Friday, July 16, 2010

"Reading Strands" vs. "Drawn into the Heart of Reading"

As I was researching curriculum, I was putting some things on an Amazon Wish List.  My mom surprised us by buying the USBorne Science Encyclopedia and the US Borne Encyclopedia of World History, as well as "Writing Strands 3" and "Evaluating Writing".

I was considering "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" for part of our reading curriculum, since it comes so highly recommended.  But I am having a tough time finding it.  Apparently it is out of print!  I am wondering if anyone has used "Reading Strands" and how that compares.  I noticed when A was in school last year, her interest and enthusiasm for reading was greater when they were reading novels rather than just excerpts from a reader, so I was interested in a program where we can pick our own books and have the support of curriculum to guide our discussions.  I am planning to supplement with several different comprehension workbooks containing short stories and questions, as well as reproducibles to aid comprehension of the novels we read.

Has anyone used both "Reading Strands" and "Drawn into the Heart of Reading"?  How do they compare?