Could someone please compare R&S with Shurley?

[Mommy7]

I am wondering what the advantages of using R&S over Shurley would be?

 

R&S seems to "require more of the student" as SWB says in WTM. I like the oral review questions being built in. It also has diagramming built right in. And writing. It is concise, but powerful. Doesn't take long to teach!!! (important in my house...teaching lots of levels) I can see that it teaches the child to really think through grammar. Yet, some have said the mastery approach of R&S doesn't work well for their child. I don't really understand that one, because wouldn't review be build right in with diagramming? and the oral review questions?

 

I have been using Shurley. It does not require the student to verbally explain anything about grammar. (well, occasionally...) But, it provides useful tools to find the parts of speech. However, I am finding that sometimes the rote process can become so routine that they aren't thinking about what they are doing. The jingles are only helpful if they *think* about what they are saying and are then able to *apply* it!!! Does that make sense? Someone who has used Shurley may understand. Or maybe I'm not explaining it well.

 

Also, Shurley constantly uses what they are taught. Once a part of speech is introduced, they continually label it in sentences for the rest of the year.

 

It's just that now that I know all the great things about R&S, I'm wondering if it would be best for my children (other than the oldest) to switch.

 

My son seems to hate grammar. Period. Today, I taught him a lesson from R&S 4 (it's sitting on my shelf) to see how that would go. He hated that too and now says he wants to continue Shurley. Yesterday, he hated Shurley and wanted to switch to something else. I explained to him that the program is NOT the problem. It seems to be more his attitude about it. (I do not let my children decide about curriculum. I am just wanting their input, before I decide)

 

I am currently teaching two of my children at once out of Shurley 1. I am considering switching to FLL 1/2 next year. Then, following the R&S route from 3rd on. They don't seem to care one way or the other about switching.

 

If I stay with Shurley, I have to have a separate writing program as well as teach diagramming.

 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO???? I hope I get some ideas from the pool of wisdom in the hive!!!!

 

Thanks!:)

 

P.S. BOY....reading something like WTM sure shakes things up and brings changes, huh????

Edited June 10, 2009 by Mommy7

[Mommy7]

I hope my post isn't so long that no one reads it! :tongue_smilie:

[Mommy7]

:D

[Alison in KY]

No, it isn't that long. I don't have an answer, but just wanted to share that my 10 yr old also hates grammar. I wish he would at least pay attention to what he is doing. I'm going to try Easy Grammar, and also take a look at Bob Jones writing and grammar (he did say he liked the color on the pages).

 

Good luck.

 

Alison

[Brindee]

I did Shurley a long time ago with my boys. They liked it at first, but soon tired of the jingles, as did I! So we switched to A Beka Language. I'm not strong in detailed grammar, so needed more help than A Beka gave. When I tried R&S I fell in love with the Teacher Guides! They were just what I needed to help my kids, and my kids finally started getting it and advancing!

 

My ds15 did really well with it. He is finishing up his 3rd year of using it. DD12 did well with it the first year, but started struggling with it this year. She's strong in math, but has a harder time with grammar.

 

However, I do love the R&S Grammar program! We do most of it orally. It takes us 10-20 minutes a day, depending on what we're working on, is all, and they REALLY learn it well!

 

I also like that it's all one program, and I don't have to switch from one thing to another to get it all done!

[hmschooling]

Shurley will require much more teacher time, expecially compared to R&S if you do parts orally and on the white board. I don't require my dd to write much from it, but always some so she uses what she just learned.

 

I've heard many Shurley users say that they're kids do great in the program, but when it comes time to application or testing, they bomb it. The jingles are catchy, but I didn't see one bit of retention when we used Level 1. Now with R&S, with all the review built in, and the real life application and examples, she is getting it! And remembering it! I can rest easy b/c I know grammar, writing, and teaching for true understanding/application are all there.

 

I don't think many kids LIKE grammar, so just choose a solid program and work on character issues. I say stop doing their laundry b/c you don't LIKE doing it. LOL (makes a strong point and has worked on my dd! She made a quick turn around with that little attitude! She also knows how to do laundry now at almost 8yo...hehehe)

[Mommy7]

:)

[Mommy7]

:)

[teamturner]

We did R&S English 3 w/my 3rd graders and 2 w/my 2nd grader. We did like it but I am switching to Shurley 4 (keeping R&S English 3 more my younger) mostly because it's incorporated in Writing Tales and Latin for Children. I had a friend who has homeschooled around 22 yrs tell me that they are both good programs and she's used them both. I'd like my dc to get a year or so of learning with the jingles. I've had this friend and another friend tell me their dc used the jingles when they were taking the SAT and test like that. It stuck w/them.

 

I do like the diagramming of R&S and I will probably come back to it after we spend some time w/Shurley. I don't know the path exactly I just wanted to see how we do w/Shurley. Plus, this year I realized that my dc really like to learn through singing. I may find a diagraming workbook for them to keep up that skill. The main difference between the 2 programs is RandS uses diagramming and Shurley labeling. At least that's what I've been told. I think I'm going to skip all the writing in Shurley 4 as we will be doing writing in WT.

 

I also think that switching grammar programs may help some dc learn it and understand what they're doing and not just memorize and not know how to use it.

 

Just my 2 cents. :D

[FloridaLisa]

I'm pondering and researching the same question this summer. I've used Shurley for years -- through Level 7 with several of my kids. I like so many parts of Shurley, but then dislike parts.

 

Like: chanting the jingles, the helping verbs, pronoun and preposition jingles, the whole to parts approach, the oral parsing/question and answer flow, the editing exercises in Level 7. Shurley has worked well in our home up through the middle grades. One poster stated that nothing stuck after using Level 1; probably not, but after using Shurley for several years, the method works well.

 

Dislike: singing the jingles, the writing, the lack of exercises on mechanics, the cost. Also, the sheer redundancy in each Level and Shurley's abrupt end in middle school.

 

So I'm working this summer to combine Shurley and R&S. Since Shurley reviews so much, we only use every other Level -- 3, 5 and 7. I don't have details worked out, but I'm looking at alternately between R&S and Shurley OR using R&S in 7th after my 6th grader finishes Level 7. I'll do the latter with my rising 7th grader and the former with my rising 5th grader. We'll see how the experiment goes!

 

Lisa