Mandylubug Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I have went to the website multiple times today and I just Can't make myself finish the order. After adding on the literature set, its 198 bucks. It looks like a great program that would grab my ADHD sons' attention; especially since my ADHD husband oohed and ahhed over it..smh... he said don't fret over cost if it will help them learn and to just bite my lip and buy it. I just can't help but know how much cheaper R&S would be... I also know it will be more of a boring learning approach :/ My boys LOVE LOVE LOVE TT for math and I am seeking a LA program that will grab their attention just the same Anyone have any other recommendations for a complete LA program? Looking for a "flashy attention grabber similar to MCT" without the price tag. I noticed MCT doesn't include spelling, also. Anyone add spelling in addition to MCT? eta: had to clarify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acrosier Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 My DD and I just finished Grammar Island. She loved it so much she actually got teary when it was over. We were really careful with the books and I was able to sell some of the books on EBAY, we're keeping the rest until the next set arrives. I got between 1/2 and 2/3 of my money back, not including shipping, and my books sold the first day. I learned a lot from it, too. I added Spelling Power to round out the program. Good luck with whatever you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace'smom Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I've heard a lot of people mention The Sentence Family as a fun way to learn grammar. It seems to be mentioned a lot in threads about MCT. I've looked at it and it does look like a lot of fun for artistic kids. If it would make you feel better to know you've tried all the MCT alternatives, maybe you could try Grammarland (the free book on google) or KISS grammar and see how that flies before you buy MCT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc26 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I was in the same boat, so I decided to start with Grammar Island (which I grabbed on eBay) to see if we liked it before purchasing the whole set. DS and I love it, so now I am picking up the other components a little at a time. I was not going to get Practice Island, but he actually asked last night if there was a whole book of sentences that he could "label". So I will be getting that one too, LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unity Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 (edited) I like MCT's approach to grammar (4-level analyses) and I find his grammar books much more interesting than other approaches. (However some of the goofy stuff drives me insane.) Having just finished the Island level, I would say there is a lot of overlap between Sentence Island and Grammar Island, and of the two Sentence Island is definitely the lesser. Also, I did not like the vocab book (Building Language) at all, and you can decide if the poetry book needs to be done this year. You can always just read and enjoy poetry informally this year, and if you know anything about poetic appreciation you can point out poetics as you go along. If you are good at grammar you definitely don't need the teacher's manual at this level. So I think the only books I would say you *need* for this level are Grammar Island and Practice Island, which you can then supplement with Spelling, finding poetry to read, and correcting mistakes whenever your child writes something. (Be sure to explain the mistake). R & S and MCTLA couldn't be more different. I think it's almost axiomatic that one will be an epic fail for any child (or parent) who likes the other one. So I think you need to figure out which one will work for your child and make it happen and not look at money. Edited February 8, 2012 by unity Gave the wrong name for the vocab book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieF Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 They're TOTALLY worth the investment and it is absolutely true you can sell them (VERY quickly!) to get a portion back. My son and I did (most of!) the Island level last year and he absolutely loved it. LOVED it. Then I balked at the cost and lack of a "real" TG (I wanted more hand holding!), so went back to what we'd been doing before. I had already purchased the Town level, but was able to sell it. Guess what I just RE-purchased yesterday?!?! Town level. There just isn't anything out there like it, especially for bright/gifted kids and kids who just don't "do" the "normal" curricula well. My son is ecstatic that it is on its way. :001_smile: Your kids (and your sanity!!!) are SO worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 If the lit portion is really what's holding you back, skip that part of the program. We have it and like it, but I'd give it up in a heartbeat for the rest of the program! We use AAS for spelling. Together, it's very pricey. And worth every penny, imo. I held out for two years before hitting that button. I wish I could go back and do it over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Thank all of you so much for the encouragement! It really is just money holding me back. I am such a cheapo I look at R&S not because it looks "great" but because its cheap. I did the same thing with our math and ended up hating it. Then I purchased TT. Actually, that is why I purchased Weaver curriculum because in the long run it would be SO cheap but I have learned that I don't need to skimp here and I need to just purchase what I need to teach them. I have four kids and the girls I am sure will use Grammar Island and all the other books next year or so after I finish teaching the boys. In our homeschooling journey; I haven't taught a formal grammar with the boys yet so we really need to get this area going. Do I need two practice workbooks or can I stretch it and write out the sentences for them instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spetzi Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I wanted to advise you to skip the literature. We LOVE MCT grammar, poetry & writing, but the literature was just so-so, in our opinion. Trying