struggling with writing and grammar

It was hard for me to patiently trust the CM method for language arts, especially when it had been several months with no real improvement. My daughter is now 12 and this is her first year with dictation. We had tried several times over the past two years and it was too difficult for her, so we spent over a year focusing only on copywork and then eventually added written narrations. Allowing her to type narrations helped so that any misspelled words were underlined in red, immediately bringing her attention to it. When we started this school year and tried dictation again, she was finally ready and confident and has been doing well with it. She still struggles with spelling but the improvement is there and it is noticeable.

I am not familiar with the writing program you are using so I can’t say whether it is helping or hurting.  Spelling lists are basically useless, once the test is over then the words and their spellings are forgotten. Our brain was trained to memorize them temporarily, that’s not real learning.

Try focusing on copywork, dictation and grammar if they are able to do them without trouble/tears, and written (or typed) narrations for the 13yo.  Even though my daughter is able to do dictation, I still assign copywork a couple days per week because she does need the practice and it does improve her spelling.

@Wings2fly – tell me more about the electronic talking dictionary, please.  I think that would really help my daughter.

I was reminded today of my daughter’s poetry memory work.  I think this has helped her spelling as well.  We also keep a Scripture memory box.

https://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/

She selects a poem of her choice and copies it down in her book.  I check her spelling.  After she corrects it, she reads it aloud with feeling.  Daily, she reads it out loud to memorize it.  Once she can recite it, she selects a new one.  We review periodically.  This expands their vocabulary.  But I think seeing words in context regularly, and saying it slowly, helps the correct spellings to stick in their minds.  Then I think their spellings in their writings improve.  It has helped my daughter.

https://wheremytreasureis.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/education-in-our-home-part-10-memorization-and-recitation/

They can use any of their books for copywork including Bible, poetry, literature reads, quotes they like.  Your older child might like to start a Commonplace Book/Book of Mottoes.

I use Sabbath Mood for science for both of my kids, 12 and 15.  They were both previously in public school and we still do not want to use textbooks.  Perhaps in 12th grade to prepare them for college, but for now I wish for them to still enjoy learning and they are not able to do that with textbooks.  Sabbath Mood uses living books and also has a guide that not only schedules the readings, but also schedules experiments, extra readings, etc. There has been some concern over the evolutionary content in the living books, but I have found that the guide balances that out with giving the creation explanation.  The content is usually a mention of millions/billions of years and we are able to tune that out.

Older kids are expected to read their own books once they are able.  That was hard for me since I enjoyed reading to mine, but my son is older and needs to move at a faster pace than his younger sister.

Is your daughter having issues with not receiving grades like other kids, or for what school grade she is in?  My daughter never remembers what grade she is in.  I think that is a part of homeschooling.

I’m with you on not having them graduate early.  I don’t have that issue since mine fell a bit behind in the transition from public to home school.

For their grade, we just say the grade they would be in based on their age and birthday.  But in learning, they are where they are.

For science, we use nature study, videos, field trips, and living books with oral or written narrations until grade 8.  Then we use Apologia science texts.  I did have him use an elementary Apologia science text with lab experiments the last half of grade 7 to help prepare for the switch in grade 8 for Apologia General Science.  He did not finish the text though.  He is using Apologia Physical Science and the Physics 101 dvds for 9th currently.  I still add in a living book or nature study once per week.  He is reading Rascal by Sterling North now.  He still gives oral or written narrations on most of his readings in every subject, every day.  For living science books, we used many that were on the old SCM book list:

https://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/list-of-living-science-books/

I really think consistent, daily copywork and narrations are at the heart of your CM writing program.  This is how they learn to write and do composition.  Sonya’s book Hearing and Telling Reading and Writing explains this better than I can.  Could you tell us how you are using Spelling Wisdom and Using Language Well and how often?  How many written and oral narrations are you requiring each day?  Would you care to share samples of your daughters’ written narrations?

We did use Queen Language Lessons one year when I needed them to be more independent that year.   It is mostly copywork.  But there are some nice CM components included of picture study, poetry, dictation, grammar lessons, and creative writing projects.

In grade 4 or 5, we have used Writing Tales.  And we still take an old tale or fable and re-write it with our own creative ideas, like changing the setting or characters.  We have fun sharing our new stories with each other.  We do this for fun a few times per year.  I help edit and they write a final copy neatly in a composition book to keep.  I have picked up some creative writing ideas from Brave Writer’s The Writer’s Jungle, a handbook for teachers.  I think a more formal, format writing can be used for one semester or one year in high school, especially for teaching the research paper.

For Spelling Wisdom, you said she copies the text so that is copywork which is great for helping improve spelling.  Do you also dictate the passage to her?  If she’s still struggling with spelling then you may want to dictate easier passages.  The passage should only contain 3-4 words that she doesn’t already know how to spell well.  My 7th grader does dictation from spelling wisdom book 1 and then copywork from book 2.

Both of my kids, 7th and 9th, have worked up to one written narration per day.  I slowly worked up to this, starting with one per week and then gradually adding another one per week until they got up to daily.

Have you read the blog posts from SCM?  They are extremely helpful for implementing CM.

SCM’s history guides do have exams at the end of each term and that is how we can see what is being learned and retained.  You can also ask for delayed narrations each week to see what else is being learned.

My 9th grader is using living books for science through Sabbath Mood and so far our plan is to continue that throughout high school.  What yours are currently reading are a good study with living books.  The guides from Sabbath Mood include experiments which is where their benefit is, but you could continue using living books and find a lab kit or book to go with it.

As far as beginning high school, both SCM and Sabbath Mood have the same schedule for 7th-9th grades so that would allow her to work on high school work but likely not overwhelm her.  SCM history would have both your girls in the same time period but possibly on different individual books (they would still read the same family assignments).  If you wanted to try Sabbath Mood they would be in different levels but could still study the same science subject.

My daughter will be 13 in May and is currently working in 7th grade based on when she started public school.  So technically she should start high school after turning 14 and finishing 8th grade.  I feel like late birthdays like theirs make it tough to stay on “grade-level” with their peers and it definitely concerns me.

Have you been in prayer for your concerns?  We tend to overthink things and stress ourselves out unnecessarily.  Whenever I worry and then pray about it, I always have clarification and peace.