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me!
IN ASSOCIATION
WITH
The ABC’s and All Their Tricks
Margaret Bishop
This invaluable
teacher’s resource for understanding the rules of phonics and spelling belongs on
every homeschool parent’s bookshelf. Mrs. Bishop’s excellent introduction
explains letter names and sounds, the two styles of English spelling, syllables, roots,
vowel sounds and letters, including vowel teams and silent vowel letters, consonant sounds
and letters, including consonant teams, blends, silent consonants, etc.,and homonyms and
spelling options. The bulk of the book is the alphabetical listing of letters, such as the
-ff spelling as in sniff. After listing many example words in which this spelling appears,
she explains its use: “FF is a letter team for the sound of F at the end of the word.
It is used right after a short vowel.” I can’t reproduce all her helps for
teaching even the -ff spelling here, but every vowel, consonant, team, and spelling
variation has its own entry, with example words, the rules governing its use, and the
explanation of those rules. Besides all this, the appendix is a goldmine of information on
syllabication, stress and its importance to proper spelling, the rules governing both the
native English side of English spelling and the Latin side of English spelling, adding
both native English and Latin prefixes and suffixes, and a section on teaching remedial
reading to children of any age as well as adults. This book goes way beyond just listing
rules, and explains why the rules work the way they do. If you can only buy one
teacher’s resource for the whole grammar stage, make it this one.
The Phonic Spelling Rules
presented in The ABC’s and All Their Tricks, used to teach spelling with Webster’s Elementary Spelling Book
or McGuffey’s Eclectic Progressive
Speller.
Warriner’s English Composition and Grammar
John Warriner
This excellent
reference thoroughly covers grammar and writing in detail, with a complete section on
writing mechanics, usage, correct and clear writing, using references, and even public
speaking. CCH’s top choice for a grammar reference--it can be referred to again and
again in the grammar stage for questions of mechanics and spelling helps, and to clarify
phrases and clauses instruction during syntax teaching in 5th and 6th grades, and it can
also be used very effectively to teach a complete dialectic stage writing program. If you
can find an out-of-print edition of Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition: the
Complete Course (pre-1965), the practice sentences suffer less from political correctness.
Harvey’s Revised English Grammar
Thomas Harvey
Thomas Harvey’s English
Grammar has been a classic for over a century. Introduced in the 19th century before
the dumbing down of our schools, it was meant to follow Harvey’s Elementary
Grammar, and not only makes a fine reference, but can be used to teach older students
grammar who missed it in the grammar stage. A great benefit to this grammar over Warriner’s
is that so many of the examples and exercies are from the Bible, Shakespeare, and other
great literature. As with Harvey’s Elementary Grammar, the style of presenting
lessons is not what we are used to, but the content is exemplary. The first section
reviews orthography, the second teaches etymology, the third syntax, and the fourth
prosody, which deals with versification in poetry. The final section provides instruction
in both the standard and a revised method of diagramming sentences.
Learning Grammar Through Writing
Sandra M. Bell, James Wheeler
This reference is different
from the others. It is designed to be used to check a child’s written work for
grammatical correctness and correct writing mechanics. This manual includes all the rules
of usage and writing, with examples, in 13 chapters: nouns and pronouns, verbs, adjectives
and adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections, sentences, paragraphs,
compositions, style, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, letters, and problem words and
expressions. The rules are divided into elementary and secondary levels. My only caution
is to teach the rule before correcting your child’s writing for that rule.
Return to CCH’s Online Catalog: Grammar
Return to Grammar Stage Curriculum
Return to The Subject of Grammar
