Late Elementary/Early Middle School Level Secular Grammar (Not MCT)

[Crimson Wife]

My oldest is 7 and working at a late elementary/early middle school level in Language Arts. For kindergarten, she did a highly condensed version of FLL 1/2. Last year, we did not do formal grammar for various reasons (long story), just WWE 1. For the fall semester, she's doing a non-traditional applied grammar program called Story Grammar for Elementary Students by Don & Jenny Killgallon. While I really like this program, she'll be finished with it by the time we break for the holidays. I'd like something a bit more traditional for the spring semester.

 

I know Michael Clay Thompson's LA materials get raves for gifted kids but I looked over the elementary books a friend had and was rather underwhelmed by them. No offense to the MCT fans out there, but they're not what I'm looking for.

 

I want something that teaches traditional sentence diagramming.

[melmichigan]

EPGY LAW is cut and dry and very traditional from what I have seen. The parents I do have using it like it, the math is just more popular and formated differently. And the added benefit, there is the RAW program to go with LAW. I just started FLL and WWE with my DD6's. Not familiar with the others at all so, I didn't vote. :D I am very curious to read other responses though.

[SonshineLearner]

What about Shurley Grammar, does it have Christian Content? I like the jingles... and the sentences patterns...

Carrie:-)

[JeanM]

I'm using Growing with Grammar with my dss and I've been relatively pleased with it. It does do sentence diagramming. We did one year of Easy Grammar, and while there was nothing wrong with it, I think both ds and I prefer GWG. I could be wrong, but I don't think Easy Grammar does sentence diagramming.

 

Hope this helps,

Jean

[Crimson Wife]

Doesn't Shurley use a non-traditional diagramming technique? That's why I've ruled out Winston Grammar.

 

I had been under the impression that Easy Grammar included diagramming, if it doesn't then I'll have to scratch that one off my list.

[Storm Bay]

I voted for Easy Grammar because that's what we used, but it does not teach sentence diagramming. The other choices would all depend on which child of mine it was. For ds, I think FLL would have been perfect; he did so well with FLL 1&2. For my other two, I would have chosen Growing With Grammar had it existed at the time I was buying that level of grammar had I already been convinced of the merits of diagramming.

 

All of my dc learn (or will learn) diagramming staring in gr 5, but at that point I ended up switching to R&S which is Christian. Again, Growing with Grammar wasn't available at that level yet (is it now?)

[smrtmama]

We're currently using Growing with Grammar, but will be moving on to Editor in Chief once he completes it.

[nmoira]

We're currently using Growing with Grammar, but will be moving on to Editor in Chief once he completes it.

Is this the Critical Thinking Company series?

[mchel210]

I voted gwg since you wanted to do diagramming. I have heard wonderful reviews from parents using it and they mostly all are positive. I have heard that it is very easy to use and follow.

 

I am using Easy Grammar with my son and I really like it. I would use eg with my dd8 but it doesn't offer diagramming. I don't miss it at all!

[JeanM]

Is this the Critical Thinking Company series?

 

I'm not the original poster, but I can answer this. Yes, Editor-in-chief is the Critical thinking Company Series. I'm using it as a supplement to Growing-with Grammar. Sorry, I forgot to mention it in my previous post. We use GWG 4 days a week and dss can choose either Editor-in-chief or a computer game the 5th day.

[Arch at Home]

My 10 yo really likes Ridgewood Grammar. It is secular and pretty much pure grammar with a bit of writing. It does include diagramming primarily in Book 2.