Easy Grammar - Grade 1: An Easy Grammar Systems Review

Grammar is the kind of subject that a lot of people remember learning at some point, but that doesn't mean it stuck.  If you're like me, maybe you know what sounds right, but the details and rules of why are a little blurry.  The company behind today's review has designed their products for mastery learning - meaning you should expect it to stick!  Easy Grammar Systems, authored by Wanda C. Phillips, came from a teacher's experience in the classroom that just wasn't cutting it and prompted her to utilize a different way to teach grammar.  As a result we have Easy Grammar Systems and today we are getting to talk about Easy Grammar:  Grade 1.

 

What We Received:

We were given one soft-covered book, Easy Grammar Grade 1 - the Teacher Edition.  The book is divided into three sections.  The first section is Scope and Sequence that includes notes and suggestions for each day.  The second section is the student section with 180 pages of reproducible worksheets.  The last section is the Answer Key for all of the worksheets.

How It Works:

With 180 pages of worksheets, it is clearly designed for a complete school year.  Each daily lesson is 5-10 minutes of teacher led instruction and student practice.  However, within the Scope and Sequence it isolates different elements and indexes them for you as well.  For example, if you wanted to brush up on commas, all of the lessons and their various uses are listed for you.  Each lesson includes Capitalization, Punctuation, and Grammar principles and often revisits what was introduced the day before.  Since this is the Teacher's Edition, I do make a copy of the day's student worksheet.  If that is more time consuming than you would like, they do offer consumable student workbooks as well.

What We Thought:

While these lessons are very short and straight forward, if you are looking for something to teach itself, this might not be for you.  Sometimes I would print off a page and just tell my first grader to follow the instructions, but other times I would introduce each element before asking her to do anything.  Regardless of how I approached it, she usually had questions that required me to explain something.  So, it's not a hands-off program, but the book goes over and above to prepare the teacher  for all that will be required of them.

We really enjoyed the simplicity of this program.  As you have seen, the worksheets are nothing fancy, but the content is direct and short.  With every day reinforcing similar concepts in slightly altered ways, there was nothing burdensome about any of it.  My first grader felt confident and I was comforted that she was grasping some important concepts - especially as a foundation for the future.   Easy Grammar is an easy addition to any curriculum that ensures these important concepts are introduced and mastered.

Easy Grammar Systems on Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EasyGrammarSystems/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Easygrammar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/easygrammarsystems/

The Review Crew looked at several products at various grade levels so make sure to check out the rest of the reviews if you are looking for something other than 1st grade.

Prima Latina: A Memoria Press Latin Program Review

As a parent and a teacher, I vacillate between a bookworm nerd and a tree hugging hippie on a good day.  I want my children to excel in everything, but also be well-rounded enough that they can sit in the woods and never tire of the view.  It's a balance, I suppose.  Before I started homeschooling, the idea of learning Latin seemed too much, even for my nerdy side. However, last year when we reviewed one of  Memoria Press' Spelling programs, I was introduced to their Latin program and how perfectly normal parents were diving headlong into it! With a little digging I found out some interesting information that made me jump at the chance to review Prima Latina: An Introduction Christian Latin.

The idea of learning Latin always seemed like something you do in a boarding school or college, but Memoria Press' approach is designed for any age and begins as young as 1st - 4th grade elementary students.  Proponents of learning Latin are quick to point out the many English words rooted in Latin as well as the many professions where a knowledge of Latin is extremely useful, if not required.  As my kids enter the realms of literature and history, a good appreciation of the Roman Empire and language would be such a blessing.

What We Received:

Prima Latina is the introductory level of Latin.  We received the complete set which includes a Teacher's Manual, a Student Book, DVDs of video lessons, a Pronunciation CD, and a set of flash cards.

There are 25 lessons and each one is divided into the following sections:

• Review Exercises
• Lesson-Specific Questions
• Translate
• Speaking Latin
• Write and Learn
• Fun Practice
• Latin Songs

The design of the program is for parents/teachers completely new to Latin so there is no prior experience needed.  The video lessons walk student and teacher through each lesson  The Teacher's Manual provides the Student Book view with answers printed in as well as a Vocabulary Index, Teaching Guidelines, reproducible drills, tests and answer keys in the back.

