Here is a sample of a recent writing assignment from my 12 year old son. I am a mostly CM homeschooler and he has had basically no writing instruction and very little formal grammar. I am starting to panic, LOL, and I am trying to figure out what to do for next year. He hates writing, and all narrations etc are done on the computer. I need something to hold my hand(and his) as I don't even know how to evaluate this sample. I am looking at Writing Strands, IEW, Classical Writing, Igniting Your Writing and I'm not sure what else I have looked at recently. I need something easy to implement and I would prefer just open and go. Thanks! The Daily Life of the American Indian Boy When an Indian is born they usually stay in a papoose (a back carrier) until they can walk. Then when they are older they learn to hunt and to fish. To hunt they make a bow using a method like this, they find a strait stick of wood then they shave of the bark and mark the middle. Then they shave from the middle to the ends cutting the thinnest possible shavings until it is about as thin as your finger and as smooth as a animal bone. Then they spread animal fat (preferably bear fat) from one end of the bow to the other and then let it dry. While the wood is drying they make a bow string out of twisted animal sinew. Then to make a arrow they use strait birch wood. To fish they sharpen a long stick, stand in the water and spear a fish. Then when an Indian is about 13 or14 they prove themselves as a man and a hunter of the tribe. If you are interested in the The Daily Life of the American Indian Boy, read Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare.

Awesome! Thanks! Any insight on what grade level to put them in(for grammar key). I will also look at thinking through grammar and am also looking at growing with grammar although neither of those are computer. I still may hold off with the younger two, we'll see.

Is there a computer based grammar program, like teaching textbooks for math? My oldest is going into 7th grade and has had very little grammar. I was(am?) on the later is better for grammar band wagon, but am now rethinking that. We tried FLL and did not like it at all. I have 4 students, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th as well as a 1 year old and a 4 year old next year. I also go to school/work very part time and my husband is very busy with church responsibilities. Where I get hung up is always the grading of work, so I thought maybe to free myself up a bit I could take advantage of computers for subjects that might lend themselves well to it. We dont want to switch math programs, but I was thinking if there was a grammar program that graded it for me, it could come in handy. Thanks!