Last week I shared some of my ideas about why your kids should learn English Grammar. In case you missed it, simply click here to read my reasons for learning English grammar.
Today, I want to share a resource that is phenomenal at fulfilling the goals of making your students better communicators. It’s called Fix It! Grammar and lets your kids correct other people’s mistakes. Before I go any further, why not take a look at Fix It! Grammar .
Click here to order your copy of Fix It! Grammar
As you can tell on the video, I’m very excited about the new Fix It! Grammar books. Although I liked the original Fix-It books, these are even better. Let me share a few of my thoughts, as well as the way grammar should be used.
Before I share those thoughts, let me remind you that the reason for teaching grammar is NOT to fill out worksheets.
The reason for learning grammar is so our kids can edit their own writings. We want our students to be better writers, which means they must be able to edit their writings well.
So, let’s see how we can accomplish that awesome goal . . .
It’s actually ingenuous . . . successfully learn grammar in only 15 minutes a day!
Students hunt for and correct errors in daily passages that cumulatively tell a story. Fix It! Grammar encourages students to apply new grammar knowledge in context, aiding in the transfer of grammar skills into their own writing. Each book in the series of six provides a full year of grammar instruction and editing practice.
Nose Tree Fix It! has been perfect for a gentle introduction to writing and grammar. The instructions are so complete and easy to follow, the passages just the right length. [My daughter] loves learning the new words and is especially excited when she figures out the meaning of one before we look it up in the dictionary.
This is not a traditional grammar program, so it will not feel as if you are really learning grammar. Instead, you and your students will be internalizing the tools necessary for editing their own compositions, which is the main goal of grammar.
By modeling proper grammar within stories. Kids see grammar used in real life literature. It’s the perfect compliment to Charlotte Mason‘s philosophy of “real life learning”.
On the other hand, the traditional method of teaching grammar presents a grammar rule and students apply it in a series of contrived exercises. When that grammar rule is learned, another is taught and practiced in the same manner.
But this traditional approach to teaching grammar does NOT work.
It’s contrived. It’s not real-life writing.
The grammar involved in real-life sentences is usually much more complicated than what’s found in grammar exercise books, so students are often unable to edit their own work.
Fix It! Grammar overcomes these difficulties by teaching grammar at the point of need. Instead of a page full of grammar exercises, students will tackle real-life sentences with limited instruction. Then, students will learn to think about their writing & incrementally learn how to apply grammar rules to written work.
Most of all, it is the daily practice in editing that helps instill the habit of editing anything they write.
We’ve been using the Robin Hood Fix It! and I absolutely love it. Learning how to identify parts of speech within a constructed sentence aids tremendously in understanding the function of each part.
Click here to order your copy of Fix It! Grammar
How can homeschool moms & classroom teachers
successfully “teach” grammar with Fix It! Grammar?
For this to work, moms & teachers need to approach this book as a series of modeling exercises. I would discuss each rule as it is presented, and then model for your kids how to label the sentences and make the corrections. As your kids gain confidence, they’ll often complete the labels and corrections accurately, but that’s not always the case.
The Teachers Manual includes specific instructions on how to teach grammar concepts & how to set up the student’s grammar notebook with tabs & sub-sections. You’ll also find helps so your kids can edit their own writings. And, isn’t that the grand purpose of teaching grammar?
Consider that mistakes are an opportunity to learn.
If your students mismark a word or miss a correction, LAUGH! You read that right . . . don’t lecture them or scold them for making a mistake.
Show them what they missed, revisit the grammar rule involved, and encourage them that they can catch it next time.
After all, EVERYONE needs an EDITOR. Even professional writers and editors miss errors.
The important thing is to understand the process and catch as much as you can. Knowing the reasons behind the fixes will make your students much better editors in the long run, and you’ll also gain the expertise to evaluate your students’ papers better when they are older.
The Process: 15 Minutes a Day
Each Fix It! Grammar book provides 33 weeks of grammar instruction & practice. You should spend about 15 minutes a day, 4 days a week.
Adapting Fix-It:
If you are using it with an older student, the book might be completed in a semester by doubling up the weeks.
If you are using this course with a writing class that meets weekly, we recommend having each family purchase the teacher’s manual. Ask the parents to go over the passages at home with their children. That frees you up to focus on just some of the concepts so it does not take up too much class time.
Click here to order your copy of Fix It! Grammar
Everything you need for your students to learn grammar in 15 minutes a day.
- Get Ready: Prep Work
- Learn It: Weekly steps to teach grammar concepts & review previously learned concepts
- Fix It: Discussion notes to explain fixes, as you discuss the grammar involved
- Rewrite: Key to your students success.
- Pacing: Adjust the pace of teaching as needed
- Grammar Glossary
- Grading: Tips to help you grade each passage
- Where to Find Help: This may be the scope & sequence at the back of the book or watching the online workshop FixIt!
- Learn It – Teachers & students read through this together. Teachers manual includes extra information here.
- Fix It – This is the work your students will do
- Read the sentence
- Look up any vocabulary
- Day 1 teacher helps you fix the first passage
- Days 2-4 Students work on their own
- Rewrite the passage correctly (KEY)
When you invest in any Fix It! Grammar Teacher Manual, you’ll receive these bonuses from us.
BONUSES:
- FREE Shipping when you order here
- Digital Student Manual so you can print what you need for your IMMEDIATE FAMILY. If you would like us to print your student manuals, you can order Student Manuals right here. (Scroll down)
- Mastery Learning e-audio
- But…But…But…What About Grammar? e-audio
- Bonus Appendix – Your bonus appendix comes with tons of extra helps so you don’t have to research lots of different books, guides or websites to help your students write correctly. The appendices include:
– Grammar & Mechanic Rules (Punctuation, Grammar)
– Excellence in Writing Style Techniques (Dress-Ups, Sentence Openers, Advanced Style)
– Abbreviation List
– Proofreading Symbols
– Sample of Student Work
– Index of Grammar Explanations in Fix-It
Let me summarize . . . how does it work?
Learn it: Explore a grammar concept.
Fix it: Locate and fix errors in four short passages a week.
Discuss it: Explore how the grammar applies to the passage.
I incorporated ‘Frog Prince’ into my English 2 (7th-8th grade) curriculum this past year upon the recommendation of a fellow teacher. Any hesitancy I may have felt at the outset quickly turned to joyful amazement.
In the end…why choose Fix It! Grammar instead of a traditional grammar course?
Grammar is taught in context.
Repetition ensures mastery.
Editing skills transfer better to writing.
And I believe it’s a perfect compliment to Charlotte Mason, Classical or Leadership Education
Go ahead and grab your Fix It! Grammar by clicking here. If you want your child to take a placement test, you can get one here.
Question: How do your kids learn English grammar? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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