In this bundle of Using Language Well, 2nd edition, students will engage with selections from such familiar writings as Anne of Green Gables, Understood Betsy, Psalm 46, Psalm 46, and Matthew 6 (ESV). They’ll also engage with Abraham Lincoln’s letter to a soldier; Emerson’s Concord Hymn; and Hawthorne’s short story, King Midas. Students will complete questions independently, with the parents guiding them in the spelling portions. Parts of speech (begun in previous Book 3) are reviewed here. Then, grammar continues with personal pronouns, verb tenses, adverbs, prepositions and phrases, conjunctions, and interjections. New grammar is introduced (prepositional phrases used as modifiers and simple subjects and predicates). Previous grammar concepts are continued in Book 5. Periodically, optional assignments provide extra challenges for your student (it’s up to you to evaluate these as you see fit). Examples of these include verbal mathematical riddles to answer; or changing a narration from third person to first person. For dictations, assign the whole passage or dictate 3-4 sentences. A grading rubric is included. An included student version of this rubric allows students to start examining and evaluating their writing.
In this level, students continue working on homonyms, synonyms, and antonyms. Dictionary and thesaurus use will be introduced, along with personal pronouns, and prefixes/suffixes. Students will review punctuation skills taught in previous levels, but will begin learning how to use ending punctuation: exclamation, quotation marks, dashes for different purposes, and parentheses. While building upon previous skills, students will also learn about personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns, prepositions in phrases and used as modifiers, and simple subjects and predicates. Directions are in the student book; answers and teaching aids are in the teacher book. A placement test is available to help you determine your student’s starting level. ~ Ruth