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Review: Easy Grammar and Daily Grams, Grade 4

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If you’ve hung around here for awhile, you know it’s no secret that my family loves Easy Grammar and Daily Grams.  You can read my review of the Ultimate Series, as well as a comparison of Easy Grammar and First Language Lessons.  The folks at Easy Grammar recently sent me the fourth grade level of Easy Grammar and Daily Grams to review and, of course, we love them, too!

Because I’m so vocal about the fact that we’re huge fans, I get a lot of questions about Easy Grammar and Daily Grams.  For that reason, I’d like to do this review in a Q&A format.  Please realize that I am answering these questions from my own personal experience, not as an official spokesperson for Easy Grammar and Daily Grams.

Do you have to use Easy Grammar and Daily Grams together?  It’s not required that you do.  Both can be used independently of the other, but they combine to make a comprehensive grammar program for kids in grades 3-7, with additional books set up in the Daily Grams style for grades 2 and 8-12.  We have loved all of the books in the series, but I was especially fond of the second grade book.  It was perfect for my kids, both in lesson length and scope and sequence, when they were that age.

Easy Grammar provides the actual teaching text, while Daily Grams provide daily 5-10 minute review sheets that help reinforce and cement concepts learned.  Both texts use a cyclical style of learning that helps students master and retain concepts such as:

  • Punctuation
  • Capitalization
  • Parts of speech
  • Subject/verb agreement

Each Easy Grammar level begins by having students memorize a list of prepositions — in the fourth grade text, the list increases to 40.  Then, students learn to find and cross out the prepositional phrase, making it easier to identify the subject and verb.  Students spend time learning about individual parts of speech, such as pronouns, adverbs, and adjectives.  There are also two complete sections dedicated to punctuation and capitalization.

My child hasn’t used Easy Grammar and Daily Grams before; on what level should we start?  Because all of the grade levels have the same basic information, taught in a cyclical style to help students achieve mastery, I suggest starting at whatever your child’s grade level happens to be.  Each level simply increases in complexity and builds on basic concepts, which are reviewed at each level.  An exception to this suggestion is if you have a child in 8th grade or above.  In that case, I would use with Easy Grammar Plus, which is the final installment in the Easy Grammar series and was written for middle school through adult users.

Do I need both the teacher and student versions of the books?  Not necessarily.  The teacher’s versions of both Easy Grammar and Daily Grams contain both the answer key and reproducible student pages.  In Easy Grammar, the student page and the answer key page are side by side, so you would need to copy the student page for your child.  (To make this easy, I usually have the binding removed from the book and have it three-hole drilled so that I can place it in a binder.)

In the Daily Grams book, the answer key is in the back of the book, so photocopying isn’t necessary.  For both books, a non-reproducible student book is available for your convenience.  It’s often less expensive to buy the student book, rather than doing all that copying, especially if you have multiple students.  I like having the answer keys for quicker grading or for reference if I’m not sure of an answer…which happens more often, the older my kids get.  The Easy Grammar teacher edition is $27.95; the student text is $13.95.  The Daily Grams teacher edition is $24.95, while the student text is $12.95.

Easy Grammar and Daily Grams are one part of our homeschool day that my kids never complain about.  As a matter of fact, Brianna actually said she was a little disappointed to finish the Easy Grammar series because she enjoyed doing it.  She’s still doing the Ultimate Series books, of course.  To me, there’s not a better endorsement for a grammar program than kids who love grammar.  It does their grammar geek mama’s heart good to hear them say it.  The only complaint I’ve heard about Easy Grammar 4 was from Josh:  the book is pink.  Hey, if that’s the worst thing he’s got to say about it, we’re good.

I received these products free for the purpose of reviewing them.  I received no other compensation for this review.  The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions.  Your experience may vary.

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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25 Comments

  1. Tre' (9th grade) has been using Easy Grammar since the 5th grade and has often commented that Language Arts is his favorite subject. I credit that, in part, to Easy Grammar. The best part? NO SENTENCE DIAGRAMMING, and yet a thorough study of grammar!

  2. Thank you so much for this. I literally got this book last night for my 8th grader. I must have ordered it from your recommendation but was glad to be reminded of why it will be good. 🙂

  3. I really appreciate your review. I started homeschooling mid last school year. This year I have a 3rd and 7th grader using Daily Grams and Easy Grammar curriculum. We are ALL happy with the material. One question to you is…as far as language arts in general, besides spelling and handwriting, what if anything, do you recommend at their grade level. I understood from your post that until they reach 8th and further, the dont need literature and composition. If you could help shed some light you would be an angel!!

  4. Rene,

    No, I wasn't implying that a child doesn't need literature and composition until 8th grade. I said that Easy Grammar and Daily Grams provide a comprehensive grammar program, which is just one component of a good language arts program.

    In our homeschool, the overall language arts program includes spelling, handwriting, reading, and composition. You can click on the "2010-1011 Curriculum" tab at the top of my blog page to see what we're currently using for each of those components.

