IEW's FixIt Grammar - Tell me about it please? :)

[Wonder]

I've done a search for IEW's FixIt Grammar, and it's not bringing up many posts, especially not from the past couple of years.

 

Can anyone share anything about their experience with it?  And can you compare it with other grammar programs?

 

I'm in the middle of watching the Webinar about the program, and I like what I'm seeing/hearing.  I'd just love to hear from those who have used it. 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

It was just updated recently to a full grammar program. The old version was more of a supplement. That is probably why you havent found a ton of reviews.

 

The new version is the one I bought. I like it because it is based on real world literary passages, not artificial constructs created specifically for that lesson. That type of system works well for many but not for my kiddos.

 

Really easy to implement, too. Just 15 min a day...

[mom31257]

Have you read this review? http://cathyduffyreviews.com/grammar-composition/fix-it.htm

 

I am going to be trying it for the first time next year. You should know it uses a few terms and labeling unique to IEW. Those shouldn't be difficult to understand or use, though.

 

I have been using CLE grammar and really like it, so I am not sure if this will be a supplement or become our primary program.

[Wonder]

Thanks, Ladies!  I actually played around with how I was searching and I DID find some more posts, but I guess I'm still wondering - is Fix It really enough for grammar?  It sounds too good to be true!  I'm hoping to use IEW for writing this next year too (or possibly even starting this summer).  I hadn't really heard much about Fix It before, but someone who knows a lot about IEW was telling me a little bit about it.  I really want to focus more on writing this next year, especially with my soon-to-be 6th grader.  It would be so nice to do grammar in 15 minutes or less per day!  This year my DD used EG and DG, which is also pretty quick and painless, but I like the idea of Fix It and what it has the child do.  It just sounds like some people have used it to supplement another grammar program, which I'd rather not have to do.

 

Amy, what levels of CLE language have you used?  That was actually my 2nd choice for grammar next year, especially for my younger two.  I ordered a couple of the LUs to try.  We LOVE CLE math, so I was thinking we might like the language too!  I've heard that CLE Language gets very tedious as you move up, so I'm kind of hesitant for my oldest. But I want my kiddos to KNOW grammar well, too.  

[Ethel Mertz]

So far, it hasn't worked well for my 6th grader. He found it moved too slowly. And, then -- lo and behold - he forgot what a preposition was! So, back we went to FLL 4 and he is relieved. After FLL 4, we'll probably try AG if we need it.

[BatmansWife]

I posted about it on my blog.  We like it, but we haven't used it long enough to know if it's all you need for grammar.  I do think it's a bit light (but again, we aren't too far along yet).  I was actually thinking of adding Easy Grammar along with it next year.  

[mom31257]

Wonder, ds has used it from level 400 on and is beginning 600 in a couple of weeks. I have not used the penmanship assignments and only some of the spelling and writing activities. I liked that many of the spelling activities are really vocabulary building lessons.  He was in an IEW class last year when he began CLE, so I didn't use any last year. I have used some of the writing assignments as a different take on writing from IEW. 

 

DD used level 600-900. I chose it for dd because from 700 up, the review sections include page number references to the English handbook they sell. I'm a math person and don't feel I retain grammar rules very well. I know when something is wrong but not always why. Those references really helped me if she did miss anything. She moved from CLE to using ACT/SAT prep grammar workbooks. The ACT English section was all usage and grammar, so I wanted her to continue practicing the skills. 

 

I am considering combing CLE and IEW's Fix-It. Here is how I think I'll do it.

 

3 days a week: combine 2 CLE lessons by crossing off review material which is duplicated or very well mastered by ds; I already do that occasionally and skip the test if ds does extremely well on the final self check in the book. That has really motivated him to pay attention to detail and be careful. 

