Grammar for 1st grade?

[gck21]

I started First Language Lessons 1 with my 6 year old 1st grader, and after 2 months or so, it just isn't working for us. We do poetry and picture study separately, so having a little of that included in this program is not a real benefit for us. The introduction of grammatical content in FLL is so slow and thorough that I think he feels frustrated because it seems too easy (even though he doesn't know the content). Our homeschool is very parent-intensive, and today I just found myself wanting an easy, open and go workbook for this subject. Any recommendations?

For background, he is a very strong reader, but an average-low writer (he just doesn't have much stamina and he is quite literally afraid of misspelling so writing is a tough sell!). For language arts, he reads aloud and does 4 pages of the Zaner Bloser 1st grade writing workbook every day. Mondays he also does a unit of Spelling Workout 1; Wednesdays we do a spelling test on those SW words; and Fridays we have been doing FLL (multiple lessons at a time). He is extremely resistant to more handwriting, but I am also toying with the idea of skipping grammar this year, and doing a copywork sentence instead. Any thoughts?

[HomeAgain]

Skip grammar.
We hated FLL 1.  There is nothing wrong with the book, but it wasn't for us.  I didn't like the pacing of it.  We did our own grammar with Grammarland and Montessori characters at that age.
Grammar can absolutely wait for a year or two.  You don't need it yet.  I have to laugh, though: my average-low writer could not have produced 4 pages of a writing workbook daily and certainly couldn't have added a spelling workbook on that. 😄  My 1st grader did a sentence of copywork, and started adding a 1-2 sentence spelling dictation passage by the end of the year.  I think you're doing much more than that!

[carriede]

I don't think I would add grammar on for a 1st grader that doesn't like to write.... I like FLL 1 and 2 because they're done orally. And skip any of the lessons that you do at others times (poetry, picture study, narration).

After having done all 4 levels of FLL, I see the purpose of levels 1 and 2 as establishing general understanding of parts of speech and beginning to memorize the definitions. You can speed up or slow down as needed. Or just wait a couple months or start next school year.

If FLL isn't a good fit for you, that's fine. But again, I don't think I'd start a written grammar program with a 1st grader.

 

Something else you could do... use the definitions from FLL to discuss copywork. Does he know what a noun is? Recite the definition for him if he doesn't. Then, together, underline any persons, places, or things in his copywork. Check, done. Same with all the other parts of speech. Don't add a new one until he's mastered the previous part of speech. By the end of 2nd grade, we were using colored pencils to analyze copywork about 2 times a week.

[Ellie]

There are only eight parts of speech and some thingummies like gerunds. I don't believe a native speaker of English needs to study his own grammar for upwards of 12 years. Nor do I believe that anyone needs to study grammar in order to write well.

Let the grammar go.

[Mommyof1]

My first grader, almost 7yrs old does Schoolhouse Rock Grammar videos from YouTube and then we look in a book she is reading and go over it.

Formal grammar will happen in a year or two.

 

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Mommyof1