Rod and Staff for grammar? Need some advice...

[jenn in nc]

We're basically new to HOD this fall and I'm trying to decide about grammar. I wonder if some of you would be willing to share your opinion?

I have seven kids and I'm due with #8 in early February. All of my school age kids (except my 11th grade boy) will be in the HOD guide that fits them best. So I'll have a 14yo boy using MTMM with extensions for high school, a 12yo boy using CTC with extensions, a 9yo girl using Bigger with extensions, and a 7yo girl using Little Hearts. Trying to decide about grammar for the 14yo, the 12yo, and the 9yo.

The 14yo and the 12yo have used Winston Grammar, and a little Easy Grammar, but never anything like Rod and Staff. I'm having a hard time knowing where to place them in R&S. I've looked at samples online but it is so different from anything else we've used. Also it looks like it may be a little teacher intensive, perhaps? With kids in so many different levels, it is important that I not spread myself too thin. My 7yo has some significant delays and I need to be very available to her, and of course to my preschool age kids. So, I don't know if it is practical to plan to teach grammar several times a week to several different levels of kids. I'm wondering if I would be better off going with something like Analytical Grammar and combining at least the 14yo and the 12yo. Or perhaps put them each in their own levels of Easy Grammar (when we've used that in the past they've been able to be fairly independent with it most of the time).

On the other hand, I'm concerned that if I don't use R&S for the boys, they'll be missing out on a lot of writing instruction.

I'm thinking for the 9yo in Bigger, I'll just use CTC as written with Rod and Staff level 2 and see how it goes. She isn't quite as ready to be as independent as the older two are.

I would love to hear what you guys might do in my situation. Feeling confused...

[MelInKansas]

Welcome and congrats on baby #8 on the way! It sounds like you have thought through your placement well already. I know many (if not most) people do R&S English at least somewhat orally, but with my DD (8 1/2, in Bigger and R&S 2) she does a lot of it independently. There are oral sections, they are quick and they show you whether or not the child is understanding the concept well. I look over the written part she has done to also make sure she is tracking with it okay. Since it is pretty different from what you were using, it may take the older ones some time to get used to it and follow along well, but once they do I am sure they could do a lot of it independently.

I am curious why you are going to use extensions with your 9YO. Were you going to do DITHR? Depending on how solid of a reader that one is, extensions may be too much (of course you know your child the best). I think Bigger has a lot in it, my DD will just be turning 9 when we are finished, but I don't think I would see a need to add even for a 9YO just starting it. Just my thought. Blessings to you as you get ready to begin!

[Motherjoy]

Welcome and congrats!

I'm not familiar with the other programs, but if they are working for you and your kids are doing well, I probably wouldn't change anything. R&S English doesn't include too much writing, as Carrie always adds an additional writing supplement to the guide.

We do a lot verbally, and that helps. With my oldest, we were consistently skipping English because I was dealing with the littles and it was teacher intensive. Or so I thought. A few years ago, in a moment of desparation, I just handed him the book and said, "You read this. Do the exercises. Come to me when you are done." That way, I was able to let him teach himself and then be avaiable for any hangups. He has really done so much better with grammar and writing since I did that. Obviously you can't hand the book to a younger child, but you might be able to do something similar with an older one who reads and comprehends well.

[jenn in nc]

Thank you for being willing to think this through with me. And for all the congratulations. And for welcoming me here. And for generally being very friendly!

I am curious why you are going to use extensions with your 9YO. Were you going to do DITHR? Depending on how solid of a reader that one is, extensions may be too much (of course you know your child the best). I think Bigger has a lot in it, my DD will just be turning 9 when we are finished, but I don't think I would see a need to add even for a 9YO just starting it. Just my thought. Blessings to you as you get ready to begin!

Well you may be right; I think I assumed since she is technically 4th grade, she should do the extensions. But she is a very young 4th grader, just barely 9yo, so I'll look at that again. I definitely don't want to overload her. I think she is ready to begin DITHOR as she is a strong reader... but I'm unsure whether I'm supposed to do BOTH the Storytime section in Bigger (which looks to me like an intro to the genres in DITHOR) and also do DITHOR separately. Won't that be doing the same-ish kind of thing twice? Hmm. Maybe that's a different thread.

Anyway it sounds like both of you are saying that it is possible for the older kids to read through the instructional material in R&S and do the exercises with some degree of independence, as long as I am checking their work daily and I'm available for times when things get confusing. Right? Okay, that sounds doable. I need it to be doable!

[Gwenny]

I bet your olders could do most all of the R&S english independently. There is an oral review in English 3, not sure about higher grades, in the teacher's manual that Carrie and Julie highly suggest. I've been doing them with my daughter and it takes about 1-2 minutes. I think it's a good thing like they do. She can do much of it independently but we will do some orally just to save her writing. My time takes only a few minutes.

I would not do extensions with your 9 yo. The only thing you could do, is if she is a strong reader and loves to read, have her read the books they suggest on her "own time". That's what I do but I don't do any follow-ups. If she's not, don't worry about it. There is a lot in Bigger already.

[jenn in nc]

I bet your olders could do most all of the R&S english independently. There is an oral review in English 3, not sure about higher grades, in the teacher's manual that Carrie and Julie highly suggest. I've been doing them with my daughter and it takes about 1-2 minutes. I think it's a good thing like they do. She can do much of it independently but we will do some orally just to save her writing. My time takes only a few minutes.

Just a few minutes? Yes I could definitely do that, and I agree, it would be good to have that time with each of them.

I would not do extensions with your 9 yo. The only thing you could do, is if she is a strong reader and loves to read, have her read the books they suggest on her "own time". That's what I do but I don't do any follow-ups. If she's not, don't worry about it. There is a lot in Bigger already.

I like the idea of making the books available for times when she wants more reading material but not pushing it. Some of the books would be too much right now anyway (like Planet Earth, for example). Others I think she would really enjoy. Maybe I'll just make a stack of them for her.

I'm glad you ladies are reminding me not to add too much to our schedule!