MCT/WWE users

[scrapbabe]

For those of you who combine MCT and WWE, I have a question. SWB promotes outlining as part of learning how to write. MCT does parsing, not diagramming. Do you plan to teach diagramming as well at some point? I've been listening to her writing lectures and am wondering how to fit in diagramming as I just purchased MCT to use this year. Any thoughts?

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Capt_Uhura]

Yes I've taught diagramming. We had completed GWG grade 4 which teaches diagramming before starting MCT. I continue to diagram some of the MCT sentences. I see usefulness in both parsing and diagramming. THere are workbooks that just teach diagramming. THere are a few recent diagramming threads. You could just pick up one of those if you wish to supplement. It doesn't that long to get the idea.

 

Capt_Uhura

[KarenNC]

Yes I've taught diagramming. We had completed GWG grade 4 which teaches diagramming before starting MCT. I continue to diagram some of the MCT sentences. I see usefulness in both parsing and diagramming. THere are workbooks that just teach diagramming. THere are a few recent diagramming threads. You could just pick up one of those if you wish to supplement. It doesn't that long to get the idea.

 

Capt_Uhura

 

I found myself doing just that yesterday---diagramming one of the example sentences from Grammar Town to give an additional way to show what the adverb or adjective was modifying. I have also had her start drawing arrows from the adjective or adverb to the word it modifies to help cement the idea. It's all part of my multi-pronged approach to attempt to get my grammar-resistant child to comprehend ;). I picked up a copy of "Caught 'Ya: grammar with a giggle" and am having her do one sentence a day. I see that, for her at least, the editing process needs separate reinforcement at this point.

 

We did the WWE 3 workbook this year and it was helpful. I'm giving MCT time over the summer to see if we need to add in WWE 4 or not for next year.

[Capt_Uhura]

SOmeone posted at the MCT yahoogroup that another curriculum does it a bit different. You underline the subject once, the verb twice, circle phrases and then draw arrows from the phrase to the word it modifies. THat's an efficient use of space. My boys do the Practice Island sentences independently. Then we all go over it together and I ask them what kind of prep phrase it and then what it modifies. If I were only checking it w/out them present, I would have them circle the phrase and draw an arrow to what it is modifying. We then often diagram the sentence if it has a unique picture for ex: when MCT was stressing the two parts of a sentence, subject and pred, and that everything else modifies that. He had two sentences in a row...the first sentence the subject was large being modified by several phrases and then a one word predicate so it was fun to see it diagrammed...and the second sentence was the reverse...a one-word subject and a huge predicate.

 

We also do WWE. My 4th grader is doing WWE3 and my 1st grader is in WWE2.

 

Capt_Uhura

[scrapbabe]

Thanks for the ideas KarenNC and thanks Capt_Uhura for the insight. I will look up some threads on diagramming. I'm guessing GWG is Growing With Grammar? Happy house shopping!

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Sugarfoot]

You underline the subject once, the verb twice, circle phrases and then draw arrows from the phrase to the word it modifies.

Capt_Uhura

 

This is the method that I learned in public school. We did this in the earlier years before moving on to diagramming later.

 

I think that once a child has a solid understanding of grammar, teaching him or her to diagram is a fairly straightforward process. Once you understand what the the words are doing, learning where to put them is the easy part.;)

[Capt_Uhura]

Yes GWG is Growing with Grammar. We need all the luck we can get.

[Kuovonne]

When we do the MCT practice sentences, I also have DD draw arrows from each modifier (adjectives, adverbs, & prepositional phrases) to the word being modified. For prepositional phrases she also circles the prepositional phrase.

 

DD does the practice sentences on her own and I just go over any trouble spots with her.

 

I'm still looking for a good way to indicate compounding when doing the MCT style sentence analysis. So far I have DD tell me orally what each conjunction joins, but I'd like an elegant way for her to indicate it so that we don't have to waste time talking about if if she gets it. Part of the difficulty is that compounding can occur at every level of the 4-level analysis.

