Spelling and Grammar for 1st/2nd Grade?

[Ariston]

I have a 6 y.o. boy who I report as being in Kindergarten but the work he does is more like a K/1st blend. He's doing Sonlight K for read-alouds, MEP Year 1 for math, cursive, lots of Spanish, and BFSU for science. He's starting Phonics Pathways tomorrow if it comes in the mail. (We did half of 100 EZ but hit a wall, have worked on Hooked on Phonics some...)

 

I'm really happy with all of our curriculum choices so far, but am thinking I need to add history (I'm going to do SOTW I think), grammar, and spelling. (Anything else I'm forgetting?)

 

I noticed on the cover of Phonics Pathways that it says Spelling too--can it be used as a spelling program or do I need something else? (I know I could wait until tomorrow to look at it first hand but I'm impatient!) What else could I use for spelling?

 

And what about grammar? I'm usually such a curriculum hound but I haven't looked into grammar or spelling at all...I guess because they seemed like it would take forever for him to start reading, so these things were concerns for the distant future. But now the distant future is here--his reading is starting to take off and I can see that next year it will probably be appropriate to add grammar/spellling.

 

Any advice? I don't even know who the major contenders are in these areas as I have not looked into them at all.

 

Thanks!

Elena

[Crimson Wife]

I haven't used PP but IMHO kids don't need a formal spelling program until they've finished phonics. I'm using All About Spelling with my 2nd child as a combo phonics/spelling program.

 

For grammar, I like First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind 1/2 for the primary grades. I like it because it's short and can be done 100% orally (which is great for my kids because they're cognitively more advanced than their physical writing ability). There's a LOT of repetition in FLL 1/2, so I combine and/or skip lessons. My oldest got through the entire book in less than 1 year doing it 5 days/week. I'm going to be starting it with my 2nd child as soon as he's a fluent reader (which at the rate his reading is taking off will probably be in the next couple of months).

[SnMomof7]

We're using AAS with my 7-yr-old, but I'm almost thinking it could have waited until she finished up her phonics. It is a bit like phonics reinforcement, but I find that my DD isn't really a natural speller (yet in any case), and it does teach encoding in ways that our phonics program doesn't teach decoding (like when to use c, when to use k at the beginning of a word, when to use k or when to use ck at the end of a word etc.)

 

We've done a little in Simply Grammar, but found it a big vague - like the 'being' verbs, and what is a sentence, so we just picked up Rod and Staff, Building Christian English 2 and I'm very excited!

[kristavws]

I haven't used PP but IMHO kids don't need a formal spelling program until they've finished phonics. I'm using All About Spelling with my 2nd child as a combo phonics/spelling program.

 

For grammar, I like First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind 1/2 for the primary grades. I like it because it's short and can be done 100% orally (which is great for my kids because they're cognitively more advanced than their physical writing ability). There's a LOT of repetition in FLL 1/2, so I combine and/or skip lessons. My oldest got through the entire book in less than 1 year doing it 5 days/week. I'm going to be starting it with my 2nd child as soon as he's a fluent reader (which at the rate his reading is taking off will probably be in the next couple of months).

 

These are the programs I am using with my second child as well. I also use Writing With Ease, so I drop the copywork exercises in FLL. Although you did not specifically ask about, I love SOTW for grades 1-4.

 

Krista

[peacefully]

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[kalanamak]

But now the distant future is here--his reading is starting to take off and I can see that next year it will probably be appropriate to add grammar/spellling.

Thanks!

Elena

 

I like GWG, I go over the lesson with my son, and he does the work fairly independently. It starts diagramming at level 3.

 

See samples at her site.

 

http://www.growingwithgrammar.com/1Product_Purchase.html

[Guest]

My son is in a similar place. We started with First Language Lessons but it has been placed on the shelf, possibly for sale - not for us. Right now we aren't doing anything, but I am seriously considering getting Climbing to Good English. It's workbook style, which my son loves. For grade 1, the book is only $5, which I don't think can be beat. For spelling, I am going to wait until we finish phonics next year and then pick up Spell to Write and Read.

[mathmom]

We started with FLL for grammar but found it was not a good fit for my more independently minded middle daughter. The switch to Growing with Grammar has worked well for us. We still use WWE and find a good balance using the two programs.

 

As for spelling, right now I am happy with GWG's sister program, Soaring with Spelling. I don't think it is as intensive with spelling rules as the programs many people use, but it works for us.

[sagira]

We are in Second Year here and reviewing Phonics as well as just started Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl, a gentle introduction to grammar and spelling through copywork, picture study, memorization, oral reproductions, narrations and dictations. So far so good. Ds likes it, I like it, it works. Next year we'll continue with PLL, but add some Voyages in English 3 to practice workbook-style, and we'll be doing English every day.

[Leav97]

We're using Climbing to good English and AAS.

[ladydusk]

M-girl is almost finished with FLL1, and while we were discouraged at first, I'm thrilled with the results after sticking with it. We'll certainly continue with the series.

 

We just finished OPG and will start Spelling Power in January (the start of our school year)

[coralloyd]

My dd6 has been done with phonics for a while. We have been using Language Smarts B http://www.criticalthinking.com/getProductDetails.do?id=01001&code=p&model=01001BBP&r_section_to_display=/html/products/010/01001_d_p.html from Critical Thinking Co. It starts slow and reinforces phonics rules then moves on to grammar.

We are not using a spelling program. Copy work and having her ask how something is spelled whenever she is writing (and me asking her how she thinks it's spelled), is working great for now.

 

ETA: Next year we will be doing R&S English 2 (slowly).

Edited October 25, 2010 by coralloyd

[mammaofbean]

dd who is almost 6 is working on spelling words based on SWR rules. i have her learn the rule and a word list.

 

she just started the free grammar lessons on English Grammar 101

http://lessons.englishgrammar101.com/EnglishGrammar101/Foreward.aspx

 

this is gentle and slow. and also works well since she is not writing much. i don't want to require much writing beyond handwriting lessons.

 

i still take these pretty gentle. she is such a new reader that she gains quite a lot of spelling, vocabulary and grammar from reading. i want her to have plenty of time for free reading and exploration.

[Ariston]

Thanks for all the responses and advice! Now I have some research to do...

Elena