My 5th grader hasn’t always loved the homeschool language programs that we have tried, but this one proved to be totally different. I saw the light bulbs go off as she mastered parts of sentence structure that had always been difficult for her. The worksheets were thorough in their teaching and reinforcement of the covered material but there wasn’t so much required on the each lesson as to wear her down or be overwhelming. That is one of my favorite aspects of this curriculum.
She really enjoyed the grammar lessons from Essentials in Writing. I watched as her confidence grew and she was able to start tackling the daily lessons with minimal help. The directions were easy to read and to understand and the terminology used was the same as that on the DVD so it helped her to know what was expected. The instructor on the DVD often did the same type of exercise that was then explained and expected of the student on the worksheets. This only helped to make Maggie more independent in her lessons. And I always love a program that encourages independent learning!
Now, the writing portion of the program introduced the steps in the writing process in detail and helped to prepare the students to excel in writing. Some of the writing assignments were more enjoyable than others for Maggie but that is to be expected. Not everything in school is going to be fun! But she has learned how to choose a topic that fits the scope of her paper (not trying to write about an entire vacation in one paper for example). She is choosing her topics more carefully and that is already helping to ease the overwhelming aspect of it. Being able to write a good paper that is both intersting and informational is a vital skill if a person is to go to college and be able to write research papers worthy of good grades. I am so glad that Maggie is starting the process now so that it will be second nature to her if she chooses to attend college one day.
This homeschool language program is very thorough and because it is now a DVD and pdf format this is a great option for the busy homeschooling momma to many. It can be used for multiple children and fosters independent studies. Overall I am pleased with this new option that has been opened to us.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
I was so happy to see a review for this! I am using it for Ryan and Olivia next year and have been seriously thinking about getting the 5th and 7th grade levels for Alec and Jack!