Ok so I NEED to streamline language arts for my oldest for the coming school year. Right now he does: all about spelling Scott foresman grammar and various writing activities that are included in our unit studies. The think is that I like AAS and the grammar - I think that they teach things in a straightforward, step by step manner. I think that my second son will excel with them. But with my oldest the aas seems like a joke. In two years of the program he's missed MAYBE a dozen words on the first try. He's a natural speller. I hate feeling like we're wasting time with that. And with the grammar, I don't know, I can't put my finger on it. I feel like he's doing the bare minimum to get by and not really enjoying it or necessarily retaining it. I'm thinking about going a different route with spelling with him. Maybe vocabulary words from whatever we're learning/studying at the time to learn each week. As for the grammar and writing I really want to branch out more. I would prefer to have him practice his grammar as part of our units. This coming school year we're going to be doing Road Trip USA by Erica at confessions of a homeschooler, we'll be learning about the USA and I would rather have him write in relation to that and grade his writing from that. But I guess I'm afraid I'll miss something important if I don't follow a step by step grammar program with him. He picks things up quickly, he taught himself to read at 4.5.
Ok, spelling.. if he is doing so well, maybe he doesn't need spelling? Some kids are natural spellers, Garrett always was. I just dropped doing it because it was a waste. As far as grammar and writing, I feel like I don't know enough in those subjects to go on my own and take make the lessons up from other things... sad huh? but, if you can pull it off, I say go for it! And vocab can totally come from that too!
