A few times a year I get anxious over what we are doing. Today is my first for this school year. I suddenly became very concerned over my 2nd grade son's grammar. In my head, I know it's silly. He is doing great and learns anything dealing with reading and writing quickly and easily. Still, I'm anxious. We are using Daily Grammar for grade 2. I know that most everyone I've heard of using this uses it as a review for their third grader. I just get this sinking feeling that he is somehow going to be "behind" next year even though he is "ahead" now. I am afraid that it isn't enough. I've spent all morning researching (again) other grammar options. Ack! I need to settle down before I buy an unnecessary grammar workbook out of fear instead of need. Someone remind me that I'm not ruining my kid for life. :shock::roll:
You are not ruining your kid for life! There, is that better? Seriously, I think we are trying to put "grammar" into our children's schooling before they are really ready to process and remember it. If your son is doing well with reading and writing, then he is learning the grammar he needs to have now. Adding in the Daily Grammar is probably more than enough for his age. Don't stress! MT3
My opinion on grammar is totally colored by my own school experience, so here it is: Grammar isn't an infinite subject. I learned almost none until 6th grade, then we moved. And.. that was all the true 'grammar' I ever learned. I don't remember learning all the tiny bits I'm teaching my ds now separately. For instance, learning run-ons and fragments was just part of our regular papers. No one ever taught it - we were just told it WAS a run-on or a fragment and we needed to fix it. I learned it just fine. Now I HAVE taught it separately to my son because his writing is stunted (long story), and every tiny piece of mechanics he learns gives him the confidence and framework to write from (as an example, while learning about fragments, he amused himself by writing sentences in his journal and then turning them into fragments LOL). We'll see if I bother with my second grader who has a natural talent for turning a phrase on paper. My kids will probably never know all the ins and outs of grammar beyond basics- that isn't my goal. I want effective writers, so that's what I will teach. But that's just MY goal for my kids. I want to teach my kids the feel of a good sentence: how it flows, how it tastes. I think much of grammar is like learning all about flour before baking bread. I don't care if my kids know how the flour was ground or the process. Instead, I want them to know what good bread tastes like. LOL, I hope that makes sense! Anyway, you teach your kids what and when you think they need to know it. It honestly doesn't matter how I teach mine, or how anyone else does. If you feel he needs grammar now, by all means teach it But I will tell you from my point of view, too much writing instruction for ds in second grade killed his natural creativity in that area. It's been two years and he STILL struggles to get anything creative on paper, and he despises me writing comments (even positive ones) on anything he's written. In our case, if the ps teacher had done NOTHING to teach writing in 2nd, it would have been much kinder and he would be further ahead now.
Oh (((HUGS)))) take a deep breathe. Smile and say all is going well. Remember every child is different and they do everything different. I am sure everything is fine.
Grammar is one area where I tell people not to worry about being 'ahead' or 'behind.' I taught it professionally for 5 years. The core of grammar lessons doesn't really change from year to year. For example, when I taught 7th and 8th grade English, the only change--- seriously, you could set the books side-by-side--- was the inclusion of gerunds in the verbals section. In 7th grade, they learned participles and infinitives; in 8th, they added gerunds. That was it. After 8th grade, the grammar was exactly the same for grades 9 through 12. Honestly, there's a reason for the repetition. Kids simply rarely 'get' it all the first go-round. So, each year, they 'get' a bit more. I had students that struggled desperately with an idea in 8th grade who finally got the lightbulb moment in the 9th. So, don't sweat grammar too much...at least, in being concerned that you're missing something. Trust me. It will repeat, and it won't matter what curriculum you use.
I looked into a grammar program I liked and I couldn't find it for the 3rd or 4th grade level. Then I found out that this particular program didn't even start till 6th grade! I realized that's probably not a bad idea. So really, you have nothing to worry about. He will absorb proper grammar by hearing it in read-alouds and by just using it. I loved the way Meghan put it. I agree with her completely. Shelley makes a good point too. It's not like grammar gets progressively harder or anything. There's only so much grammar you can learn. Over doing it may cause burn-out.
Thank you all! I knew I was being silly but it really helps to hear others agree. He is definitely not overwhelmed with grammar and actually likes it. However, you all have helped me realize that if, in the future, he does get overwhelmed, I can just put it away. Thank you for helping put this in perspective. I don't want to become one of those moms who pushes her kids too much and sucks all of the joy out of learning.
