Giggles in the Middle

Jane Kiester (Caught Ya! Grammar with a Giggle) has now produced a book of Caught'ya stories and sentences specifically geared toward middle school students. Just like the original, students follow a humorous story and correct grammar and usage mistakes throughout. Chapters summarize the system, show how to implement and assess it, answer common questions about the Caught'ya, and list vocabulary and character names. Unlike other volumes, this book contains just one continuous story (The Bizarre Mystery of Horribly Hard Middle School) with enough sentences for each grade to last an entire school year. Errors in sentences include "basic skills" like capitalization and punctuation but also cover vocabulary words, literary devices, and writing conventions that middle school students should be perfecting at this grade level. There are 125 Caught'ya sentences each for grades 6, 7, and 8. There are also optional writing ideas for each grade level after every five Caught'ya sentences, suggestions about how to teach the skills most effectively, and midterm and final tests for each grade level. The story, and thus sentences, are geared toward students in a public school setting, but the program is great for the homeschooler too. A CD-ROM with various PDF files offers easy duplication and includes the complete, uninterrupted story in narrative form, the midterm and final exam tests, and all the Caught'ya sentences. It also includes a Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Guide that lists and explains grammar rules. For teachers and parents who want to improve student writing and editing skills and have some fun while they're doing it, this is the perfect guide. 406 pgs, pb. ~ Rachel