Grammar and FLL

[Janelless]

So I'm using FLL with Clarissa (1st grade) ... she is loving the study of grammar, but we are BOTH HATING FLL. I've lumped lessons together as she catches on very very very quick. Any other suggestions? I just lumped like 10 lessons together into one to get through the proper nouns. The pictures and questions she hates and looks at me like I'm putting her through pure torture. UGH. Please send ideas. I think we're both ready to have our own book burning of FLL.:) Do I wait for MCT till she's 3rd grade? Words, reading, and the understanding are where she's accelerated for certain. Math she'd like to stuff in a deep dark corner and forget about. :glare:

 

Janelle

[Kuovonne]

You don't have to wait until 3rd grade for MCT. Several accelerated 1st and 2nd graders have used MCT successfully.

 

Whew, I feel like I just answered an almost identical question on the K-8 board with the opposite answer (don't use MCT in 1st grade, even though you've heard of others doing so). Being on the accelerated board sure makes a difference.

Edited September 9, 2010 by Kuovonne

[Janelless]

If I had just rethought my strategy several months ago, I wouldn't be in this mess. Sighhhhh. I've decided to ditch where we are since Clarissa asked what we were doing in school and if we HAD TO DO that language book again. So in looking at the packages is it better to go with the basic or complete package? What package did you get? Blame it on me losing my mind this summer with hubby losing 3rd toe due to diabetes. But my mind is working once again :) and reviewing previous message.

 

Can we get by with the basic package?

 

Thanks again

Janelle

[crazyforlatin]

I read a few threads and knew I wouldn't be able to use FLL, so the Hive suggested Grammar Island, which DD loves, loves, loves. I had to stop for 2 months because we were speeding through and I would prefer to go at slower pace with this level. DD is an advanced reader and when we started she was maybe almost 5.

 

Basic package is sufficient.

[Satori]

We're going to be starting MCT this spring, in first grade, after my daughter turns 6. Technically, she's still kindergarten this year, but she seems to excel in writing and grammar. Now I'm wondering if we should start sooner.

[Janelless]

In hindsight I'm kicking myself. Major, but we had to register with state, fill out our books, hubby lost 3rd toe, hospital stay, no walking, I settled. UGH. We are ordering the basic package right away. We read the first lesson of FLL and she went walking around naming what would be nouns and what wouldn't be nouns. I started looking ahead and wanted to cry. Nouns, nouns, nouns. Got to first poem to memorize, she got it the first day. Still says it, no need to review. Got to picture study with questions, she started listing what info we didn't know and why did we need to do this Mommy? Oh joy. Went to library book sale today...she's scanning the shelves "looking for another grammar book Mommy". People are getting whiplash twisting their head so fast to look at this short creature reading big words and looking for grammar books. That's when I promised her I had something else in mind and was waiting to see what package I needed. When we got home I was directed to look to see if anyone had answered my questions. Will be ordering this weekend :).

[Kuovonne]

Can we get by with the basic package?

 

Yup, get the basic package.

[bbrandonsmom]

Is there anything in between? Fll is going slow for us too, though we did just start. I feel like we've already condensed the first bunch of lessons. I looked at that Grammar Island, but it looked to advanced. So is there anything in the middle? I keep seeing Lively Latin-that teaches English grammar as well as Latin?

[Dmmetler]

We found some books at the teacher's store. My DD picked them out. They're stories that explain a grammar concept and give activities, designed for 2nd-4th graders to do as an independent activity. My DD LOVES these, has picked up a lot from them, and they've been a good place to wait a little before starting MCT. I really want her writing a little more independently first.

 

There's one for Parts of Speech and one for Grammar. She liked them enough that we also got the vocabulary and Spelling ones.

 

http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=67655&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10004

 

We're also bringing home the Brian P. Cleary books from the library, visiting his website to play games, doing mad libs, and so on.

[EKS]

I used MCT Island level with my 2nd grader last year. He loved it.

 

The only problem that I'm anticipating is that there are pretty big jumps between levels, mostly in the writing piece. I am almost certain that my son won't be ready for Essay Voyage in 4th grade (having done the Voyage level with an 8th grader last year). So I'm planning to move more slowly through Town, taking a year and a half. Then we will do Voyage over another year and a half. But who knows, he could surprise me.

[Crimson Wife]

FWIW, I think FLL can work very well for an advanced/gifted child, provided that you condense it into a single year. Just because Jessie Wise decided to spread out teaching about nouns over 40 or so lessons does not mean you need to spend much time on it. The second part of the book is less repetitious, though you'll probably still often combine lessons.

[Storm Bay]

Start with the island level, but I'd wait. We've used a few things, but I'm not sure what your dd would like. My ds loved FLL, but had we had it for my dd's, it would have been a flop. What I used for my middle one was English for the Thoughtful Child, but it was a poor fit for her, too. My eldest was in ps for K-2.