 

I think that diagramming does a better job of representing modifiers and conjunctions than MCT style analysis. However, as a whole, I like MCT analysis better.

 

(OMG, I just had a flashback to the thread comparing math manipulatives. Which is better the AL abacus or C-rods? Which is better MCT 4 level analysis or diagramming? They are both good, and each can stand on itself. However they have different strengths.)

[scrapbabe]

Thanks Kuovonne. I can see the strength of both too. So, I guess both it will be.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Mom-ninja.]

I thought we were talking about MCT and WWE. There's diagramming in WWE? Isn't that FLL?

[Capt_Uhura]

There is no diagramming in WWE.

[Mom-ninja.]

There is no diagramming in WWE.

 

That's what I thought. I was confused because the OP asked about WWE and MCT and diagramming. It sounded to me as if diagramming is in WWE.

[kalanamak]

 

I think that once a child has a solid understanding of grammar, teaching him or her to diagram is a fairly straightforward process. Once you understand what the the words are doing, learning where to put them is the easy part.;)

 

I am planning on using myself as the teacher for diagramming, and to get proficient at it I've been using a very pleasant book Rex Barks. When we are doing our WWE2, sometimes I diagram one of his summary sentences. Then it is an easy step back to thinking of other ways to say it, and since he comes up with the "other ways" he feels easier about "letting go" of his very first idea.

[Capt_Uhura]

REx Barks is a good resource. I've checked it out of the library 2x already!

[kalanamak]

REx Barks is a good resource. I've checked it out of the library 2x already!

 

The really great part is how she manages a little twist in so many sentences. You can tell she worked a tough crowd (high school) for years and years. It really helps sustain one.

[Sugarfoot]

I am planning on using myself as the teacher for diagramming, and to get proficient at it I've been using a very pleasant book Rex Barks. When we are doing our WWE2, sometimes I diagram one of his summary sentences. Then it is an easy step back to thinking of other ways to say it, and since he comes up with the "other ways" he feels easier about "letting go" of his very first idea.

 

REx Barks is a good resource. I've checked it out of the library 2x already!

 

Thanks for this tip! I'll have to check into this one. I actually enjoy diagramming.:blushing:

 

I feel fortunate to have actually learned English grammar in public school. (And then remembered it well enough to teach my own kids!)

[scrapbabe]

That's what I thought. I was confused because the OP asked about WWE and MCT and diagramming. It sounded to me as if diagramming is in WWE.

 

Sorry for the confusion. The original post was "For those of you who combine MCT and WWE, I have a question. SWB promotes outlining as part of learning how to write. MCT does parsing, not diagramming. Do you plan to teach diagramming as well at some point? I've been listening to her writing lectures and am wondering how to fit in diagramming as I just purchased MCT to use this year. Any thoughts?"

 

I wrote MCT/WWE users, because I was hoping that those using WWE followed all of theories in The Complete Writer where SWB encourages learning how to diagram. I should have been more clear. I just wondered how those who follow The Complete Writer program and MCT handle diagramming vs. parsing.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Mom-ninja.]

 

I wrote MCT/WWE users, because I was hoping that those using WWE followed all of theories in The Complete Writer where SWB encourages learning how to diagram. I should have been more clear. I just wondered how those who follow The Complete Writer program and MCT handle diagramming vs. parsing.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

 

Thanks for explaining and no need to apologize. I thought maybe WWE 4 had diagramming in it or something, and I got excited. I'm also interested in how to merge diagramming with MCT.

[freerange]

Is there any diagramming covered in the Magic Lens series? It's mentioned in the ML 1 sample on their website.

[scrapbabe]

Oh hey, I have no idea. Good question. I'd like to know that too.:bigear:

[Melissa B]

Is there any diagramming covered in the Magic Lens series? It's mentioned in the ML 1 sample on their website.

 

Yes, diagramming is introduced in Magic Lens 1. Once introduced in the first couple chapters, most analyzed sentences through the rest of the book have the 4-level analysis followed by a binary diagram of the sentence.