Logic of English offers a thorough, systematic approach to language arts that many parents find extremely effective, particularly for struggling readers. The program's strength lies in making English spelling logical through explicit instruction and engaging, multisensory activities. The main trade-off is the significant time and involvement required from the teaching parent.

Most parents who stick with Logic of English and adapt it to their needs report positive outcomes - children who not only learn to read but develop strong spelling skills and a deeper understanding of language. The key to success appears to be using the program flexibly while maintaining consistency, recognizing that not every component is essential for every child.