Three Cheers for Using Language Well !

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  • Tracy Menard
    Participant

    Could you elaborate on how I can decide if I want my student (11yo, going into 6th grade) to have “in-depth grammar study” and therefore add AG into her plan for the coming year.

    We are new to SCM and coming off of a work text approach that taught grammar in a spiral fashion. She’s been doing grammar and sentence diagramming for several years now.  I was leaning away from AG for the coming year to give us more time to focus on learning narration and dictation well (and plan to use SW and ULW).

    Now I’m confused, as I don’t know if waiting on AG will just confuse things for her in the coming years. Yet, I’m trying to keep things simple as we transition and adding too many new materials may send us both over the edge. 😉 (considering I have many other children besides her to help through this transition year.)

     

    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    Tracy, if she has been doing grammar and diagramming for several years, don’t worry about adding more this year. Depending on how far she got in the process, she may not even need AG at all. Relax and go with your original plan, I think; she should be fine.

    cedargirl
    Participant

    My children have done First Language Lessons from PHP and can diagram sentences like nobody’s business, and clearly understand the parts of speech. I originally thought doing FLL was using a somewhat CM method or style. I needed to meet provincial learning outcomes so I took that path. I am happy for their success but it came with it’s struggles. I always felt this deep gut feeling that we were pushing grammar too early, but I needed to abide by the guidelines. So now, I breath a big sigh of relief that I can use ULW to both upkeep concepts learned and shed a fresh new light on the information. Like coming at it from a better, personal, and relational angle. Even though they are grammar versed, I think ULW will help them own the knowledge for themselves. I am looking forward to the blessings as they build language muscle. Isn’t it amazing how we can take curriculum and serve so many facets of learning needs?

    Tracy Menard
    Participant

    Thank you, Sonya.  I’m so eager to simplify this year for all of us and get to some real meat. Less is more. 🙂

    artcmomto3
    Participant

    Sonya, I have a question about whether to combine my kids or not. I will have a 3rd grader starting Spelling Wisdom this year, so naturally he will use ULW with it. In addition I have a 5th grader slowly progressing through SW book 1. She is not a natural speller, and we are alternating SW with AAS. She is presently on exercise 43 in SW I believe. Should I start her in ULW with her brother and skip the dictation since she has already done that, focusing on the grammar, or should I start her on the same lesson in ULW as SW?

    cedargirl
    Participant

    maybe I missed this but any release date for book 3 on?

    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    artcmomto3, I would be inclined to keep the two students separate so each can go at his/her own pace and to avoid any comparison or potential bad feelings. Of course, you know your children best; maybe that wouldn’t be an issue. It seems like your older one might be able to make faster progress since she isn’t doing the dictation portions–possibly more than two per week–and catch up to exercise 43 quicker than if she went at the same pace as the younger student.

    cedargirl, you haven’t missed anything; we do not have a release date for the remaining books yet.

    greenebalts
    Participant

    I recently purchased ULW and have a few questions. I’m contemplating using it with our dyslexic son who is a rising 5th grader. I know this is a new program. How does SCM go about field testing? I mean are there families who’ve used the program before it was released? What did you research to write the program? I’m not asking this in a negative way. I love SCM and everything they do for the CM community. It’s just that I really love to look at the big picture and talk to other families in the trenches to see how it’s working for them. I’m wondering specifically about modifications for different types of learners. Is this the method Charlotte used for teaching English?

    Also, I see Book 1 appears to focus on the mechanics more so than grammar. I did take a look at the “English Points Presented” in Book 2 and that appears to be where the meat of grammar begins. I realize only the first two books have been released. Since there are 5 Spelling Wisdom books, can we assume there will be 5 ULW books? If so, what is the time frame for completion of the program? Also, what is the full scope and sequence? Will ULW cover all the English one child needs through high school…in addition to the Analytical Grammar that you’re recommending? What is/was your vision in writing this program?

    It appears as though ULW along with SW is a complete language arts program including spelling, grammar, and composition. Is this an accurate description?

    BTW, academics are painful for this ds. He hates all things associated with “school”….except me reading aloud to him. We tried a formal grammar program for the first time last year unsuccessfully. He’s making huge gains in his reading and very small steps in the physical act of writing. He still narrates orally, but hates it and sometimes flat out refuses. (He does have some other sensory and small motor skill issues.) If there are 5 books planned and if starting UWL with him this year in 5th grade, at two years per book, he will not complete the full scope. I understand teaching the child, which is what I’ve been doing. However, I also wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to teach him some necessary skill simply for lack of time. Sonya, what are your thoughts on this?

    Thanks so much,
    Melissa

    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    Hi, Melissa. Good questions. Let me try to answer them below.

    How does SCM go about field testing? I mean are there families who’ve used the program before it was released? What did you research to write the program? I’m not asking this in a negative way. I love SCM and everything they do for the CM community. It’s just that I really love to look at the big picture and talk to other families in the trenches to see how it’s working for them.

