CM'ers and those who postpone Grammar until 10+

[Mom2OandE]

DD is 9 and in 4th grade. It doesn't seem she had much grammar in 3rd grade/ps. We have had ups and downs with grammar this year (our first year hs) and I'm considering placing it on the backburner and trying to focus more on the CM approach of hearing and reading, telling and writing. For those who've postponed grammar I'd love to hear your experience and how you approaced "language arts" in the years you've bypassed Grammar. Thank you.

[thebacabunch]

I haven't put grammar off. What curriculum are you using?

[Ellie]

I don't do "language arts." :D

 

My older dd's only grammar exposure was a few lessons in R&S's old 3rd grade English text, and about 10 lessons in Winston Grammar...which she hated. She read all the time, and we did some writing--definitely Well Trained Mind level, lol. She did some Latin with Mary Harrington (author of "Latin in the Christian Trivium"). Dd began taking classes at the community college when she was 14; she eventually graduated from San Jose State with a BA in English Lit. I think her GPA was something like 3.9.

 

Younger dd, who wasn't reading at her age level until she was 9½, did Easy Grammar when she was 11ish. She also took c.c. classes beginning when she was 14; she graduated but decided not to go to San Jose State (long story). She aced all of her classes, and was invited to be the valedictorian of her graduating class; she declined because of the politics involved. :D

 

Not doing grammar for 12 years definitely did NOT negatively impact my children's use or knoweldge of English.

[swainsonshawk]

We haven't done a lot of grammar. I have half-heartedly tried to do Winston Grammar a couple of times in the past year or so and we've done mad libs and sang grammar songs. So all together, not a lot. This year I decided to get more serious. 8th and 6th grader started in Analytical Grammar together. 8th grader is doing well. 6th grader not so much. The program is kind of fast and there is not a lot of review if you don't get it right away. I had the kids re-do worksheets in order for there to be more opportunity for review, as well as re-take tests after we went over them together.

The 6th grader made it through unit 3 before I gave up. I just put him into Easy Grammar/Daily Grams--we'll see how that goes. He just needs more exposure to the parts of speech before we tackle Analytical Grammar again. I'll probably try it with him again next year.

 

The 8th grader is doing well so far--he's on unit and is making As on his tests.

[julikins]

So, Mom2OandE, how would you approach hearing, reading, telling and writing without a curriculum? I'm very curious because I've been considering putting this off a little with my 2nd grader and concentrate on phonics review and reading skills.

[rootsnwings]

Well we did early grammar (FLL 1/2 in 3rd, then 2 years of K12 LA) but now, in 6th grade we have dropped English grammar altogether and study Latin grammar using Lingua Latina instead. The Latin grammar is, in my opinion, the perfect way to revisit all the English grammar he has already learned.

[asmall]

Some sites that offer CM homeschool curriculum have products that teach kids grammar but it a very simple easy way. I know that Queen's Homeschool offers different language lesson workbooks. https://www.queenshomeschooling.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=60_61&zenid=4d5b7d224df0e5baa03ac0e45de5f319

 

Living Books Curriculum also has Primary Language Lessons and Intermediate Language Lessons. They are new and updated verisons of the old books.

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/Sample-PLL.pdf

 

The nice thing with the redone workbook is the child can write in it and also all profits from Living Books Curriculum help to open schools in Africa.

 

You can also get Primary Language Lessons on Google books for free.

http://books.google.com/books?id=JfAsAQAAMAAJ&pg=PR3&dq=primary+language+lessons&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_byTUNPHN8jA0QGUyYDoBQ&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ

 

My kids did not do well with the traditional grammar approach, but they don't mind doing grammar this way. The lessons are short and simple, but work.

AL

[Susie in MS]

OP, if I am wrong please correct me. This is what I believe she is talking about:

 

hearing, --child hears you read

reading, --child reads

telling and--child narrates back to you about what was read

writing--written narrations about what was read

[asmall]

DD is 9 and in 4th grade. It doesn't seem she had much grammar in 3rd grade/ps.

 

Somehow when I read this I was thinking your child was in 3rd grade. The Primary Language Lessons may be to young for her. You might want to look at Intermediate Language Lessons instead.

 

Living Books Curriculum offers this in redone workbooks. The workbooks have been broken up by grades, 4, 5, and 6.

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/ILL-Part1-sample.pdf

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/ILL-Part2-sample.pdf

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/ILL-Part3-sample.pdf

You can also find the old version on Google Books for free.

http://books.google.com/books?id=JzIXAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=intermediate+language+lessons&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BcaTUJDyMunl0gGop4CoAg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA

 

AL

 

[Mom2OandE]

So, Mom2OandE, how would you approach hearing, reading, telling and writing without a curriculum? I'm very curious because I've been considering putting this off a little with my 2nd grader and concentrate on phonics review and reading skills.

