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first grade grammar question


DDR
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We are using First Language lessons with our first grade son. I'm not thrilled with it and I'm not sure how much he's gaining from it. He can tell me the definition of a noun and answer specific questions, but seems unable to generalize the rules.

Anyone else have these problems? Should I just keep plugging along and assume it'll click?

Any other grammar curriculums I should consider? I'm intrigued by MCT, but don't know much about it at all.

Thanks!

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Right now it really is just memorization and going over, and over, and over, and over it.

 

Even if your son can tell you the rule, it will be a will before he really understands it. Think grammar stage vs logic stage. It will come, but for now the repetition is good. You really want to get that knowledge stuck in there before you tell him that something which had been a verb is now a noun, or a noun was now an adverb.

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Do you wake up at night muttering, "A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea?"

 

How about:

 

Brown and furry

Caterpillar in a hurry...

 

:lol:

 

I'm hoping that this memorization actually leads somewhere someday too because Mama has that darn caterpillar stuck in her head!!!

 

Meet you in 3 more years? :D

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Do you wake up at night muttering, "A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea?"

 

How about:

 

Brown and furry

Caterpillar in a hurry...

 

:lol:

 

I'm hoping that this memorization actually leads somewhere someday too because Mama has that darn caterpillar stuck in her head!!!

 

Meet you in 3 more years? :D

 

:lol::lol::lol: This has me laughing out loud! Yes, I have caught myself repeating DD's memory work many times...

 

OP, I was just listening to some SWB lectures (it was either the Writing in the Elementary Years one, or the Joy of Classical Education, both excellent!) and SWB specifically says not to expect the child to be able to apply their spelling and grammar rules to other work in the early grades. Just keep working on the rules and definitions, and then when it "clicks" the child will have all the pieces already "filed"... I was very reassured to hear that (since my DD can easily recite the definition of a noun, but not pick one out of a sentence!)

 

Heather

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Do you wake up at night muttering, "A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea?"

 

How about:

 

Brown and furry

Caterpillar in a hurry...

 

:lol:

 

I'm hoping that this memorization actually leads somewhere someday too because Mama has that darn caterpillar stuck in her head!!!

 

Meet you in 3 more years? :D

 

Today my 4 year old said, "A noun is a name, person, place, thing, or idea." So, yes, the repetition is sinking in for her, too.

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OP, I was just listening to some SWB lectures (it was either the Writing in the Elementary Years one, or the Joy of Classical Education, both excellent!) and SWB specifically says not to expect the child to be able to apply their spelling and grammar rules to other work in the early grades. Just keep working on the rules and definitions, and then when it "clicks" the child will have all the pieces already "filed"... I was very reassured to hear that (since my DD can easily recite the definition of a noun, but not pick one out of a sentence!)

 

Heather

 

Thanks! I haven't heard any of the lectures, so I appreciate you posting this.

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