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Does anyone use multiple grammar programs in first grade?


amselby81
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We just started K, but I'm already kind of thinking about next year. We're using a couple different programs for phonics, and we're doing handwriting, but we're not really doing anything as far as grammar. My main goal this year is to get her reading. We will add grammar next year. I'd like to either use FLL or Abeka Language for grammar. Should I just stick with one, or would it be possible to do both? I don't really know FLL. I only know what I've read about it and I've seen sample pages online, but I've never used it and I've never put my hands on it. I am familiar with Abeka though. I've taught first grade in a private school using Abeka.

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FLL is such a sweet, on your lap, short and to the point program. It would be my first choice for first grade. It's a gentle introduction.

 

IMO (and as a former first grade teacher), your time would be better spent reading aloud than doing another grammar program. They are still acquiring so much language at that age. It's hard to start to analyze it. :)

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No. If your child speaks correct English, that's enough grammar for first grade. If you must do something, use FLL. More importantly, read to her.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

 

I really like FLL! I 100% agree about speaking correct English, and I appreciate the way oral usage is presented in FLL. I find myself repeating those lessons off the cuff as my dc need reminding.

 

 

I also agree with the poster who said it's more important to spend time reading aloud high quality literature. A 1st grader is better off having quotes from Beatrix Potter and AA Milne floating around in their minds than going through "grammar lessons." Grammar is too abstract unless a child has a strong language foundation anyway.

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My son is in 5th grade and only just started formal grammar and is handlng it like a pro. I never understood starting it early.

 

We're just start MCT this year in 4th grade. I don't plan to do it with my ds6 for a couple years. It's going so much better starting grade 4 (I attempted it last year and it just didn't feel quite right).

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We do FLL and GWG. DS chose to do both, and when I tried to get him to choose just one to continue for the second level, he said he wanted to keep doing both. Seriously, it takes ten minutes, maximum, to do both books. It is not overkill. If your child hated it, sure, but it's going to depend on you and your child and the programs you're looking at using.

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I've chosen to delay grammar a bit. After using R&S for a couple years, we've recently dropped it. They've picked the rules up immediately and it seems a waste of our limited school-time. We are using PLL/ILL from 2nd until 6th and it has a gentle introduction to grammar. I think that along with quality literature is more than enough for those ages!

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I've hesitated to answer on this thread, but yes, last year my first grader used MCT and GWG. We switched from GWG to KISS about midway. It worked well because MCT was a cuddle -on-the-couch sort of grammar, and he enjoys grammar and diagramming. It has worked for him. He also started Latin in first, with GSWL, and is now about midway through Lively Latin. Knowing proper grammar has made Latin much easier for him, and i Have no regrets about starting him earlier in grammar.

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I've hesitated to answer on this thread, but yes, last year my first grader used MCT and GWG. We switched from GWG to KISS about midway. It worked well because MCT was a cuddle -on-the-couch sort of grammar, and he enjoys grammar and diagramming. It has worked for him. He also started Latin in first, with GSWL, and is now about midway through Lively Latin. Knowing proper grammar has made Latin much easier for him, and i Have no regrets about starting him earlier in grammar.

 

I myself agree with all the posts about 1 grammar being more than enough; but, depending on your child, Halcyon's approach may suit better. I'd do KISS second grade (there is no first, and the third grade ramps up very quickly) if you were going to do this.

 

However, Halcyon's child is clearly one with a natural proclivity for these things -- we stalled out in GSWL (Getting Started with Latin) with Button in first grade last year, when it came to things like 1st/2nd/3rd persons and singular plural.

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Well, you're getting a pretty unanimous response. Of all the programs to double on, grammar would be my last pick... double up on read alouds, writing, math... something else. Once you know grammar, you know grammar. I really think it's something you could omit for early elementary completely and be fine.

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We do FLL and GWG. DS chose to do both, and when I tried to get him to choose just one to continue for the second level, he said he wanted to keep doing both. Seriously, it takes ten minutes, maximum, to do both books. It is not overkill. If your child hated it, sure, but it's going to depend on you and your child and the programs you're looking at using.

 

We are also doing FLL and GWG, but just started with 2nd grade. It doesn't take long per day and the boys are not complaining :D. Both boys are reading well and read often so I'm comfortable focusing on grammar and writing (we also do WWE and WWW).

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I'm not doing any formal grammar in first grade other than teaching to capitalize first words of a sentence and put some punctuation at the end. We're focusing on reading and phonics and working toward spelling. I think that's enough for first. I would only pick 1 or consider not using a grammar program and waiting until 2nd grade (or later) to really work on formal grammar topics. My first grader has enough on her plate with reading, phonics, spelling, and addition. Her brain would explode if we added much grammar into the mix.

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We are also doing FLL and GWG, but just started with 2nd grade. It doesn't take long per day and the boys are not complaining :D. Both boys are reading well and read often so I'm comfortable focusing on grammar and writing (we also do WWE and WWW).

 

That's a good point. A lot of people are talking about focusing on reading/phonics instruction instead. My son was finished with that already by the start of last year (which was technically kindergarten, but he was doing first grade work). If we had been focused on learning to read, I probably would have left grammar alone until we finished that. But, having finished phonics and having a child who had to be told to STOP reading, that wasn't an issue here.

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Thank you so much for responding, everyone! Sorry it took me so long to come back and check on this thread, but I really appreciate all of this advice. We shall see where we are when the time comes, and if I feel that a grammar program is needed, we will look into FLL. :) And I will try not to feel like anything else is needed. I realized when buying for this year that I tend to want to do too much. For instance, I got three phonics programs for this year, AND I wanted to add some Abeka phonics to the mix too! I'm glad I didn't buy the Abeka Phonics, b/c I can't fit everything that I've already bought. I decided just to mix ETC and HOP for now. So lesson learned, more is not better.

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