How We've Done Grammar for 4th, 5th and 6th Grades

 

I jumped off the First Language Lessons "train" at the end of 3rd grade for G1 and this is where we landed, in Rod and Staff book 5.  I found plans from Deanna at Through the Narrow Gate Academy  to use that kept the lesson, worksheet and test order clear for each child.  I bought two student texts and one teacher text along with a worksheet packet. 

 

I've read that many people don't even use grammar lessons with their kids.  Most of these parents read a lot to their kids and, while reading, teach the lessons of grammar.  Then in the middle school years, many of these kids are faced with grammar.  Writing and grammar are my worst subject, so I just followed the advice from The Well-Trained Mind and used the materials suggested from the beginning, almost six years ago.

 

All three Gs completed the fifth grade materials and have begun or are almost half way through the sixth grade materials.  I've been using the exact same number of pieces I used for fifth grade with the addition of a white board and dry erase marker to each child.  I will not continue with this grammar program though.  Actually, G1 is almost done with the spelling books suggested in the above mentioned guide to homeschooling (WTM). 

 

Upon completing his Spelling Workout Level H book, he will work on a vocabulary list in both

Latin and French each week for seventh grade.  There are grammar and usage lessons included in the materials we've already invested in several years ago from Memoria Press.  After those are finished, I suspect he may be using an online course.  In fact, both he and G2 are to be enrolled this summer in beginning language courses through CurrClick.  One hour a week for ten weeks will be just enough. 

 

I can't explain if any of this is working for their language development.  I only know it was an attempt to prepare them.  I'm personally more prepared for the next step, which is writing with IEW's SWI-B product and guidance.  I'm excited about proof reading exercises at Critical Thinking Company also, but that's another topic...

Green Grammar Practice

 And besides the fact that the marker is green, he used dry erase on a sheet protector to do grammar instead of marking on the paper.  We will use this Rod and Staff page again in a few days when his sister does this same lesson. An added plus is that he didn't turn green (sick) while doing grammar today.

Adverb Use work for G#3, but G#1 finished the 5th Grade book today.  G#3 is ahead of his brother's progress at this point and is having more fun in language study than he will EVER let on to any of us. 

BTW, G#1 wrote his first key word outline for IEW's All Things Fun & Fascinating today.  He was pleased and will attempt to re-write the paragraph from HIS outline tomorrow.  G#1 may or may not enjoy the task, but we can only try it to see if he will.  Pray he enjoys the re-write tomorrow. 

Update:  It is quite amazing what happens when a student has a foundation of solid grammar study.  Even when I can't administer the IEW checklist or the AFF directions, this G#1 enjoyed writing a keyword outline AND rewriting the paragraph the next day from his own outline.  He then accomplished the same feat again for the second paragraph and keyword outline. Maybe he'll be able to write when he needs to someday, but for today, he has a clue.  Thank you for your support.

Checking In with Weekly Report

Ok, so y'all are always posting weekly accomplishments and I'm the sluggard who is just trying to keep up on who ate last and who is going where. So, here is a run down or sum up of what point we are in the schedule for 4th and 5th grades. 

G#2 started a week earlier than her brothers because she was ready while they were still playing with legos until noon back in August. She is completing Week 26 of an approximately 40 week schedule for 4th grade.  She read and finished all the sources for the Story of the World chapter 28 about the Roman Empire. She enjoyed a video about Ancient Roman art from Harmony Arts Mom's 5th grade plans.  She learned some new words from Spelling Workout lesson 26.  She is done with Rod and Staff English 5 lesson 56 and Saxon 5/4 lesson 73.  She survived flute in homeschool band for week 18 along with her brothers as well as read about Mongolia after moving all the way East in Asia from the Mediterranean Sea.  Her habitat studies have her and her brothers in the rainforest with the Hands of a Child crew answering a question in paragraph format regarding why the rainforest is a great place for animals to live.  She was especially grateful for poor weather this week as it was the Elemental Science Logic Stage Life Science week for Amphibians and a frog dissection. The dissection which needs to be done outside was postponed until better weather hits the Chicagoland area.  Our CBS lessons took us to Genesis 33 and it was a nice change to have more action from Bible study.

