Language Arts Curriculum Suggestions Needed

[Jenn in CA]

I've posted variations of this question before. I need help finding LA curriculum/materials for my two 6th graders. My wish list:

*B/W, simple explanations like Teaching Textbooks

*Very simple explanations, mottos/catchphrases that can be memorized or repeated to help remember things such as grammar/writing terms

*Short teacher lesson w/written work to be done afterwards

*Starts at the beginning, but can't be all one-syllable words or my kids complain that it's babyish

*Like Barton-- breaks down material into teeny-tiny steps

Now, my kids:
Grammar/abstract ideas about language are proving very difficult both for me to communicate to them, and for them to understand. One is dyslexic w/other challenges, but does a little better w/concepts; it may take multiple experiences w/the material but eventually she gets the concept. (this one just finished testing for learning issues thru the school and I'm waiting for the report) The other one can read well, and zooms super-fast through her work but misses most key concepts/ideas, struggles w/vocab, gets "deer in the headlights" look and can shut down when faced with abstract ideas. (this one tests at grade level, and I have no idea what things to look for or whether to ask for testing)

Ordinarily, my approach would be "pft, wait til they're older and they'll get it quickly" which is why we haven't done grammar til now. Well, now they're still not getting it quickly and I'm thinking it's time to dig in because it's going to take TIME for it all to sink in.

Ordinarily, too, even though I'm a big grammar geek and actually appreciate verbals, gerunds etc, I haven't felt the need for grammar study as something which makes writing better... but child #1 struggles so much w/the *function* of words in sentences (that abstract layer that goes beyond the meaning of the sentence) that our ability to talk about how to write/fix her writing is stalling out; and child #2 isn't getting things such as why "If I were a dragon" is not a complete sentence. (It has a subject and verb, right?). I have no idea how to explain these things at a level they can understand. Help!

[kbutton]

Have you looked at Easy Grammar and Easy Writing? Easy writing is not a complete composition program, but it works on phrases. 

https://www.easygrammar.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html

If your kids do well with a big picture overview and then details, I strongly recommend Michael Clay Thompson's grammar stuff, but not used solo with the issues you have. It might be appropriate for only one of your kids and not the other--it's not small bites and bits, BUT it's meant to be used as quickly or slowly as you want to use it. (*MCT is not structured the way you are requesting, but it could be a good intro or supplement if appropriate for the way your kids think.) We use it separately from composition--it's not what we need for comp. I also do Daily Grams from Easy Grammar because MCT doesn't do as many conversational sentences (and changed syntax for things like questions did throw one of my kids off), and he doesn't do as much punctuation practice. 

Once my kids see a point to punctuation and seeing how many rules there are to remember, I'm trying to transition them to using a style guide for punctuation rules. I don't have mine totally memorized, but I know WHEN I need to look something up. 

Some years we are more heavily on MCT stuff; some years we do the Easy Grammar or Daily Grams. They both offer something slightly different. I think MCT could fix the problem with "not a sentence" that your one child is experiencing.

I felt like it didn't have enough practice, but for memorable and multi-sensory, you might look at Winston Grammar: https://www.christianbook.com/basic-winston-grammar/9781889673004/pd/24681?en=google&event=SHOP&kw=homeschool-20-40|24681&p=1179710&dv=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI27iYqpeo4wIVz8DACh2XUgWeEAQYASABEgIJfvD_BwE

Actually, the more I think about it, maybe Winston Grammar followed by Easy Grammar/Daily Grams. Winston is ungraded, and if your kids do well with it, they could maybe transition to Easy Grammar Plus (ungraded but for 7th grade and up). You might read descriptions and consider. They seem to be compatible programs in how they present things. I really wish Easy Grammar were ungraded since your students seem to be sensitive to that. It sounds like they need to start pretty easy but then accelerate as they pick things up.

I suspect Shurley English would do what you are wanting, but I don't know as much about it. I was impressed with the bits my son did in school. 

I do not know enough about the teaching materials or memorability of it, but some people really like Saxon grammar.