 

2 days a week: do 2 days worth of Fix-It at a time

 

He is going to be in a co-op class next year which has a writing class. It won't be an IEW writing class, but I still plan on applying the IEW writing methods and checklists to his writing assignments. I don't know that I will have time to use any of CLE's assignments or not. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wonder]

Thanks, Amy!  I'm excited to try out a couple of the CLE LUs for language.  When I ordered them, I just looked at the samples and scope and sequence and picked a couple of the LUs from about the middle of the levels for 200 and 500.  How did you "place" your kids?  I know there are placement tests, but I'd rather not have to use them - LOL.  But I will if I NEED to. :)  For your DD, have you found levels 600 - 900 to be super tedious and overboard?  

 

I like your idea for combining CLE with Fix It - I'm just not sure that I want grammar to take up a ton of time.  I'd probably prefer either one or the other.  In what "grade" is your 11 y.o. considered to be?  I've been trying to put my oldest in "grade level" materials as much as possible, partly to help her self-esteem.  After pulling her out of PS in 3rd grade, we had to get her caught up in some things, especially math.  She's in CLE 500 math now, after backtracking, doubling up, etc. and is only 1 book "behind" where her sisters are in their level.  I'm thinking, if I decide to order more CLE LUs, we could just drop the grammar that we're currently doing (EG for oldest DD), and maybe work through the rest of the CLE 200 and 500 levels from now through the summer.

 

I'm curious - what grammar/language did you use prior to CLE?

 

Thanks so much for your input!  

 

[mom31257]

Thanks, Amy!  I'm excited to try out a couple of the CLE LUs for language.  When I ordered them, I just looked at the samples and scope and sequence and picked a couple of the LUs from about the middle of the levels for 200 and 500.  How did you "place" your kids?  I know there are placement tests, but I'd rather not have to use them - LOL.  But I will if I NEED to. :)  For your DD, have you found levels 600 - 900 to be super tedious and overboard?  

 

I like your idea for combining CLE with Fix It - I'm just not sure that I want grammar to take up a ton of time.  I'd probably prefer either one or the other.  In what "grade" is your 11 y.o. considered to be?  I've been trying to put my oldest in "grade level" materials as much as possible, partly to help her self-esteem.  After pulling her out of PS in 3rd grade, we had to get her caught up in some things, especially math.  She's in CLE 500 math now, after backtracking, doubling up, etc. and is only 1 book "behind" where her sisters are in their level.  I'm thinking, if I decide to order more CLE LUs, we could just drop the grammar that we're currently doing (EG for oldest DD), and maybe work through the rest of the CLE 200 and 500 levels from now through the summer.

 

I'm curious - what grammar/language did you use prior to CLE?

 

Thanks so much for your input!  

You are very welcome! I'm glad to share my experience and ideas. 

 

I didn't use the placement test for either child, but I did look at the material included at each level on the placement tests. The full test is in the sample on CLE's website. Ds is in 6th grade now and will be 12 soon. I started CLE late in 4th grade but didn't want to skip anything, so I started him at the beginning of the 4th grade level. I consider it "advanced" so I didn't mind him being back a grade level. If it matters to your dd, you might just have to work through the review sections more one-on-one for awhile.

 

I had used BJU for English in 2nd and 3rd, and every other chapter was a writing project. He was doing IEW in co-op for 4th, so I didn't want to continue BJU. I don't think it would have been enough grammar for ds. He needed more spiral review. I tried Rod and Staff 4 for most of his 4th grade year. I liked it, but I realized he would do better with a write-in workbook. I knew I wanted to switch to CLE eventually, so I went ahead and made the switch. 

 

I used BJU with dd before switching to CLE. The switch was because the TMs weren't much help to me since I needed more hand-holding on grammar teaching and corrections. 

 

LU 507 doesn't contain any grammar. It's all about writing a research paper, so you could skip it and not miss any grammar. I haven't been able to dig into my 600 set, but I'm also thinking I can skip most of LU 601. It came not long before I was leaving town. The S&S seems to make it out that it's almost all review. I could see doing that for school kids who have been out for the summer. He'll be starting it before the end of our year. I'll only give him anything new to do in that book and move on to 602. That might be a good LU for you to have dd do because it might cover anything she's missed by not doing all of 500. 

 

I'll be back home tomorrow evening if you have any specific questions and need me to look anything up for you. 

