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Advice about diagramming
- This topic has 7 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 11 months ago by
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Good day.
I am in a dilemma about teaching grammar; diagramming in particular.
I can teach grammar in the elementary years. My son is now 13 and I am starting to get concerned. He writes really well (when I can get him to put his pen to paper) and understands the grammar and mechanics that I have taught him. We have used a combination of “gentle methods”: PLL, ILL, Weavers Wisdom Words and sometimes just my own LA using CM methods.
I live in South Africa, and I was not taught much grammar at all in high school. We certainly never did diagramming. I have taught myself more about grammar by homeschooling 🙂
We have tried a few more grammar intensive curriculum, and I cannot help my children when we get to the diagramming part. (CLP was SO difficult, LLATL jumped around too much) Of course, I can figure out simple diagramming, but I honestly do not understand how my children will ever need diagramming. I have read previous topics, and and that understand that some people love diagramming. But it is so hard to teach something I have never been taught, from basics up.
I bought the R&S English handbook to assist me in teaching, but I can only understand the first basic bit of diagramming. Then the lines go all over the place and make no sense! The rest of the book is helpful.
I have always wanted my children to have the tools they will need for future life, and so I am a bit afraid they will be missing something if I don’t teach diagramming. My common sense tells me we don’t use it here in SA, but …… ?
Any thoughts please?
Thanks,
Lindy
I just want to say that I have a degree in English and I only diagrammed sentences for one week – way back in 7th grade. Basic diagramming is helpful to understand the structure of a sentence. Beyond that, though, I don’t see a practical benefit.
Just my opinion. 😉
I also only remember learning a bit of diagramming in 7th grade. It was really just the basics: subject, verb, prepositional phrases. I also did some diagramming in a college grammar course. My minor was English. I honestly do not remember much about the diagramming I learned, but at the time (college), it helped me make sense of clauses verses phrases. My real love and reason for choosing to study English in college was literature.
I taught language arts in a traditional classroom at the elementary level before becoming a homeschool teacher. I personally don’t see a need for diagramming. I read sometime recently from a Classical Education perspective that diagramming is a relatively new discipline. Prior to diagramming, students learned grammar through learning Latin. I may not have all the facts about that, but that is the gist of what I remember.
I think it is important to teach our children to speak and write well. I tend to approach grammar from that perspective.
Prior to diagramming, students learned grammar through learning Latin. I may not have all the facts about that, but that is the gist of what I remember.
How interesting. My oldest DS, who is in 7th grade this year, has never done a bit of diagramming and has had very little formal grammar. He is finishing up Latin I (a high school course) this month, though, and has learned more grammar this year than ever before.
One benefit to sentence diagramming is that they are constantly reviewing all parts of speech. Instead of covering one part of speech and moving on to the next (and possibly forgetting what they’ve already covered), they would be keeping it fresh in their minds. With just a sentence or two, you’d be able to review quite a bit of grammar!
My DH learned a few languages as an adult attending a seminary. He learned more grammar from that than he did his high school and college English classes combined!
I think there is definitely merit to both methods. I’ve been teaching Latin (slowly) and we’ll be switching to ELTL which teaches grammar through diagramming…I’m a bit nervous since grammar isn’t my strong point! I’m hoping to brush up on grammar over the summer.
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts on diagramming. ?
I was always a very good grammar student but I don’t remember diddly squat when it comes to diagramming. This thread has given me much food for thought.
Thanks for posting this! I had never even heard of diagramming until we started homeschooling and after looking at it, I have just not been sold on its usefulness. It seems like a tool that may or may not be helpful to some people. I have been concerned about leaving it out because it has such a prominent position in homeschool discussion these days. It’s reassuring to know that I am not the only one who doesn’t see the value in this small tool.
Right now, I plan to continue teaching diagramming but am thinking I won’t be too concerned with how well my daughter remembers all the little details. We will cover the basics and move on. 🙂
I think we often benefit from learning things even though we may not remember the details. Diagramming may help us understand grammar better even if we don’t remember exactly how to diagram a sentence in the long run. Make sense?
I think that it’s beneficial to at least cover sentence diagramming briefly so that our children are at least familiar with the concept even though they may never be experts at it. I think that’s my plan-cover it but don’t stress over it or give it too much attention or time. I don’t want it to distract from other, more important areas of knowledge.
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