regentrude Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I hope it is OK to post this on this board. I am asking for a friend who just pulled her 8th grade son from public school and is looking for help. Her son has an auditory processing disorder. He reads well, but has big problems with writing. He is not always able to form a complete sentence and can not tell whether something is a complete sentence or a fragment. According t her, he is good at math and sciences, so I think he may be a very analytical type with no "feeling" for language (which, in my layperson's opinion, might be related to his auditory issues.) She is looking for help how to address his writing/grammar issues. From our conversations, I gather that she would need a resource that clearly spells out the rules and analyzes sentences, but does not rely on the student having any "feel" for language (if that makes sense). I am grateful for any suggestions (since my children have none of these struggles, my own experiences are of no help) Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtsmamtj Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Check out Sentences to Paragraphs by Learners Publishing (I think they are somehow connected to Singapore math??) - there are 4 books in this series. We used Growing with Grammar and have had HUGE success with the grammar portion of writing. We also have used over the years, Meaningful Composition with some success, Winning with Writing which wasn't a good fit, and are currently using Essentials in Writing with HUGE success. I know he prefers the Essential curriculum because it is visual and my son does much better with visual and auditory learning rather than just a book to learn from. HTH T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Welcome to the SN board!!! :grouphug: I can only tell you what didn't work. It seemed to work at least, but there was no retention. Easy Grammar Plus and Voyages in English. I would recommend staying away from Shurley, since it's question and answer based. My dd writes very grammatically, but our grammar studies haven't been particularly successful. The Growing with Grammar idea may be a good one. Straight-forward and review built in. Wishing your friend the best, Kelli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Not sure how much help I am as my special needs kiddo is only 7 years old and a 1st grader but I will try. First Language Lessons and Writing With Ease have really helped him. We are only in the first 1/4 of the first books and my son does not do the Writing With Ease written but orally. She may want to check out SWB writing lectures. Start with the elementary and start implementing those skills with him in his science, history and literature then when he is ready move on to the logic stage and so forth. I wouldn't buy the workbooks at this age but implementing the techniques is very clearly laid out in simple step by step bits. For grammar I would recommend R&S 5 done mostly oral or with a white board. It starts with the basics so if there are any gaps that would be a good program to fill them. Done orally and/or on the white board would really reduce the amount of writing he has to do. It is a very solid program! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funnygirl Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Welcome! I am remediating grammar and writing with my dd (7th grade). I am currently using the following: BraveWriter Lifestyle (for free writing) - we are doing one free-write per week. Giggles in the Middle (editing and vocabulary) - two sentences per day with accompanying vocabulary definitions. I am also looking at Hot Fudge Mondays and Giggly Guide to Grammar for help with parts of speech. I realize these are not necessarily the type of books you described, but I have had to do some SERIOUS out-of-the-box thinking on this subject. My dd came out of public school at the end of fall semester, and my eyes have been opened to her strengths (math) and weaknesses (anything having to do with writing/grammar). I keep having to back up and make it "more fun" to get her to engage. It's tricky, because she's probably at a 5th-6th grade level, but she doesn't want anything "babyish". You might also make sure your friend's son is typing (or learning to type) and that if the physical act of putting thoughts on paper is difficult, she is scribing for him. This has made a huge difference for us. I know that you are an experienced homeschooler (I've read many of your posts!) and assume that you have explained to your friend about the process of deschooling. My personal experience is that it takes even longer for kids with learning issues. Remind her to be patient and accept even the tiniest baby steps as progress! (Again, speaking from recent experience!) Best wishes, hugs, wine, and chocolate!! ETA: I didn't have luck with Shurley Grammar, but I know OhElizabeth really likes it. That might be more the type of curriculum you're thinking of. I know she wouldn't mind a private message, just in case she doesn't see this. Edited April 16, 2012 by funnygirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 My son is just going into 3rd grade so I'm not sure if this would be any help. I found that his sentence structure improved when we started learning the nuts and bolts of grammar and parts of speech with First Language Lessons level 2. I spent a year where I didn't require him to do any of his own writing. He would tell me what he was thinking, we would talk back and forth until it made sense and then I would write it down for him. Then I would make him copy what I wrote down. Splitting it up seemed to help a lot. He is now writing a few short simple things on his own and I have had friends comment on the improvements to his grammar when he converses with other people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyfordlr Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 My rising 6th grader has APD. We've just started using Hake Grammar (haven't gotten to the writing portion yet.) She's liking it and seems to be retaining the info. We're starting to diagram and she's really latching on to the visual aspect of diagraming. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 (edited) Winston Grammar is a low stress program, with both basic and advanced levels. Sample pages can be found below: http://www.christianbook.com/basic-winston-grammar/pd/24681?item_code=WW&netp_id=166187&event=PPCSRC&view=details http://www.christianbook.com/advanced-winston-grammar/pd/24691?item_code=WW&netp_id=100403&event=PPCSRC&view=details http://www.christianbook.com/winston-word-works/pd/24699?event=CFN Edited May 29, 2012 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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