 

I hope you can figure out what works best for all of you!

[mom31257]

Also, I have IEW's Fix-It Robin Hood at home (the TM and student book) if you want me to look up anything in that book, too. 

[Goldilocks]

My oldest has done Rod and Staff through book 7 and my dd started 6, so they had done quite a bit of grammar before we started Fix-it. We started in the very first book and moved quickly. We are now in the second book, and still haven't learned anything new, but are enjoying the review and the very plain way of teaching that IEW uses. (It does help to be familiar with IEW and the terms that they use.) 

 

A thought about grammar...

I recently heard the creator of EIW talk about how much grammar is really needed. He noticed a lack of transfer from grammar study to actual writing. (I think Andrew Pudewa says the same thing.) If you had to make a choice between your child being a really good writer or your child being really good at grammar, most parents would choose the former. However, because grammar is so black and white and easy to teach and grade, many home schoolers focus a lot of energy on grammar rather than writing. Judging whether your child has written a good sentence/paragraph/essay seems much more subjective. Both IEW and EIW have products that help you do a little bit of focused grammar and then let you spend more time on actual writing.

[TheAttachedMama]

Melissa, This is a great thread.  I am also thinking of switching to Fix It grammar next year for 3rd grade.   My friend showed it to me, and I pretty much fell in love.  :)   So I am very thankful for all of the information and reviews.  (Positive and negative.)   

 

I have been using FLL 1 and 2 so far.  But I feel like I need to switch to something that isn't quite as teacher intensive.   (My precious baby is metamorphosing into a terrible-two-toddler before my very eyes!  :)  I can sense that next year is going to be a rocky year for me when it comes to homeschooling. )  

 

I am thinking about using IEW Fix it coupled with daily grams or evan moore as a re-enforcement.   I thought about using CLE too, but all of their added pronunciation / dictionary markings sort of confused me.   I'm not sure I see the value in teaching all of that.  

[Wonder]

A thought about grammar...

I recently heard the creator of EIW talk about how much grammar is really needed. He noticed a lack of transfer from grammar study to actual writing. (I think Andrew Pudewa says the same thing.) If you had to make a choice between your child being a really good writer or your child being really good at grammar, most parents would choose the former. However, because grammar is so black and white and easy to teach and grade, many home schoolers focus a lot of energy on grammar rather than writing. Judging whether your child has written a good sentence/paragraph/essay seems much more subjective. Both IEW and EIW have products that help you do a little bit of focused grammar and then let you spend more time on actual writing.

 

Yes!  My thoughts exactly.  I want to spend next year working more on writing, with grammar being used in the context of actual writing. :)

 

Someone else, with a BA in English Ed., has been giving a bit of input as well.  She used FLL 1-3, as well as some R&S, with her kids.  With those materials, she basically said that her kids didn't seem to retain much of it.  Now that she has used Fix It, her kids "have retained more about parts of speech and mechanics of writing."  She says that both the teacher's notes and student instruction notes are very thorough.

[CafeDiem]

I just recently switched my oldest (finishing 6th grade) to Fix It grammar. He has had a strong grammar foundation between his English (Rod & Staff 2-4, Seton 5, Hake 6), Latin, and Classical Conversations. Although he does well on the grammar tests, in a typical fashion, he does not apply his grammar knowledge to his own writing. Grammar was also taking way too long every day. So we shelved the Hake for now and jumped into Robin Hood. He is doing a week's worth of lessons per day at the moment. I hope to have him finish this book before the end of the year.

 

He loves it! And this is a kid who hates having to write anything down. The grammar lessons seem like a game to him and he is really enjoying writing out the story. It has taken the place of grammar and copy work (he has dyslexia/dysgraphia so this is still key for him), and it adds in some more vocabulary. Fix It covers several bases for us, so it is really a program of efficiency for us. Hopefully he will enjoy working with the other stories as much as Robin Hood (I could see him complaining about The Little Mermaid).

