Sunshine State Sue Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 I'll post my review below. I'm wondering what to do (if anything) for next semester. AG states that the student needs to be held accountable for all mistakes in writing. While I intend to do this, I think it would be beneficial for a while for ds to pick apart someone else's writing instead of me picking apart his writing all the time. I plan to use the AG HS reinforcement books in HS, but would like to do something different for the remainder of this year. I'm thinking of Editor in Chief (or something similar) or the English portion of practice ACT tests. If anyone would like to throw in their 2c about this, I'd be happy to listen. :bigear: Here's the review: Analytical Grammar website is http://www.analyticalgrammar.com. The videos at the website do a great job of explaining the program. AG breaks it up into 3 seasons/years. Season 1 has 10 weeks of daily grammar work, then review 1x every 2 weeks. Season 2 has 7 weeks of daily grammar work, then review 1x every month. Season 3 has 17 weeks of daily grammar work and then you are done. It can be completed in 1 or 2 years as well. We completed the program as they suggest in 6th-7th-8th grade with review between the seasons. Season 1 - basic grammar (parts of speech, parts of a sentence, basics of diagramming) Season 2 - advanced grammar (verbal phrases and subordinate clauses) (this completes the study of grammar) Season 3 - application of grammatical knowledge to the rules of capitalization, punctuation and usage Pros: • Clear and concise • Pick up and go (little to no preparation required from mom) • Teach lesson on first day of week and student can work on their own for rest of week. Only checking/correcting required from mom. • Each lesson in Season 1 has a theme (American flag, humorous Johnny Carson story, women & math, Mexican-Americans, Martin Luther King Jr., Jewish Americans, fairy tales, etc.) which makes the lessons more interesting. • Built-in review – new concepts are learned, but old concepts (ex. adverbs, conjunctions, gerund phrases) are never dropped. • Sentences are much more complex than Shurley grammar. • The review paragraphs are from real books (in other words, the sentences are not made up especially for grammar parsing). • Novelty of getting a letter grade on test • Comfort of letter grade for perfectionist mom (ds is missing some but still getting As/Bs) • Student book turns into a reference manual when you remove student exercises. • Erin Karl (author’s daughter) is very responsive to questions on AG yahoo group. Cons: • While I thought Season 1 was perfect, we could have used 2x as much practice/review for Season 2 (because it's difficult) and 3 (because it's detailed). • Some say it’s expensive. I spent $120 but will use it over 3 years. It has been worth every penny in the TIME that it has saved me. Disclaimer: I have a master’s degree in Operations Research, which is concerned with all things efficiency. Part of the reason I love AG is that it is the most efficient use of my time and my child’s time. This leaves time for other wonderful things like math, history, music, and sports! I imagine that if you are a good teacher, and you teach grammar year after year after year, you learn to make your lessons more and more efficient. That must be with the author, Robin Finley, did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Sue, That is great to hear! I just started season 2, which I must admit as a math oriented person I was terrified of, but it is going well so far. I am struggling a little with what is being modified, but overall I am doing well. I am happy as a clam as well. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekarl2 Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Just wanted to say congrats on finishing! Mom often jokes that her students wanted to have a bonfire with their books in the back yard to celebrate, but then quickly realized they'd need their grammar notebooks in the future. Maybe just the worksheets?? Also, thanks for the nice shout out in your PROS. I hope you all find me helpful. That's what I strive for! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 For efficiency/results, my plan is to use the Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation for SAT test prep. The front half is a handbook, the back has 50 quizzes covering 24 common errors. http://www.grammarbook.com/ For something different, more interesting, look at the samples of Fix It and see if the last two selections appeal to you and your ds. Fix It also has you mark two sentences on every paper turned in with a "GC". The dc is then to cut/paste or copy the incorrect sentence onto a new sheet, proofmark, write rules explaining any errors, have instructor check, then rewrite. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/files/FIX%20Sample.pdf Thanks for the ideas. I'll check them out. I just started season 2, which I must admit as a math oriented person I was terrified of, but it is going well so far. I am struggling a little with what is being modified, but overall I am doing well. I am happy as a clam as well. *I* was very proud after finishing Season 2. It's tough and it really made me think. But, it also made sense and I understood. Although ds would never admit to enjoying any kind of school work, I could tell he was proud of himself as well. He was also thrilled when I told him there was no diagramming in Season 3. Mom often jokes that her students wanted to have a bonfire with their books in the back yard to celebrate, but then quickly realized they'd need their grammar notebooks in the future. Maybe just the worksheets?? Also, thanks for the nice shout out in your PROS. I hope you all find me helpful. That's what I strive for! :001_smile: That's a great idea, Erin! We have yet to rip out the student exercises. Ds would have a ball burning them. I am the opposite of a pack rat, but I will admit that I have trouble releasing old homeschool stuff. Erin, the level of support you provide is a great asset. In my 9 years of hs'ing, I have only had that kind of support from you and Jenny at the Singapore math forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I'm wondering what to do (if anything) for next semester. Here's a past thread you might find helpful for those who have completed a thorough grammar program in 8th and are wondering what, if anything, should follow it: Looking for grammar suggestions beyond R&S8 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26080&highlight=grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Here's a past thread you might find helpful for those who have completed a thorough grammar program in 8th and are wondering what, if anything, should follow it: Looking for grammar suggestions beyond R&S8 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26080&highlight=grammar Thanks, Lori! I found your post in this thread earlier today. You are a wealth of information. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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