Is Primary Language Lessons enough?

[Flowergirl159]

My DD8 - grade 3 is about half way through PLL. I am beginning to wonder if this book is enough for all her LA needs. She also does McGuffey reader, AAS, ARFH and copywork daily. I am wondering if I should add in a grammar specific program or vocabulary or perhaps writing such as writing strands or WWE or something similar? Or is PLL enough?

[Amy Jo]

I guess it all depends on your perspective & philosophy. One thing to consider is that when you add something, another thing will get left behind. We all have 24 hours a day. Whether it's another subject/program, creative play time, or reading time, be aware of your choices. We school year round, but I've gutted almost all 'extras' for the rest of the summer. We are doing MEP math, MP Latin, SWR plus handwriting and our reading list. So I'm 'losing' on some skills I want to work on - like writing for my eldest. BUT the children are getting more creative time outdoors and we have more peace in our home, since I can actually remember all the resources we are using without a list, and I don't need any complicated schedules. And I have the time / brainpower for some non-school projects. I know that in the fall we will ramp back up.

 

So - for your child, for right now, what is the best use of your time & her time? (And if you don't like PLL, feel free to dump it and try something else. There are a lot of options!)

[Flowergirl159]

Thanks Amy :) Well I am still trying to work out my perspective and philosophy. Where we live, we take a 2month break in Jan/Dec, our year begins in Feb and goes til Nov, so we are only half way through our school year. Just last week, my DD8 told me she doesn't feel like she does enough schoolwork :/ so is the main reason I am looking into this I guess.

[Susie in MS]

I agree with everything Amy said, but I also am always questioning myself and if are we doing enough.

 

Sometimes we use LLATL and sometimes we use PLL. At times I find PLL overwhelming. But I discovered why. We have the download copy of the workbook and I was not paying attention. The lessons that say *do orally* have blanks.....LOTS of them! So what I discovered is I was not reading the instructions that were copied from the original book, but just having dd fill out the page. So I guess what I am saying is maybe you and your dd would appreciate something like the downloadable wkbk which actually encourages more work that Emma Serl had in mind. Also there are teacher notes here and there and a collection in the back that explain a bit of grammar that might add to the program in a way you may like. They have really good samples .

 

Another thing I did was to look at the s&s of ABeka 3rd grade grammar to see what they cover at this age. PLL covers most of that, and a lot of it you just cover naturally with or without a program. One thing I do with PLL is just mention terminology as we come to it. So if we are proper nouns I tell dd that is what it is. I am amazed at how fast she picks it up. You could also add School House Rock for a fun and easy way to intro grammar terms.

[Susie in MS]

Another idea is to use Grammar Land and the wrkshts (1 per chapter) for a few weeks. They are both free on the web so your only expense is printing.

[cbollin]

sounds like you are already adding to PLL with readers (that will have vocab as you find new words, or maybe your vocab in science and history courses are enough as well) and doing a spelling program. I think at 3rd grade... PLL, plus spelling, and maybe intro to cursive if you haven't done that.. will be plenty assuming you are reading to them, and having them read. Dont' forget that when you are doing science and history and other subjects, you get a lot of lot of natural overlap so you might not need full program of vocab, etc.

 

for grammar in PLL... dont' overlook what is already in there for grammar. Application over Identification. Grammar is not just confined, in my opinion, to "parts of speech". So when you do copywork, and dictation, point out caps and punctuation rules. When you have lessons like around lesson 35 ish where you are adding to the sentence by using phrases that answer where (that is a grammar lesson!!!!! even if you don't tell the student, did you know those where phrase can be called prepositional phrases?).. or lesson 76, where you name things (naming lessons are parts of speech practice in Nouns). so I think there's plenty of 3rd grade grammar in PLL. If your philosophy falls more in the "at least introduce the names of parts of speech".... it's easy to tag that on without another program..... "you just named 4 parts of a _______... all of those words that name Things... we call those words nouns".... or stuff like that.

 

even if you don't do that in PLL 3rd grade.... you'll get plenty of time to label those things in other years. Some people just like to watch School House Rock Grammar Rocks to add in parts of speech.

 

You can begin to add in a more formal writing program in 3rd to work on writing skills, but nothing bad happens if you wait until 4th grade to do that. There is a lot of composition in PLL lessons.

 

The other part of this? If she feels she's not doing enough learning... one philosophy out there is to "get school done" and then have "productive but unstructure afternoons" of learning -- crochet, art work, musical instrument, etc.... or make more nature journals outside. learn to garden... learn a foreign language....

 

so, I think you have plenty of language arts for her age. If she needs more to learn... ask her what is interesting to her (suggest some of those things above).... and let her learn that.