 

Next  year I plan to use it a few days a week with DS but will probably do some diagramming or more traditional grammar instruction at least once a week. I just can't imagine trying to use Fix It for my only source of grammar instruction, but who knows... maybe it will be enough once we are further along. It will depend on how much DS seems to be retaining over time. My initial feeling is that I think it makes a wonderful review and application program for kids who already have a fairly strong grammar "vocabulary" but I'm not sure that I could see using it as a grammar starting point. There is no way I would switch my rising 3rd grader over to Fix It for at least another year or two. If that makes any sense?

 

I really wish that they had added some diagramming to Fix It, maybe once or twice a week. If they had, I would probably feel like it was a full program. It does seem to be helping my DS edit his own work and the fact that my DS is eager to write out a week's worth of sentences per day without complaint is HUGE for us. At this point I plan to use it (I bought all six books) with my younger kiddos starting around 5th grade and hope to at least use it through book 5.

 

But this is a new program for us and I can't really say if it works well in the long run. For my DS's needs at this moment... it gets two thumbs up.

 

 

[8filltheheart]

I am not familiar with Fix It Grammar, but I did want to comment on grammar instruction.  Grammar instruction should always be reinforced within the context of writing regardless of what grammar program you are using.  For example, if you are working on verbs, when evaluating your child's writing, always comment on the verbs your child chose to use.  Did they use weak verbs or strong ones?  Did they write in passive voice or active voice?  Did they adhere to correct tenses?  Teaching verbs in grammar and not reinforcing the concepts in their writing is what leads to the disconnect.  Children, even young children, are capable of high levels of grammar mastery and are able to connect those concepts to their own writing *if* those concepts are highlighted during editing/proofreading/final draft stages.

[RootAnn]

Just a follow-up to *Heart's post. I thought about buying Fix It Grammar, but found that for dd#2, all I really have to have her do for extra grammar work that is similar to Fix It is supply her with several sentences that she herself wrote and have her "fix" those - talking through them as we go. It has the added bonus of being her own common mistakes. The biggest problem with this method is that there is no answer key.  :laugh:

 

This works because dd#2 is a prolific writer. DD#1 doesn't write enough to give me enough material to use. DD#3 writes more than dd#1 and less than dd#2, but it also works for her. It doesn't take the place of formal grammar (workbook) for them in my eyes.

[Saddlemomma]

We used Fix-It this year.  Despite having done quite a bit of grammar, DD wasn't retaining it, especially not in her writing. I started DD on the first book as recommended.  I was very glad I did.  It started out as a nice review, however new, more advanced concepts built quickly upon each other.  Weeks 26-33 were strictly review of all the concepts learned throughout the book. We do not use any other IEW products and didn't find that a hindrance to using this product at all.

 

For our purposes, we didn't find diagramming sentences very helpful at all, so the lack of those exercises did not matter to us.  DD hated diagramming, and by using Fix-It, she is still learning the same concepts that diagramming is supposed to teach, however she is learning them in relation to how they naturally occur in the sentences themselves.

 

By incorporating Fix It with Latin, DD told me she was starting to "get it" (meaning grammar) for the first time.  She has made great strides with grammar this year.  I have already purchased the second book and will continue with the series.

 

This, of course, doesn't mean it will work with every student, but it just happens to gel with my kid so we'll stick with it.

[msquire80]

I am really enjoying reading this post. I too was eyeballing IEW Fix It Grammar for next year. I was thinking about using it as extra practice along with either CLE or Analytical Grammar. I just can't decide which program I like more. I like that CLE has a test after each book so you can see if your child is retaining what they learned. I have heard that Analytical is a great program.

[matermagistra]

I'm grateful for this thread because I was unaware they had been revamped. I like the look of the new and will be using it next year for my two sons. One of my sons is coming out of two years of CC's Essentials, and I will be using this next year while he is in Challenge A to keep grammar concepts fresh and to shore up his latin. My older son will do this and I plan on using an old book that my husband used in college to teach diagramming. I was sad to see that they no longer have Tom Sawyer as one of the choices, though. :(

 

 

[Tsutsie]

We are enjoying Fix It! very much. It's quick and gets the job done. In the lower levels it is not very challenging, but looking at book 6 makes my head spin.

