TOO MUCH TOO EARLY?
Formal grammar exercises were not appreciated by my younger two kids in the elementary years. It seemed counter-productive to force them into learning something they complained about bitterly and did not wholly grasp. Was the complaining due to an inability to rationalize a purpose for structured grammar exercises?
If the problem were due to premature instruction, a new grammar curriculum, as most of like to rush to, did not seem like the answer. The answer seemed to lie in the reading and writing they were doing and delaying formal grammar instruction. Grammar, after all, can be picked up organically through reading, listening to stories, certain grammar drills, and dictation. Could that suffice for the elementary years?
TIMES HAVE CHANGED
It seems that formal grammar instruction has been beefed up in the elementary grades since I was in school. I remember diagramming sentences for the first time in the 7th grade in the 70’s. It was confounding to me in that grade! After pondering about the mechanics of grammar, I now conclude that it’s a bit on the abstract side for elementary students. At least it was for my kids.
DO GRAMMAR RULES STIFLE CREATIVE EXPRESSION?
I place a lot of value in creative expression. Creativity makes a good story. It makes life fun and colorful. Could formal grammar instruction in the elementary years actually stifle the creative expression of ideas at a time when kids are particularly open-minded? I picture the bossy, rule-loving left brain overpowering the boundary-leaping creative right brain. Can the rules come later with more maturity and intellect?
SOLUTIONS FROM OTHER PARENTS
Because I needed a solution for the grammar misery, I searched the internet for testimonies about delaying grammar. Thankfully I came across posts from parents who took a big leap of faith and delayed formal grammar until the middle school years. Delaying grammar sounded scary only because that is not how it’s done today. But these parents had no regrets – they had success. I wanted to trust their stories and my own educational experience 40 some years ago.
A DELAYED GRAMMAR PLAN
For my younger two kids, I decided to delay structured grammar instruction until the 7th grade. The curriculum selected was Analytical Grammar by Robin Finley. We opted to complete the entire curriculum in one year instead of using it as recommended: yearly pulses for three years. The reason I did this was because my kids were not reviewing grammar at that point; they were learning it as a new subject. And they needed it fast to prepare for an 8th grade writing class and the ACT test which I had my kids take in the 8th grade.
RESULTS OF DELAYING GRAMMAR
Delaying formal study of grammar until the 7th grade proved to be a success. My kids learned it very quickly because they could now grasp it and they had not developed a negative attitude about it from years and years of grinding grammar exercises. The best part is that they learned it without complaining. They went on to score high in the writing area of the ACT starting in the 8th grade. One child was able to obtain a perfect writing score on the ACT in the 10th grade. Delaying formal grammar instruction until the 7th grade was not a detriment to future writing classes or standardized tests.
YEARLY GRAMMAR REVIEW
Robin Finley was quite wise when she designed Analytical Grammar. She knows that grammar rules need to be reviewed each year, so she designed this curriculum with a cheat sheet booklet for future use. In following, we use these cheat sheets every year to review for the writing section on the ACT exam. Robin Finley’s ideas about grammar depart from the norm and are ingenious. Grammar review each year in high school can contribute to the English credit needed each year.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
I have no regrets pushing out the formal study of grammar until the 7th grade. My kids learned the grammar rules rapidly and completely at that time. Their attitudes were positive through the process.
Pushing out grammar is for students who will homeschool through at least middle school. Students who plan to return to a school system before high school should stick with the grammar expectations of their schools.
Musing: a period of reflection or thought. As such this post reflects my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on the topic. The choice to home school and the methods you choose are yours to determine.