"Grammar and Writing" is a new Language Arts series designed for middle school students. The materials reviewed were for sixth grade, available now, with seventh and eight grades being available in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

"Grammar and Writing" provides a comprehensive English language curriculum; grammar, writing, spelling, and vocabulary development; and core-knowledge content of other subject areas including history, geography, science, and literature embedded in the curriculum.

The material is organized much like the Saxon Math textbooks Stephen Hake has co-authored, and provides incremental development of the subject being covered, as well as continual review of concepts and skills.

Specifically, the content areas covered in this curriculum include: Capitalization; punctuation; sentence structure; the eight parts of speech; usage; spelling rules; and diagramming. A Student Edition with Writing Lessons, and a Teacher's Edition with Workbook, are available. The Student Edition includes a coil bound text with about 600 pages of lessons and exercises, along with 77 consumable pages of writing lessons. The Teacher's Edition replicates the Student Edition and provides answers. It also includes a loose-leaf workbook that contains tests, additional practice, and answers for tests and practice.

This is a good, sound, comprehensive, grammar and writing curriculum that, while written to conform to sixth grade standards, and field tested with fifth through seventh grade students, would be appropriate also for older students and adults.

You will not be disappointed adding this curriculum to your homeschool.



--Product Review by: Dr. Heather Allen, TOS Senior Analyst, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine