Both of these responses were very helpful. I have been under the impression that children with Downs can typically learn to read just as well as other children, and are usually avid readers when they get older. However, I recently met a woman whose son is featured on "Joni & Friends" for his pottery business. She told me that he never was able to learn to read or count. He is now in his twenties and still can't read, but enjoys making pottery and finds a sense of vocation that way. I'm learning that I just need to work with Maggie and not compare her too much to others with Downs. Thank you! Jean -- I'll take a look at the link you posted. I used Sing, Spell, Read and Write with my firstborn, and was thinking that program might be fun for Maggie.

I have an 8yo daughter with Downs Syndrome who does not read yet. Most of what I have read, including information published by national organizations says to teach using sight words and pictures on flashcards. I have been trying to use a phonics approach, but things are going very slowly. She knows most of her letters and can copy the vowel sounds I make, but isn't very interested. She also shows little interest in drawing and writing. What she loves is listening to music, watching DVDs and reciting/singing the portions she has memorized. Anyway, my primary question is: Has anyone successfully used a phonics-based approach to teach a child with Downs Syndrome to read? If not, what would you recommend? Thanks so much! Julie Shields Douglasville, GA

Does Latin have secondary complements? Also, the word "title" would be in the ablative case, right? It's not a direct object. If it were, then what follows would definitely be an object complement, as in the sentence "They named their baby Jane." I think I can concede that it's an appositive, but something doesn't seem quite right about it. It seems too essential, and I thought that you could remove an appositive from a sentence w/o affecting it's structure, or central meaning.

Okay, grammar nerds, I need your help! Can the object of a preposition have a complement? Here's the sentence: "Webster gave a series of lectures which were published under the title Dissertations on the English Language." The italicized portion of the sentence is what I'm wondering about. Is this a complement, renaming "title"? I don't think it could be an appositive, because it is needed to complete the meaning of the sentence and/or the grammatical structure. Appositives can be left out w/o changing the structure of the sentence. So, the only other option I can think of is that the title in italics could be another prepositional object, with the "understood" preposition of going on the slanted line in the diagram. (i.e. "....under the title (of) Dissertations...."). Anyone wanna tackle this? Follow-up question: If I had a copy of Descriptive English Grammar, would all my problems be solved? Thanks!

Just checked back and was able to download the sample. Many thanks! :)

We are at Week 30 of WWS-2. Reading ahead, I'm having a hard time figuring out how to help my students choose the topoi they will want to include in the Joan of Arc essay. It seems to me that the topoi you choose should depend on your thesis. I'm guessing that at this point, I should just tell them to choose the topoi they enjoy writing the most, or the ones they think they can get good notes for. I am wondering, however, if the idea of the thesis, and how topoi are used to explain and "prove" it will be introduced at some point. Does anyone know?

I'm getting a 404 error when I click on the link. Also getting this when I try to access the writing category at Peace Hill Press. Servers down?

I thought I saw a Scope & Sequence chart for WWE Level 3 somewhere. Does anyone know where something like this might be? Checked the php website, but didn't find anything.

Thanks -- that was very helpful. I'll check out the Workbook for Arguments.

Okay, how about the other recommendations from TWTM, like A Rulebook for Arguments? Can anyone comment on that?

I'm considering using this with my high school rhetoric class of four home-schooled students. I'd love to hear feedback & comments from those who have used it. I've ordered a copy to review, but it's not here yet. :) TIA,

Elizabeth, What's the name of the rhetoric book you said you had that Janice in NJ recommended?

The example (sentence about the teacher) doesn't really fit the "comma in a series" type, because "teacher" is being modified by the other two items, and isn't one of the list items itself. With that sentence, there is only one correct way to punctuate it -- without the comma. Does that make sense?

Has anyone heard?

I've used both, but not for the same books, so can't compare that way. I agree w/ previous comments on what is included. MP has more variety, However, some of the MP questions are not very carefully worded, and can be frustrating for a late-grammar or early-logic stage student, who still needs concreteness and precision in what is being asked. I noticed this especially w/ The Hobbit. I do like the vocabulary list & copywork/dictation exercises that MP provides. One other note -- VP gives permission to make copies for a family or classroom. MP does not.