What would dd be missing if she used only MCT vocab & poetry?

[MinivanMom]

This would be for dd8 who loves writing and language. We have been very, very relaxed up until now. She was reading chapter books in kindergarten, is a natural speller, and has always just known how to write grammatical sentences. She is a voracious reader and fills notebooks with stories and poems, so I have just let her go at it. I have basically done no language arts instruction, except for teaching her the writing process and occasionally pointing out the correct way to structure a paragraph or piece of writing.

 

I've been looking at MCT, but I'm not sure about the whole package. I want to just continue letting her write (perhaps with something like Writer's INC for more guidance) and I'm looking at something else for grammar that would be more traditional (with sentence diagramming). That would mean just using MCT Vocabulary and Poetry, which look like the best parts of MCT to me. Would she be missing out by using just those two parts of the program? For a child whose strengths are in language arts, what would she be missing?

[Embassy]

Vocabulary and poetry are the best parts of MCTLA. I wouldn't hesitate to use something else for grammar. I'm using MCTLA for vocab and plan to do another poetry book, but I don't plan on using their grammar again.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I agree, although my dd really, really enjoys the writing books for the characters (Mud and Fishmeal are great!) and I actually felt that going through those books and discussing the grammar as applied to writing was the most fruitful part of our grammar study. But I would also not feel tied to MCT for grammar, or for primary writing instruction.

[3peasinapod]

I am using Building Language only this year for my 4th grader, and she LOVES it. That doesn't answer your question about what she would be missing, but I do know that the vocab can be done alone. She loves drawing pictures for the parts of the word. I'm going to take the plunge and purchase the expensive Caesar's English next year (I think...yikes).

[acablue]

I don't really think she'd be "missing" anything, you'd just be choosing a different a different approach to grammar and writing. You know your daughter the best and which approach is best for her.

 

But I have to add, my natural/prolific writer (who's sitting next to me working on page 14 of the autobiography of an elf...) is absolutely loving Sentence Island. Some of the writing assignments are incredibly interesting and creative - it's not like anything I've seen before. SI has really gotten my son to think about how his writing "sounds", not just whether it tells a good story. We're going slowly and doing every writing assignment (some more than once), and we're both having a great time.

 

Building Language is his second favorite. :tongue_smilie:

[Chrysalis Academy]

Right. Short answer is, you would be missing Mud and Fishmeal. Tragic!

[MinivanMom]

I don't really think she'd be "missing" anything, you'd just be choosing a different a different approach to grammar and writing. You know your daughter the best and which approach is best for her.

 

But I have to add, my natural/prolific writer (who's sitting next to me working on page 14 of the autobiography of an elf...) is absolutely loving Sentence Island. Some of the writing assignments are incredibly interesting and creative - it's not like anything I've seen before. SI has really gotten my son to think about how his writing "sounds", not just whether it tells a good story. We're going slowly and doing every writing assignment (some more than once), and we're both having a great time.

 

Building Language is his second favorite. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

I think this is my one concern. Dd is a very natural writer so my instinct is to continue in that direction, but I'm wondering whether more instruction and structure could be a good thing. I have been afraid writing assignments would stifle her, but I think I need to be open to the idea that she could find them inspiring.