Advanced Middle School Grammar

Class Description: This course will focus on the sentence and its various forms. We will cover parts of speech, punctuation, phrases, and clauses, all with an eye to how these function in sentences. Students will cover basic concepts step by step by looking at proper examples of the various concepts being taught. These examples will come from the course texts as well as from great writers. The student will then edit sentences to show his/her understanding of those concepts. Finally, the students will be asked to create their own examples of each concept covered.

The goal of this course is to create students who understand English sentences extremely well and therefore will write clearly and beautifully. Not only will students learn skills to help them write correctly, but students will also learn proofreading and editing skills that are so vital to accurate writing. Students should plan to spend 30-45 minutes per school day on review and current assignments. Students will be asked to memorize key definitions from English Grammar Recitation and prepare work in the Fix it! Grammar Student Book for each class. The students will also have weekly assignments to submit. In addition, there will be one midterm exam and one final exam.

Grade Level: 6-8 (ages 11-14) Older students are welcome if the parent thinks they need work on grammar and syntax.

Prerequisites: None.

Required Materials: English Grammar Recitation by Memoria Press, and Fix It! Grammar: Robin Hood, Student Book by IEW. The Teacher’s Manual is optional. Students also need a dictionary and a thesaurus. Optional supplements are Fix It! Grammar Cards and, for those that want a more in-depth grammar study, the Mcgraw-Hill Handbook of English Grammar and Usage, 3rd Ed.