[Wonder]

We are enjoying Fix It! very much. It's quick and gets the job done. In the lower levels it is not very challenging, but looking at book 6 makes my head spin.

 

Tsutsie, just curious - are you using it along with something else?  Or on its own?  With what ages are you implementing it?

[OneStepAtATime]

We just started and have liked it so far.  It ramps up with each book and the schedule is set up so you could do a book a year or complete a book each semester if you wanted to double up the lessons and your child were able to keep up.  The upper books are really more for High School level according to reviews I have read.  They certainly look pretty advanced from where I am sitting.  DD was weak in Grammar so I didn't mind starting her at the very beginning of this program.  So far it has been a positive experience.  She has liked the lessons and they make sense to her.  We will work right through summer and plan to start book 2 in the Fall.  If things go well we will tackle book three next Spring and just keep going.

[ByGrace3]

For those using this, is it really feasible for me to teach a 3rd and 5th grader together using book 1? Less teacher intensive,

Actual grammar application, and together sounds amazing right now. My dd has done a lot of grammar, but isn't necessarily applying it to real sentences, so this might be helpful.

 

What about adding diagramming? Couldn't I simply have them diagram one or two of the sentences each week at their level? That seems easy enough to add...

[OneStepAtATime]

For those using this, is it really feasible for me to teach a 3rd and 5th grader together using book 1? Less teacher intensive,

Actual grammar application, and together sounds amazing right now. My dd has done a lot of grammar, but isn't necessarily applying it to real sentences, so this might be helpful.

 

What about adding diagramming? Couldn't I simply have them diagram one or two of the sentences each week at their level? That seems easy enough to add...

Yes you could add diagramming one or two sentences a week. And yes you could teach them off of the same book. They would each need their own notebook but you could just buy the one electronic student copy to print out the necessary pages for both students.

[ByGrace3]

Yes you could add diagramming one or two sentences a week. And yes you could teach them off of the same book. They would each need their own notebook but you could just buy the one electronic student copy to print out the necessary pages for both students.

And it wouldn't be a waste of time for my 5th grader? I am ok with Basics, just don't want waste of time...

[OneStepAtATime]

And it wouldn't be a waste of time for my 5th grader? I am ok with Basics, just don't want waste of time...

I guess that would depend on what grammar they have already had.

 

If your 5th grader has had a lot of grammar you might start them with Book 1, like the 3rd grader, but you may need to double up the lessons for the 5th grader.  In fact, you might be able to double up the lessons for both for the first few weeks if they have both had grammar before.  It is set up so you only do grammar 4 days a week. If you doubled the lessons (they are short) and also did two lessons on Fridays you could do nearly 2 1/2 weeks of material each week until you hit an area where you needed to slow down.  In the meantime, it might be great review and get you all used to the way this system works.

 

Honestly, though, since it is pretty well laid out and organized, and also pretty darn simple to implement, it wouldn't be hard, I don't think, to have each child go at their own pace.  Just start a checklist for yourself.  As each child completes a lesson, check it off.  Your 3rd grader could go at normal pace and just double up for the 5th grader until they run into an area they need to slow down.

 

FWIW, although I wasn't aware of how weak until we brought her home, DD was really weak on grammar even though she had had exposure in school (before we started homeschooling for 6th).  I started her with the first book of the new Fix-It and am glad I did.  She was a bit confused on certain things and this is clearing up that confusion really painlessly.  She is getting through lessons very quickly, enjoys doing them, and seems to be retaining the material from one lesson to the next.    

[ByGrace3]

I guess that would depend on what grammar they have already had.

 

If your 5th grader has had a lot of grammar you might start them with Book 1, like the 3rd grader, but you may need to double up the lessons for the 5th grader. In fact, you might be able to double up the lessons for both for the first few weeks if they have both had grammar before. It is set up so you only do grammar 4 days a week. If you doubled the lessons (they are short) and also did two lessons on Fridays you could do nearly 2 1/2 weeks of material each week until you hit an area where you needed to slow down. In the meantime, it might be great review and get you all used to the way this system works.

