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Help me with grammar please


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My son (6th grade) has been using GWG since 4th grade. Before that, we used FLL 1/2 and 3.

 

Today, during another subject/ lesson, I had him tell me the parts of speech for this sentence he made up, "I went to a trial."

 

What is the verb? I ask.

 

*crickets chirping*

 

"to?"

 

uh, no.

 

Do I need to tell you how disappointed I was?

 

OK, so he *finally* gets that is was "went." But, he still had trouble when I asked him the parts of speech of other words in the sentence.

 

We've never had to really take a sentence apart like this in GWG, so I know it was a new task for him, but I also know that he has done exercises to learn all the parts of speech in the above sentence (verbs, pronouns, nouns, prep phrases, articles, etc.).

 

In light of this revelation that he is successfully completing his grammar work, but is not yet applying it, what resource would you recommend that I pursue? Or would you change grammar programs? I have often wanted to use Analytical Grammar, but have stopped short of purchasing it because of the price (I almost bought it this summer).

 

Now, I honestly know that in my life, if it isn't in a book that he/ we can pull out and use, it will not get done. It is just the way my life and brain are right now. Relying exclusively on me to generate a novel sentence, write it on a piece of paper or whiteboard and do it -- it just ain't gonna happen. Pulling out a workbook, and hearing him say, "hey, mom, I gotta do this now" -- well, in that situation, it'll happen.

 

I am open to totally ditching GWG or supplementing it (with said hard-copy book in lieu of relying on my memory:lol:)

 

Any advice?

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Was there any particular reason you ditched FLL? I am using FLL level 4 with my 6th grader this year and am pretty happy with his progress. It does require parent interaction (which for some is a downside) but I love the way it guides both parent and student through the process of breaking down a sentence, it makes it easy and I like having the visual. After we finish this I'm leaning towards Jr AG once or twice a week to keep up the practice until we get through middle school then probably moving to AG for high school.

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I'm sorry that happened to you! I actually did not go with GWG because I had read experiences that retention/application was not good.

 

I think for your dc's age AG would be a good fit. I haven't used it but have researched it extensively/plan to use it and it seems it fits your criteria of being able to parse a sentence AND includes diagramming. Plus it starts right from the beginning.

 

Hopefully others will chime in.

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My son (6th grade) has been using GWG since 4th grade. Before that, we used FLL 1/2 and 3.

 

Today, during another subject/ lesson, I had him tell me the parts of speech for this sentence he made up, "I went to a trial."

 

What is the verb? I ask.

 

*crickets chirping*

 

"to?"

 

uh, no.

 

Do I need to tell you how disappointed I was?

 

OK, so he *finally* gets that is was "went." But, he still had trouble when I asked him the parts of speech of other words in the sentence.

 

We've never had to really take a sentence apart like this in GWG, so I know it was a new task for him, but I also know that he has done exercises to learn all the parts of speech in the above sentence (verbs, pronouns, nouns, prep phrases, articles, etc.).

 

In light of this revelation that he is successfully completing his grammar work, but is not yet applying it, what resource would you recommend that I pursue? Or would you change grammar programs? I have often wanted to use Analytical Grammar, but have stopped short of purchasing it because of the price (I almost bought it this summer).

 

I am open to totally ditching GWG or supplementing it (with said hard-copy book in lieu of relying on my memory:lol:)

 

Any advice?

 

I could have written your post almost exactly. Except my son is in 8th grade, and I did bite the bullet and purchased Analytical Grammar. I wish I would have done it sooner. I have been extremely pleased with AG. My son, who always struggled with grammar (could complete the GWG exercises but not apply what he "learned"), said he finally understands it, and is getting A's on all his tests. AG starts from the very beginning teaching the parts of speech, and then parsing and diagramming sentences. It is a complete grammar program, and once your child has finished the student book, they remove the exercises and have a grammar reference book to keep forever. So, think of it in terms of a long-term investment, and then the price doesn't seem so bad. :001_smile:

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I suggest BJU English. We did Shurley English for 1st - 4th grade for youngest and though she had the jingles memorized, The "Q and A flow" down pat, and could diagram a sentence like nobody's business, if I asked her to tell me the verb in a sentence her eyes would glaze over. She would have to go through the "Q and A flow" to figure it out.

 

I switched to BJU with a scripted TE and student workbook. (Yuck!) She has soared with this program. I do like the way each chapter is set out so simply with Guided Practice that we do together and then Independent Practice she does on her own. There are also separate chapters for writing in between the grammar chapters. She actually doesn't mind writing now. :001_smile:

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It sounds to me like you should do a grammar program that provides parsing.

From reading the Well Trained Mind boards, I see the following curricula do that:

1. Michael Clay Thompson's program

2. Analytical Grammar

 

I would also recommend Classical Writing. It says that it is a writing program, but I see it as a grammar program. It does a lot of parsing. My son learned how to parse very well through that program and he is parsing well in Henle 1 Latin.

 

So, look for a grammar program that offers parsing.

 

Blessings,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

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I agree that a grammar program with parsing with help. After using several grammar programs, including one with lots of diagramming, dd was doing the same thing you describe. We switched to MCT this year. Problem solved. With MCT grammar, you have to teach the main book for about a month. Then, the student works in a practice book, which they can do independently.

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I agree that a grammar program with parsing with help. After using several grammar programs, including one with lots of diagramming, dd was doing the same thing you describe. We switched to MCT this year. Problem solved. With MCT grammar, you have to teach the main book for about a month. Then, the student works in a practice book, which they can do independently.

 

Whenever I go to the MCT website, my eyes just glaze over with all the books and trying to figure out where to place my 6th grader. :tongue_smilie: How do you go about choosing the right level?

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Rod and Staff has sets of review books here. Perhaps reviewing diagramming would help, too. CLE has a great review book of diagramming here. Christian Light also has charts for quick reference, a simple booklet with examples of diagramming, and a hardback reference book that is great.

 

All these materials are so affordable, that I've bought some of them just to have for later. My dd is geared in the language arts area, but ds is showing a lot of math skills and needing a little more review in grammar than dd ever did.

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Whenever I go to the MCT website, my eyes just glaze over with all the books and trying to figure out where to place my 6th grader. :tongue_smilie: How do you go about choosing the right level?

 

Hi Alane: jumping in here from Royal Fireworks Press, publisher of MCT curriculum: Children in 6th grade begin most readily with the Voyage books, which is Level 3 of the curriculum. As well as Grammar Voyage there is Practice Voyage , Essay Voyage, Ceasar's English 2 and World of Poetry.

If your child is a Gifted 6th grader however, Level 4 may be appropriate: Magic Lens 1 and Word Within the Word 1.

There are sample pages on the website for each of these books. Other homeschoolers will help, as will Dr Tom Kemnitz at Royal Fireworks Pres. He should be in the NY office from tomorrow: tel (845) 726 4444

 

Hope this helps.

Rachel

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Another Analytical Grammar fan here. I had the same experience with my boys a year and a half ago. I spent the summer doing a crash course on grammar - parts of speech - with them, then put 6th grader into AG. (The older went to ps.) I've been so impressed with ds's progress through AG. He's doing so well with gerund phrases, infinitives, etc without a struggle or anything. The longer he does AG, the happier I am with it.

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