Struggling with Grammar/writing

[bswihart]

My son is technically in 7th grade now and we have done a lot of 6th grade work. We are struggling with grammar. I am going to forego most writing next year, aside from journal prompts and focus on Grammar. I found a great deal on BJU English 6. What other programs would you recommend for a child who struggles with basic grammar and sentence structure?

[OneStepAtATime]

I think this would depend on what, exactly, he is struggling with.  Where are you seeing the struggles?  How do they manifest?  What have you used in the past?

[laughing lioness]

Personally, I would skip the journal prompts at this point if you really want to focus on basic writing Frode Jenson's Grammar would be a good place to start. I like Jenson because he starts simple and builds sequentially. Or R & S 5th gr.

 

Is it basic sentence structure that he struggles with? I would build in sentence diagramming then, because if you learn how to diagram, you'll learn what makes a sentence, what makes a good one and how to modify it. 

 

imho, "English" (which is such a broad subject area) is best taught in a group. Is there a CC Essentials program near-by? If so, I would highly recommend CC's Essentials program- last year we had 5 kids in our Essentials that were in high school.  It goes over the 7 sentence patterns, diagramming and really digs deep into grammar. The class does 45 min. of Grammar, 45 min of Writing (IEW theme-book- takes the guess work out of "what do I write about) and 1/2 hr of math games. Fun, fast with the added accountability of positive peer pressure and a place to READ what one's written. 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

I'd also use a lot of exposure to really good writing, and also copywork.  I know he's a little old for it, but sometimes the attention to detail that it calls forth is just the thing needed.  Editor in Chief also teaches review and editing in a fun way.  

[Ms Brooks]

Do not forgo writing. Grammar and writing should be done together. Journaling may not be the best way to shore up writing skills.

 

This past year I had writing assignments for LA due every two weeks. This is about all I could expected from my 7th grader. We also did writing assignments for history and science, so over the course of a month my student did two 500-600 word essays.

 

Look at 6+1 Traits of Writing: Link  (I have the book would sell to you if thought it would help.) Why I like the book is that it is filled with student samples. Together you can read and see the different levels of student work and why some writing is successful and why other writing is not successful. One of the best way I have found to teach kids about writing well and paying attention to grammar is to not only expose them to great writing from The New Yorker, Harper's, or the Atlantic, but I also expose them to "bad" writing that confuses the reader.

 

Four Square Writing: Link This method really helps with structuring a paragraph.

 

Twisting Arms: Link I used this book for 7th grade and both my student and I found it very helpful.

 

Article of the Week is a good way to get kids writing without putting them on the spot. Most kids at this age have opinions and this is an opportunity to reflect and express those opinions well.

 

HTH

[KathyBC]

My son is technically in 7th grade now and we have done a lot of 6th grade work. We are struggling with grammar. I am going to forego most writing next year, aside from journal prompts and focus on Grammar. I found a great deal on BJU English 6. What other programs would you recommend for a child who struggles with basic grammar and sentence structure?

I looked at the BJU table of contents and it seems to integrate grammar and writing well. Whether it is best for a struggling student is another question. I've heard good things about Verticy writing.

[bswihart]

Honestly, he completely shuts down when writing, because he cannot seem to get back basic sentences, "My dog is big. I went swimming. I loved to go to camp." He doesn't seem to have the critical thinking skills to use all the wonderful verbs, adverbs, adjectives etc. to make a "colorful" paragraph, let alone a whole paper. His writing is very dry and his sentences are very short. On the grammar side, I noticed this year he was getting a lot of basic grammar wrong and eve asked me at one point, "what is an adjective again". I thought BJU would be good on the basic side, but until he has that down, I wasn't sure what to do about the writing.

[SJ.]

Have you looked at IEW's Theme Based Writing?  Grammar is gently incorporated into the writing lessons.  It is reinforced by asking students to include certain elements (adjectives, ly words, etc) and to label them in their draft.

[SJ.]

I also encourage teaching how to use a thesaurus to choose more interesting words.

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Have you looked at IEW? It's pricey but it was well worth it here. My oldest was really struggling with writing but has made huge strides this year with IEW. We only made it to unit 5 and only added very few dress-ups but just the outlining, telling back, and then writing made a huge difference in what she was able to do. Next year we'll focus more on the dress-ups and I think we're going to try their Fix-It Grammar.

[MyLittleBears]

It sounds like he needs to start with the basics. We are using Diana Hanbury King materials for writing, paired with IEW-fix it grammar.  Could there be something else going on? Has he had evaluations? Are some of his difficulties transferring over to his other subjects?  Does he have difficulty with the physical aspects of writing? My ds could not put together sentences either, and grammar instruction was completely lost on him. We had him tested and it turns out he had some severe executive function deficits, along with  ASD, which effected his critical thinking skills.  IMHO, you may want to have some more info before proceeding, kwim?

 

 

 

ETA: The learning challenges board is a great place to ask questions if you are unsure where to start

Edited May 24, 2016 by MyLittleBears

[Mrs Twain]

For a boy like this, I agree with others that IEW is an excellent choice. I would go with Student Writing Intensive B.

