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Analytical Grammar Question
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Well I didn’t heed the advice of the curriculum guide and use AG this year for my daughter this school year. For a little background, we switched at the last minute from MFW CTG (Creation to the Greeks) to SCM Module 1. I am more than thrilled with our decision, but I’ve left some of our prior methods in place (this is only our second year hs’ing). I am using Emma Serl’s ILL for my boys and my daughter is using Queen’s LL for the Secondary Child. It’s very easy for her (too easy I’m beginning to think as the year goes on). So I was investigating that AG website and watched all the videos they had. I think it looks like really fabulous materials, so I’m thinking of dropping the LL now and finishing the year out with that. I hate to switch around, but my DD is in 8th grade and I feel like maybe I should get her started on that before we’re finished with the school year.
So I’m looking for thoughts and advice on this.
Melissa
I’m not familar with Queens, but we’re happy with AG. It’s thorough and to the point. It’s pretty much just grammar…don’t know if you were looking for more than that. You could do Season 1 (10 units) this year, and Season 2 and 3 next (just a possible plan:) Blessings, Gina
That’s kind of what I was thinking about. I really want to use both of their writing programs too but want to start before 11th grade so she has time to practice them.
I will say I was turned off by the cost of the program, but after watching the videos on their site, I’m totally sold on the program. If anyone else is on the fence, you really should watch the videos.
Yes, AG is not cheap! But I figure if I have 2 kids using it, and it’s the only grammar program I buy (compared to using grammar every year like some programs)….it’s not TOO bad, since it seems to do the job:) Gina
Gina, at what grade/age did you start AG? On the AG site they say 6-8th for AG, yet here it says 8-10th ~ just curious as to which route you took.
Melissa 🙂
We are in almost the same exact position. We started SCM this year, and are also using the LL by Queen. I love the variety of things covered in LL, and we are using them for our little ones too. However, I have two in the 8th grade, and they both find the LL books “easy”. We do not have the funds to switch mid-year, but I’m considering going with AG for this next year. Please keep update here with how things go for you!
Melissa, we did JAG in 5th, then AG (1st Season) in 6th. These are both basically the same….AG Seas. 1 just uses more challenging language than JAG (same concepts). I started it earlier than suggested here because we were using an intesnsive writing program that required the grammar skills in AG. Ugh. Anyway, I think that if these skills haven’t been learned yet, you could start at any age. I don’t think it would be babyish at all for an older child. The end of season one was getting a bit challenging for my 6th grader…I’m not sure how season 2 and 3 will go yet:)
I should add that I’ve recently read a bit about Our Mother Tongue and may have gone that route…except that we’ve already invested in AG. But I haven’t thoroughly compared the two…it just looks interesting to me! Blessings, Gina
Gina, what intensive writing program were you using? Or are you using? We may do AG in a couple years and we need a good writing program. I wondered what was complementary to AG? (My wiriter is “resistant”…can’t think of the word right now. He is 10. He narrates well but the writing hasn’t come…yet.)
Thanks
Well, we were using Classical Writing. I think it’s an awesome program…but it was just too much for us. We dropped Homer (the level most moms drop, if they are going to:) I heard it gets easier after this level (5th/6th), but didn’t want dd and I to hate writing any longer! It’s pretty intense/cumbersome. They actually rec. using Harvey’s Grammar, not AG. But there are other moms who use AG so I got ideas on how to schedule it in order to know the concepts by when we needed to.
CW really is a quality program, just too much for us. There was an amazing load of stress dropped from our homeschool day when we could simply do AG as rec. by AG and not do CW (I was going to have to complete Season 2 of AG in 6th grade to keep up…rather than taking through 8th to finish the 3 seasons). We are starting Write with the Best tomorrow and I’m very excited. It’s looks thorough, is CMish, and looks to be a piece of cake to implement after CW!!! I think CW would be challenging to use with a resistant writer…at least at the Homer level. You can find lots of CW reviews on the Well Trained Mind forums. Also, CW is a progymnasmata program…ancient Greek way of teaching writing. It’s incremental, so if you were going to use it the earlier the better. HTH some:) Gina
P.S. If your son narrates well, I think that is fine for now and wouldn’t worry about a writing program until Jr. Hi. I think Write with the Best or Jump In might be a couple of good options….and of cours AG’s writing courses in h.s. might be a good complement. Lots of choices out there:)
So, what is the real difference between AG and Jr AG? I’ve got a son going into 6th using Queens LL who I’m considering this for next year. He has a lot of difficultly with written assignments, so he hasn’t done any written narration yet. I am wondering if I should continue with Queens for another year and then go to AG in 7th rather than Jr. AG if it’s basically the same, or is there benefit to using both Jr. then regular AG? I’ve been looking at other possible writing programs for him this year because it’s so difficult for him. Should I wait and use Jump In from apologia in 7th as well? He is definately a reluctant writer — not because he has nothing to say, but the whole process is just really, really difficult for him. I am hoping as his typing improves that we will be able to accomplish more that way.
AG has 3 seasons (10 lessons per season). Season One has the same concepts taught as Jr AG, just Jr AG uses simpler sentences so it’s easier to understand. I liked doing Jr AG first, because I think it made AG easier for my 6th grader to jump into, since she already knew the grammar concepts. But I wouldn’t call it necessary. The author said she wrote Jr AG because moms who wanted to do grammar earlier were asking for something. You can do AG slowly if needed, since it’s only 10 lessons per season, a total of 30 lessons in the whole program. If a child is having difficulty, it’s easy to stretch….you can do sentence labeling one day and diagramming the next, rather than both in one day. That would mean 20 weeks to finish each season rather than 10 weeks. I hope that makes sense!
I haven’t used Jump In, but from what I see I think 7th would be a good time to start it. We just started Write with the Best, and I’m very pleased with it so far. Short, to the point lessons using classic lit. Seems CM-ish to me. HTH some:) Gina
Thanks.
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