How We Used the Program:

My son (8) is the one who used the workbook, but my daughter (5) tagged along especially for the videos.  At first I attempted to do one lesson at a time or somehow make it consistent, but it quickly became a source of contention.  Some days we could do several pages, other days (depending on where it fell) one page was more than anyone could handle.  So my approach became one of compromise.  Every time we sat down, I would set a goal of getting to a particular page or section and that worked pretty well.

After we got the hang of things, I could turn on the video and go attend other things for a short while.  For my learning and their comprehension it works better if I have heard/seen what they have, but for students who are engaged and able to work independently, it does not mandate full supervision.  Depending on my (almost) 2 year old, I would pop in and out, giving help where needed.  While there is time built in to the videos for writing answers in the Student Book, my son would sometimes miss things so we would sit down afterwards and go over those to complete it.

The Pronunciation CD and flashcards are not required to complete the Student Book, but extremely helpful in reinforcing the concepts presented in the videos.  The CD includes a pronunciation guide, prayers, and songs that provide a full picture of the language and is a great refresher anytime.  I like being able to put the CD on - even when we're not focusing on Latin - to get the words and pronunciations into their minds even when they aren't thinking about it. The flashcards are fun to just give the kids and let them test each other. The flashcards contain all the Latin words learned in Prima Latina, but also words in the next level, Latina Christiana so they are a good lasting resource.  Memoria Press does a really good job of teaching through all of the learning styles and engaging multiple senses. 

What We Thought:

As long as we didn't always do a ton of pages, the kids never really complained and were happy to tell Mr. Butler the words they learned at the dinner table.  I appreciate that it introduces/reinforces grammar in the midst of all the vocabulary, in addition to the many opportunities for reinforcement.  There are naysayers out there that consider learning Latin a fool's errand, but I tend to reside somewhere in the middle.  I can see how one can become a productive fruitful human being without it, but I also can see how it can bring a deeper perspective to so many things while exercising mental acuity as well.  Learning it in this manner (in conjunction with grammar and with audio/video elements) while they are young just makes it so easy that I'm definitely a big fan!

Follow Memoria Press on Social Media:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/memoriapress/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MemoriaPress    Tag: @MemoriaPress   
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/memoriapress/       
Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/memoriapress/    Tag: @memoriapress

The Homeschool Review Crew tried out several other products including all levels of their Latin program, First Start Reading, and several Poetry books.  Don't forget to read some of their reviews through the link below to get a well-rounded perspective on Latin or some of these other products!

Paddington Bear: A Branch Out World Review

My son (age 7) always gets extra chatty at bedtime.  So much so that I had to limit him to 2 or 3 questions so good night didn't last 30 minutes.  Lately, his questions have been a lot of 'How is this made?' or "What makes that work?' and honestly I don't know the answers without googling it or asking their dad.  The result is we both learn a lot together.  As they state on their website, my latest review, Paddington Bear from Branch Out World is designed For Families That Love Learning Together.  It is so easy to get caught up in the typical school paradigm where a teacher teaches the information they have already learned, but sooner or later real homeschooling involves learning with each other and from each other.  Curiosity breeds new questions and new questions bring new perspectives to consider and before you know it your adventure is quite different than you expected.  I am not an expert in all subjects that my children will learn so some days we will all learn who invented baseball or what a hydrapult is together. 

Branch Out World is a company based in the UK that was started by a homeschool family looking to share great literature with other families.  Not having any experience with a UK company, this curriculum was enjoyable and educational.  There were a few differences in the language that I had to explain, but nothing hindered us in any way.  Paddington Bear is a literature-based unit study from the Picture Book Explorers series that Branch Out World puts out.   It comes in digital format and includes instructions for over 30 activities, with 45 pages of printables like notebook pages, flags, maps, and minibooks.   There are also extra resources listed that could complement the study like various books on Peru and Paddington videos.  With so many possible activities, the study includes a lot of different subjects, including:

• History & Geography
• Creative Writing
• Art
• Science (Migration!)
• Grammar & Vocabulary
• Architecture & Design
• Math

