Pata Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) I know that this has been asked before I just can't find the exact threads, so here it goes again :). We will be using CW Aesop A next year and after looking it over I'm afraid that it's a bit lighter on the grammar than I expected. So, I'm leaning towards adding a grammar program. We will be finishing up FLL 1/2 by the end of this year and I'm not enamored with it, but it does get the job done. On the other hand, we are having a baby in 9 weeks and I'm not sure how that's going to change things, (ie. do I really want to continue such a parent intensive program?). I'm wondering which grammar program I should add next year? So, the way I see it my options are Rod & Staff, Growing with Grammar or FLL3. I'd really like to find a series that I can stick with for the long term, but on the other hand am I going to want to use Harvey's when I get to Homer? I'd really appreciate some thoughts on this so that I can make a decision. If I have to order something I need to figure it out soon, so that I can get it here (overseas) in time. Thanks! Edited February 27, 2010 by Pata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 Anybody?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteW Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Paige, I'd love to hear what others have to say also. I am doing CW Homer A and have the Harvey's Grammar but I really don't like it. I think Siloam has talked about using Analytical Grammar(AG) and Junior Analytical Grammar (JAG) with her children. (Look under the thread called "CM and Progymnasmata" in this forum.) The only problem with AG is it's high cost $99 new. JAG is cheaper ($40 new and you can find used copies (~$20) easier but it really only covers through 4-5 Grade. (Of course, in my son's PS 5th Grade, they did NO Grammar last year LOL.) Annette Edited February 27, 2010 by AnnetteW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 FLL 3 would probably be a great match for your situation if you want to finish that series. It steps up the grammar a notch and the child has more work to do. It's still gentle and the lessons are short. If you get the workbook too you'll be able to just read from the TE to guide the lessons. R&S would also work like this, you could easily teach from the TE while nursing a wee one. We start with FLL, then move to R&S. We have yet to encounter a problem with it meshing with CW, but we started CW later than third grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 When I was using CW Aesop with my oldest, we used FLL 3. I didn't try to match the lessons with the grammar that was being taught in Aesop. I did them separately and it worked out fine. FLL 3 is different than the first one. There is still alot of reptition (which worked for us) but it steps things up quite a bit. We didn't go on to FLL 4 because at that time it wasn't ready, so I switched to another book(Mother Tongue) We are doing Homer now and I am still using MT. It is working very well for us. I wasn't corresponding lessons with MT and CW but after this week, I think I will have to skip about a bit and do the lessons in MT that are being dealt with in CW. I don't think this will be an issue though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 We have been using GWG and have been pleased. I'm about to get CW Aesop in the mail so I'm not sure how it lines up with that yet. My plan currently though is to continue GWG and check out Harvey's once we get to Homer. I've heard varying feedback on Harvey's. I did read someone who thought GWG was a good match. It's relatively inexpensive, simple, takes little teacher involvement and gets the job done. My kids don't complain about it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katie.Louise Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 R&S would be a great one to stick with for the long term. FLL was not a fit for us either. Harvey's just doesn't have enough practice and review, imo. You would have to come up with that yourself=more work for mom. If you are wanting to simplify, check out SWB's audios - A plan for teaching writing. They are fantastic. Katie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Paige, Grammar wise CW starts out slow, repeats, then gets serious. :D I do JAG with Aesop. I am having Pumpkin do half a lesson a day, because she doesn't like to do a lot of writing. Doing half a lessons over a longer period of time thus works better than doing 10 weeks of more intense writing. Then Sweet Pea did AG season 1 and 2 with Homer A, and is reviewing season 2 (tough because it is clauses and phrases), and then will move on to AG season 3 with Homer B. Homer A will review parts of speech and cover single word verbals towards the end. Homer B opens with verbal phrases and continues with clauses and such through the rest of the level (I am really only on week 4, so I have only glanced at the rest of stuff covered. Gotta run for now, ask if you have any questions or I was typing too fast and something doesn't make sense. ;) Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Thank you all, good food for thought.... Heather, the fact that CW steps up the grammar (esp. in Homer) is my reason for wanting to add more at this stage. I've looked at JAG/AG before and I don't think that it's going to be a good fit for us, but I'm glad it works for you! I may just start out with FLL3, since I can download it, and see how it goes. LA has always been the thorn in my side :) Edited February 27, 2010 by Pata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Thank you all, good food for thought.... Heather, the fact that CW steps up the grammar (esp. in Homer) is my reason for wanting to add more at this stage. I've looked at JAG/AG before and I don't think that it's going to be a good fit for us, but I'm glad it works for you! I may just start out with FLL3, since I can download it, and see how it goes. LA has always been the thorn in my side :) I hear R&S also covers those types of grammar issues. To be honest my oldest understands them better than I do. I am wrapping my mind around it. It is painful. I am glad it isn't painful for her, or I am sure we would have a lot more problems doing Homer B. I haven't looked at where FLL goes long term to know if it would get to the clauses and phrases stuff (You know Gerunds, Infinitives, Participles, Appositives, Adverbial clauses, Relative clauses, Dependent clause, ect....). It does also cover easier stuff like interjections, conjunctions and prepositional phrases, so it isn't like all of it makes your brain want to explode. :D Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 I hear R&S also covers those types of grammar issues. To be honest my oldest understands them better than I do. I am wrapping my mind around it. It is painful. I am glad it isn't painful for her, or I am sure we would have a lot more problems doing Homer B. I haven't looked at where FLL goes long term to know if it would get to the clauses and phrases stuff (You know Gerunds, Infinitives, Participles, Appositives, Adverbial clauses, Relative clauses, Dependent clause, ect....). It does also cover easier stuff like interjections, conjunctions and prepositional phrases, so it isn't like all of it makes your brain want to explode. :D Heather What??? I'm already lost. What happened to noun, pronoun, verb and the stuff that I do know. This is exactly why I was a science major :D. Seriously I will look at the table of contents for all that and see, thanks for the head up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) What??? I'm already lost. What happened to noun, pronoun, verb and the stuff that I do know. This is exactly why I was a science major :D. Seriously I will look at the table of contents for all that and see, thanks for the head up! One step at a time. I am a math person, and yet I am learning this. I don't own it by any means, but I figure by the time I have taught all 4 kiddos I will. Looking for the terms in contents might be frustrating, just to warn you. For example Infinitives, Participles, Appositives (if I remember right) are all verbal phrases. Yet verbals can also be a single word, so if you see verbals listed it might just be covering the basics or it might be covering both words and three different types of phrases. Heather Edited March 1, 2010 by siloam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 One step at a time. I am a math person, and yet I am learning this. I don't own it by any means, but I figure by the time I have taught all 4 kiddos I will. Looking for the terms in contents might be frustrating, just to warn you. For example Infinitives, Participles, Appositives (if I remember right) are all verbal phrases. Yet verbals can also be a single word, so if you see verbals listed it might just be covering the basics or it might be covering both words and three different types of phrases. Heather Thanks Heather! One more question (for you or anyone else who knows), I can see now that in I'm over my head when it comes to all these grammar terms, do you know of a relatively inexpensive book that would help me to learn all these terms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Thanks Heather! One more question (for you or anyone else who knows), I can see now that in I'm over my head when it comes to all these grammar terms, do you know of a relatively inexpensive book that would help me to learn all these terms? CW recommends in Aesop Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition and Harvey's Revised English Grammar. Also, they recommend Rod and Staff English Handbook. She says they are inexpensive... no personal experience with either though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathie in VA Posted March 3, 2010 Share Posted March 3, 2010 Having gone through CW Aesop, Homer, Maxium, and working on Creia, we learned most of the grammar from the CW lessons. The Harvey's we did work through seemed to prepare us for the CW lessons. Sometimes we even skipped them but then went back and used Harvey's as a reference and then progressed thru the CW lesson. So, I guess I'm saying that you don't need to worry about fully "getting it" with the Harvey's book alone. The CW books do a great job of explaining and getting you to work with the lesson. (Okay, so the answer key was very helpful at times! ;)) hths --Kathie in VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Thanks Kathy, this is really good to hear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary in GA Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 We have used R&S all the way through CW beginning in 3rd. We are in 7th doing Maxim now. R&S prepares the student pretty well, but sometimes we have consult the CW for a grammar/diagramming. I agree with the poster who said that the core manuals do a good job of explaining the concepts. Mary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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