 

Honestly, though, since it is pretty well laid out and organized, and also pretty darn simple to implement, it wouldn't be hard, I don't think, to have each child go at their own pace. Just start a checklist for yourself. As each child completes a lesson, check it off. Your 3rd grader could go at normal pace and just double up for the 5th grader until they run into an area they need to slow down.

 

FWIW, although I wasn't aware of how weak until we brought her home, DD was really weak on grammar even though she had had exposure in school (before we started homeschooling for 6th). I started her with the first book of the new Fix-It and am glad I did. She was a bit confused on certain things and this is clearing up that confusion really painlessly. She is getting through lessons very quickly, enjoys doing them, and seems to be retaining the material from one lesson to the next.

Ok thank you! Dd has completed FLL 1-3 and is about halfway through 4. Plus she is working brought TC so she has had a good bit of grammar...

Ds has done FLL 1-2 so I think the first book will be fine for him.

 

Starting them both in book 1 and letting dd pace ahead may be a good option. It seems like it is fairly independent on days 2-4? Lesson on day one and then check work days 2-4? Is that sort of correct? I need some more independence, but want to be involved enough that they are actually learning... ;)

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, so far each lesson introduces another piece, in small increments.  I mean really small.  Since they have already had some grammar your kids might be able to do the 2-4 day on their own but I think I would not start out that way until they get used to this system and you do, too.  

 

But honestly the lesson, even doubled, won't take long.  Explain what they are doing, discuss it with them, then let them do it.  Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes tops from beginning to end.  I sit at the table checking math while DD finishes then I do a quick final check, discuss anything that needs discussing and we are done with formal grammar for the day.  

 

One thing, I have a very kid friendly dictionary for her to use and it has kept vocabulary building fun as well as informative.  We sometimes sit and brainstorm sentences for the definitions of the word that don't fit with the passage she was learning about and compare them.  Not necessary but it is helping her build her vocabulary and is more fun for both of us.  

[DShirley]

My 4th grader did it for 1 year. I liked it, but switched after I year because I was tired of the approach and wanted to try something new. It's a lot of copy work. It works well if you use an IEW writing program with it. 

 

[arcara]

My 4th grade son has completed Book 1 and is almost finished with book 2. I added my 6th grade daughter about mid-Fall to my son's Book 2 lessons and they are close to completing it now. My 6th grade dd had completed AG, but still struggled with what a clause was, much less identifying what type of clause. Book 2 spends extensive time practicing clause identification and then recognizing adverbial and who/which clauses. These two kids are VERY good at this now. I've not seen another grammar program introduce clauses so early, but Fix-it does it so well that it becomes easy. We enjoy the lessons very much and they don't take long at all. I love that the real goal is for them to be able to write and punctuate well (not just grammar trivia knowledge), and I can see Fix-it achieving that. I definitely plan to continue using Fix-it in our homeschool.

[littlebylittle]

Could a 2nd grader start this?  I was planning on doing it next year with my 3rd grader along with the IEW writing (using All Things Fun & Fascinating) ... and considering adding my will-be 2nd grader as well. 

..... or would it be wiser to wait another year and continue to work on cementing reading/phonics? 

 

[TheAttachedMama]

Could a 2nd grader start this?  I was planning on doing it next year with my 3rd grader along with the IEW writing (using All Things Fun & Fascinating) ... and considering adding my will-be 2nd grader as well. 

..... or would it be wiser to wait another year and continue to work on cementing reading/phonics? 

That depends.   Can your 2nd grader independently read the sentences?   Are they to the point where they can copy something without it being a huge struggle?   If so, I would say go ahead and start. 

 

I haven't used the program before, but I am using this with my 2nd grader and 3rd grader next year.   I can tell already book 1 is going to be easy for her....but it would have been too hard for my son when he was in 2nd grade.  He wouldn't have been able to even read the sentences, let alone analyze them.  

