Grammar is one of those subjects for most people.  They consider it a subject to get through, but don’t always enjoy the work.  I can’t say that my children jump for joy when we pull out the grammar work, but I’ve found a few products that have at least made the subject bearable for them.  (Just so you know, I’ve always enjoyed grammar!  Call me strange if you like.  It won’t hurt my feelings.  :) )

Easy Grammar has completely opened my daughter’s eyes to sentence structure and parts of speech in a way that she’s never seen before.  It uses a “prepositional approach” which means children learn prepositions first.  Once they are able recognize and eliminate prepositional phrases from a sentence, picking out the other parts of the sentence becomes much easier.

The lessons are fairly quick and build upon one another a small step at a time.  My daughter appreciates the chance to continue practicing already learned skills while only adding one new concept at a time.

The text is a pretty bulky softcover, but I love how it’s arranged.  Each new lesson is taught clearly in the text with helpful examples.  My daughter typically reads the lesson herself without much help from me.  The teaching material is directly followed by the worksheets that relate to the lesson.  (You can either choose to write in the book or copy the worksheet on your printer.)

The student page and answer page face each other in the book.  Some people may find this annoying, but I love the fact that I don’t have to go searching for the answers.  And I like that my daughter is able to self-check occasionally.  We simply cover over the answer page with a piece of paper until the worksheet is finished.

Easy Grammar texts are available for students in 2nd grade through high school.  We were able to jump into the 6th grade book last year without feeling like we missed material in earlier grades.  This means a lot to me since I like exposing my children to various curricula and styles.  We have loved this curriculum so much that I have plans to use Easy Grammar: Plus for high school grammar, too!

And speaking of other curricula and styles, you might be wondering what other grammar favorites I’ve found.  I may write about these at some point, but for now I’ll just give you a quick look into what we’ve used and loved over the years…

-Written by Cindy, Eclectic Charlotte Mason mom of 3.  You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and Shining Dawn Books.

 

Sometimes it seems like curricula create confusion. Brightly colored texts, songs, jingles, computer programs, and educational games can all be useful learning tools, but perhaps we think that learning always has to be fun and exciting.  Do all the extras really help, or could they actually be a detriment?

Simple, systematic, and effective. These are all words that describe Rod & Staff’s English curriculum. Rod & Staff is a Mennonite company, and the unhurried simplicity of the Mennonite lifestyle shines through in their curriculum. Scripture, family, community, and agriculture are prominent themes in the exercises included in the texts.

Rod & Staff EnglishSimple

Rod & Staff teaches:

  • Sentences
  • Parts of Speech (Each part of speech is studied separately)
  • Punctuation
  • Capitalization
  • Reference Books

The text is written with excellent explanations and examples. It can be read to the student by the teacher, or read independently by the student.

Systematic

Beginning in 2nd grade, with texts available through 10th grade, each year of Rod & Staff English builds on the skills learned in the previous one. The format of each text is similar. There is a short lesson which is found in both the student and teacher texts. Following the lesson, there is first a section of oral drill, then written exercises. The exercises progress from simple to more challenging.By simple, I do not mean it is not a rigorous program. We have currently completed years 3 through 6 of the program, and I have already seen topics that I don’t remember studying in school.

Effective
Its simple instruction and systematic review make Rod & Staff a very effective grammar program. One of my favorite features of Rod & Staff English is its use of sentence diagramming. The process of dissecting a sentence and rearranging it is wonderful for gaining understanding of the sentence structure. In addition to a student text and a teacher text, optional workbooks and tests are available. The worksheets allow for extra practice if necessary, and the tests are a great assessment if desired.

Not only is Rod & Staff effective at teaching English, it is also a cost-effective program. The exercises are written on separate paper, making the texts entirely non-consumable. Included throughout each text are writing lessons and practice, so no additional composition program is necessary. Each entire year set can be purchased for under $50.

I have been extremely pleased with my students’ understanding of English grammar after using Rod & Staff. I highly recommend it. Being a Mennonite company, Rod & Staff does not have an official website. Free catalogs are available by calling 606-522-4348.

Written by Kristen, Neo-Classical Mom of 4

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