to find a way for you to save a few bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 I wanted to advise you to skip the literature. We LOVE MCT grammar, poetry & writing, but the literature was just so-so, in our opinion. Trying to find a way for you to save a few bucks. Thank you for the advice! I was actually just considering using extra books from our SOTW AG as our literature.. I looked at the samples of the MCT literature and the boxes of sentence breakdowns, etc. would distract me in my reading.. Naturally, I am not sure how my son would think about it but my guess would be the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandty Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I too have had this problem! I am buying it next month and I am ok with spending the money now. I finally had to sit down and right down the cost and compare it to my second and third choices. It really turned out to be my cheapest choice! I have two boys, and if I didn't go with MCT I would have to buy two of another grammer, plus vocab, plus writing. I can combine them together with MCT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I'm sure somebody already suggested this.... Just buy the teachers edition of Grammar Island, $30. Do it first. Then buy the TE of Sentence Island, $30. The only student edition you might want to buy is Practice Island, $10. There is no other program that I know of like MCT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikkid Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Do I need two practice workbooks or can I stretch it and write out the sentences for them instead? I hear you on trying to save money. We're in the same boat. I just got the teacher's manual for everything, including Practice Island and I write the sentences on a white board. Sometimes I wish I had the student edition so I could just take it anywhere, but it saved some money and my dd responds better to white boards than paper. However, she might be tempted to go ahead in the workbook if she had the book...that could be nice. It wouldn't be hard to type up the sentences from the teacher's manual on a word doc and print out two copies but even with a laser printer this ends up costing about $5 by the time you print out 100 sentences, one to a page. So we use the white board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I wanted to advise you to skip the literature. We LOVE MCT grammar, poetry & writing, but the literature was just so-so, in our opinion..... Do you have a literature recommendation? Thanks. (Sorry if I missed it somewhere.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 We've been struggling with this too! We had a program for LA this year and it just didn't fit us... we've tried restarting with it three different times, and I think it's time to give up, LOL!! MCT is really appealing to us, my son loves the quirkiness of it. I've got a gifted kid who gets bored easily, and I think this would hold his attention. He likes what he's seen so far from the previews. I'm glad for the suggestions here, because I've wondered if I could just buy a few parts of Island level for an introduction, then go fully into Town level next year. I think, based on all your comments, we may go that route!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Please link up to MCT so I can learn about this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unity Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I need to agree with other posters--if you really want to stretch the practice book you could just rewrite the sentences on a white board or paper. So I guess for me the only really vital portion would be Grammar Island. I don't know if you need the Teacher's Edition--I am good at grammar so I just buy the student book, but I can see that the other way makes sense, too. I know they aren't widely available used but I do see them pop up here on the for sale boards regularly. I didn't use the lit portion but I definitely didn't care for the samples. For the age that this program is targeted for, I think you just need exposure anyway. For spelling I like "Spelling Power" a lot, and I'm using the 3d edition (not the current one) and that is so effective, cheap, and good for all years of learning. It is a little bit of work to learn the technique, but absolutely worth it. FYI I do like the MCT poetry book, so I would only recommend skipping it to save money. R & S doesn't have the same kind of poetic analysis, if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenmomof3 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Just wanted to chime in that we use MCT (actually our second year) and really enjoy it. For Practice Island and Practice Town, I use it as dictation as well as analysis. I read the sentence a couple of times, have them say it back to me, and then write it on a sheet I made that has four lines for the four level analysis. This way I've killed two birds with one stone, and there is no need for the student books. We also purchased the first literature series and have not found it as exciting as I had hoped. It has fit the bill for us this year, but if I wanted to cut out something from the program, I would hold off ordering them. Let us know what you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I just clicked "Buy" for town level after my DD was fighting tears when I mentioned that she was almost done with the last book of Island-She didn't want it to end! Ouch, though! It's expensive,but it's SO worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 If you just order the Teacher's manuals, the whole Island level is $110 plus $11 shipping. The TMs are the student books plus little blurbs, so nothing lost. I'd rather write the sentences out for practice -- I can do one a day, right? LOL Another option might be to just get the Grammar Island TM first and see how you like it -- it's the one book you do all by itself for 6-8 weeks. The other books are used together AFTER you complete Grammar Island. It would only cost $2 more shipping to do it that way (s/h is 10% with a minimum of $5). Shipping was really fast, so if it goes well after a month, then order the rest of the TMs. :D I'm considering the lit, bu would hold off until