Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 10 months ago by Kimberly.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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August 3, 2009 at 11:32 am
Kimberly
Participant
Hi,
Long time reader, first time post-er. I’m having Language Arts anxiety. (this happens periodically:) ) I have used Learning Language Arts through Literature with all of my girls (currently entering 3rd,5th and 7th grades) and have, for the most part, liked it. But… I look at other things, many things, and think would that be better? Between narrating orally and creating notebook pages or lapbooks (written narration) with Bible, history and science, by the time we get to language arts lessons, I feel like “Haven’t we already done this today?” My dream is to dispense with separate language arts lessons altogether and pull our dictation/copywork, even basic grammar lessons out of the content subjects. But I’m not sure how to do it in a time-efficient manner for three different students. All three girls are very good readers, decent writers for their ages (although my oldest struggled emensely with writing when younger,but last year was better- I don’t credit LLATL with this progress but lay it more on her maturity and good literature both read and heard.) but have struggled with grammar. I’m considering adding Great Editing Adventures and possible Wordsmith (7th grader) for writing to our curriculum. Or maybe not! I am afraid to let the “safe” packaged curriculum go- afraid of the dreaded “GAPS”, but would like to simplify and condense the “academic” portion of our days. Anyone have any suggestions? Do you use separate Language Arts lessons? Do you pull daily copywork or dictation from content subjects? Help!
August 3, 2009 at 2:32 pm
caroline4kids
Member
I definitely understand where you are coming from! On the days that I do pull content right from their books I feel that other LA is completely redundant and on the days that I do a regular LA program I’m wishing I could streamline and simplify. 🙂 I have been using Spelling Wisdom instead of pulling from books only because it covers the 6000 most common English words. It relieves some of my stress in that area.
My favorite grammar, cover-the-bases, product is DGP Grammar from http://www.dgppublishing.com . It takes five minutes and actually gets done. They have both bible and regular versions. Now if I could find that illusive parsing software that would diagram for me, I would just use sentences pulled from their writing, but I just do not like grammar enough to go to all the work of analyzing things myself.
As far as writing goes, we also do written narration quite often and I like Story Starters by Karen Andreola to get the creative juices flowing. I have an essay course for down the road, but I think that written narration is better than the way I was taught.
August 3, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Sharon
Participant
Is this the parsing website you were looking for: http://visl.sdu.dk/visl/en/parsing/automatic/trees.php?
Have a blessed day!
August 3, 2009 at 3:04 pm
caroline4kids
Member
That is the one! Thank you! I can’t get the tree structure to work, only the flat one (which isn’t as visual IMHO and defeats the purpose0 🙂 I don’t know if I have trouble with java or something else. I used to use this site all the time with my other computer. I’d pick a really hard sentence to tackle.
August 4, 2009 at 12:51 am
JenB
Member
Hi Kimberly,

My oldest is going into 8th grade. I’ve worried and prayed and researched trying to find a readable, CM friendly grammar that included diagramming and punctuation. I found Our Mother Tongue at our local bookstore for $12.80. It doesn’t have a lot of busy work/fill in the blanks. Just simple straightforward explanations and exercises. Although we haven’t used it yet, for the first time EVER I’m looking forward to grammar. You might want to check it out.

Jen
August 4, 2009 at 11:18 am
Kimberly
Participant
Thanks, Jen. That book looks great!