My son thinks his new grammar GWG book is boring because he's 'already learned that!'

[KellyMama]

His 4th gr book arrived today and despite the fact I remember viewing online samples, there is an abundance of review in it. Scratch that: pretty much everything except the last 2 chapters are review! That seems like way too much review for a kid who didn't struggle to grasp this the first time around, right? (Sigh) I realize that grammar is mostly 'review meets practice,' but he isn't wrong, it is waaaay boring to keep reviewing subjects and predicates and adverbs when you already 'get it.'

 

So now what? We really liked GWG this year and loved our MCT supplemental reading. What to use for 4th grade grammar?? Only please don't say R&S ;) I know it's super popular, I just don't think I can handle the format! I'm looking for basic, thorough, independent. I'm happy to teach/present the material, but I don't want to have anything scripted or teacher intensive. We've also tried Easy Grammar (with his siblings) and liked it but I didn't feel like I wanted to use it long term.

[kiwik]

Could you work out what he doesn't know then find resources to cover those bits?

[FLDebbie]

I'm curious to hear responses too. I was planning on getting that for my son for next year.

[ProudGrandma]

Grammer is developed like building blocks. We use GWG and LOVE it. True, the concepts are review....nouns, verbs, direct objects etc...there are only so many parts fo speech...they can't make up new ones...HOWEVER, the diffficulty of the sentence structure changes each year. Like I said, it like builiding blocks. last year they learned x....but this year they reveiw x...and then add one more level. The revewing is important becasue you can't do the next thing if you don't understand the block underneath. Now, I follow what you are saying about your child got it last year....mine do too....but it really isn't more of the same....it's more of the same plus something more more. And that something more, might be more comple sentences, which make diagraming more challenging. One grade teaches prepositional phrases....but the next level teaches prepositional phrases as adjectives and adverbs.

 

Maybe that is not what you (and your child) is looking for....but I would think you will be hard pressed to find a program that doesn't do exactly what GWG does (although I could be wrong...I stopped looking at programs when we found GWG.....we love it).

 

 

Hope that helps some.

[Haiku]

I'm going to boldly state it: GWG is boring. The sentences are trite, the exercises are simple, the format is unchallenging. What I found with my son is that every exercise had a pattern to it. For example, if you were learning about direct objects, your sample sentence might be, "The boy ate a sandwich." Now every single sentence in the exercises will follow that exact pattern: The something action verb a direct object. All my son had to do was realize that the last word in the sentence would be the direct object every time. After a few weeks I could see he was learning nothing, so we quit.

 

My daughter (5th) uses Hake (Saxon) Grammar and Writing. It starts with 5th grade, but it introduces everything; there is no assumption that the material has been previously learned. My son (4th) uses Practical Lessons in the Use of English by Mary F. Hyde. It's free from Google books. If you check out Google books, you will find a bunch of vintage grammar books that are, in my opinion, far better than most grammar curricula out there today.

 

Tara

[SilverMoon]

Why not get the 5 book instead?

 

 

Some other secular options are Hake or Junior Analytical Grammar. Personally I really like R&S. :p

[KellyMama]

Grammer is developed like building blocks. We use GWG and LOVE it. True, the concepts are review....nouns, verbs, direct objects etc...there are only so many parts fo speech...they can't make up new ones...HOWEVER, the diffficulty of the sentence structure changes each year. Like I said, it like builiding blocks. last year they learned x....but this year they reveiw x...and then add one more level. The revewing is important becasue you can't do the next thing if you don't understand the block underneath. Now, I follow what you are saying about your child got it last year....mine do too....but it really isn't more of the same....it's more of the same plus something more more. And that something more, might be more comple sentences, which make diagraming more challenging. One grade teaches prepositional phrases....but the next level teaches prepositional phrases as adjectives and adverbs.

 

Maybe that is not what you (and your child) is looking for....but I would think you will be hard pressed to find a program that doesn't do exactly what GWG does (although I could be wrong...I stopped looking at programs when we found GWG.....we love it).