we're in the Town level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I see it says 'for gifted children'. What exactly do they mean? I was looking for a placement test. My 4th grader is bright, but I never tested her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 And why doesn't it clarify what level goes with what age or grade level? Only Grammar Island has ages 8,9,10, but the next two levels don't say. I'm trying to figure out what I would use for 5th grade net yr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 So considering we finished FLL4 what would we use for 5th grade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Especially since you have younger children, I'd start with Island. Even if your oldest finds the grammar a review, the poetics won't be, and it will still be enjoyable. It may not take as long for your 5th grader, but I seriously doubt even the 5th grader will be bored, and that way you'll have it for the other children coming up. You also may discover that while only the oldest does the grammar that ALL your kids enjoy snuggling together and listening and the younger ones pick up more than you'd expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I just spoke to someone there, and he gave me an idea about ages. Since I'm set for the rest of this school year, I'll keep researching it for dd for 5th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 ladies that use MCT, how independent can it be? With me having four kids I need the flexibility to get up and assist my DDs that are 6. I typically try to help them with phonics when the boys are focusing on math since TT3 frees me up.. I don't mind assisting with their grammar but would need the ability of them to continue on for five minutes until I return, etc.. is that plausible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 So considering we finished FLL4 what would we use for 5th grade? I can tell you what I am doing for my son in 5th this year...We started the year with the Grammar Island book, to give him a basic view of what is going on...I skipped the Town level grammar book and we are now doing Grammar Voyage (level 3), along with Caesar's English 1 (from level 2), Paragraph Town (level 2), and Music of the Hemispheres (level 1)...We are working our way through all of the sentences in Practice Town this year...Next year, we will finish all of level 3, with the exception of poetry, which we will only have done through level 2...It sounds sort of confusing, so I will list our plan in list form... Grade 5 - Grammar Island, Grammar Voyage, Paragraph Town, Practice Town, Caesar's English 1, Music of the Hemispheres Grade 6 - Practice Voyage, Caesar's English 2, Essay Voyage, Building Poems Grade 7 - Magic Lens 1, Essay Voyage, Word Within a Word, A World of Poetry Grade 8 - Academic Writing 1, Poetry and Humanity, 4 Practice 1 Grade 9 - Level 5 Grade 10 - Level 5 Grade 11 - Level 6 Grade 12 - Level 6 He will be working on different levels until he gets to 9th, where we plan to take 2 years to cover the last 2 levels... My son LOVES MCT grammar...I thought like some others here, that R&S is so much cheaper...I went to a conference and saw MCT speak live and my son wandered in to one of his classes...He has wanted to use MCT ever since...He said he loved "the way that man explained things", and asked if we could buy his stuff instead of R&S...I also had the opportunity to have luch with MCT and discuss all of what I was thinking and get my questions answered...DH and I decided that it was worth it, and bought Grammar Island...I ordered the Grammar Voyage and such later in the year, and he was excited when it came in the mail, like it was a toy or something...It is expensive, but it is worth it...He is actually taking an enrichment class once a week that teaches MCT grammar (Grammar Voyage)...He begged to take this class once he found out about it, and is loving it... Sorry if this post is long and not helpful :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 ladies that use MCT, how independent can it be? With me having four kids I need the flexibility to get up and assist my DDs that are 6. I typically try to help them with phonics when the boys are focusing on math since TT3 frees me up.. I don't mind assisting with their grammar but would need the ability of them to continue on for five minutes until I return, etc.. is that plausible? Others may disagree, but I don't consider it very independent...I think it would be hard to use and understand without a parent, especially in the early years...I am not sure about the high school levels... ETA: You would be able to walk away for 5 minutes or so and come back where you left off :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 We tried voyage level when DS was in 7 and it was just not a good fit. So hard to tell until you try it! Analytical grammar has turned out to work much better. We did all love the vocab portion though. I still have the books thinking that he might use them at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 We tried voyage level when DS was in 7 and it was just not a good fit. So hard to tell until you try it! Analytical grammar has turned out to work much better. We did all love the vocab portion though. I still have the books thinking that he might use them at some point. what part of it didn't work for your son if you don't mind me asking? My son looked at R&S English 3 sample online and MCT. He didn't even finish reading the instruction paragraph before his ADHD brain asked what was for dinner and about ten other questions. I put MCT sample on and he read the entire sample without asking any off the wall questions. So I know the book itself grabbed his attention. I just can't tell how the lessons are really laid out by the samples online. Online it just looks like a story book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Well, I gave in. I have literally poured myself over the internet today looking for another solution to LA that would grab my son's attention as this one but in the long run decided to give in and purchase it! I just went ahead and purchased the basic package since it came with the student book and the teacher manual and I will have two boys doing the lessons together. I figured if need be one can borrow my book while I assist the other and vice versa. I will also have the girls moving on up to using it shortly. I have got to get them reading fluently; they are stressing me out a bit to the point of picking back up 100ez and that is saying something because I hate that book; ha ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Good for you, Mandy! I hope it goes well for you. We're leaning pretty strongly toward picking it up as well. