Grammar

We use a very simple approach to the study of grammar: read, read, read, read, read good literature, and try and talk good wen the kids are thar, since me and Bubba lern ’em good at home. Seriously though, it seems like good grammar is often caught quite painlessly, when we are simply exposed to it frequently. We supplement with good grammar programs as needed.

core curriclum:

Simply Grammar

Jensen’s Grammar

2005 – 06:

Almost done with Jensen’s Grammar!

2004 – 05:

We’re now using Jensen’s Grammar (P & J). It will take approximately 2 years to complete, at the rate of one lesson per week (we spend about an hour together, then they complete their work on their own), and looks like a comprehensive high school level program. We all like it!

2003 – 04:

We are continuing to use Simply Grammar. In addition, P is working his way through English Composition and Grammar in our studies. [Future reference: Another gem in this area is The Elements of Style.] After a couple of months of using this, I decided it was not inspiring enough. Simply Grammar also seemed too simple for the level that P & J are at. So, P & J started using “Jensen’s Grammar.” It is very challenging, but in a good way.

2002 – 03:

We started our first formal grammar program this year, using the book Simply Grammar. We’re only using this with our older students, due to the large amount of writing involved. I like to do short, frequent sessions, to maintain interest. P & J have grown by leaps and bounds in their ability to dissect sentences!

pre-2002:

In the past we have used a very simple oral grammar program each day, Oral Language Exercises (published by Abeka, but no longer in their catalog), which consists of repeating 10 sentences per day. We’ve made use of Editor-in-Chief for practice with punctuation, capitalization, etc. It is a fun series, because you get to act as a newspaper editor, and correct mistakes in an article.

Here are some cool grammar websites:

grammar handbook

comprehensive list of spelling words

FunBrain grammar game

Pop-up grammar games

Scrabble website

Language Live

Wild World of Words

Spelling and Vocabulary Plans

Grammar Safari

Jabberwocky

National Spelling Bee

Spelling rules

Thank you to my friend, Heidi, for the fantastic suggestion of using Ruth Heller’s wonderfully illustrated grammar stories:

Merry Go Round : A Book About Nouns (World of Language)

Kites Sail High : A Book About Verbs (Heller, Ruth, Ruth Heller World of Language.)

Many Luscious Lollipops : A Book About Adjectives (World of Language)

Mine, All Mine : A Book About Pronouns (World of Language)

Up, Up and Away : A Book About Adverbs (World of Language)

A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns (World of Language)

Behind the Mask : A Book About Prepositions (World of Language)

Fantastic! Wow! and Unreal! : A Book About Interjections and Conjunctions (Heller, Ruth, Ruth Heller World of Language.)