Virginia Heather Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I'm currently using Analytical Grammar w/ ds (7th grade); we'll finish it up next year in 8th. For a while now, I've assumed that I'd used the AG High School Reinforcement books (for the sake of periodic review) in high school w/ no other grammar helps/curricula. And now I'm wondering-- am I kidding myself?? I just started re-reading the Rhetoric section in the WTM, and SWB says, "grammar is the single language-skill area that you should study every year through senior high... Plan on spending 45 minutes per day, 4-5 days a week..." Eek! So, have I been misinformed (or have I been working under an incorrect assumption) to think that a periodic grammar review in high school is enough? Also-- SWB suggests AG for 9th/10th as an alternative to Rod & Staff. Since I'm using it now, where do I look thereafter? Just jump into R & S perhaps? Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I am not planning to do grammar work every year in high school. I only plan to cover it once. We have done grammar in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th and will do it in 10th, and that will be that. For 10th, I am looking at The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy to Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples and Reproducible Quizzes . FWIW, my son is strong in grammar, spelling and writing. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nscribe Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I had the same reaction. 45 minutes a day seems like a rather large chunk of the high schooler's day to devote exclusively if it was well covered in middle school. We also did AG in middle school and my thinking is with Latin, another foreign language and plentiful high school writing it doesn't make sense to devote the time exclusively. I am looking at Jensen's with the thought that what might be useful is proofing and editing practice. That said, I am in your spot and curious to see the responses which follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nscribe Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I saw the post about the Blue Book. We had it around this year and plan to keep it dipping into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Maybe SWB is a grammar geek???:001_smile: I thoroughly covered grammar with my kids in middle school, and we didn't do it as a separate subject in high school. They did/do a lot of writing, and I correct that and address any grammar issues that pop up, but really there aren't many at this point. Plus, the son of mine who is studying Latin is using those grammar skills all the time. So, for us, I didn't see the need to devote high school time to grammar. Maybe if your high schooler isn't that strong with grammar, it would be worth the time to cover it in high school, but the teen years are so busy, I like to have them spend precious school time in the most efficient way possible. JM2Cents, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Heather Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Plus, the son of mine who is studying Latin is using those grammar skills all the time. So, for us, I didn't see the need to devote high school time to grammar. Maybe if your high schooler isn't that strong with grammar, it would be worth the time to cover it in high school, but the teen years are so busy, I like to have them spend precious school time in the most efficient way possible. Exactly!! Ds is studying latin (and will continue to do so for at least a couple more years), and he writes a lot as well. His grammar skills are already strong, and I'm thinking that by the time we wrap up AG next year, he should be very sharp. Periodic review should be enough... I hope! **** Thanks so much, everyone, for your feedback! Reading that passage caused me at least a moment or two of great angst! You have helped put my mind at ease :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 DD completed R&S Grammar 4th - 8th grade, then did AG high school reinforcement in 9th (eh, not what I expected) and this year (10th) is doing the Stewart English Program. The Stewart program takes her about 30 min per week to complete. It's just a nice review. (She aced the COMPASS Writing Test, so I know it's been helpful.) I will proabably have ds just use the Stewart English Program and not use AG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I just started re-reading the Rhetoric section in the WTM, and SWB says, "grammar is the single language-skill area that you should study every year through senior high... Plan on spending 45 minutes per day, 4-5 days a week..." Eek! I am pretty sure I read recently, when SWB was writing her middle school grammar program (that is now on hold), that her intention for this program was to cover all grammar necessary for high school writing, by the end of Grade 8. I can tell you, because dd did some of the sample weeks from it, that it covered things more quickly (and more efficiently for the individual student) than even R&S. So I could totally see how SWB's program could carry out a plan to cover it all by end of Grade 8. So, with that in mind, my current plan is to have my kids finish the R&S series (she does recommend going all the way through the 9/10 books - but I have no idea how they compare to your AG books), but probably combine the 9/10 books into one year (Grade 9) by eliminating the writing lessons (which, by those levels, take up half of each book). The grammar is mostly review, with a few new things introduced. After that, my kids can continually refer to the R&S Grammar Handbook as they write throughout high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 :001_huh: I thought the goal was to finish grammar by the end of 8th and focus on writing during high school. Let's make that, my goal is to finish grammar by the end of 8th and focus on writing in high school. My kids will do some brief grammar review for test preparation, but grammar will not take 45 min/day in high school. That would be nearly an entire English credit. We will forego that so they can focus on literature and writing instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Exactly!! Ds is studying latin (and will continue to do so for at least a couple more years), and he writes a lot as well. His grammar skills are already strong, and I'm thinking that by the time we wrap up AG next year, he should be very sharp. Periodic review should be enough... I hope!**** Thanks so much, everyone, for your feedback! Reading that passage caused me at least a moment or two of great angst! You have helped put my mind at ease :) We used AG in 6th-7th-8th. We used a HS reinforcement book last year. Ds is strong in grammar. I think spending any time more than a HS reinforcement book would be overkill for us. It sounds like it would be overkill for you as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 We mostly just skimmed grammar in high school years in order to reinforce it. We used the Blue Book and also this one: http://www.amazon.com/Grammar-Smart-Guide-Perfect-Usage/dp/0375762159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329322658&sr=1-1 However, even when we weren't actually studying grammar, it came up often in writing assignments. Also, all of my children took a foreign language every year in high school. Grammar/language structure was definitely reinforced in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Maybe SWB is a grammar geek???:001_smile: I thoroughly covered grammar with my kids in middle school, and we didn't do it as a separate subject in high school. They did/do a lot of writing, and I correct that and address any grammar issues that pop up, but really there aren't many at this point. Plus, the son of mine who is studying Latin is using those grammar skills all the time. So, for us, I didn't see the need to devote high school time to grammar. Maybe if your high schooler isn't that strong with grammar, it would be worth the time to cover it in high school, but the teen years are so busy, I like to have them spend precious school time in the most efficient way possible. JM2Cents, Brenda :001_huh: I thought the goal was to finish grammar by the end of 8th and focus on writing during high school. Let's make that, my goal is to finish grammar by the end of 8th and focus on writing in high school. My kids will do some brief grammar review for test preparation, but grammar will not take 45 min/day in high school. That would be nearly an entire English credit. We will forego that so they can focus on literature and writing instead! :iagree: We plan on integrating writing and grammar into other school subjects. Dd 15 did Rod and Staff up until last year. She is currently using Henle and IEW. She has plenty of writing/grammar without using a formal grammar book this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 "grammar is the single language-skill area that you should study every year through senior high... Plan on spending 45 minutes per day, 4-5 days a week..." Eek! Serious overkill - especially considering that, in contrast to this, the WTM recommendations for the sciences are extremely light. Those 45 minutes are better spent elsewhere. If my kids can use grammar correctly, I will not use high school time for formal grammar instruction. They encounter more grammar during their four years of foreign language studies, which automatically will cement English grammar. I am quite the heretic anyway and never bought the claim that formal grammar studies are required to write well in one's native language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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