Rod and Staff Grammar--Oral or Written?

[MommyInTraining]

Hi Ladies,

I have my 3rd grader in R&S 2 to try to make sure that she has a good foundation. We are still in Unit one and the information is very basic for her so I have just been having her do it on her own without writing anything. I am wondering how long I should let her go before requiring her to start writing it out. Any suggestions?

How many others of you use it orally as opposed to written?

Thanks!

[my3sons]

Hi Terri - glad you're back! I would still have her write a portion of it each day right away, because R & S teaches dc to apply their grammar within writing, and that can't be learned if she's not writing. I remember reading in a previous post that you're getting started now after a change in your year - if you wanted to double up a few lessons a day to catch up, you probably could, but writing even a bit each day teaches grammar within writing which is a key part of the learning in R & S.

In Christ,
Julie

[Kathleen]

We are doing R&S 2 this year and I have my ds write one section of the work. Sometimes I choose it, sometimes he does. The rest we do orally. So, for example, if the writing part we choose asks for complete sentences I usually have him write about 5 of them. If it's a section asking for a correct word to complete the sentence and the word is all they're asked to write, he usually does about 10. We use a small white board for his written portion. For some reason this is a special treat and sped up our writing portion incredibly! (However, our markers all seem to have rum out of ink simultaneously, and he's writing on normal paper just fine without complaint. )

Kathleen

[netpea]

We do grammar orally. I did however get the worksheets for R&S 3 and my son fills them in. He is doing fine with dictation and handwriting, and we do poetry and bible copywork in startwrite, so I don't make him write his grammar.

[marypoppins]

We do about half of each lesson orally and half written daily. At this early stage (3rd grade), I'm almost inclined to do more oral work because I think it's so very important for dc to have a solid foundation regarding what correct grammar *sounds* like.

[abtowell]

I have done R&S grammar for 4 years now. I do a little of both all the time. My 3rd grade boys make study cards because they have trouble memorizing things like helping verbs and such. They also write how to on the card such as on the direct object card it says, Direct Object- a noun that receives the action. Then under it they write only sentences with action verbs have direct objects. to find the direct object say the simple subject and simple predicate togther and then ask who? or what? Ususally this info is in bold print in the lesson or in a little remember box. They can keep the cards with them when they work on their own. I only take them away for the test. I also use the worksheets for extra cursive. They have to do the WS in cursive. For the lessons I have them write sentences or diagram but if it's choose a word or something we do it orally. When they did R&S 2 I did half and half. I would say if 1-5 was right then they could do 5-10 orally as incentive. I still do this alot, even thoguh Grade 3 has more writing. My fifth grader does the lesson orally that are more of review form the previous years that she remembers and then if it's a new concept we write. She never had to make cards though because she always remember the info on her own.
Hope that helps.

[dale1088]

I do a lot of it orally too. I just started Bigger and R&S 2 a couple of weeks ago and wasn't sure if I should start her out (3rd grade) in 2 or 3 since I was pulling her from public school. So we are flying through the beginning of R&S 2 doing a lot of it orally, and will slow down to doing more written when she gets to material that is new to her. I think we are both looking forward to getting to new material and something that's a little more challenging. meanwhile it's good review!

[paliz]

My son is not big on writing so our deal is that on days he has dictation we just do that orally but on days he doesn't he has to do the writing. It's a really good balance for use.

[momof2n2]

We are using Bigger and R&S 3 for my third grade, language-arts-minded son.
We only do written when there is a bit of a struggle, or every once in a while we will diagram a few sentences for review.
We always do the worksheet as called for. That has been enough for us.
I LOVE ROD AND STAFF! ♥