Growing with Grammar placement question

[whiteisle]

I'm trying to decide between grammar curricula for this year and GWG is one I'm considering.  This would be for my just turned 11 dd and my almost 13 ds.  We haven't done any formal grammar/LA instruction - mainly CM type stuff (copy work, sporadic bits of dictation, and some Queens).  

 

Should I place them according to grade level (6th for dd and 7th for ds) or should I considering backing up a grade or two since they haven't done a lot of grammar work?  

 

Also, I am looking at their Soaring with Spelling and Winning with Writing.......any placement advice for these as well?

 

Thank you!

[Clemsondana]

I used these for a couple of years with my kids. The instructions give enough information that you should be able to start at grade level - every year seems to contain the basics of nouns, verbs, punctuation, etc. Writing should be fine, too. With spelling, check some of the samples and see if its a good fit. We had some years where we just needed a 'get it done' system, and my kids learned the basics of punctuation and writing. We've gone in a different direction now for several reasons (using MCT's series, which, with it's stories and discussion, is the polar opposite of what we had been doing) but my older child was diagramming sentences in 5th grade with GWG.

[whiteisle]

Thank you ClemsonDana!  My kids are seem to more of the "get it done" type so this may work for them. :)  

 

 

[GeoKitty]

We used all three for my sons seventh grade year, on grade level. We had done some MCT before. It worked welll. And he appreciated the straightforwardness of the curriculum, compared to MCT (which my DD loves). Fwiw, for his eighth grade year we switched to Cover Story writing, Wordly Wise, along with some MCT vocab, and MCT practice grammar book. He says he learned grammar better from GWG. Hth

[whiteisle]

Thank you GeoKitty - that does help. :)

 

Another question for those who have used it....I've read some have experienced their children finding a "pattern" to the work and therefore they aren't really engaging their thinking skills.  They say their kids weren't retaining anything.  Do you find there is a "pattern" that could easily be taken advantage of in the grammar?

[RootAnn]

Yes to grade level & yes to the pattern.

IMO, you can absolutely use it as an independent grammar, but they may not learn/retain anything. The more interaction you have with them & the material, the better.

 

I need to add that we have only used the first edition GWG. There is a new edition out, so I can't speak to any changes that were made after the first one.

[Clemsondana]

On any given assignment your kids could find the pattern - I found this to be the case for the grammar that I did in school 30 years ago, too. But, there are. cumulative reviews/tests and the occasional review question scattered through the work, so if they aren't remembering, you should find out fairly quickly.