The Logic Of English Review

When my boys were younger I followed the Charlotte Mason approach to teaching grammar. Basically for grades 1-3 you  read to them constantly and have them learn through narrations, copywork and books.

I personally regret that decision. My boys don’t have a firm grasp on grammar and this is the year we are working to fix that. Since the boys are close enough in grades it is easiest to do grammar together. I discovered The Logic of English a few months back, and as soon as I found it I knew I wanted to try it.

This curriculum is not for moms who want to hand something to their child and let them do it on their own. It very much requires teacher/student involvement. You can’t use this curriculum without the teacher’s guide as it guides you through every step and even tells you what to say. I really appreciate that part of it!

The first day we started The Logic of English it took us 2 hours to get through a lesson! That seemed a little overwhelming, until I realized you don’t have to get through 1 lesson a day! The lessons are broken up into different sections. This program covers reading, spelling and writing. We don’t need any help with reading; both boys read really well. But we want to use the grammar and spelling sections.

One day we might do the spelling part of the lesson. I purchased the spelling rules flashcards (I love all the flashcards – high quality items!). We learn a new rule on the flashcard and spell out the words. They learn how many syllables are in a word, and we clap, say, and spell a word out. Then we might go through and figure out if the spelling word is a noun, adjective, etc.

I’m very impressed with the curriculum. The target age of the curriculum is around 8. I’m using it with an 8 and 10 year old. I’ve seen a lot of older children using this, and it is especially good for dyslexic children.

I actually was so impressed with the style of teaching that I ordered the student books for the younger grades, and I’m using them (slowly!) with my girls. My 6 year old is reading out loud to me from a beginner reader book every day. We don’t always get to the lesson and work page but my goal is to do it 3 times a week.

There are also fun games that go along with The Logic of English. I highly recommend getting the Phonogram Game Cards. Every time we pull these out my boys cheer! They love playing the different games!

The Essentials Teacher’s Manual is $95.00 and you can use it over and over again! The student workbook is $25.00. So far my oldest has a workbook and my 8 year old is using a plain spiral bound notebook. If you have the money I would suggest the workbook, but if it comes down to it I think you could make a plain notebook work, though not as well.

If you feel insecure about teaching writing, spelling, grammar, or reading, this is an excellent curriculum to consider using. I love how the curriculum takes the teacher by the hand, guiding them through the lesson. It really helps you stay in command of the lesson, even if you’ve forgotten a rule!

*Some of these items were sent to me to review free of charge. I was not paid for the review and all thoughts are strictly my own*