selh09 Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I'm looking into a 1st grade grammar program. I've been looking at both of these programs and they both get great reviews. I need some advice!! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in WA Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 We are huge fans of FLL and recommend it 100%. Just last month I bought GWG for 2nd and 4th grades because I wanted something they could do independently. After just a few lessons I realized that I prefer how FLL teaches grammar. And I realized that there is no way around it - in these early years, I have to do the teaching to make sure they are getting it. So, I'm switching back to FLL level 2 and 4. If anyone wants to buy my very gently used GWG 2nd and 4th grade books - let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I *love* doing FLL with my first graders. But which one you'll like best depends on your style. FLL is mostly done orally, with some gentle copywork assignments woven into it. GWG is a workbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selh09 Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 I'm not sure about the oral part, that's why I was looking at GWG....Sometimes dd glazes over from too much oral work. :) Correct me if I'm wrong, I thought I read somewhere that the lessons in FLL are about 5-15 minutes long, if that's the case, then maybe FLL may work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atozmom Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Now I am on your thread. :lol: We are using FLL 1 & 2 this year and ds is really doing well with it. It only takes us 5-10 minutes each day. Unless we are doing some of the copywork, then just a bit longer. I was unsure about how ds would do with it being oral, but he is enjoying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Yes ma'am. :) My first grader did two lessons in FLL 1/2 today, in about 10 minutes. The first one was about place nouns, and the second one was a picture study. He buzzed right through both of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I heartily recommend FLL too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selh09 Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Ann-Marie I see you're in sunny FL.....so am I!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atozmom Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 We are in Northern Central Fl. How about you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selh09 Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 We are in Central FL. too, between Orlando and Lakeland.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I have a 2nd and a 4th (who is ESL). I started with only FLL this year with the idea of going through the whole book in one year. But I wanted more worksheet type stuff so I bought GWG. My kids really like doing this and I am finding it a terrific review to really cement the info from FLL. Also, I'm very pleased with the quality of GWG. jeri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsunshine Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 We also use both. They are both very good. However, if I had to choose just one, I would go with FLL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelmorris Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 FLL is so easy to accomplish and the kids really learn the concepts, my very rowdy 8yo boy is doing great with it and even memorizing poems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atozmom Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Julie..do you have a Barnes and Noble near you? If so, see if they have a copy of FLL in the store. (ours has a copy of each of the FLL levels. If not they will order one in for you. Once it comes it they will call you (or send you an email) and you can look it over. If it is not what you are wanting you do not have to buy it. They will just stick it on their shelf to sell. It always helps me to have something in my hand to make my decisions. You could also go to the GWG site and print out the samples that they give you. Take them in with you when you go to Barnes to look at FLL. Then you could do some side by side comparison. GWG was one of the options that I was considering before I went with FLL. But FLL just seemed to be a better fit for ds right now. It seems so easy, but yet he retains and learns so much. I am very happy with our decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Wow. Two programs that I use and love. My older son started with GWG 5. He loved it. He is a bright boy and picked up the grammar very easily. It is extremely independent. I never had to do anything but check his work. My younger son is using First Language Lessons 3. This is wonderful for him. It goes over the grammar for him. He is in 4th grade, but since he never did grammar, I thought FLL3 was best. It turned out to be outstanding. It explains the grammar, does diagramming, etc. It is scripted. My younger son finds it to be easy which I like because it will boost his confidence in grammar. I like that it spells everything out in terms of saying what specifically a verb does. Then the child has to diagram it and they explain step by step why each word is on the diagram. I would highly recommend this program. Personally, I never taught my children grammar until 3rd grade, but if you are going start young, FLL is the program in my opinion. Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 it all depends on your teaching style. They are both great. I find FLL too wordy and I like the clean-to-the-point style of GWG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 DD is very visual and cannot pay attention to more than 2-3 pages (if that) of a read aloud. FLL is working very well. I love the gentle memorization and the work on addresses, phone numbers, days of the weeks, and months. I have at times supplemented with Scott Foresman's free Grammar and handwriting books online when I want a workbook page for a day. I looked at GWG for 1st and 2nd and wasn't impressed. I may go ahead and switch to it for 3rd though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I *love* doing FLL with my first graders. But which one you'll like best depends on your style. FLL is mostly done orally, with some gentle copywork assignments woven into it. GWG is a workbook. Besides math, GWG in our only workbook, and thus it is a "change of pace" for my son. We are enjoying it (I do a front and back page a day, about 15-20 times a month). For many of them, we read the intro and my son brightly says "I get it" and waves me off and does them by himself. Since this is the ONLY subject he does by himself, besides drawing, I am thrilled. Sometimes, elsewhere, I'll ask: what is the predicate of this sentence, or which word is the adjective. I am planning, at this rate, on finishing 1/2 in April and doing Grammar Land after that, starting up with 3 on 1 Aug '10 (we are year-rounders). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selh09 Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Karen, I hope you don't mind me asking...What did you do in 1st grade for Language Arts? I'm not sold on starting grammar in 1st...Did you continue with phonics and handwriting/copywork? I'm thinking of adding spelling :confused: Would love to hear what others did in 1st for LA :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Karen, I hope you don't mind me asking...What did you do in 1st grade for Language Arts? I'm not sold on starting grammar in 1st...Did you continue with phonics and handwriting/copywork? I'm thinking of adding spelling :confused: Would love to hear what others did in 1st for LA :) I did a lot of copywork with my sons. I did a lot of narrations also. I did not start formal grammar with them until 3rd grade and that was Latin and Writing Tales. I did spelling with my older son. I dropped spelling because I hated doing lists. He would spell the list perfectly and then when he wrote, he would misspell the same words. I did more copywork. I also would tell my sons what part of speech a word was when they were little. I told them what was a noun and then I pointed it out to them. I did that mostly with their readers. By second grade, after they did their copywork, I had them circle only nouns and verbs so they always could recognize them. I never formalized anything until 3rd grade. Blessings, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemykids Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I no longer do very much formal grammar with my children until third grade; it just isn’t worth it for the amount that they retain. (I started too early with my oldest) I do like to skip around in FLL though, and the audio CD sounds like it would be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I no longer do very much formal grammar with my children until third grade; it just isn’t worth it for the amount that they retain. I started just as he turned 7 and I reinforce with a game. I say a noun and he has to come up with a verb that goes with it. At first it is to the point (dog...barks), but then it gets very silly and farfetched. We are now on noun/adjective, and then there is the little game on how many errors I can get into a sentence. This makes him howl. A dogs crows of an moon. So far, I think the retention is very good, and this isn't time away from school. We do these games while I cook or fold laundry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemykids Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I started just as he turned 7 and I reinforce with a game. I say a noun and he has to come up with a verb that goes with it. At first it is to the point (dog...barks), but then it gets very silly and farfetched. We are now on noun/adjective, and then there is the little game on how many errors I can get into a sentence. This makes him howl. A dogs crows of an moon. So far, I think the retention is very good, and this isn't time away from school. We do these games while I cook or fold laundry. That sounds like fun, and very far from formal grammar. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemykids Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 DD is very visual and cannot pay attention to more than 2-3 pages (if that) of a read aloud. FLL is working very well. I love the gentle memorization and the work on addresses, phone numbers, days of the weeks, and months. I have at times supplemented with Scott Foresman's free Grammar and handwriting books online when I want a workbook page for a day. I looked at GWG for 1st and 2nd and wasn't impressed. I may go ahead and switch to it for 3rd though. I just wanted to say that I really like both FLL and GWG. Maybe GWG a little more for the later stages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
selh09 Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thanks ladies...I think I'll hold off on grammar a bit.... :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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