Cannot settle on a grammar/writing program

[leeannpal]

Although I won't be homeschooling until next August, I would really like to get curriculum decisions settled. I'm pretty sure we are going with MFW ECC for bible, geography and science. I have two programs I want to combine for math (TT and Singapore), but I really don't know about grammar and writing. My daughter will be 10 next year, and she has ADHD. She also hates to write, physically. She has had basic grammar in private school but has limited writing experience. I would love any and all suggestions because nothing seems to fit her. BTW, I've looked at FLL and just don't think it would work. WWE might.

[morosophe]

For grammar, I would recommend Rod & Staff English, which I have heard recommended for kids with learning disabilities because the page isn't too busy--I don't know if that applies in ADHD or not, though. It is very, very easy to convert the work in R&S to oral versions (which I often do with my writing-hating son) and/or do less than all that are given. (I always figure they put a few extra problems in textbooks either as "makework" or to provide more for a child who is having trouble grasping a concept.) You could combine that with WWE, and you'd have what my son is doing this year. (Of course, you may be farther along than "2" with each of them. :p)

 

The only problem with R&S is that it is very MENNONITE, which means that, culturally, a lot of the examples are what most city-dwellers would consider a little odd. Occasionally, the theology pops up, too, but it's never been much of a problem for me--and I'm definitely not Mennonite, though I do live in the country. (I'm Reformed Presbyterian, actually, which is pretty far away from Anabaptist.)

 

By the way, the link above is to Heart of Dakota only because they give a good overview of the material. See the other current thread on where to buy Rod & Staff supplies.

[kalphs]

Here is what we have used for grammar and writing so far...

First Language Lessons by Jessie Wise

(The edition with the boy holding the butterfly on the cover.)

Comic Strip Grammar

The Complete Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Learning Language Arts Through Literature

Writing With Ease

As Dd is a logical thinker by nature, she prefers curriculum which teaches concepts in a logical sequence. The only curriculum she did not care for was LLATL.

On the flipside Dh and I have liked everything with the exception of LLATL.

LLATL contains a lot of hands on activities, which did not appeal to Dd.

:)

[TKDmom]

My 10yo is using Rod & Staff 5 and Classical Writing. I skip the composition exercises in R&S because CW is already a very full writing program. We started with CW Aesop, and it's become apparent that she has mastered the material in Aesop and is ready to move in to Homer (which we have started this week).

 

R&S can be done almost completely orally. I've found that the written exercises are almost exactly the same as the oral exercises. Right now, I go through most of the oral exercises, then choose some of the written problems for her to do. One of my friends skips the oral exercises in favor of the written work. But to both seems redundant.

 

As far as the religion in R&S, many of the example sentences cite God or Bible stories. There have been a few times when my dd says, "That's not right--God didn't do that." I agree with her, and we move on. She understands that our beliefs don't totally line up with the publisher's. I couldn't see doing R&S as a non-Christian, but most Christians will have very few problems with it.

 

I have no idea if Classical Writing will work well for a child that dislikes writing, but we're enjoying it.I've always considered my dd to be a weak writer, but she did great with Aesop. It has dc rewrite fables and other short stories. I think that made it very easy for my dd to have a story to start with, and then she could change it and add all the creative details she wanted. Some weeks she just retold the fable adding a few of her own words, but other weeks she decided to totally re-vamp the story. A few weeks ago she did a hilarious re-write of "The Gingerbread Man" that she titled "The Hot-Pepper Man" (none of the other characters wanted to eat the Hot-Pepper Man, until he came across a not-very-clever fox).

 

In Aesop, they recommend that the child could start to learn typing. In Homer, they strongly recommend that the child learn to type and that he should type up his writing assignments so that editing will be easier. There's nothing to say that your dd needs to physically write everything out for writing projects. She will still get plenty of handwriting practice from copywork and dictation.