G#1&#3 both sailed through the same habitat, flags, CBS, science and art lessons. They both have their own grammar, spelling and math lessons which keep them busy.  History finds them in chapter 25 of SOTW and notebook pages from our 2009 Rome field trip were completed with pictures of each kid in historic locales.  G#1 finished reading the final book of the Roman Mysteries and wrote a short narration to complete his collection which will get printed out and placed in his history binder.

We were all active for gym time on Tuesday and enjoyed time with friends on the ice for homeschool kids ice skating time.  So much activity is initiated around here from time off the couch while playing the Wii games.  I actually allowed a library Wii game after each G completed the winter reading program from our local library on Wednesday. I'm so glad for the freedom to move in and out of the library during a regular school day.

My Original Tween

He's standing, because he can't sit still. How did he get along in the classroom for those months of kindergarten and first grade. He's alone in the room talking to himself as he outlines and drafts sentences which give shape to a book report. His first book report is almost drafted.  I can't read his handwriting, but somehow it makes the most sense.  He is communicating the ideas of ancient transportation that interest him.  And, finally, a conclusion sentence that wraps up the most creative ideas of the book. He's still not standing still. He doesn't miss the chairs in this room at all. I'm so glad he's made it to eleven, and I gave up the chairs / desks a long time ago.

"Following the Plan" Success in Grammar This Week

Grammar count for this week was very high after our quarterly report discussions on Monday.  We even got one fourth grader through the chapter two test.  All is not lost, and this is an encouragement for ALL language learning! 

Finally Getting a Grip on GRAMMAR

First of all, I didn't get along well with the script of FLL, so I rarely pursued grammar lessons with my kids and we took FOREVER to get it done.  My solution was to jump ship after G#1 finished FLL3 and try R&S English grade 5 with him.  I still didn't do well to make the lessons happen UNTIL... I read about the Table of Contents clue.  Victory! Now that I know each lesson must be done with the teacher/student pair is in bold, I am scheduling and grading lessons on a regular basis.  The plain text titles in the TOC are done by the student individually (G#2 below left).  I do a quick run through oral exercises with each person three times a week. The Bold-faced lesson titles in the TOC are done with me and a G elbow to elbow. 

Yes, the terms are defined differently in Rod and Staff books, but we still recite the same definitions and qualifiers that Mrs. Wise and Mrs. Buffington used. We are simply practicing the grammar skills in a different way AND GETTING THEM DONE! So, needless to say, we are not using the new Logic Stage grammar materials from Peace Hill Press.  We don't use the writing materials either. Here is a picture of G#3 finishing writing with forest materials from Hands of a Child lapbook that I bought years ago and am finally using. They must answer comprehension questions about the reading in complete sentences and then report about the topics in the reading weekly.  We get other practice writing paragraphs that are placed on the history notebook pages about topics outlined in the Logic Stage history section of the Well Trained Mind.  Someday, we will study writing.  And from the research I've done so far, I'd use IEW materials, but I need to get past the cost of those first.

Summer Break?

In an effort to study about oceanography and the ocean habitat, we've listened to or read many books about the ocean. I'm now listening to "Moby Dick," all 17 hours of it. I am at chapter 20 and haven't met Ahab yet.

It is good to have a pool pass when it is not raining, so that I can listen to or read while my angels wear themselves out. But, we also have time to visit a friend's VBS program and participate next week in our own church summer "camp."

