Love2Smile Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 my dd is going into 9th grade and has mainly gone to public school She has been HS'd for 2 years in 6th and 7th, but went back in 8th. She is coming home for good now. She reads and writes at college level... How long do you have a grammar program? Is it necessary at this point?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April in CA Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) It is always good to review punctuation and capitalization, especially before standardized tests! I think grammar is important, even for good writers. When I was a senior in high school, I dropped out of my honors English 12 class (literature that I felt had no relevance to my life) in order to take a grammar, syntax, and usage class. I was a good writer, but I didn't know the rules of the game, and I wanted to learn. It was a great choice for me, and it helped me in college. I was able to intuit the rules before my grammar class because I was well-read, but I was really glad to know the rules behind what I did because "it just looked right." If your daughter really knows punctuation, etc, and how to find out what she needs to know but doesn't remember, you are probably fine without formal grammar. But, in my opinion, a quick run-through never hurts (again, especially before tests!). Hope that helps! Blessings, April Edited June 8, 2009 by April in CA typos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 thanks, what curriculum for highschool do you like? I was thinking of easy grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April in CA Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Hello again! Curriculum choices really depend on what you need to cover. I love Rod and Staff, personally. If your daughter is proficient in grammar already, you might look at their grade 8 book - quite advanced! Really, any of their books from 6th and especially 7th grades on up are fully high school worthy. I definitely would not use the 9th and 10 grade books from Rod and Staff if you have not used them all along; they get into some pretty esoteric stuff that only people who REALLY love grammar would care about, inho. I have never used it, but lots of people have used and recommend Analytical Grammar. This resource can be used any time in high school, if my understanding is correct, and unlike Rod and Staff, does not contain writing instruction - just grammar. Easy Grammar would be a quick and easy way to keep her basic skills current. I haven't used this either, so I am not sure what the book covers or what depth. However, the format is certainly appealing and would probably be pretty painless. This is not to be sneezed at, considering how heavy high school requirements can be! You might want to look at Grammar for High School Students and Sentence Composing for High School Students, both by Don Killgallon. You can look at them on Amazon. (I'm sorry, but I don't know how to link things!) Your daughter might enjoy them, especially if she enjoys writing, since they are focused on using grammar in the context of improving sentences in terms of structure and style in order to maximize communication. Hope something here is helpful to you and your daughter! Blessings, April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nchser Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 When my dd was in 9th grade we started Analytical Grammar, which is intended to cover all necessary grammar concepts in 1-3 years (depending on whether you choose to do it in 1, 2 or 3 years). As it is layed out, once you finish the book, you are finished with grammar. There are reinforcement excercises to keep from getting rusty, but it is not necessary to keep drilling grammar. The focus switches to writing. She finished the book mid-year this past year, and took the ACT a few months ago. She scored a perfect score on the English portion, so I would say AG has served it's purpose. Needless to say, I am very pleased with it, and my 2 middle schoolers have just completed their first year - they will cover it in 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I think it's nice to cover it though maybe less rigorously for a competent child. Thinking Through Grammar would keep the topics fresh in your daughter's mind and yet only take about 5 minutes or so a few days per week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I used Analytical Grammar and we also used Harvey's (Mott Media). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 She reads and writes at college level Not sure what you mean by this. How you have assessed her reading and writing level? If she truly writes on a "college level", she would have all the grammar skills she needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 Not sure what you mean by this. How you have assessed her reading and writing level? If she truly writes on a "college level", she would have all the grammar skills she needs. Thanks! I guess she doesn't need any more then! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Mine use Wordly-Wise books to supplement what they are doing in Literature. It's also a reasonably good standardized test prep... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 If she truly writes on a "college level", she would have all the grammar skills she needs. I'm not sure I agree. First, I still believe some additional exposure/practice can be helpful, especially since she's so young. Second, I had a grammar book in my first college English courses. I would guess that even after grammar for 13 years, most students could still benefit from a few exercises, discussions, etc. BTW, though I'm using Thinking Through Grammar with my upcoming 9th grader (he used it last year also), I am VERY glad we used Jensen's Grammar even though my daughter was "on a college level." It made a HUGE difference in her writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttman Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I am going to use the high school reinforcement books from Analytical Grammar. They each contain 18 lessons which alows for one every 2 weeks of a standard school year. Another thing I like about them is that they use real literature to diagram and mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 (edited) First, I still believe some additional exposure/practice can be helpful, especially since she's so young. Second, I had a grammar book in my first college English courses. I would guess that even after grammar for 13 years, most students could still benefit from a few exercises, discussions, etc. That's my point. If one writes on a "college level", one doesn't need that kind of thing. Students taking a first college English course don't typically write on a college level -- that's why they need the course. I was attempting to understand what that assessment meant, and how it was made. My question went unanswered, so I have no other suggestions to offer. Edited June 9, 2009 by Janet in WA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 we will be using Harvey's as our final grammar, mostly as a reference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I'm obviously in a minority, but we don't cover grammar "officially" after 8th grade. We do cover it on an as-needed basis, based on problems in writing. Also, my kids do work through SAT study guides which cover grammar obliquely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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