 

Mr. Pudewa on the DVD's is so good at relating to boys who are reluctant to write or who are not naturally talented in this area. IEW has a checklist for each paragraph for "dress ups" (strong verb, interesting adjective, etc) and "sentence starters" which force the child to vary sentence structure. As long as the child follows the checklist formula, the writing becomes much better over time. Boys especially relate well to this technique because the requirements are specifically defined rather than sounding nebulous. "Your writing sounds boring, and you need to make your sentences more interesting" is what many students are told but which they don't know how to remedy.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Mrs Twain

[Janeway]

I looked at the BJU table of contents and it seems to integrate grammar and writing well. Whether it is best for a struggling student is another question. I've heard good things about Verticy writing.

My child who did BJU through 6th grade always gets 99th percentile in that area. He did not score that well before BJU. We did not like BJU at the 7th grade level. My child who only used BJU for one year went from about 40th percentile to 80th. But then he has not used it since. He is going in to 7th grade and does not want to use 6th grade level for 7th. I might have him use it anyway. I just cannot find anything else that does so much I think.

[Targhee]

What about using Killgallon's Grammar for Middle School? It uses model sentences, and teaches the grammar through sentence composing.

[OneStepAtATime]

Honestly, he completely shuts down when writing, because he cannot seem to get back basic sentences, "My dog is big. I went swimming. I loved to go to camp." He doesn't seem to have the critical thinking skills to use all the wonderful verbs, adverbs, adjectives etc. to make a "colorful" paragraph, let alone a whole paper. His writing is very dry and his sentences are very short. On the grammar side, I noticed this year he was getting a lot of basic grammar wrong and eve asked me at one point, "what is an adjective again". I thought BJU would be good on the basic side, but until he has that down, I wasn't sure what to do about the writing.

I agree with others, he may need something very systematic and broken down to help him.  Look at IEW TWSS/SWI.  It might really help him and there is a 100% money back guarantee.  You could couple it with Fix-It Grammar since the two pair well together.  Fix-It would only be 15 minutes a day.  

 

http://iew.com/taxonomy/term/8/?f%5B0%5D=im_field_grade_level%3A8

 

How well does he read?  Spell?  Are his out loud decoding skills on grade level?  If he is reading a passage can he summarize it later?  If you read something to him can he summarize?  Does he show good comprehension for reading and for listening to things read?

 

In other words, are there issues in other areas or only his writing?

[Classically Minded]

Grammar and writing should be together in my opinion and we do them together in ONE book - Rod and Staff English.  In the WTM, she says if you do R&S English, you do NOT need a separate writing curriculum as it is all in the English book.  My dd12 does very good with R&S for both grammar/writing and I love how I don't have to have an extra curriculum for writing.

[gratitude]

I highly recommend listening to Susan Bauer's talks on writing. She has one on Writing With Ease and a second talk on Writing With Skill. I would listen to both. I think even hearing the early elementary talk will help you identify the challenges he is having and obtain some ideas to solving them.

 

Learning to write is a long process. Susan talks about how most children have to go through the process of learning to put words on paper. It is the minority that pick up a pencil and can find the words to put down.

 

I have had to teach my boys to write. Copywork, dictation, Rod and Staff grammar, and going through the process has taken time. Yes, the literature helps them have adverbs and adjectives in writing, but it is the basic understanding of sentence structure that I think helps them in using those words on paper.

 

My son who will be in 7th this coming year will be doing R&S English 6 and Writing With Skill book one. They both will be helpful in continuing what he has done so far.

 

I would listen to her talk first. It is on peace hill press and is a very inexpensive download. I think it is under parent resources. There is an elementary Writing With Ease talk and middle grades Writing With Skill audio. I would listen to both. The first will make the second make sense.

 

Honestly, it sounds like he just needs more copywork and dictation and basic grammar to lay more of a foundation of written skills. Those skills will then allow him to put what could be in his head on paper. Better now, then later, so he can move forward.

 

I am sure you have done a great job. Teaching boys to write is hard, and in my experience is a process over many years. It takes time, but when they get those writing doors unlocked it is fun to watch them use the skills they have learned.

[BlsdMama]

IEW.  They hit the basics, make it explainable.

 

People's main beef with IEW is when they have advanced writers that the focus on the basics is too much.  I think for a boy that struggles in this area, IEW is spot on and it would give you the ability to really have a solid grasp on how to teach writing confidently.  If you can get your hands on the Teaching Writing Structure and Style, that would be my first choice.  If not, I'd do SWI B followed by a theme book of his choice.  I love the theme books but they are not sufficient if he doesn't work through Level B, imo. 

 

Moreover, does he lack prosody - "hearing" the rhythm of language?  I only ask because my oldest DS truly lacked the ability to "hear" pauses and stops.  He could write a great paper but couldn't "hear" punctuation.

 

Or does he lack organization?  In other words he doesn't know where to begin, what comes first, what should come next?  Writing is an enigma and knowing what in the world to write is simply frustrating and beyond him?  If so, that is an IEW kid.

Edited June 4, 2016 by BlsdMama

[Farrar]

Well, I'll suggest something slightly different. I think Brave Writer can be great for some reluctant or struggling writers. But it totally depends on what a kid needs. Some kids need it broken down more (like IEW style) but others need you to be more holistic and basically romance them into writing, into getting over the fear, learning to trust that writing is something they can do, learning to get their voice out. That's more Brave Writer.

[Guest]

Have you looked at Essentials in Writing? We are using this with Fix It! Grammar. :)