We are doing only a little reading about colonial America and then reading about the Revolutionary War and watching "Liberty's Kids." We will also get ready for Lewis and Clark in our history timeline before August. These are fun ideas for summer reading. But, I'm vexed by our grammar choice for 4th grade. I've read reviews of First Language Lessons 4 and am not enticed to continue into it.  I'm anxious for a solution and will consider Rod and Staff 5 when I visit with those folks at the Homeschool Expo on August 6th.

So, what am I forgetting?

Science was all about the Halogen group this week. We enjoyed the experiments about fluorine and iodine (see pictures of testing for starches with Iodine). Everyone’s apples dried into brilliant sculptures and there were paintings done of these dried pieces. For SOTW3, we adored the story about Don Quixote and windmills from Kimmel, along with the Anno’s book about Spain that included the confused conquistador and his sidekick, Sancho. The Disney movie about El Dorado was fun and colorful. My 3Gs practiced their narrating about the Mayan game of pok-a-tok in Rain Player by Wisniewski. I’ve finally found and read aloud the books about kids during the age of renaissance and exploration from Newbridge publishing. We’re soon to finish studying about the desert habitats. Spelling and handwriting were a bit frustrating, but Explode the Code was fun as always. The Latin vocabulary is expanding around here and music lesson came off ok. Individual reading choices were recorded and the reading program began for winter at our local library. Math and African flags are no problem and we completed a bunch more of those. So, what am I forgetting? Well, maybe we haven’t done the scheduled amount of lessons from First Language Lessons for each of the students here. How, oh, how do I get those grammar lessons done each day? Truthfully, the grammar lesson book has taken a lower priority around here and is sadly left behind. Any ideas about using starburst candies to entice interest or gumption for grammar?

Classical Christian Homeschooling Online Catalog: Orthography of Grammar (1-2 Grades)

As we finish the first chapter of Zoology I Flying Things, I consider that the remaining weeks of the school year leave me no other choice but to plan for next year, not buy - mind you. Just to plan. I'm am reminded by this site Classical Christian Homeschooling Online Catalog: Orthography of Grammar (1-2 Grades) and relieved for some idea of what to look for in language arts materials. Our trip through First Language Lessons will finish for G#1. I don't know much about Lexile ratings or how much he should be reading, but for now, I'm not scared so bad that I should send him back into the classroom. Dictation works, memorization satisfies and composition looms. What to do? I wonder if it's time to pray about it?

New supplies arrived!

I'm beginning to ORGANIZE for August 4th. Believe it! We arrived early Monday morning in Chicagoland after an awesome weekend with friends in Johnson County Kansas, to a new box of school supplies. My first task is to hang and fill these storage pockets for my 3 Gs. I hope to encourage independent work by filling each pocket with one subject assignments for the week. Yep, it might be a little early to ask my 2nd and 1st graders to find something to do from their school pockets, but I've got to start somewhere. I know that the goal is to finish work for math (MUS), grammar (Explode the code), spelling (spelling workout B &C), penmenship (reason for handwriting) & president/ music/ art/ latin reports using online forms & library books for research by Friday afternoon. These are all morning activities scheduled to be mostly independent while I do guided work with each on First Language Lessons and Bible journey journal.

The afternoons 3x a week are set aside for SOTW and 2x a week for space then earth science. These afternoons are, by necessity, guided and can take as long as we need to do them. I know that nature hikes will be included here in these hours. Trips that require flights to where ever field trips take us will include work out of school pocket folders and necessary books.

I've also received a solar system model to complete while we go through some lessons from Apologia and from the list outlined by Jessica at http://triviumacademy.blogspot.com/. I hope to encourage Bible verse memorization and small scale artwork/sketching by displaying images in this postcard holder that arrived in the box too. We might also be able to mail ourselves postcards and display them here too. We'd welcome anyone else's notes here, that's for sure!


These are all mere attempts to keep these children on a schedule that they appreciate and respond to in other parts of our lives. And for me to not "fly by the seat of my pants" this year while trying to get it right the first time, because that's the one time that counts in home schooling.