Miss Marple Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I'm looking for something for my youngest sons (rising 7th & 8th grades). They are probably both at the same grammar level right now so I would use the same books for both. By age level, they would be in the So You Really Want to Learn English Book 3 but should they start out in book 1 instead? We've almost completed Jensen's Journey Through Grammarland and I would say they are doing fine at this level...I just want a different program because we're all a little bored with grammar right now. Also, I'd appreciate any critique of the English program that you can give. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Does *anyone* use Galore Park English? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I know Laura in China does and I think Colleen, Lorna and Peela do as well. Hopefully one of them will see your post and pop in to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 The books are quite light on grammar, so I don't think that would be an issue. If I were you, I'd start them both on SY book 2, which is where discussion of poetry begins. Some of the literature passages are from books that might be on the mature side (Walkabout, Lord Of the Flies, etc.) so dropping back might be good anyway. You coud use SY 3 if you preferred - I'm sure you could cover any poetry terminology as you went along. There are samples on the GP site. Basically, in books 2 and 3, you get three passages that begin the chapter, usually one fictional, one non-fiction and one poem, all on one theme. There are comprehension/appreciation questions for each passage. After that come (light) grammar exercises and writing prompts (no writing instruction as such). There is a vocab and spelling section, which often touches on word roots. At the end of the chapter is a project section, with more writing ideas, as well as oral assignments and research tasks. There is also a list of recommended reading, which covers a lot of different levels (up to Dickens and Shakespeare, for example). We love SY English: it is a comprehensive package to which we just add literature study (Lightning Literature). Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lorna Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Yes, I agree with Laura, they could happily begin with either 2 or 3. They have probably covered the grammar of at least 1. The only cummulative side of it is the grammar, but it is certainly light in comparison to an American approach. It covers all the basics. We really enjoy the Galore Park English. There is plenty of variety, the focus is on the pleasure of reading and good literature and the vocabulary is challenging without any busywork. It would certainly be a good antidote to a heavy grammar programme. They great thing about it is that you can add in what you want to your language arts because Galore Park English is thorough without being time-consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Thanks so much for the information. We may give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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