 

 

Hope that helps some.

 

 

Yes, this is pretty much the way I view grammar too. I always think there is value in repetition because it's foundational. We also *love* GWG and I'm planning to have all 3 doing it next year. I will take a closer look at the book and determine if the sentences are more challenging/complex. I only had a few minutes when it arrived and he wasn't complaining so much as questioning why he would need to do it all again. LOL At first glance, the initial lessons seemed pretty identical, but he's also one of those kids that thrives with a new challenge. I'm splitting the difference with him not being overwhelmed but not being bored. I think I could also add in some practice work from MCT since we use that to supplement. That might help us avoid any "patterns" because while I've never noticed that with my DDs, my DS is wired to find patterns in *everything*!!!!

 

Why not get the 5 book instead?

 

 

Some other secular options are Hake or Junior Analytical Grammar. Personally I really like R&S. :p

 

 

I think I'll do this too. We do grammar 5 x a week, although 1 day is typically our MCT reading/discussion day, so we always complete our book before the end of the year. I might review the first few chapters with him, see how he does on the tests, and then move on, so having book 5 on hand would be helpful. Thanks!

 

I know lots of people love R&S - I'm not even sure what my issue is! I've looked at it so many times but I just can't deal with the layout and the pages. Also, we wouldn't use the writing component (like many don't) and I can't do it orally with all 3 x kids, so I just keep feeling it isn't a good fit for us. :unsure:

[Walking-Iris]

Why not just skip it? I've come to the realization that my ds is very strong in grammar and just keeping at it is boring to him. The only thing he did this year is fly through an EditorInChief book. I looked at 4th grade books and they all seemed repetitive and I knew he already mastered them. My approach to grammar now (and for next year) is to focus on the writing process. After all the whole point of learning grammar is to write, right? So I'm going to use a good reference book (something from Great Source or Nitty Gritty Grammar) and work on grammar skills as needed when we edit/revise our writing, and work on narration/copywork/dictation. Woe Is I Jr is a really cute book that works well as a read aloud as well. I'll reevaluate the need for a separate grammar program later in middle school.

[KellyMama]

Woe Is I Jr is a really cute book that works well as a read aloud as well. I'll reevaluate the need for a separate grammar program later in middle school.

 

 

I've never heard of this one - off to google! :) Thanks!!

[Joyful_Journey]

I agree that you may want to look at Hake Grammar. In fact, I was just looking into it for my older kids, when I noticed on their web site that they are making their 4th grade book available to homeschoolers now (previously it was only 5th grade and above). If you go to their web site at http://www.studygrammar.com/ and click on the homeschool link it says:

 

Fourth grade: For a limited time we are making the school edition of Grammar and Writing 4 available for homeschool use. Please contact us at info@grammar.cc for details.

 

It may be worthwhile to e-mail them and ask for sample pages. It does look like a thorough program, and I'm strongly leaning toward putting my older kids in it next year (my current 5th grader is using GWG, and I agree that it is very predictable and not especially challenging).

 

Good luck!

[TarynB]

I'm going to boldly state it: GWG is boring. The sentences are trite, the exercises are simple, the format is unchallenging. What I found with my son is that every exercise had a pattern to it. For example, if you were learning about direct objects, your sample sentence might be, "The boy ate a sandwich." Now every single sentence in the exercises will follow that exact pattern: The something action verb a direct object. All my son had to do was realize that the last word in the sentence would be the direct object every time. After a few weeks I could see he was learning nothing, so we quit.

 

 

We had the same issue with GWG's predictable patterns. Hake is working very well for us.

[ProudGrandma]

one thing I have discovered (even if the patterns are predictable...and I don't think it is always that way) is that my kids are still learning grammar....because they have been able to transpose it to their Latin studies. Something must be working...and for us, since it works, we aren't planning on changing it.

 

Also FWIW, the initial exercises might be pretty predictable...but when they build on those concepts, and review those concepts, they use a variety of methods...and if they don't understand the idea, I know it and we review.