Grammar

Great question! The reason it is listed in the SCM curriculum guide is because that’s what I used with my children and liked. 🙂

I haven’t used Primary Language Lessons personally, but it looks like they are very similar and written around the same era. Emma Serl’s books were written around 1911 or so, and EFTTC is a reprint of Lessons in the Use of English, written in 1903. Volume 2 of EFTTC is from Lessons in English, 1913.

Both include oral composition, poetry, picture lessons, a little dictation, and gentle introductions to the English language “rules.”

The only thing I’ve heard as a possible negative with the Serl books is that some of the content is outdated and today’s children don’t know the context that is being assumed or today’s methods are different from what is described in an exercise (e.g., making wool). I don’t know that it’s a big deal; just passing along the only negative I’ve heard.

I would think either set of books would be great.

We for some reason did not like EFTTC, but I think it was because we tried it before I came to understand that we dont’ have to actually write out every single thing . . . I had a seven year old son in tears say “Mom, I ALREADY UNDERSTAND about the middle initial with a period, why do I have to keep writing all these sentences?” and when I couldn’t come up with a good answer, I just gave it away. 🙂 I tried the Emma Serl books with my middle son, and we came to “Describe the different types of coal and their uses” or something like that, and we laughed, and went on.

And for some reason, all my boys uniformly hated having to make up stories to tell about the pictures, so I just gave up on the idea of those books and have been winging it. 🙂

Michelle D