Sweet Home Alabama Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 (edited) Ds will be in 4th grade next year, and I need to choose something for grammar and writing for him. He has used FLL 1/2 and 3 as well as The Sentence Family, and he's getting a lot of grammar this year in Lively Latin. He tolerates FLL, but it is not his favorite. We've also used WWE 1,2, and 3, yet this series frustrates him. He really enjoys the stories, but there are tears when it comes to the dictation. I've thought about using FLL4 with IEW's All Things Fun and Fascinating, but I would love to hear what you all are using for 4th grade grammar and writing for comparison. (I think the dictation in WWE is helping him overall, so I don't want to abandon it altogether... just need it to be a little less challenging than WWE.) I am more interested in using something that will help him with outlining and eventually expository/argumentative writing vs. creative writing. For this reason, I *think* programs like Writing Tales might be out. I have WWS ready for this ds when he is in either 5th or 6th grade... whenever he is ready for it. Ds is bright. He catches onto grammar fairly easily, and his writing is coming along nicely. He is definitely working on/above grade level. I'm not trying to push him above his frustration level but simply give him the next step.... and I'd like him to enjoy his schoolwork. :001_smile: What are you using for 4th grade grammar and writing??? Edited January 26, 2012 by Sweet Home Alabama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 For writing, I liked Wordsmith Apprentice, for that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manyblessings Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 (edited) With my daughter I plan to use MCT Grammar Island (grammar, writing, poetry and vocabulary). I plan to also continue WWE. My daughter struggles with the dictation also but I simply break it up. We went through some struggles with the narrations too but that has since been resolved. Remember, a program doesn't have to be cut and dry. Make the books you chose to use work for your child, in the way they need them to be. As a side note, I also plan to continue on with WWS along side MCT. Edited January 26, 2012 by manyblessings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I use Writing Strands and Writer's Express with workbooks (not the editing book and an older edition). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 We are using IEW SWI-A for 4th grade writing and CLE Language Arts. We will also use Writing With Ease 4 and First Language Lessons 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Ds will be in 4th grade next year, and I need to choose something for grammar and writing for him. He has used FLL 1/2 and 3 as well as The Sentence Family, and he's getting a lot of grammar this year in Lively Latin. He tolerates FLL, but it is not his favorite. We've also used WWE 1,2, and 3, yet this series frustrates him. He really enjoys the stories, but there are tears when it comes to the dictation. I've thought about using FLL4 with IEW's All Things Fun and Fascinating, but I would love to hear what you all are using for 4th grade grammar and writing for comparison. (I think the dictation in WWE is helping him overall, so I don't want to abandon it altogether... just need it to be a little less challenging than WWE.) I am more interested in using something that will help him with outlining and eventually expository/argumentative writing vs. creative writing. For this reason, I *think* programs like Writing Tales might be out. I have WWS ready for this ds when he is in either 5th or 6th grade... whenever he is ready for it. Ds is bright. He catches onto grammar fairly easily, and his writing is coming along nicely. He is definitely working on/above grade level. I'm not trying to push him above his frustration level but simply give him the next step.... and I'd like him to enjoy his schoolwork. :001_smile: What are you using for 4th grade grammar and writing??? My 4th grader is using WWE4 and Imitations in Writing. The dictation is hard for him, and I modify it. I'm hoping that he improves this year, because it (holding things in his head) is a skill he needs work on. But I don't know if he'll ever be able to do the dictation as written. He's using R&S4 for grammar, and he does the writing in it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Home Alabama Posted January 26, 2012 Author Share Posted January 26, 2012 Thank you, everyone! CLE for grammar and IEW sounds good. Can anyone tell me the difference or pros/cons of using SWI-A over All Things Fun and Fascinating? When I looked at it I thought they were written at the same basic level but SWI-A was more intensive.... ATF&F seemed abbreviated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommamia Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 We got both SWI-A and ATFF--I plan to return ATFF as it seems redundant and to me SWI-A seems better. Major differences: ATFF is less expensive and less intensive and doesn't have Andrew on DVD... ATFF also seems less, not sure how to put it... Well, here are some specific comparisons: The 1st selection in SWI-A is on sea snakes--which we personally knew nothing about and which sent us to look up more and notice a picture when one showed up in a magazine recently. The first selection in ATFF was on "floating rocks"--it seemed like a younger child targeted presentation on meteors (never used the word meteors-but we already knew a fair bit about meteors, and so it seemed like it was kindergarten stuff). Between the two SWI had more fascination to it for my child, but ATFF might be better for a younger one. So far, if it matters to you in either direction, SWI-A is also seeming more secular and more toward a scientific presentation in addition to seeming targeted to a higher age/interest level--technically I think they are both supposed to be for same age and level, but in reality it did not seem so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Just a suggestion to make Grammar more fun - my 4th grader and I are taking a little break from FLL4 (it gets a little boring with all the repetition, although I think it is an excellent grammar program) and we're doing Grammar Land, a free vintage resource. She loves it, and she has really consolidated her grammar knowledge, and seems to be retaining it much better. I think it is totally worth doing with a language-loving kid at this age . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) Just a suggestion to make Grammar more fun - my 4th grader and I are taking a little break from FLL4 (it gets a little boring with all the repetition, although I think it is an excellent grammar program) and we're doing Grammar Land, a free vintage resource. She loves it, and she has really consolidated her grammar knowledge, and seems to be retaining it much better. I think it is totally worth doing with a language-loving kid at this age . . . Hi. Do you print out Grammar Land from Google books? Or how do you do it? ------------------------------- Edited February 23, 2012 by Pen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janie_ranae Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 We are using R & S for grammar. The text has some writing assignments as well. We have been using the worksheets to go along with the text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hi. Do you print out Grammar Land from Google books? Or how do you do it? ------------------------------- I downloaded it from CurrClick and printed the file. You could also read it on an iPad or e-reader, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Hi. Do you print out Grammar Land from Google books? Or how do you do it? The other option is the free Kindle download, if you have one. That's what I do. But yes, google books on a laptop would work, or I suppose you could print it . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.