Nakia Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 My middle dd has had a really hard time with R&S grammar this year, so about two months ago, we ditched it. I figured it is perfectly fine if a 3rd grader doesn't know what a direct object is, lol. It took months of daily review for her to understand what the difference between common and proper nouns. I think she's got it now. Diagramming was a bust. She is a fantastic writer btw! I bought R&S grammar 4, but I can't imagine she will be able to do it when she couldn't do level 3. She is a smart kid, but she is slow to pick some thing up and really has to work hard to understand (pretty normal, I think). She had a major math breakthrough about 4 months ago, and that was a huge relief after a while struggling with math. I am pretty sure this grammar struggle is a maturity thing, not an LD. I'm thinking of a couple of different options. A: Start over with R&S 3 B: Go ahead with level 4 and move at her pace C: Use the grammar in WWE (there is a lot more there than I originally thought). This would work well with option D below, I think. D: Just work on one part of speech at a time, using her own writing a couple of times per week to point out parts of speech. IOW, ditch former grammar for now. This is what we are currently doing. E: Switch to a different grammar program. Some that have been recommended include Easy Grammar and MCT Grammar Island. If you think this is the best option, I'm open to other suggestions. F: Something else I haven't thought of. If I use a formal curriculum next year, it has to be gentle and move slow, which I tend to think rules R&S out. I've used R&S with my oldest all the way through, so I know how intense it can be. Thanks for any help!! P.S. Please forgive me if I've posted about this before. I know I posted on a board somewhere, but I can't remember where, and I can't find it here. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 If you're going to use WWE, then I'd either just use the grammar in that, or add Easy Grammar. I wouldn't try to do R&S and WWE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 If you're going to use WWE, then I'd either just use the grammar in that, or add Easy Grammar. I wouldn't try to do R&S and WWE. Thank you, Ellie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threebears Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 May I ask which program WWE is abbreviated for? I am new to this forum! I also am dealing with a grammar curriculum choice. I was looking into Easy Grammar. I have liked BJU but was advised that after the 6th grade it gets to be too intense and a time waster. I was happy with 3-4grade but it still seems she struggles to point out simple verbs. Easy Grammar looked more straightforward but another member suggested and likes Growing with Grammar. It is purchased only through the company itself. I am going to look into that. Good luck and I look forward to seeing if anyone else has advice for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaeast Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I don't know anything about WWE, but we did R&S 3 and half of 4 this year. I can tell you that 4 reviews everything learned in 3, sprinkled throughout. You could certainly start with 4 and go at her pace and I don't think it would be any harder than what 3 was. Do you also use the workbooks with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 May I ask which program WWE is abbreviated for? I am new to this forum! I also am dealing with a grammar curriculum choice. I was looking into Easy Grammar. I have liked BJU but was advised that after the 6th grade it gets to be too intense and a time waster. I was happy with 3-4grade but it still seems she struggles to point out simple verbs. Easy Grammar looked more straightforward but another member suggested and likes Growing with Grammar. It is purchased only through the company itself. I am going to look into that. Good luck and I look forward to seeing if anyone else has advice for you! WWE stands for Writing With Ease. It is an excellent writing program for early elementary written by Susan Wise Bauer. I don't know anything about WWE, but we did R&S 3 and half of 4 this year. I can tell you that 4 reviews everything learned in 3, sprinkled throughout. You could certainly start with 4 and go at her pace and I don't think it would be any harder than what 3 was. Do you also use the workbooks with it? The problem with starting with 4 is that 3 was so hard for her. I just don't know if she is ready, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@home Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 The same thing happened with my daughter. We began R&S 3 when she was in 3rd grade, but she would spend 30 minutes just trying to draw the lines for diagramming (and like your daughter she's a very good writer).:) I decided she just wasn't ready so I switched to Queens Language Lessons that year. This past year when she was in 4th grade we started the year with Queens again, but it didn't seem challenging at all to her so I decided since I already had the R&S 3 on the shelf to pull it back out. We just finished it a few weeks ago and she did great. The diagraming was no longer a problem! I think R&S is a very rigorous grammar program so I didn't mind using it a year "behind". I'm actually researching what we're going to use next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oraetstudia Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I'd rely mostly on the grammar in WWE and supplement with either MCT grammar or The Sentence Family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Well I'll just say Shurley turned around my grammar-hater after her bad experience with R&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaeast Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Well, I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with starting with 3 again. It's far better to be at the right level than at the grade level. Level starts out with a ton of review of level 3 and only added in a few things. Although, they did add in predicate nouns, so if direct objects were confusing, that might be too much. :)I guess I would go back and try 3 again. Or one of your other options. I just really like R&S. I feel like they will really know grammar as we go through it, and so I recommend it every chance I get. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I've never used Rod & Staff, but I have a dd who struggled with VIE around 3rd/4th grade. I ended up using Winston Grammar to make sure she understood the parts of speech (plus dictation/copy work), and that seemed to do the trick. She ended up finishing VIE through 8th gr. without any trouble. It might have been a maturity issue, but WG was an easy way to make sure we covered basic grammar. My favorite grammar program right now is MCT, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Why not supplement with some living grammar books? I recommend Grammar Land and the Brian P. Cleary series: Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What is a Synonym? I and You and Don't Forget Who: What Is a Prounoun? Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?: What Are Homonyms and Homophones? Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What Is an Adverb? Slide and Slurp, Scratch and Burp: More about Verbs Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym? Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? Under, Over, by the Clover: What Is a Preposition? To Root to Toot to Parachute: What Is a Verb? A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More About Nouns I'm and Won't, They're and Don't: What's a Contraction? Thumbtacks, Earwax, Lipstick, Dipstick: What Is a Compound Word? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Why not supplement with some living grammar books? I recommend Grammar Land and the Brian P. Cleary series:Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What is a Synonym? I and You and Don't Forget Who: What Is a Prounoun? Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?: What Are Homonyms and Homophones? Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What Is an Adverb? Slide and Slurp, Scratch and Burp: More about Verbs Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym? Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? Under, Over, by the Clover: What Is a Preposition? To Root to Toot to Parachute: What Is a Verb? A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More About Nouns I'm and Won't, They're and Don't: What's a Contraction? Thumbtacks, Earwax, Lipstick, Dipstick: What Is a Compound Word? We're alternating Grammar Land and The Sentence Family next year. Lots of fun, and The Sentence Family introduces diagramming by the end of the book. The Brian P. Cleary books, and books by Ruth Heller, are great too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 We use R&S, but do most of it orally and on the whiteboard. Our youngest will start R&S 2 for 3rd grade in the fall. Since you have 3, I'd start there, and do it together. Go at her pace, whatever that is. I wouldn't stress about it. She's still very young. She'll get it. Use some of the living books listed above, and make sure she's exposed to good literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I know it isn't popular on here, but I've used ABEKA grammar in a small classroom setting, and I think it is a fine program for elementary. She might have to back up a little, but Language A is the 4th grade book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datimasa Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Since you already like WWE, why not use FLL3? I love the FLL series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calimom04 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 We used cle and abeka so far. DD is pretty solid in her grammar from these. We are switching to bju next year because she needs more writing instruction. I have the abeka language A book DD did half but got bored because its so repetitive. Its good if you need lots of review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SewLittleTime Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Since you already like WWE, why not use FLL3? I love the FLL series. :iagree:These work beautifully together and reinforce each other. I love FLL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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