[OneStepAtATime]

I agree with attachedmama, if your second grader can read the sentences independently and can copy them without a big struggle it should be fine. Otherwise, I probably would wait...

[TheAttachedMama]

For those of you using IEW Fix It, can I ask how you are organizing it?    Are you printing out the entire student book and giving it to your child at once?    Are you only giving them one page at a time to 'build anticipation' to see what happens next in the story?  

[BatmansWife]

For those of you using IEW Fix It, can I ask how you are organizing it?    Are you printing out the entire student book and giving it to your child at once?    Are you only giving them one page at a time to 'build anticipation' to see what happens next in the story?  

 

This.  We have the workbook though.  But, JB doesn't look ahead (or it would spoil the surprise)...and the sentences on the page that she hasn't gotten to yet are covered up by a few post it notes.  

[OneStepAtATime]

DD chose to just get one page at a time but we printed out the first couple of months worth along with the flash cards. She organized the notebook so the pages she isn't using yet are in a different section at the back. She pulls the next one out as it becomes needed.

[mumkins]

Just wanting to follow this . I only glanced at it at the convention. Wish I looked more .

[vaquitita]

Bumping up an old thread, wondering if any one is still using Fix It? Care to share an update?

[kolamum]

We've been using IEW this year, it's worked really well for us to be honest. My kids enjoy it, they remember the parts of speech, punctation, & so on. I do think the cards that you are required to print out are needed until they are firm with what they are doing. I don't have my kids do re-writes, I have them do re-types.. meaning that instead of writing it by hand they type it up. Win-Win :D

[Guest]

I am using it with a 6th and 4th grader. We are in the second book, Robin Hood. A few weeks ago, I was really wondering if it was going to work and I was a little lost, but we got over that, and are really enjoying it again. I am surprised how much we are learning. We picked up FLL4, because I was afraid my dd in 4th hadn't had enough grammar, but we are halfway through it, and it is so far all review for her. I have been surprised how much they have gotten from Fix It alone. So, we are way too early in the game to give a final say, but so far, I am liking it.

[Kassia]

We are on book 5 (my dd is in 9th grade).  I like the program a lot, but am not happy with the story selected for this book.  It's a retold story from Canterbury Tales, but I think something more modern would have been more effective.  Sometimes the wording seems to make the fixes unnecessarily hard.   Still, I am very happy with Fix-It and plan on using the final book next year to finish out the program.  

[OneStepAtATime]

Still using Fix-It here, too.  DD is in Book 3 (dyslexic and low processing speed so we have at times moved more slowly than most but we started in Spring of 2015 so we are still moving at a pretty good pace).  She likes the program (she is NOT a grammar lover) and never argues over doing her work.  What is more important is that what she is learning is showing up in her writing.  So far we are still very happy with this program.  DS started the 1st book in January and is also doing well.  We plan to stick it out, at least through Book 4.  I will reassess every year, but honestly I love it.

 

(Full disclosure:   I am not a person who has been militant about loads of grammar and diagramming.  I know neither of my kids would respond well or learn much from that type of program since that is what they had in brick and mortar and it left them lost and hating anything labeled "grammar".  With this program they are learning, internalizing and applying what they learn and without tears/hatred/overwhelming frustration.  With DD she even meets her lessons with enthusiasm and sometimes genuinely enjoys it.  This may NOT be a good program for someone who wants a lot of intense grammar lessons, however.)

[sbgrace]

Bumping up an old thread, wondering if any one is still using Fix It? Care to share an update?

 

We're using it for our second year. I like it--particularly what I see as a practical, writing based focus on grammar. I think adding something that also does more sentence combining and similar might be even better, though we're still in the early books. Maybe they do more later.

 

One of mine does CLE LA too. I added it because he's weak in grammar generally and flies through his school work. The other child is just doing Fix It for grammar, and I'm comfortable with that.

[OneStepAtATime]

One thing that Fix-It does is ramp up slowly but it is easy to accelerate and decelerate as needed.  DD needed the slow ramp up for things to make sense and to stick.