 

I would stick to reading classic or newberry books, Aesops Fables and a few short stories that we pick together giving her the biggest say. We could alterntae between me reading aloud followed by her oral narration and her reading silently followed by written narration. I would use her favorite passages as copywork (so she would get to see Grammar in action). Maybe at the end have her journal her thoughts on the book. She also does Spelling Wisdom so she would be getting exposed to correct grammar there as well.

Edited November 2, 2012 by Mom2OandE

[Mom2OandE]

I don't do "language arts." :D

 

My older dd's only grammar exposure was a few lessons in R&S's old 3rd grade English text, and about 10 lessons in Winston Grammar...which she hated. She read all the time, and we did some writing--definitely Well Trained Mind level, lol. She did some Latin with Mary Harrington (author of "Latin in the Christian Trivium"). Dd began taking classes at the community college when she was 14; she eventually graduated from San Jose State with a BA in English Lit. I think her GPA was something like 3.9.

 

Younger dd, who wasn't reading at her age level until she was 9½, did Easy Grammar when she was 11ish. She also took c.c. classes beginning when she was 14; she graduated but decided not to go to San Jose State (long story). She aced all of her classes, and was invited to be the valedictorian of her graduating class; she declined because of the politics involved. :D

 

Not doing grammar for 12 years definitely did NOT negatively impact my children's use or knoweldge of English.

 

Thank you for sharing Ellie! That is so impressive. It's clear that have developed that love of learning. This is part of why I am considering bypassing grammar at least for now. DD was always an avid reader and last year at her ps they really stripped that out of her and I feel that restoring that is going to be key.

[Mom2OandE]

OP, if I am wrong please correct me. This is what I believe she is talking about:

 

hearing, --child hears you read

reading, --child reads

telling and--child narrates back to you about what was read

writing--written narrations about what was read

 

Exactly. Thanks!

[Mom2OandE]

Somehow when I read this I was thinking your child was in 3rd grade. The Primary Language Lessons may be to young for her. You might want to look at Intermediate Language Lessons instead.

 

Living Books Curriculum offers this in redone workbooks. The workbooks have been broken up by grades, 4, 5, and 6.

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/ILL-Part1-sample.pdf

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/ILL-Part2-sample.pdf

http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/pdf/ILL-Part3-sample.pdf

 

You can also find the old version on Google Books for free.

http://books.google.com/books?id=JzIXAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=intermediate+language+lessons&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BcaTUJDyMunl0gGop4CoAg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA

 

AL

 

 

 

 

Thanks! Those look intresting. Might have to give them a try.

[Chrysalis Academy]

We didn't start hsing till 4th grade, so no grammar before then besides what she picked up in the ps "LA" curriculum (Open Court). We used Grammar Land and then MCT's Sentence Island for a basic introduction to the parts of speech and parts of a sentence. Now we are doing MCT's Town level in the 5th grade. It's been great. I won't worry about starting my younger on grammar till she is ready for GrammarLand/MCT Island, probably 3rd grade.

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[Farrar]

We've basically put off grammar - my kids are in third grade and we've started to do a little bit here and there, but it's not a focus for us. In K and first, we read all the Brian Cleary books and Ruth Heller books about parts of speech, watched the Schoolhouse Rock videos about parts of speech, and did Mad Libs. That was it. Last year, in 2nd grade, we did a little more of that and began to look at a little bit of grammar rules, but only through copywork. We've mostly just done simple things about punctuation and capitalization. This year we're continuing that through copywork and dictation.

 

You might consider looking at Bravewriter. Bravewriter is very CM based and she recommends a few possibilities for studying grammar (none of which are drill it every year sort of options).

[FO4UR]

So, Mom2OandE, how would you approach hearing, reading, telling and writing without a curriculum? I'm very curious because I've been considering putting this off a little with my 2nd grader and concentrate on phonics review and reading skills.

 

 

 

Read Charlotte Mason's writings. amblesideonline.org has them online.

 

CM teaches through reading (You read the best literature aloud to your child.), and narrating. Your child should narrate pretty much everything read orally. You should write down those narrations occasionally and file them away.

 

Those narrations are part of teaching writing. In addition, the child does copywork (from the beginning) and dictation (when ready). Written narrations come later, starting at 10yo and taking a gradual process to go from all oral narrations to mostly written narrations.

 

 

I encourage you to focus where you are sensing your 2nd grader needs focus. There is only so much time in a day when a 2nd grader is alert and able to focus on academic work. Prioritize that time, by all means!

 

This is where a CM approach is most beneficial...b/c the child gets a rich education without the brain fatigue.

[Gentlemommy]

We started LLATL this year after doing FLL 1 last year for first grade. Dd loves it so far, it's very gentle and cm like...