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momsuz123 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Now, no one please laugh at me, what is MCT? I hear so many great things about it, but just don't know that abbreviation. We are just doing the FLL for grammar, but would love new ideas. Okay, now laugh.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Now, no one please laugh at me, what is MCT? I hear so many great things about it, but just don't know that abbreviation. We are just doing the FLL for grammar, but would love new ideas. Okay, now laugh.:lol: It is Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts published by Royal Fireworks Press. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 what part of it didn't work for your son if you don't mind me asking? My son looked at R&S English 3 sample online and MCT. He didn't even finish reading the instruction paragraph before his ADHD brain asked what was for dinner and about ten other questions. I put MCT sample on and he read the entire sample without asking any off the wall questions. So I know the book itself grabbed his attention. I just can't tell how the lessons are really laid out by the samples online. Online it just looks like a story book. I have finally come to realize my kids like lesson plans laid out in a very straight forward manner. This has surprised me because they tend to think very creatively and with science and math they are exploratory learners. But, for whatever reason, when it comes to a written lesson, they prefer to have the information presented in a bare bones, logical way. DS felt MCT had too much filler. He also tired of the boat references. I didn't expect that to be an issue, but he said he started to find it distracting. Also, I notice in Grammar Voyage, many different parts of speech are introduced before there is any practice offered for identifying them. In AG, the approach is much more incremental. This may actually be the biggest part of it. This step by step approach may be what works better for him. I am unsure on this though because my older son also did not like MCT and he tends to be the kids of person who likes to see the big picture first. Also, DS, oddly enough, actually likes following directions. MCT has very few directions; rather it is a series of chapters presenting information. They didn't like Life of Fred either. They did really like the Murderous Maths books though. Mostly I mentioned it because I know the desire to try out each and every curriculum for a good fit for my kids. I wanted to point out that while many kids do take to MCT, not all do. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the kids or the curriculum though. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Now, no one please laugh at me, what is MCT? I hear so many great things about it, but just don't know that abbreviation. We are just doing the FLL for grammar, but would love new ideas. Okay, now laugh.:lol: Scroll to a previous page... I asked the same thing! I spent a little time yesterday afternoon learning about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 I have finally come to realize my kids like lesson plans laid out in a very straight forward manner. This has surprised me because they tend to think very creatively and with science and math they are exploratory learners. But, for whatever reason, when it comes to a written lesson, they prefer to have the information presented in a bare bones, logical way. DS felt MCT had too much filler. He also tired of the boat references. I didn't expect that to be an issue, but he said he started to find it distracting. Also, I notice in Grammar Voyage, many different parts of speech are introduced before there is any practice offered for identifying them. In AG, the approach is much more incremental. This may actually be the biggest part of it. This step by step approach may be what works better for him. I am unsure on this though because my older son also did not like MCT and he tends to be the kids of person who likes to see the big picture first. Also, DS, oddly enough, actually likes following directions. MCT has very few directions; rather it is a series of chapters presenting information. They didn't like Life of Fred either. They did really like the Murderous Maths books though. Mostly I mentioned it because I know the desire to try out each and every curriculum for a good fit for my kids. I wanted to point out that while many kids do take to MCT, not all do. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the kids or the curriculum though. :) Thank you SO much for your detailed explanation of why it didn't work for your learners! It really does help to see where others struggle, imo. I did end up purchasing it after I let my oldest sit and read it. With him being ADHD he likes the whole picture but he also likes flashy things to grab his eye. I also had him look at several other grammar lessons from other publishers and spoke about a no "fluff" style of English vs this style. I really think this may work for him. This is the reason why we homeschool isn't it? To tweak and customize their curriculum to meet their unique needs. TT really works for him and I am hoping this will, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Others may disagree, but I don't consider it very independent...I think it would be hard to use and understand without a parent, especially in the early years...I am not sure about the high school levels... ETA: You would be able to walk away for 5 minutes or so and come back where you left off :-) :iagree: I write the sentences on the board and only use the TMs. It's a fun program. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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