The significant thing about reading stories together is that often there are multiple layers and several details that go unnoticed at first.  Upon the first reading of Paddington, no one remembered that the country of Peru was even mentioned!  This was a great opportunity to dive into places (England & Peru) we weren't very familiar with.  The study is divided into 5 sections:

• Day 1 – Exploring the Setting (History and Geography)
• Day 2 – Exploring the Words (Grammar & Writing) 
• Day 3 – Exploring the Pictures 
• Day 4 – Exploring Science (Animals & Experiments)
• Day 5 – Exploring Maths, Crafts and More

All activities are left open to exploring further if you choose and also stand alone for when you want to pick and choose certain ones and not others.  You are encouraged to record notes on your adventure in some way, like making a lap book or keeping a journal. It's a very flexible plan with multiple variations possible.  The intended age for this study is 5-10 years old.

When everything a child is learning reinforces or connects back together in some way, it really does stick with them much longer.  Branch Out World has done for us what many of us dream about doing, but don't get around to - beautifully weave subjects and lessons together where everyone is learning.  One of my favorite topics brought out in this study was migration and push/pull factors.  It was a subject we hadn't discussed together yet and taught me a few things I had never considered before.

Branch Out World did a great job with this study and we found it to be a perfect change of pace that proved to be very fruitful!  Check out all they have to offer by following them on social media.

Follow Branch Out World: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BranchOutWorld    @BranchOutWorld
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/belzibow   @belzibow
Instagram: www.instagram.com/belzibow   @belzibow
Twitter: www.twitter.com/belzibow  @belzibow

Grammar and Writing 3: A Hake Publishing Review

As we all know, how we speak and write effects so many things in our life.  Poor grammar at best suggests ignorance.  Weak writing skills implies that you don't care enough to do better.  Those may not be truths, but they are stereotypes our children may fall into.  That's why, if you will have a 3rd grader in the next few years, you might be interested in this review of Hake/Saxon Grammar and Writing 3 from Hake Publishing.  Starting around 2nd and 3rd grade, it can be really important to lay the groundwork for good language skills through reading and writing.  Finding the best curriculum for your child in this subject is so important which is why I'm thankful we're able to try this one out. What We Received:

• Grammar and Writing 3 with Daily Review Teacher Guide - Answer Keys and Tests - This includes a complete schedule for entire curriculum, a script of instruction for every lesson, tests (for reproducing) and answer keys.
• Grammar and Writing 3 with Daily Review Consumable Textbook - This student book includes grammar meetings, daily lessons, and review sets that cover punctuation, parts of speech, spelling rules, dictionary skills and diagramming sentences.
• Grammar and Writing 3 Writing Workbook - This includes corresponding lessons that highlight sentence composing and reinforces journal writing.

The Daily/Weekly Routine

Each lesson is intended to be done in order because everything builds on and reinforces what has already been taught.  Every lesson begins with a Grammar Meeting question that students are encouraged to discuss and answer in their journals (2-3 minutes).  Next is a Vocabulary discussion usually involving the Latin root and definition(2-3 minutes).  The Lesson portion of the day introduces a new concept and then works through several examples and practice questions (10-15 minutes). Finally, students are expected to work through a Review Set which includes sentence completion, fill in the blank and punctuation correction (20-30 minutes).  Tests are given every 5 lessons or so and instead of a lesson that day, students are to do a lesson out of the Writing Workbook. 

What We Thought

My only experience with Saxon products was from seeing the books my brother brought home from (public) school.  Up until this point I had not used them in a homeschool capacity.  The way the teacher's guide and schedule lines out the lessons, it really takes the prep time right out of this subject.  That is a nice bonus especially when you are teaching multiple ages.  The one thing that doesn't generally fit for homeschool students is the Grammar Meeting's expectation to listen to other students and their answers.  The guide doesn't make any reference to the possibility of their only being one or two students when this is being taught.  It is easily adapted, but the system they suggest doesn't acknowledge anything of that sort.  The Review Sets are really important and useful especially for those students who just want to get things over with.  It varies enough and provides adequate practice opportunities so that it isn't easily dismissed and keeps them challenged. 

Overall, the curriculum is very well put together and everything is synchronized. I love the writing element that is interwoven, especially with the grammar meeting questions and time spent in the journals.  If you're in the market, add Hake Publishing to your list of companies to consider!