First Thoughts on Using FLL next year....

My initial assessment of First Language Lessons from using it with Jessie was that it didn't provide enough practical application. After working with Jessie for 3rd grade grammar, I also see that the definitions and some of the lists that were memorized have turned out to be helpful. With that in mind, I'm going to try to set up some goals for what I want Violet to learn from FLL next year to use as a base for my modifications.

For sentences:
1. Memorize the definition of a sentence.
2. Recognize that a sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark.
3. Memorize the 4 types and sentences, be able to correctly identify them in a story, and correctly use the appropriate ending punctuation with each sentence type.

For nouns:
1. Memorize the definition of a noun.
2. Identify nouns in a sentence.
3. Explain the difference between common and proper nouns, correctly identify them, and use appropriate capitalization.

For pronouns:
1. Memorize the definition of a pronoun.
2. Learn the pronoun list.
3. Use the list to identify pronouns in a sentence.
4. Correctly capitalize the pronoun I in a sentence.

For verbs:
1. Memorize the definition of a verb.
2. Identify action verbs in a sentence.
3. Memorize the state of being verbs and correctly use them in a sentence.
4. Understand the concept of linking verbs.
5. Memorize the list of helping verbs.
6. Use the list to find helping verbs in a sentence.

For adjectives:
1. Memorize the definition of an adjective.
2. Identify adjectives in a sentence when located in front of the noun.
3. Identify adjectives in a sentence containing a linking verb.

For interjections:
1. Memorize the definition of an interjection and be able to give examples.

For conjunctions:
1. Memorize the definition of a conjunction and be able to identify the 3 most commonly used.

For adverbs:
1. Memorize the definition of an adverb.
2. To be able to correctly use adverbs in a sentence.

For articles:
1. To memorize the 3 articles.

For prepositions:
1. Memorize the definition of a preposition.
2. Memorize the list of prepositions.
3. Use the list to identify prepositions in a sentence.

Other:
1. Understand how to correctly form a contraction with an apostrophe.
2. To correctly apply basic capitalization to writing.
3. To correctly use commas in a series.
4. To understand the difference between direct and indirect quotations.
5. To correctly punctuate a direct quotation.
6. To understand the terms synonyms and antonyms and be able to give examples.

I guess overall I've seen the usefulness of the grammar memorization. We'll reinforce the memorization component by adding it to our memory box. I find FLL to be primarily auditory and want to alter the lessons to be used for more visual and tactile learning. I specifically want to include more application and identification of the parts of speech in sentences. I believe this will help Violet tremendously when we move onto R&S 3 the following year. Many of Jessie's problems with diagrams stem from incorrect identification of the parts of speech because she simply learned the definitions and didn't practice using them enough. While I find picture studies and copywork useful, I prefer to separate them from the grammar program and include them in art and writing instead. We'll probably use some of the poems from FLL for memorization, but will include those in our memory box instead of during grammar.