Need some ideas

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by chicamarun, Apr 30, 2013.

  1. chicamarun

    chicamarun New Member

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    So my 17 year old (11th grade "technically") really has no firm grasp of English. Seriously - she was in public school since she was 10 (when she came here to the US)..... we were blessed with her 4 years ago...... she had to stay in PS until we adopted her (which finally occurred this past July)... and now that she has come home, the deficiencies are really showing up.

    This is a big one. I think she is reading and comprehending on a 4th maybe 5th grade level. She can do the work just fine.... and does well with all her subjects really. But I assigned a book report as a test run for all the kids (see who actually read the book and finished the assignment)

    Her book was Part I of "The Jungle Book"..... she said the vocabulary was very difficult and hard to understand.

    So we are giving her a pretty easy book next time to help boost her confidence.

    However, I need some ideas to help boost her vocabulary knowledge. On paper she is supposed to graduate next year - but she was a desire to go to college - and honestly - I doubt she could make it through a college English course. I may even think about having her take one online so I can help her with it (yes her grammar is that bad as well)....

    So I need some ideas - she is working through CLP grade 4-5 of Language Arts for the grammar part (learning nouns etc)
     
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  3. mykidsrock

    mykidsrock New Member

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    Don't panic! It's a very common problem. Just keep encouraging and teaching... she'll come along.
     
  4. chicamarun

    chicamarun New Member

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    I know- the problem is that she turns 18 in May.... so for her it's frustrating..... I'm patient (to a degree) but she's not ;)
     
  5. crazymama

    crazymama Active Member

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    Would Analytical Grammar work for her? It can be done in a year.. but it's "tough".
     
  6. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    English from the Roots Up. It's more than a "vocabulary" book. It teaches Latin and Greek roots, so you learn to see those and have a pretty good idea of what a word means, based on that. There are other vocabulary programs based on Latin/Greek roots, too.
     
  7. chicamarun

    chicamarun New Member

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    I have a Latin/Greek Roots Unit study - maybe I'll pull that out for her... I liked it a lot and so did Jake and Alexis because you have to look up words that have that root so it made them think....

    hmmm.... maybe ALL the kids should get that.............
     
  8. homeschooler06

    homeschooler06 Active Member

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    I like the English from the Roots up too.
     
  9. Shilman

    Shilman New Member

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    Have you looked at Easy Grammar?

    Also, I found a remedial math book for 7th - 12th graders called Bridgeway Math. I ordered it from Amazon and Curriculum Express sells them. It is for older students to use independently for remedial help. I am going to have my dd work through it this summer before Algebra. I love the way it is layed out. However, they have 2 Bridgeway Grammar workbooks. One for basic grammar and one for writing. I think I am going to order the 1st grammar book for dd to use next year (9th grade) for remedial grammar. She is dyslexic and behind on grammar.(We are using IEW for writing.) I have not been able to find sample pages anywhere. It is just a thought because these math workbooks look thorough and are designed for high schoolers to work through on their own.
     
  10. chicamarun

    chicamarun New Member

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    Let me know about the Bridgeway Grammar.... I'd be curious. Some days it is so hard for even us to understand her because she speaks quickly (because she is comfortable) and her grammar and word use is sometimes WAY off.

    I wish we could have brought her home so much earlier. Her sister convinced her that doing the work I had for her over the summer wasn't "needed" and they blew it off. She needed it desperately but it was a really rough patch.

    Still working and thinking ;)
     
  11. BatmansWife

    BatmansWife New Member

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    I just heard about The Grammar Key. I wonder if that would help her? For vocab I'm going to get Marie's Words. Maybe she would like that too since it has a picture for each word.
     
  12. vantage

    vantage Active Member

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    Perhaps you could approach this with ESL materials designed for people with her primary lanquage in mind.

    I would really make sure the phonics are in place. Then spelling rules while you start grammar from the ground up. Might take a year or two but it can be done.

    Another thing to consider is taking ESL classes at a community college.
     

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