Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

[sarah_smile07]

Ah yes... diagramming! It has been a couple of years (20+!) since I last diagrammed a sentence, but I can remember enjoying it back in elementary school. (Yes, I was one of those kids! )

We just bought R&S 5 for my sixth grader (to go w/RtR), & I see that there is some sentence diagramming in it. It's been so long that I need a refresher, & my son has never diagrammed a sentence. We do not own any other R&S levels. Is there a free site, or a book that I can get from the library, that can catch us up to the level 5 work? I don't want to skip it throughout the rest of the books, but I also think that jumping right in without some background info seems a little too confusing.

Thanks!!

[StephanieU]

Honestly, I would purchase Rod and Staff 4 and use that. Then do Level 5 in 7th grade and Level 6 in 8th grade. Level 3 starts diagramming, but Level 4 seems to repeat all of the basics.

[momxnine]

I'm also one of the "crazies" who love diagramming. We're in R & S 6 and there is a lot in it. My son knows the basics but was getting stuck as we got towards the later lessons, so we've gone back to the beginning as of a couple of days ago and we're marching through making sure he's understanding all the concepts. I also had to refresh my own mind as to why the slanted line versus the straight line for the direct objects.

I think all of the R & S books give a review just adding a few more elements with each grade.

[LovingJesus]

I think you will actually be OK starting in R&S 5. It will help though if he has some grammar background. The R&S web-site suggests starting with 5 for anyone past grade 5 and starting with R&S grammar.

My ds11 has done books 2, 3, 4, & is now almost 1/2 way through level 5. Level 5, for him, has honestly been a breeze because he remembers levels 2, 3, & 4 and the first 1/2 of level 5 has been a review of those first 3 books. In fact, the diagramming 1/2 way through level 5 is easier than what he was doing towards the end of level 4. It has been good to review and see how much he has retained, but I can see why R&S says that older students can start with level 5. It is obviously moving through the material more quickly than the lower levels, but I think he will be fine. The first few lessons on diagramming in level 5 really went back to the basics almost as if they had never had it before. Whatever, grammar he has had though will be helpful for him.

Rod and Staff is so beautifully clear in their explanations of grammar and thorough that I think you will like it. I know we do!

P.S. I just noticed in your signature your son is age 10. At age 10, without having used R&S previously, like the others I would recommend R&S 4.

[Nealewill]

Has your son completed much grammar in the past? If not, then I would probably start with Level 4. I know R&S does recommend using R&S 5 if your child is starting the R&S series in 5th grade. But I also know my kids and know that they would appreciate some hand holding when it comes to this. HOD actually schedules level 4 to be completed over CTC and R2R anyway. My oldest is starting R2R next year and she will be finishing the 2nd half of the R&S 4 book anyway. If you started your child in 4 and completed it over a year, that would put him in 5 when get to RevtoRev anyway. That would then put you right on the same schedule as their frame of completing R&S 6 by the end of 8th grade. And then using R&S 7 & 8 for high school. And I next year my dd will 6th grade too completing half of book 4. There is a lot of meat in each book and a lot of repeating practice. The lessons go super fast - we do quite a bit orally. I think you and your son might appreciate the ease of doing R&S 4 personally and saving 5 for the following year. What are you thoughts? Also - R&S 4 has a lot of writing intermingled with it. My dd has found some nice helps and balance by using it.