Grammar help. Need some curriculum advice.

You’re very welcome. I hope you find what you’re looking for.

Thanks Karen!! I hope book three is out by 2018 🙂

Something else that I like is that in Book 1 at the back of the book it has “English Points Journal” and as directed in the exercises the student logs grammar information as they learn it. There are places to fill out for Capitalization Guidelines (when to and when not to), Punctuation Guidelines (When to use a period, question mark, semicolon, apostrophe, exclamation point, quotation marks), Dialogue Punctuation, When to use a comma, When to use a colon, Spelling Reminders (how to make a singular word plural). I think it is great that the student is building their own log, by writing it down and then having a reference to look to if/when needed.

It also has questions about finding words with certain number of syllables (book 1 I am thinking of right now with my ODS) which is great for the spelling practice of really seeing and hearing the words.

I totally understand the big “jump” it feels like! I grew up doing Abeka and/or Bob Jones (was HS’ed) so we drilled and drilled and drilled grammar all the way through school. I don’t think it “hurt” but I also don’t think it helped encourage me to write better and honestly I don’t remember much of anything at all, except basic things, like a noun and verb, LOL. Last year I didn’t “trust” ULW so I paired it with Jr. Analytical Grammar, and it wasn’t necessary. I feel bad because while not hard, it did not help my DD. I am glad I did not stress about it, and we didn’t even finish it.

Switching from traditional spelling to SW was BIG for me too.  I didn’t know about it… doing copy work with no spelling for 1st & 2nd, transcription in 3rd with dictation starting in 4th… would it work? So far so good… 🙂 Sometimes the big leaps work, other times they don’t, LOL

If you are unsure if you want to drop “traditional” completely (I totally understand it is a big leap) you could check out KISS grammar. It is free online. There are quite a few completed levels for certain grades. You could print off select pages if you did want to review or show him a few examples of something different. It is free, and nice that you can print just what you want to. The web page can be odd to navigate but take your time and you should be able to find the free downloads.

I hope you can find something that works for you and your kido. It is hard trying to figure out what works, especially when different than what we are used to and trying to decide if it will work.

Side note, my ODS in book 1 (3rd grade) has been a great fit! Not too much writing, learning but not overwhelming, short lessons. Having another son (in kinder) I could see it working for him as well.