  5. Thanks so much for clarifying. I ran across your blog today and I find it very informative, thank you Kris!!

  6. We also use Easy Grammar and couldn't be more pleased with it. I actually got my copy for 5/6 grade at a used curriculum sale for 5.00, not a mark in it. It has already taught Grace so much. We will continue to use it throughout middle school and high school.
    Blessings
    Diane

  7. Hey Kris! I was wondering if you happened to have a lesson plan for Easy Grammar 4? I am planning my daughter's 4th grade year and I cant seem to find lesson plans anywhere.  I am struggling with how to plan 238 lessons plus tests into 180 school days! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

  8. Hi, I’m not sure you will still get this question but would greatly appreciate a response. My daughter was pulled from the public schools this past year Oct. 2013. I have been homeschooling her and her grades have gotten better. We struggle with the Easy Grammar Plus. She never learned her basical grammar skills of part of speech, therefore her daily assignments are a struggle. I did get the “Plus” because she was Pulled from the 7th grade. I have since noticed that her levels appear to be 6th grade because of the issues in school she was shutting down completely. So I have had to rebuild her confidence back to a level we can work with. What Easy Grammar level would you suggest at this point. She finds it very frustrating to always get the majority of her answers wrong (only because she doesn’t know the basics!). Help and advice. Thanks. Lydia

    1. The great thing about Easy Grammar, Lydia, is that the concepts remain the same, but just build in complexity each year. So, even if you have to drop back a grade level or two at first, once you get that foundation built, you can probably make up ground quickly. I’m not sure what I’d do in your situation. Going back to the beginning (3rd grade) might prove helpful. If you decided to go that route, I’d probably just let her know that you need to shore up the foundation that she didn’t get in school so that she doesn’t take it as a failure on her part. Hope that helps!

  9. My son is using the Easy Grammar Ultimate Series, Grade 12 – 180 Daily Teaching Lessons, but there are no tests. I’m 62 and have been out of school for a long time. Can you help me with knowing how to test him? I can’t make up tests, but do you have any suggestions on how to grade him? Thanks!

    1. I wish I had some advice to offer, but I just go over Easy Grammar/Daily Grams orally with my kids each day. It seems like when my older daughter did the Ultimate Series, I counted the number of possible answers and divided the number of correct answers by that to get a number grade, but that’s been a little while.

  10. I’m spending an obsessive amount of time on your blog right now…lol. I have read before but there a number of posts you just wrote tht ARe exactly what I need to read;)). I have a rising 7th grader an am tryin not to panic;). I am thinking of switching to easy grammar next year. My son did it in 4th grade and enjoyed it …it was his first year homeschooling and we used the 3rd grade level. The following year I used te 5th grade level and he hated it! So I quit. The only grammar we’ve done outside of that is we use ieW and we use their fix it program. However I am having such a hard time with his attitude lately …he doesn’t want to meet with me to discuss his work!!! Ugh. Anyway thinking of trying this again for 7th. how much time did you spend using this with a 7th grader? I believe e is dyslexic…though he is reading on grade level now. Woot! I just need to find curriculum that he can do mostly independently so we do t have this push and pull !!

    1. The kids (6th and 8th) do Easy Grammar/Daily Grams independently, unless there is a new concept I need to explain, and we go over their answers orally. Not counting explanation time, it takes about 10-15 minutes of my time each day.

  11. I am so thankful to have found this review. I have never done formal grammar with my kids,and was not sure where to start. I actually bought Daily Grams, but now see I need the Easy Grammar to go with it. I have opted for the one for older kids and adults. Thank you for your helpful review.

  12. This is my first year homeschooling my 3rd grader and I have both the 3rd grade Easy Grammar and Daily Grams books. I am not sure which order is best to teach the book in. I am thinking of starting with punctuation and capitalization. I am not sure which is the best approach.

    1. If it helps, we started with capitalization and punctuation, then went back to the beginning and worked our way through.

  13. I have a 5th and 6th grader using Easy Grammar Series. They are both having a hard time with it. They seem to know it but when we do a test they get a lot wrong. Do you have any tips to help them?

    1. Hmmmm…I’m not sure. Maybe search online for some grammar games? Sometimes hands-on activities are a big help. Maybe they aren’t strong test-takers. I have a kid like that. I don’t worry too much about tests with her as long as she demonstrates understanding of the topics. How do they do using correct grammar in their own writing?

        1. How do you grade the Easy Grammar? Do you count each noun or verb in each sentence or count each sentence? I’m trying to figure out what would be best.

  14. I have a toddler, 2nd grader, 3rd grader, and 4th grader. Obviously I won’t be teaching the baby grammar yet, but I would like to simplify my homeschooling this year with the 3 school aged children since I have a 1 year old to manage. I have been choosing programs that would allow me to use one text and then give them grade appropriate work. I had read somewhere that grade 4 could be used for that, if I used the Daily grams on their grade level. Do you think that would work?

    1. Sandra, did you end up following through on your plan? I have kiddos about the exact same age and would like to combine as well—what I’ve used for grammar has always left me a little uneasy, but doesn’t seem solid enough. I would like to find a program and just stick to it and grind away year after year, hence my thoughts on switching to Easy Grammar. Hope you get this and if so, let me know how it’s been going!

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