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Red Cardigan
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| Posted: May 29 2008 at 11:53am | IP Logged
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Help! I've been using the old "Voyages in English" books that OLV sells for grammar ever since first grade. After about fifth grade, though, the concepts seem to get more and more abstract and difficult, and my two older girls have been struggling all year to pass the quizzes etc. I'm thinking that maybe a different approach would work better, especially for my oldest DD who sometimes has trouble just remembering the parts of speech, let alone being able to pick out an adverbial clause and tell which word in the main portion of the sentence it modifies. 
Can anyone recommend a good junior high grammar program that I could use to replace "Voyages" from about sixth to eighth grade? Does anyone have experience with "grammar-frazzled" children, who has found a user-friendly, nonthreatening program that works to teach the basic parts of speech and principles of good English composition without expecting seventh graders to be able to do near-college level work???
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folklaur
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Just for grammar? Easy Grammar. Simple, straightforward. We started using it when it was suggested by St Thomas Aquinas.
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Red Cardigan
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Laura, that looks interesting--but I'm having trouble finding books for seventh and eighth grade. Does anybody know of a grammar program other than "Voyages in English" that goes up to eighth grade?
TIA! 
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folklaur
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The Easy Grammar Plus book (used after EG6) is considered for junior high - adult.
And...um, what about Warriner's? Doesn't Seton sell them?
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margot helene
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I looked at Analytical Grammar at a conference once and thought it was a really doable program. You take two years to complete it. Other families I know really like Shurley Grammar and Caught ya Grammar (can't remember if that is the right title).
Margot
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folklaur
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margot helene wrote:
Caught ya Grammar (can't remember if that is the right title).
Margot |
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Oh, oh! Yes! Grammar with a Giggle is the series. My oldest dd used that for a year in High School. She thought it was fun (but it could be tough too.)
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Red Cardigan
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| Posted: May 29 2008 at 4:23pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for these recommendations! I'll look into them all. We just need to do something different--I usually like textbook approaches, but I think the thing I'm finding so hard about VOE is that it's so obviously geared toward a traditional classroom.
Thanks again! 
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Willa
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Red Cardigan wrote:
Thanks for these recommendations! I'll look into them all. We just need to do something different--I usually like textbook approaches, but I think the thing I'm finding so hard about VOE is that it's so obviously geared toward a traditional classroom.
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So true. It is meant to be used as a source and teacher's help, I think, not a self-study course. The tests often don't even cover the same material as the exercises do.
One year, I used Seton's Voyages in English workbook as a supplement for the regular VIE. The trouble was that it was really easy for my son to figure out the "trick" and then simply coast through the page, with no real permanent benefit.
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KackyK
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I have used Shurley English and although not necessarily user-friendly in that you can not just hand the child the book, it has been incredibly effective!!! My oldest ds was having a hard time so I started with this and while he was taking his CAT for the county this week, I heard him using his "helps" that he practices over and over through the year, to answer the grammar questions on the test.
If you use Shurely just for the grammar (and mechanics lessons are good too) and cut out the vocabulary and the writing assignments, it'll only take you, mom, about 10-15 minutes (once you get the rhythm of it) to sit with the child and go over the "jingles" and lesson. Then there are some practice sentences/exercises they do on their own, which have never seemed to take more than 5 minutes on their own.
(Oh and don't be turned off the idea of jingles. My dc thought they were goofy at first, but got over it really quickly. And we switched to saying them like how you'd recite a poem)
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So Blessed
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I've yet to meet a person who has used, enjoyed, and actually learned from Voyages 7! I was an English major and I couldn't get rid of my copy fast enough.  We used Easy Grammar Plus and IEW in jr. high with great success. We'll be doing Warriner's 3rd course for 9th grade next year and I'm so excited.
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Red Cardigan
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So Blessed wrote:
| I've yet to meet a person who has used, enjoyed, and actually learned from Voyages 7! I was an English major and I couldn't get rid of my copy fast enough. We used Easy Grammar Plus and IEW in jr. high with great success. We'll be doing Warriner's 3rd course for 9th grade next year and I'm so excited. |
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This is so good to hear! I'm an English major too and thought I could handle Voyages--but seventh grade caused a shipwreck.
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Willa
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So Blessed wrote:
| I've yet to meet a person who has used, enjoyed, and actually learned from Voyages 7! |
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You know, VIE 8 almost seemed easier to use in some ways than 7, with a nice diagramming section. Anyone else had that experience?
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MarilynW
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Oh no! I had planned on using Setons Voyages and the Excercises in English for my Grade 7 dd next year? We only do grammar in alternate years - and this seemed the best option.
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10 Bright Stars
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Anyone have any comments about Writing and Grammar, the new program put out by Saxon?
Thanks..
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mariB
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I've used Voyages in English 7 twice but I always used grade 7 for eighth grade. My son skipped over to Seton's 9th grade Grammar and Composition class and did just fine.
I was not going to use it anymore. My two boys now take Latin and they are doing really well with the grammar part of it. I made a comment to the boys on how Latin has made grammar so clear.
My oldest said, "Mom, it's the other way around. Grammar has made my Latin understanding of grammar stronger." I said, "What?" You mean Voyages?" And he said, "Yes, Voyages. And, Mom, you should use it with all of the kids." I was really surprised!
Ah...insights from our children. Was using Voyages 7 easy? Nope. But I admit that some of the concepts I skipped over  but made sure the kids understood certain concepts like tenses and appositives...which are used in Latin.
BTW, I really like Warriner's Third course especially that chapter on sentences!
Totally understand why anyone would not want to use Voyages. We have also used Easy Grammar too and it really helped with using voyages. I love the concept of crossing out prepositional phrases and going from there.
blessings,
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mariB
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Oh, and I meant to say that we did Voyages ALL orally!
They wrote in other subjects.
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Red Cardigan
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mariB wrote:
Oh, and I meant to say that we did Voyages ALL orally!
They wrote in other subjects. |
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Okay, now that's interesting. I think the part of the book my dd hates the most is the back "hard grammar" section with the corresponding workbook exercises.
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catholicmomma
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I go from Easy Grammar to Warriner's 1st course in 6th or 7th grade. I'm interested in Seton's new 7th grade English, which supposedly will have lots of diagramming in it (comes out in July). I'm planning on having my workshop students diagram sentence patterns every week this year; it will facilitate their mastery of sentence parts - all very logical (I hope).
This is perfect time to combine grammar with writing! Teach phrases and clauses by identifying them from their literature reading first, but THEN have them write their own complex or compound-complex sentences. You can switch clauses around to find the best flow, voice, mood, etc. Too much fun.
Wish there were a textbook for it!
Lisa B in Oh
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Mare
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This was very informative. I was thinking of using Voyages in English for 6th grade next year. I think I'll look into Easy Grammar instead.
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aforb001
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Haven't used this myself, but how about Lingua Mater? CHC uses it for 6th and 7th gr. It seems a more gentle approach.
Adele
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Drowning in "Voyages in English"
