Grammar Ace

Description

Comprehensive, concise, conceptual and captivating (thanks to the use of video), this middle school grammar course utilizes Schoolhouse Rock grammar songs and combines them with practice and application exercises. Covering all the basics - parts of speech, types of sentences, types of paragraphs, clauses, and phrases, as well as related topics such as person, verb tense, appositives, and voice this course is user-friendly, providing just the right amount of teacher support, an effective use of student worksheets, and memorable video that delivers engaging audio-visual reinforcement. The Instructor's Manual is the coordinating heart of the program with each of the 36 lessons following the same pattern. Starting with a grammatical fact definition (what is a pronoun?), there are usually several paragraphs of teaching instruction covering various aspects of grammatical usage followed by a quick "In A Nutshell" section that summarizes the teaching. Reinforcement activities for each lesson include a Schoolhouse Rock video, brief instructions for the two corresponding Workbook pages (answers included in the IM), and several games or activities. For instance, in the first lesson on Pronouns, there are directions for Pronoun Concentration and A Penny for a Pronoun. There's a fair amount of variety in the consumable Student Workbook activity sheets but not a huge amount of "busy work"; activities seem purposeful and helpful. Workbook is reproducible for family use. Yes, you might have heard of Schoolhouse Rock, a Disney production delivering animation and songs that correspond to the different grammatical concepts and are integrated into the Grammar Ace lessons. The Grammar Ace package includes all three Instructor's Manual, Student Workbook and the Schoolhouse Rock DVD.  December 2023 update: Please note that the DVD is now discontinued and we will only have inventory while it lasts. However, you can typically find most of the Schoolhouse Rock videos on YouTube. You can either purchase a license to download the videos for a small fee, or locate free versions to watch by searching for a specific song. ~ Janice

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.