To study English grammar well is somewhat like studying spelling – it is something that requires a certain sort of memory and “sentence sense”.  Diagramming is an integral part of this process.  It allows kids to recognize how parts of speech fit together to make a sentence that is, in a sense, “spelled properly”.

There is a certain highly successful spelling program known as Spelling Power.  It is known as the very best of the best out there.  In just fifteen minutes per day, it transforms a child from a non-speller to a very proficient speller – sometimes raising test scores by several grade levels in a single year.  This is by utilizing a spelling list tailored to the … Read the rest of this post…

I have always been a fan of Bob Jones material for my 7th grade and 8th grade English classes, but I was especially impressed when I decided to try the Writing and Grammar program. Ordering grammar materials is never easy as it is nearly impossible to find good, Christian-based grammar work that will translate into better student writing.

I hoped that the baseball theme would appeal to the 22 boys in my class, and I hoped that I would find the right balance between the enormous, arduous books I originally taught, and the flimsy wisps of nothingness I later purchased in retaliation. I can honestly say that this is the first grammar program that both the students and I can … Read the rest of this post…

Some popular grammar books for children are Shurley Grammar and Easy Grammar.  Both of these were developed by teachers who saw a problem with the lack of fundamental grammar instruction in elementary and middle school.  They aim to make the basic rules of grammar something that any child can easily master.  Both are shown to dramatically improve student test scores when compared to mainstream public school curricula.

Shurley Grammar books rely on teaching kids fun rhymes and jingles as a way to remember grammatical rules and parts of speech.  A special rhythmic “question and answer flow” teaches kids to properly break down a sentence into its parts.  Writing is taught as part of the curriculum, and from an early … Read the rest of this post…

Strengths:
Daily Grams Guided Review Aiding Mastery Skills Grade 6 can be used with any grammar curriculum, but is intended to coordinate with Easy Grammar 6th grade and reviews the skills and concepts taught in the Easy Grammar series. Daily Grams consists of one hundred eighty daily review lessons of capitalization, punctuations, grammar concepts, and sentence combining. Each lesson takes about ten to fifteen minutes from presentation by the teacher to completion by the student. A four section pattern is followed in every lesson. The first section is always capitalization review, the second section is always punctuation review, the third section is always general grammar concepts review and the fourth section is always sentence combining review. This pattern makes it … Read the rest of this post…

Some grammar teachers dislike diagramming sentences and believe their students do too.  Others enjoy it, but fail to pass on the enthusiasm.  But diagramming sentences is one of the best tools to help students understand grammatical structure and in fact it can also be one of the best ways to help them actually enjoy studying English Grammar.

There are a couple of pitfalls that can make students dread diagramming, but if these are avoided, they will actually look forward to it as a fun part of each week’s English Grammar lessons.  First, do not assign diagramming too frequently or too much at one time.  This keeps it fresh and interesting each time, rather than a boring drill.  Second, be sure … Read the rest of this post…

Grammar exercises for elementary students should focus on things that students at that age are good at and find fun.  Those elementary years are often called the “poll parrot” stage, as students delight in learning the names of things and repeating everything they hear.  They drive adults crazy by quoting favorite movie characters over and over, or singing jingles from commercials.  This delight in memorizing and repeating is a wonderful thing for grammar teachers.

Elementary students can be taught to memorize the parts of speech and to chant the definition of each in rhythm.  One well-known grammar curriculum that emphasizes chanting jingles is Shurley Grammar, with its grammar exercises set to the tune of popular cheers and chants.  Schoolhouse … Read the rest of this post…