Ugh...someone please tell me which Killgallon to buy. - Sentence Comp. or Story Grammar?

[pitterpatter]

I've read post after post regarding the Killgallon composition books for elementary. I can't figure out which one I should buy/use first...Sentence Composition for Elementary School or Story Grammar for Elementary School. Some say Sentence Composition is first, others says Story Grammar is easier. I'm  :confused1: .

 

This would be for a 9-year-old fourth grader who is dyslexic, if that makes any bit of difference. TIA!

Edited June 22, 2016 by pitterpatter

[pitterpatter]

No one? Ok, then. Let me ask this. Some have said that both of the aforementioned books are similar, except one uses the correct identifying names for certain sentence parts while the other calls them tools. The TOCs and sample pages look totally different to me. If I get them both, will I be duplicating lessons (or types of lessons)?

[Jackie]

I have both on my shelf right now. They are quite similar. I will come back to this later this afternoon or evening and can do a more detailed summary if no one else has gotten back to you by them.

[pitterpatter]

Thank you...I appreciate it!

 

I have both on my shelf right now. They are quite similar. I will come back to this later this afternoon or evening and can do a more detailed summary if no one else has gotten back to you by them.

 

[SeaConquest]

I have both. We started with Story Grammar, as it  looked easier. 

[SeaConquest]

This might be helpful: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/366368-killgallon-story-grammar-vs-sentence-composing-for-elementary/

[Jackie]

Story Grammar includes:

* Imitating Story Sentences

- 8 pages of learning how to break a sentences into "chunks" and imitate them

* Sentence Parts

- 7 pages of subject/predicate

- 19 pages of "Tools" (essentially types of clauses/phrases, but does not name them as such except for independent/dependent clauses)

- 6 pages of review using a Lemony Snicket excerpt

* Sentence Positions

- 12 pages on using Tools to open a sentence

- 13 pages specifically on Tools in the middle of a sentence (S-V split)

- 13 pages on using Tools at the end of a sentence

- 8 pages review with Lemony Snicket excerpt

* Writing Story Sentences

- 9 pages prompting a child through using the learned information to write their own story, uses Harry Potter as a guide (not so useful if your child isn't at all familiar with Potterverse)

 

Sentence Composing for Elementary includes:

- 16 pages of learning to break sentences into chunks and imitate

- 16 pages on prepositional phrases, what they are and how to use them

- 16 pages on appositive phrases, what they are and how to use them

- 16 pages on participial phrases, what they are and how to use them

- 16 pages compound verbs...

- 16 pages adjective clauses...

- 16 pages adverb clauses...

- 11 pages review/putting it all together

 

They both use quotes from literature throughout.

 

If you're eventually going to do both, then I'd say Story Grammar first. Because it lumps dependent clauses and all the phrases together as "Tools", it is a simpler starting point. Otherwise, both books have very similar approaches. If you used Story Grammar first, Sentence Composing is likely to feel like a bit of review with substantial deepening. If you used Sentence Composing first, then Story Grammar might feel like too simplistic of a follow-up. I think it would be very possible to use either one and omit the other; if omitting Sentence Composing, the more specific grammar instruction will probably be hit later on in another curric or the middle grades Killgallon.

Edited June 22, 2016 by Jackie

[pitterpatter]

Ok, after reading through that post again, maybe I'll just buy Story Grammar then.

 

The grade levels on the books are definitely confusing. I think SC is K-5 while SG is 3-6. Can't imagine a kindergartner using SC.

 

This might be helpful: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/366368-killgallon-story-grammar-vs-sentence-composing-for-elementary/

 

[pitterpatter]

Thanks for taking the time to type all of this out!!  :thumbup1:

 

Does Story Grammar go beyond focusing on good sentence writing? Right now, I want to focus only on writing quality sentences, not paragraphs or lengthy stories. I thought we would hit Paragraphs for Elementary School later.

 

I'm not looking at Killgallon for the grammar, as we have a separate grammar program for that. Looking at it more as something to help DD break free of the simplistic writing that her grammar encourages. Since she is dyslexic, she also goes out of her way to write simple sentences because of her spelling deficits. (Although, she is quite capable of composing flowery complex sentences orally.) WWE became too heavy on dictation for her due to said spelling challenges. And, W&R wasn't a good fit for us because of the lengthy story writing. It seems like there is a lot of copywork and patterns to follow in Killgallon, which I think might work for her. Hoping anyway.

 

 

Story Grammar includes:
- Imitating Story Sentences
- 8 pages of learning how to break a sentences into "chunks" and imitate them
- Sentence Parts
- 7 pages of subject/predicate
- 19 pages of "Tools" (essentially types of clauses/phrases, but does not name them as such except for independent/dependent clauses)
- 6 pages of review using a Lemony Snicket excerpt
- Sentence Positions
- 12 pages on using Tools to open a sentence
- 13 pages specifically on Tools in the middle of a sentence (S-V split)
- 13 pages on using Tools at the end of a sentence
- 8 pages review with Lemony Snicket excerpt
- Writing Story Sentences
- 9 pages prompting a child through using the learned information to write their own story, uses Harry Potter as a guide (not so useful if your child isn't at all familiar with Potterverse)

Sentence Composing for Elementary includes:
- 16 pages of learning to break sentences into chunks and imitate
- 16 pages on prepositional phrases, what they are and how to use them
- 16 pages on appositive phrases, what they are and how to use them
- 16 pages on participial phrases, what they are and how to use them
- 16 pages compound verbs...
- 16 pages adjective clauses...
- 16 pages adverb clauses...
- 11 pages review/putting it all together

They both use quotes from literature throughout.

If you're eventually going to do both, then I'd say Story Grammar first. Because it lumps dependent clauses and all the phrases together as "Tools", it is a simpler starting point. Otherwise, both books have very similar approaches. If you used Story Grammar first, Sentence Composing is likely to feel like a bit of review with substantial deepening. If you used Sentence Composing first, then Story Grammar might feel like too simplistic of a follow-up. I think it would be very possible to use either one and omit the other; if omitting Sentence Composing, the more specific grammar instruction will probably be hit later on in another curric or the middle grades Killgallon.

 

[Jackie]

Thanks for taking the time to type all of this out!! :thumbup1:

 

Does Story Grammar go beyond focusing on good sentence writing? Right now, I want to focus only on writing quality sentences, not paragraphs or lengthy stories. I thought we would hit Paragraphs for Elementary School later.

 

Except for that last Harry Potter section, it is *all* sentences and *only* sentences. The last section would be easy to skip or adjust.

[pitterpatter]

Ok, thanks again! I think I'll order Story Grammar then. :)

 

Except for that last Harry Potter section, it is *all* sentences and *only* sentences. The last section would be easy to skip or adjust.

 

[Kathryn]

I had both and decided to use Sentence Composing with my 9yo 3rd grader last year. He had a lot of grammar under his belt, so it felt like the better choice. I got rid of story grammar because I felt like SC was a good fit and having both seemed redundant.

[EndOfOrdinary]

This has been so helpful! I was rather baffled at where to begin as well, so thank you! Does anyone know if the middle school sentence compsing and grammar are the same style/format with ages? Is one using "tools" and the other formal names?