What's the best easy to use overall English (Grammar and Writing) program for 7-8th grade?

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1.  Rod and Staff is a definite contender but my son has this strong aversion to what he considers to be Ludite-ish cultures.  I will hear comments and complaints all year about it.   I also don't find the layout very pleasing, although it is not DISpleasing, either.

 

2.  Abeka- Love the layout and that it's mostly independent but I think the kids write about 3-4 writing projects all year long, if that.  It walks them through a report, and a whole unit on The Essay, and I think, Book Reports.  

 

3.  Or, I could try Writing with Skill 2 and a separate Grammar program, but I really wanted him to have less numbers of subjects and after a very strong Writing year with Calvert, I don't think he needs to be guided quite so much as WWS does.  I think that would be unnecessary in the amount and also in the level of  detail.  

 

(Lightning LIt and Comp is expensive and we don't need LIt analysis and it doesn't include Grammar, so I nixed that until high school.)

 

4.  I looked and looked at CLP's Applications of Grammar but I am so completely uninspired by it, that I don't think I will be a good cheerleader for it.  The typeface alone makes me cringe.  (My son is very visual so it'll bother him too.)

 

 

 

 

[whitestavern]

So You Really Want to Learn English? I'm looking at this for 7th in the fall. Not sure how strong the grammar is though.

[birchbark]

The Writing Skills books by EPS contain both grammar and writing and look very easy to use. I'm guessing book two would be the right level.

 

http://www.christianbook.com/writing-skills-book-2/diana-king/9780838825662/pd/882566?event=CF

[Jasperstone]

What about Essentials in Writing?

[Donna A.]

I'm not sure that grammar in and of itself is "inspiring" unless one happens to love the study of language.  :lol:  That being said, sometimes we just have to pick what will get the job done and nip the complaining because there will always be things in life that we don't *like*.  Grammar is a good life lesson for most kids (and some moms!) in this regard.  LOL 

 

I say pick what suits your budget, what's "easiest to use" for you and your son (re: your question in the subject line), and tell him up front that he isn't going to *like* everything he does, so he'll just have to live with the components that aren't inspiring or pleasing.  Seriously, on the "comments and complaints all year", if R&S is what YOU think would be best for him, I would tell him up front that the complaining and criticizing is not acceptable.  Sometimes we don't realize that when our kids are complaining, they're really just following our example, so we need to check ourselves, too.  I have one in particular that has a habit of complaining.... she sounds like me. :001_huh:   For example, I realized yesterday that I had done a LOT of complaining about a certain subject on Saturday, and realized that I was setting my daughters up to criticize every single detail of another person's wedding (which was really just FINE) because we wouldn't have done it that that way.... but the day (and the wedding) were overwith before it occurred to me how much criticizing I'd done.  Listening to my daughter's comments afterwards was very revealing.  :blushing: 

 

All that said, MY suggestion for you would be Abeka.  You've always liked it, it's colorful, and it's thorough.  I wouldn't let the minimal writing instruction stop me, because for one thing, it sounds like he's already done a lot of good quality writing and isn't really lacking in that area.  For another, I can't imagine Abeka skimming too much at this level.  I have to think that it'll come together in there somewhere, kwim?    Especially if he's doing writing across the curriculum in other subjects, too. :001_smile:  

 

 

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Thanks Donna. You are right! Abeka will be just fine. I can always add a little writing if he has time.