Grammar and spelling recommendations for 8 yr old boy

[calledtobehome]

My 8 yr old son did extremely poor on his writing skills, language skills, and spelling skills. What grammar and spelling programs do you suggest for a boy who needs short lessons, lots of repetition, have to not only hear it, but see it, and do it.

[Testimony]

I love Writing Tales as a writing program. It is fun and simple. The teacher's manual has lots of games and things that you can do with the child to reinforce grammar. However, I think First Language Lessons 3 would help alot with the grammar while Writing Tales does your writing or you could do SWB's WWE with FLL.

 

Blessings,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Erika]

I would suggest Shurley English for grammar (skip the writing lessons), Writing with Ease, and All about Spelling. Shurley English is very repetitive and has the grammar songs on CD for easy of learning. I love Writing with Ease, gently short lessons.

[SilverMoon]

First Language Lessons, WTM style writing, and Rod and Staff's Spelling by Sound and Structure. :)

[Jim]

FLL fits the bill for grammar. Short lessons with repetition.

 

WWE is a good program for teaching how to formulate a thought and get it to paper. I also use IEW's TWSS and A set. Neither program is overly taxing and at least to me, approach writing from a different angles.

 

IEW's spelling program has worked for us and allows ds to work on his own. We both enjoy that!

[hollyandab]

I would say that at age 8, if he really struggles with this, then why not have him do lots of copywork from good pieces of literature--a short paragraph a day. Also, maybe a couple of dictation sentences a week. This could also double for writing and spelling. He'll learn spelling from copywork, and for dictation, I like to have my boys read it first, look at it, and if they miss the spelling when I dictate to them, then I have them study that word and write it a few times. My right brain boy I have write the word in block letters and let him decorate the letters however he wants (robot arms, etc).

 

For grammar, I like Easy Grammar (although I'm giving MCT a whirl this year!--yes I gave in to peer pressure) since it's very straight forward. A lot of "pro's" suggest not even bothering with real grammar until they are in 5th grade or so...??? maybe a good idea for him?

 

I have never used Queen's Language Lessons, but I hear they are very gentle, have a lot of copywork and picture study, and follows the Charlotte Mason method. I've looked at them several times and think they look nice for that age group. Now that mine are going into 6th, I'm wanting a bit more structure, but if I were to do it all over again, I would probably go that route.

 

If you want a seperate, workbook type of spelling book, I like Sequential Spelling, although I'm not a huge fan of spelling programs. I've gone back and forth on this. I have one son who is a natural speller--awesome speller!-- and one who struggles, well, at least compared to the other kiddo! I have really never found spelling programs to be any more beneficial than copywork/dictation. ??? Not saying one way or another, just my experience.

 

Have fun!

 

Holly in KY

[SnMomof7]

We do AAS - short, lots of review, R&S - mostly oral which makes it short, and WTM writing - also short - narration, brief written summaries.