Advanced language arts programs or english programs?

[Kissy]

Are there any programs that are just english/language arts/grammar that are advanced? Do they teach by spiral method? Thanks.

[Beth in Central TX]

I personally think that Rod & Staff grammar is an advanced program. Each year builds on itself, and by the time you get to 7th grade the student is dealing with very complicated parts of speech such as: substantives, attributive adjectives, conjunctive adverbs, gerunds, infinitives, participles, and split infinitives.

[nmoira]

We love Michael Clay Thompson's LA series at Royal Fireworks Press (http://www.rfwp.com/mct.php). This is mastery, not spiral, though it does build up from year to year.

[Kissy]

We love Michael Clay Thompson's LA series at Royal Fireworks Press (http://www.rfwp.com/mct.php). This is mastery, not spiral, though it does build up from year to year.

Is this something that you can buy and not buy the teacher's guide or will I need that? Will I need the grammar, poetry, writing, and vocabulary to get the full effect or can you buy just the ones you need and still get a good language arts?

[nmoira]

Is this something that you can buy and not buy the teacher's guide or will I need that? Will I need the grammar, poetry, writing, and vocabulary to get the full effect or can you buy just the ones you need and still get a good language arts?For the elementary series, you'd only need the TM (not a typo). As a minimum, I'd get the grammar and writing series, as they complement each other nicely. These are not traditional textbook/workbook combinations, though there are practice books available (I also recommend these; the student pratice book is convenient, but not necessary). The grammar books are designed to be used early in a school year and then applied for the remainder. There is no discussion of incidental material (capitalization, etc.) as it is assumed the student will pick it up from reading and from feedback on writing; this is all meaty stuff.

These two series I'd characterize as the heart of the program, but the vocabulary books are the soul. Building Language could probably be skipped, especially if you're doing Latin, but Caesar's English is heady stuff indeed for a kid in love with words. IIRC, there are samples on the website.

[Leslie in MO]

We love Michael Clay Thompson's LA series at Royal Fireworks Press (http://www.rfwp.com/mct.php). This is mastery, not spiral, though it does build up from year to year.

After looking at the website for this curriculum I am very interested but wondering if you or anyone on this board has used this for a 7th grader. My dd's vocab and reading skills are very advanced but she isn't interested in writing unless it is on the computer or a subject that she is excited about, so I am wondering if the writing assignments can be done on computer and if they are interesting to that age group. The samples on the website seemed very good because he doesn't 'baby-talk' but explains well.
Thanks for any input!
Leslie in MO

[nmoira]

After looking at the website for this curriculum I am very interested but wondering if you or anyone on this board has used this for a 7th grader.You might try asking on the main curriculum board. I know there are people on TAGMAX (http://www.tagfam.org/) (look under Mailing Lists) who've used it, but we're still in the elementary series.