    Some of our resources are based on what we used with our children, some are based on what we wish we had used with our children, and some grow out of new understanding of Charlotte’s methods as we continue our own learning. ULW falls in the latter two categories: what we wish would have been available for our children to use and based on a recently acquired better understanding of Charlotte’s methods. A CM graduate and a 20-year veteran CM mom went through the books with a fine-tooth-comb and gave feedback and corrections to me.

    Since there are 5 Spelling Wisdom books, can we assume there will be 5 ULW books? If so, what is the time frame for completion of the program?

    Yes, the plan is to have 5 ULW books, completed as schedule and life allow. We can’t give a definite time frame at this point.

    Also, what is the full scope and sequence?

    While all of the books will include English, grammar, and writing points, each will serve a specific role in the series. Here’s my vision for the books.

    • Book 1 focuses on English Points, including capitalization and punctuation and makes the transition from transcription to dictation and from oral to beginning written narration.
    • Book 2 begins the study of grammar by introducing the parts of speech. Constant progress in spelling through dictation and improvement in written narrations is continued.
    • Book 3 will dig into the next step of grammar by introducing sentence analysis, including such things as direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, gerunds, infinities, participles. Progress in spelling and written narrations will be continued.
    • Books 4 and 5 will turn the spotlight on composition and help the student put finishing touches on his writing skills through literary analysis and word studies, among other things.

    It appears as though ULW along with SW is a complete language arts program including spelling, grammar, and composition. Is this an accurate description?

    Yes and no. ULW will include spelling, grammar, and composition; but a truly complete language arts curriculum in a CM style must also include wide reading, narrating (both oral and written), poetry, Shakespeare, and all of the other rich components that nurture the skills of hearing and speaking, reading and writing. ULW will be a helpful resource in that full curriculum.

    If there are 5 books planned and if starting UWL with him this year in 5th grade, at two years per book, he will not complete the full scope. I understand teaching the child, which is what I’ve been doing. However, I also wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to teach him some necessary skill simply for lack of time. Sonya, what are your thoughts on this?

    Any English, grammar, or writing point mastered is a gain. So even if you don’t complete all 5 books, he will still be progressing in language arts skills. Now, having said that, I understand your point about accomplishing the necessary skills and here are my thoughts. In my mind, if a student can master the rubrics (used for evaluating written narrations) halfway through book 4, he will be writing quite well for college and for life — better than most others, I daresay. I envision book 5 as icing on the cake; something more for those who really love crafting sentences but not necessarily a requirement for every student.

    greenebalts
    Participant

    Thank you Sonya!!…your response is extremely helpful 🙂

    …”a CM style must also include wide reading, narrating (both oral and written), poetry, Shakespeare, and all of the other rich components that nurture the skills of hearing and speaking, reading and writing.”

    We are already doing or are about to start the other components that you’ve mentioned so I think ULW may be a good fit!

    Regarding narrations, he’s primarily done oral narration up to this point. Since his reading was delayed due to dyslexia, we haven’t started true written narration. I’m of the mind, that a child should be reading well, before they can begin writing.

    Anyway, I’m slightly confused by the narration rubrics in ULW. Is ULW the starting point for guiding written narration? If so, it looks like the rubrics are introduced in lesson 82, which if I’m understanding correctly, would be the second year of using the book. Can I assume that this is the beginning of written narration and that the child would have been strictly giving oral narrations up to that point?

    Thanks Again,
    Melissa

    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    Yes, that is correct, Melissa. Oral narration is explained and encouraged throughout Lessons 1–70. Written narration is introduced around Lesson 71 or so, giving the student some time to get used to getting his thoughts onto paper before the rubric expectations are added around Lesson 82.

    All of that is in the teacher book; the student doesn’t see those suggested times. So if you want to introduce written narration or rubrics at a different time, you can easily do so.

    greenebalts
    Participant

    Your replies have been extremely helpful Sonya!! Thank you kindly…I look forward to trying ULW. I think it may be a good fit.

    Blessings,
    Melissa

    Shanna
    Participant

    Just so I can better understand how it all fits together. ULW uses SW for dictation, but what is included does not overwrite the lessons that need to be done in SW separately correct?

    Sonya Shafer
    Moderator

    The lessons in ULW point out certain components of the SW passage, then the final step of the ULW lesson tells the student to study the SW passage until he is prepared for dictation (or transcription, in the case of the first part of Book 1).

    So you can use SW separately for just the dictation, or you can add ULW to point out components of that same passage and then do the dictation (which ULW will remind you to do).

    The samples will probably help you see how they work together better than I can describe it here.

    csnover
    Participant

    I have 2 boys in 5th and 6th grade.  They have not completed SW book 1.   Can you please advice me where to start with ULW ?  Does ULW match up with the beginning of SW book 1? Just confused what to use if in the middle of SW book 1.  Also, even if my 6th grader hasn’t complete SW bk 1, should I begin him in SW bk 2?  Thank you for your guidance

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