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Please Name Your Favorite Grammar Program & Why
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I’m struggling to make a decision about grammar for the fall. My 2 will be in 5th & 6th and have a good bit of experience with the basicis of the parts of speech. My older one is ready for more indepth study while my younger one is still struggling to understand the whole thing.
Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!
Amanda
I like Winston Grammar. I use it with my children ages 16, 13, 11, 9, and 6. It really is a program you can use all together. I believe it is strongly recommended by the Moore Foundation (Raymond/Dorothy Moore).
Winston Grammar – has it all – colored parts of speech cards for the visual &/or right brain learner, movement involved in physically diagraming the sentences using the cards, oral statement of part of speech when using the cards for the auditory learner. This program worked well for my kiddos. This is one that I used around late elementary to junior high age.
I also like:
Our Mother Tongue – I used this with my 8th & 10th grade girls last year. We all enjoyed this very well as the infomation like the Latin roots of the parts of speech which really explained *what* they were was very helpful to them – that and they both enjoy Latin. I enjoyed teaching this very much.
We have also used Blue Book of Grammar, and though it’s ok, I suppose, it’s no Our Mother Tongue.
We also liked Winston Grammar, easy to implement, thorough and got the job done. Once we had worked through the program that was it, no more needed.
I like Rod & Staff. And my son likes it OK too. He doesn’t love it but he wouldn’t love any Grammar instruction. 🙂
Why? Very cost effective and is non-consumable (the workbooks are consumable but are very affordable).
I think it is very thorough. I think it covers it all. I like the way the broken down by very specific grammar topics, so I can choose a topic (and/or skip some if I know he has it mastered).
I like the quality of the hardbound books that are very well thought out, laid out and produced. They will last through all of our children I have no doubt.
I should add I really struggled to find a curric. that fit for us. I tried Learning Language Arts Through Lit (this was not for us at all). I also tried Easy Grammar along with Daily Grams (again didn’t work for us).
We will be sticking with Rod & Staff for sure. I should also add we don’t do any formal grammar instruction until 7th grade, though I do have a 5th and 4th grader who have workbooks (I buy them every summer at Sam’s Club) with Grammar sections and we do them here and there.
I realize the workbooks are not CM friendly, but these two particular students of mine ask for worksheets from time to time and so these just make it easy for me to give them that every once in a while. It is more of a breather/break from other language things we do and is something we pull out for a couple of weeks and then move on.
HTH
We have used or tried: Rod & Staff 5 this year with my older one, LLATL a year ago but didn’t finish it, Grammarland with worksheets, First Language Lessons (completed 1,2,3 & part of 4 with both children), tried Primary Language Lessons for a week or 2, and now are currently doing Grammar Tales with a few online worksheets form EZ school.com to just review the basics. They are aggravated by the Grammar Tales & worksheets because they say they already know all about nouns, verbs, pronouns, etc.
They do not know everything about grammar 🙂 They can pick out the parts of speech and rattle off definitions, but they do not know all the minute details of diagramming, all the different forms of pronouns, and all the things that are in something like Rod & Staff which make MY head spin!
Grammar is the only subject that I don’t feel good about. I know we did too much too soon, but now they are at the ages that we need to do this and they hate it. My older child especially dislikes Rod & Staff (Well, dislikes is an understatement since she begged me to let her burn the book when she is done with it!)
I’d like to use something that is throrough yet simple. My children also detest doing something that seems irrelevant to them. Is there a program that would make grammar MEAN something to them?
I’m looking for: a simple, through grammar program that is not going to cost me a small fortune. I’d also love something that makes the study meaningful to the child…helps them understand the purpose of the study… and maybe gives them good literature to use for examples and references. Does this exist??
I like Harvey’s Grammar with the workbooks and answer keys from Classical Writing. These workbooks add diagramming skills to Harvey’s and are independent from CW’s writing programs. This is simple and thorough.
Also, we use Professor K’s Grammar which includes diagramming and editing exercises using literature selections. This book has a primary level and a main course.
I can’t compare, since I’ve only used one:) But I like Analytical Grammar because it’s thorough, to the point, and not ‘all the time.’ Only downfall is price, but I don’t think it’s too bad since it’s the only grammar program we’ll use and both kids will use it….then I’ll re-sell my teacher guides. My dd did Jr. AG in 5th (though this is not necessary), and is completing one season per yr. for 3 years of AG. Each season is only 10 lessons…can be done in 10 weeks, or you could stretch it 20 weeks by doing labeling one day and diagramming the next (lessons would be pretty short that way). Just what we do:) I am intrigued by Our Mother Tongue…but didn’t really know about it and have already invested in AG and it’s working fine. Hope you findwhat you’re looking for:) Gina
Oops…I think I missed your last post. AG might not be what you want:) Cost is on the high side, and doesn’t use quality lit. (though the samples are educational).
I don’t even know if it IS no longer recommended by them. All I know is when I was doing AO, it was recommended, but I couldn’t make heads or tails out of the website and wasn’t having problems teaching grammar to earlier ages than OMT would cover and just didn’t see the need to tie myself in knots.
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