How Many Years of Grammar Do You Need?

As I talk to homeschool parents at conventions and via e-mail, I am often asked, “How many years of grammar should I be requiring of my student?” or “Does the Grammar Made Easy: Writing a Step Above course cover all the grammar you need to teach your child through the twelfth grade?” Connie Schenkelberg and I answered that question rather thoroughly in a pair of e-mails I thought I’d share with you today. As usual, there are few announcements immediately following the body of the post.

A mom e-mailed to ask: “Does this course seem to cover all the grammar you need to teach your child through the twelfth grade? I am not certain how complete it is and whether or not I would need to continue with another grammar course when this course is finished…”.

My (Janice’s) response:

Thank you for writing! I’m going to give you my opinion, but I’m also going to forward your note to Connie Schenkelberg, the author of the course. I think she will have even more insight on all the course covers.

If you’re familiar with my writings (on the website and my blog) about the learning lifestyle and teaching your student to write, you probably know that I have what I would consider a relaxed Charlotte Mason/Thomas Jefferson approach to schooling.

Grammar Made Easy was the only formal grammar we used, and I felt that it was a perfect foundation for all future writing, as well as for foreign languages. Based upon my own education, extensive reading, and the education of my boys, I believe that once the grammar foundation is laid, further grammar study should be done contextually through writing and the study of foreign language. Read more