Anyway, all of these programs are ones that I seriously considered /wned (except Saxon--I didn't hear of it early on) or used along with MCT. I landed on MCT with my first due to the big picture overview, and then it became a go-to because familiarity makes things easier for me to teach vs. trying something new. I believe both Easy Grammar and Winston teach students to separate out prepositional phrases first, which was something I learned in college, but my oldest son found prepositions the hardest to learn, lol! But for most kids, I think that's a great method. 

I would not be surprised if Christian Light Education had very incremental grammar. There stuff is available in light units usually, so it's not a big commitment to try it and see.

[PeterPan]

Since dyslexia is a language disability and you’re seeing language issues your solution is through SLP or SLP materials. Linguisystems will have what you need. Or there are SLO literacy specialists who sell materials.jmho but I would focus on expressive language and sentence expansion more than labeling. There’s also a system they use, name slips my mind because I’m at the lake thinking about swans and swimming. 

[Jenn in CA]

Thanks, @kbutton. I was looking at Winston Grammar too. I can see how that might be helpful. And I should look at Shirley too, as far as the jingles goes. Prepositional phrases seem like they’d be really hard for my girls to grasp... but you never know. And MCT I will take a look too.

One thing I’m thinking is, that I don’t need to depend on one curriculum to do a great job... I can use a couple and hit topics/skills from different angles, perhaps? As long as I keep the workload appropriate?

Peter Pan, thanks for reminding me about Linguisystems. If you think of that name let me know. 😉 

[Jenn in CA]

Wow, MCT looks amazing! I never would have considered it if you hadn’t mentioned it so thank you! Were you suggesting to use the grammar book and the writing book (sentence, paragraph etc)? I could see my girls really responding to such a conversational grammar book that points to the beauty of language.

I also like the levels; I don’t think they’d mind starting w/Level 1.

Are there are lot of practice exercises for the writing books? I see a practice book, but it looks like it’s mainly for grammar.

[kbutton]

15 hours ago, Jenn in CA said:

One thing I’m thinking is, that I don’t need to depend on one curriculum to do a great job... I can use a couple and hit topics/skills from different angles, perhaps? As long as I keep the workload appropriate?

I have to do that a lot, but I have to have something that does at least 80% of what I need a curriculum to do so that I don't lose my mind.

14 hours ago, Jenn in CA said:

Wow, MCT looks amazing! I never would have considered it if you hadn’t mentioned it so thank you! Were you suggesting to use the grammar book and the writing book (sentence, paragraph etc)? I could see my girls really responding to such a conversational grammar book that points to the beauty of language.

I also like the levels; I don’t think they’d mind starting w/Level 1.

Are there are lot of practice exercises for the writing books? I see a practice book, but it looks like it’s mainly for grammar.

I have no way to really tell you about the writing--I didn't find his writing program to be useful or helpful to us. 

On the grammar, I think that as much as you have going on, MCT won't be complete, but MCT combined with one of the others could work really well.

Peter Pan has a point about needing therapy level materials though--you might need some work before starting formal grammar. I really can't completely tell, particularly when talking about two students at once.

[Jenn in CA]

Yes, true. Thanks @kbutton. 

[Heathermomster]

My dyslexic DS came home from the classroom utterly confused by grammar.  In 7th grade, we used Winston, which teaches parts of speech, and the program was a game changer. By the end of 7th grade, he could not reckon why he initially thought that identifying parts of speech was so hard.  I’m a huge fan of Winston because it is multi-sensory, using color coded cards and short lessons.  DS needed low stress so we examined 3-5 sentences per day.  

With my DD, we started with CAP’s Well-Ordered Language, which I loved because it is gentle and there are songs to help memorize parts of speech.  We quit using WOL because it didn't really cover punctuation/mechanics.

Today, I’m looking at MCT’s The Magic Lens 1 and I think I’m in😍.  It seems like an excellent followup to something like CAP or Winston because the author comments on the example sentences and analyzes them by looking at parts of speech, parts of sentences, phrases, and clauses.

Edited July 10, 2019 by Heathermomster