Spelling & written narration & grammar

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  • April 7, 2012 at 10:17 pm
    4myboys
    Participant

    I am looking to start my older ds with a spelling program.  We’ve not yet started written narrations.  I am wondering if I should start one then the other, and if so which first, or start them both at about the same time.  I am hoping to start one or both this final term of 5th grade.

    Also, I need to make a decision on grammar.  We’ve been using Queen’s Language Lessons for the Elementary Child this year.  I need to decide if it’s enough grammar to continue using Queen’s LL for 6th grade, or if  I need to kick this up a notch, and if so, what should I use? 

    Ds 11 struggles with written work, but he has been doing well with oral narration.  His penmanship has been improving lately, and I think we are ready to move on with some of the other areas of LA. 

    April 9, 2012 at 5:27 pm
    4myboys
    Participant

    bump

     

    April 9, 2012 at 6:24 pm
    Alana Adams
    Participant

    My children have responded well to Spelling Wisdom. Currently, I am using it for ds10, ds13, & ds16. One idea would be to start Spelling Wisdom Book 1 during this final term and continue with oral narration. During the first term of 6th grade, continue Spelling Wisdom and begin written narration.

    As far as the Grammar… I have some kids using Queen’s Language Lessons right now, but we have used Junior Analytical Grammar and Analytical Grammar in the past. I haven’t used the Queen’s LL enough to get a good feel for it, but at first glance, I do feel that JAG/AG is a “meatier” choice. I like how Queens LL has integrated poetry writing into the lessons, but I don’t care for all the copywork in the higher books…but that’s just me. :0).

    If you should decide to go with Spelling Wisdom now, he would be getting more writing practice with smaller passages that would hopefully challenge him, but not frustrate him.

    Not sure if all that rambling helps at all, but it’s just a few thoughts I had as I was reading your post! :0P

    Alana

    April 9, 2012 at 6:37 pm
    4myboys
    Participant

    Thanks, Alana.  I think this might be an option re Spelling Wisdom & Written Narration, but I wish I could decide on the grammar issue… I have been skipping a lot of the QLL copy work lessons because they are using something else and I don’t want to over load them.  I find the spaces aren’t sufficient for my boys, and there is a font issue as well.  Sometimes I will copy one of the poems myself for my oldest, leaving sufficient space for him to print between liines.  I know I will have to move slowly with Spelling Wisdom for him.  My biggest concern is the American spelling where we are Canadian.  I have been looking at Spelling Power as a option which does have Canadia spelling options.  At least SW is only $14 for the down-load of level 1, and I can reuse…it’s not much of an investment if it doesn’t work out. 

    April 9, 2012 at 7:52 pm
    Evergreen
    Member

    For my 14-year-old son, we used Intermediate Language Lessons (Serle) as a writing, poetry and grammar program for grades 4-6. It’s something you could jump into in grade 6 though, without having completed the first two sections, if I’m remembering correctly. We love that text and have two other boys midway through it right now; it’s small, non-consumable and we use our own composition books. In 7th grade, one son used a grammar text I wouldn’t recommend again; Analytical Grammar is likely a better choice. With my 2 5th graders we are using a few lessons a week from Rod and Staff book 4 in conjunction with ILL, and we skip the redundant lessons in ILL.

    We’ve used and really enjoy Spelling Wisdom, and also take dictation passages from the boys’ history or literature readings. You could begin doing that a few days a week, as well as requiring a short written narration at the end of each week; perhaps I’d introduce one skill and wait a week or two before introducing the next.

    A last thought; in transitioning one of my kids to written narrations, I sometimes took dictation from him and typed out his narration, at which point he’d copy it over in his composition book. We’d move from that to him giving it orally, and then writing it down once it was sorted out in his mind, to him finally being able to write it out on his own. I know we’ll be entering that phase again with my littlest soon…

    April 9, 2012 at 8:43 pm
    4myboys
    Participant

    Which grammar text is it that you wouldn’t recommend and why? 

    April 9, 2012 at 10:51 pm
    Evergreen
    Member

    Applications of Grammar. It was inexpensive and ok for my very self-motivated, self-teaching type of student, but it moved very quickly through grammar concepts I honestly didn’t know. I realized that with my next students, who are different types of learners, I needed something that moved a bit more slowly and spelled things out more, and I needed to learn along with them so I could be of help and actually teach them. (I was an English major and journalist, but never learned advanced grammar concepts, diagramming, etc.)

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