Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: Analytical grammar, Language arts, ULW, Using Language Well

This topic has 14 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 10 months ago by beccawalker2000.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

Author
Posts
July 31, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Lisa R
Participant
I actually have 2 questions: 1. Do you still recommend using Analytical Grammar in 6th – 8th grades? Would I still use Using Language Well and Spelling Wisdom alongside Analytical Grammar or does it take the place of Analytical Grammar? 2. My 5th grade daughter hasn’t used Spelling Wisdom at all. Can you start in book 2 and Using Language Well book 2? Sonya, you and the entire staff at SCM make homeschooling the CM way so understandable! Thank you for all you do!
July 31, 2015 at 4:05 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
Thanks for the encouragement, Lisa!
Yes, your 5th grader can start in book 2. Absolutely.
ULW gives a solid introduction to/review of grammar. We will still recommend Analytical Grammar in grades 6–8 for those who want more in-depth grammar study.
July 31, 2015 at 7:14 pm
Lisa R
Participant
Thanks Sonya! One more question. How many pages are in the Using Language Well Books? Just wondering for printing the download purposes. Thanks!
July 31, 2015 at 9:53 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
The student books are about 150 pages each; the teacher books, about 80.
August 2, 2015 at 5:32 pm
sbounk
Participant
My boys, 4/5th and 6th grades, have both completed Junior AG and Mechanics. Not sure where to start them in ULW. Help! My 4/5 loves
August 3, 2015 at 7:41 am
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
If they have completed JAG and Mechanics, the ULW would just be a review for them. Book 1 would review basic mechanics and book 2, parts of speech along with more mechanics.
August 3, 2015 at 4:38 pm
keyhouse77
Participant
I have a 7th grader who needs the Using Language Well that goes along with the Spelling wisdom book 3. Is there an estimated date of when book 3 will be completed?
August 4, 2015 at 7:44 am
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
No, we don’t have any release dates set yet. Sorry.
August 4, 2015 at 1:00 pm
jill smith
Participant
Sonya,
I have a 4th grade girl that has done very little grammar and writing. When and where should I begin?
August 4, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
For writing, the place to start is with oral narrations. That method will give her practice in all of the mental work involved in composition. In fact, Charlotte called it “oral composition.”
I’m not sure what you mean by “grammar.” If you mean using English words correctly, capitalization, punctuation, and other usage components like that, you could easily start at the beginning of Book 1. That book also walks you through the importance of oral narration, then helps you make the transition to written about halfway through.
If, however, you mean parts of speech, those are covered in Book 2. The written narration rubrics and tips on Book 2 assume the student is fluent in oral narrations and has had some written narration practice.
I believe the first rubric is available in the sample of each teacher book. You might want to download those samples and take a look at the rubric 2.1 in Book 2. If it looks like too many concepts that would be new to your daughter, start with Book 1.
August 7, 2016 at 2:29 pm
Tracy Menard
Participant
In your curriculum guide, AG is recommended for 7th grade, but no mention of the Review book they sell which is recommended by their site if you are spreading out the study of AG over 2-3 years. Would you say that the Review book sold by AG is still necessary as well as their timeline suggestion for using the Lessons and Review book together? I want to be sure to order each component but also need to be mindful of our budget. If the Review book would be too much or covered in some other way, that is helpful to know.
Thank you. 🙂
August 8, 2016 at 6:57 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
It’s up to you, Tracy, if you think the Review book would be helpful. I did not use it with my children, so I can’t give you a firsthand-experience answer. Once the Using Language Well, Book 3, is done, its lessons will give reviews, so you would not need both at that point. For right now, take a look at the sample and at the student and see what you think.
August 8, 2016 at 7:39 pm
Tracy Menard
Participant
Thank you. That is helpful. Also helpful to know that ULW3 will have review built in. I have more students behind this one, so knowing how to invest is a great help.
Side note: Just got an order in today and I am quite excited about all my new books. 🙂 The new guides are wonderful. Thank you!
August 8, 2016 at 8:18 pm
MamaWebb
Participant
Sonya,
It is so awesome of you to be so helpful and available here!
I just want to say that we cannot wait for ULW 3! I know it’s premature, but we are getting set to start ULW 2 and SW2 for my daughter. I truly love the look of this series. It will be such a relief to have another level to move my daughter into after ULW2.
Thanks for you that you do for us!

August 9, 2016 at 7:25 pm
beccawalker2000
Participant
I’ve been struggling over these two choices. I invested in AG last fall, but my son hates it. He did not progress very far in SW2 or ULW2, but he was peaceful using them. He is starting 7th grade this year, and I just don’t know whether to push it or not. I’d love to get other’s opinions on this.