Janeway Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 I am really stuck on this subject. I used BJU English with the older kids. It was fine. I started this child with BJU English but I suspect I started at the wrong level. To be honest, I am not in love with how they teach writing either. Looking over BJU English 4, I am suspecting it might be worth trying again. I started son at BJU English 2 because the public school never did grammar and the writing was all over the place, lacking form, but, he learned quickly and it was too elementary for him. I would love to try CAP's Writing and Rhetoric, but I am unsure which grammar to put with it. I have been trying Fix It from IEW, but not in love with it. I just have a free copy from the downloads they gave last summer. I already have handwriting and spelling, but have been considering CLE just because it seems interesting, but not like I have copies of it to view. I have seen Rod and Staff and really like it, but suspect son might struggle with all the copying. I have a copy of Serl's Intermediate Language Lessons, but wonder if that would be enough. I wonder if I should just try to make it work until May when there is a home school conference so I can see more. I am simply at a loss as to what to do. Really, since I know I would like to try CAP's W&R, and I already have spelling and handwriting, I only NEED grammar. (I have my own thing I do for reading). But I am open to complete programs. Thank you! (I already know I do not like things like CAP's grammar program or Shurley English, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 What are you hoping to cover/accomplish with grammar? Parts of speech? Sentence structure? Punctuation? We just went through Grammarland as a family, and all my boys got a lot out of it. We did some of the exercises at the end of the chapters, but largely we just listened and discussed. It did not cover punctuation. To follow that up, I'm having my second grader read through Super Grammar which is a superhero themed grammar book. He seems to be learning a lot from that. It covers most of the same things as, and I like it more than, the Basher Grammar and Punctuation books that I used with my older son. Last year I used Michael Clay Thompson's Grammar Island with my then third grader. It presented grammar differently than I has ever encountered it. It wasn't a good fit for my son (or myself), but it did thoroughly cover foundational grammar concepts (but no punctuation). I have considered using Analytical Grammar or Junior Analytical Grammar. We have not used them, but I might in the future. Wendy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Easy Grammar. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Grammarland was a favorite here, too. 🙂 It made the parts of speech seem to be more than random words. I think a lot of your choices will be determined on how long you want to spend on it each day, what you want to accomplish, and how you imagine it will look. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 I've been stuck on language arts too, but for grade 3. I also am considering bju english and W & R fables. So, this is my plan. Try W&R and BJU (only the grammar units) August through December. See how that is going in January and either pick up the next w & r book if it is working well and if it is not then we will add in the bju writing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted January 28, 2019 Author Share Posted January 28, 2019 51 minutes ago, Elizabeth86 said: I've been stuck on language arts too, but for grade 3. I also am considering bju english and W & R fables. So, this is my plan. Try W&R and BJU (only the grammar units) August through December. See how that is going in January and either pick up the next w & r book if it is working well and if it is not then we will add in the bju writing. I think I will do this! I was at the store this afternoon and found a "used" BJU English that was not written in at all so I picked it up and I will order the CAP W&R Fables to go with it. Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 If you like Rod and Staff, you can buy the worksheets to go with it for less writing. They are meant to be supplemental, so there isn't one for every lesson. But I used them for my DD who couldn't do the heavy amounts of writing. We read every lesson from the book. We discussed and did class problems on the white board together. Then if there was a worksheet I had her do that. Most days that was enough. If it was a writing composition exercise I'd sometimes have her do some on paper, but we weren't using a separate writing program like you are considering,vso you could even skip those. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 On 1/31/2019 at 9:04 AM, 2_girls_mommy said: If you like Rod and Staff, you can buy the worksheets to go with it for less writing. They are meant to be supplemental, so there isn't one for every lesson. But I used them for my DD who couldn't do the heavy amounts of writing. We read every lesson from the book. We discussed and did class problems on the white board together. Then if there was a worksheet I had her do that. Most days that was enough. If it was a writing composition exercise I'd sometimes have her do some on paper, but we weren't using a separate writing program like you are considering,vso you could even skip those. On 1/28/2019 at 3:32 PM, Janeway said: I think I will do this! I was at the store this afternoon and found a "used" BJU English that was not written in at all so I picked it up and I will order the CAP W&R Fables to go with it. Thank you! Glad I could help! Can I ask all your curriculum plans? It sounds like we may think alike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, Elizabeth86 said: Glad I could help! Can I ask all your curriculum plans? It sounds like we may think alike! I have been using Story of the World. I add in a bunch of readings and such. I also started having him watch Liberties Kids. I don't test on it or anything, I am very informal. For science, we have been doing Mystery Science. We also have a book called Geology Rocks someone here recommended and other books with activities we are doing. He loves Magic School Bus too. For math, we are currently doing Singapore Math. BJU English and ordering the CAP W&R but also doing Spelling Workout. I did not care for the 2004 edition of SWO. I ended up ordering a 1994 edition for the next level. For reading, I take from various reading lists at various classical schools and off various home school book lists. I try to pick books he would enjoy. I like Zaner-Bloser handwriting. I have been considering adding in the literature program with Memoria Press. Latin...not getting heavy in to that right now. I bought Getting Started with Latin but we have not really gotten going with it yet. With my older children, I used different books from Memoria Press. How about you? What in all are you using? Edited February 2, 2019 by Janeway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 11 hours ago, Janeway said: I have been using Story of the World. I add in a bunch of readings and such. I also started having him watch Liberties Kids. I don't test on it or anything, I am very informal. For science, we have been doing Mystery Science. We also have a book called Geology Rocks someone here recommended and other books with activities we are doing. He loves Magic School Bus too. For math, we are currently doing Singapore Math. BJU English and ordering the CAP W&R but also doing Spelling Workout. I did not care for the 2004 edition of SWO. I ended up ordering a 1994 edition for the next level. For reading, I take from various reading lists at various classical schools and off various home school book lists. I try to pick books he would enjoy. I like Zaner-Bloser handwriting. I have been considering adding in the literature program with Memoria Press. Latin...not getting heavy in to that right now. I bought Getting Started with Latin but we have not really gotten going with it yet. With my older children, I used different books from Memoria Press. How about you? What in all are you using? For third grade my plans will be BJU Math 3 We did Singapore for K and 1st. I wanted to love it, but I didn't. He did fine with it, but I did not feel good about it. We switched to bju for 2nd and it has been a great fit for both of us. For history we will be doing VP self-paced history new testament and ancient rome and greece. He adores this program and asks to do history. I love that because I hated history in school. Geography- still working through little passports and supplementing. Maybe an EM workbook. Science - Apologia exploring creation with astronomy Mp literature quides Spelling Power ZB handwriting W & R Fables BJU English 3 My son has been asking for a foreign language since kindergarten, but I just have not made that happen yet. He also wants learn sign language. Latin has always been something I wanted to teach him too, but we have been too busy. I may take a look at the curriculum you suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 2 hours ago, Elizabeth86 said: For third grade my plans will be BJU Math 3 We did Singapore for K and 1st. I wanted to love it, but I didn't. He did fine with it, but I did not feel good about it. We switched to bju for 2nd and it has been a great fit for both of us. For history we will be doing VP self-paced history new testament and ancient rome and greece. He adores this program and asks to do history. I love that because I hated history in school. Geography- still working through little passports and supplementing. Maybe an EM workbook. Science - Apologia exploring creation with astronomy Mp literature quides Spelling Power ZB handwriting W & R Fables BJU English 3 My son has been asking for a foreign language since kindergarten, but I just have not made that happen yet. He also wants learn sign language. Latin has always been something I wanted to teach him too, but we have been too busy. I may take a look at the curriculum you suggested. I have been seriously considering switching to BJU Math. Can you please tell me more about what you are doing for history and geography? I did Apologia Astronomy with my older kids and still own it. Only reason we have not done it yet as I have been taking care of my dad lately. Mystery Science is so easy and open and go. I always have the supplies around my house. I actually wanted to get going with Apologia Botany this spring, but accidentally gave away my box for the light hut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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