Beginning Grammar Readers

Set includes Book 1 and 2

 

By Wanda Sanseri

 

Hot off the press!

 

Beginning 
Grammar Readers by Wanda Sanseri are designed so that the student will be 
the co-author and illustrator of the book. Each page has a 
sentence or two made up of early words taught in WISE Guide. The 
student reads the sentence and then draws a picture to show that he 
understands the meaning. Next the student is gently exposed to a 
basic grammar concept.

 

Recommended for Kindergarten on up. Wanda’s original plan for these booklets was for K-1st.   She almost published these age recommendations in the book until she informally tried them out on nine and ten year old children.  They could easily read the key sentences but none of them had learned the simple grammar concepts.  These books clarified the ideas for them in a natural, easy to understand way.  The nine and ten year olds also showed an amazing degree of excitement over illustrating the book. As with many of the aspects of SWR, while these books can be used with the early beginner, they address basic concepts for all ages including the teacher.   One of the first parents who saw these books at the Washington State Homeschool Convention could not believe that children as young as K-1st could understand grammar.   She did not know the concepts and she found it incredible to think that she could present them to children so young.  Here we are again, learning along with our kids!

 

A Beginning Grammar Reader: Book 1

I Can Run! – Subject/Verb  $4.00

The first book is called, I Can Run! Each page has a sentence or two made up of early words taught in WISE Lists A-E. The student reads the sentence and then draws a picture to show that he understands the meaning. Next the student is gently exposed to a basic grammar concept. In book one, the teacher is given questions to guide the child to find the simple subject and verb. A line is provided where the student can write these words where directed. A vertical line bisects it.

One page, for example, has the sentence, "We go up the hill by Jill." The teacher asks, "Who goes?" The student answers, "we." The teacher says, "Write the subject 'we' before the dividing line." Next the teacher asks, "What do we do?" The student answers "go." The teachers says, "Write the verb, go, after the dividing line."

This exercise gives the child a mental framework to understand the idea of a complete sentence. Personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we) are used as the subject throughout the book. This prepares the student for changing the verb after the third person pronouns (he, she, it). On the last page the student can read subject verb combinations with all thirteen verbs covered in the book. Example: I run. You run. He runs. We run.

One of the teachers who taught Wanda years ago, successfully did this abbreviated form of diagramming with her first grade classes. Wanda was amazed by the idea of teaching at such a young age something that she had found helpful in high school. She tried it with young children with the same success

 

A Beginning Grammar Reader: Book 2

Up, Over, and Out—Prepositions $4.00

In this book students will read sentences using words from Wise List A-H. They will also diagram the preposition/object in each sentence and draw an illustration for each sentence.

All the selections in Up, Over, and Out, deals with pets or would be pets. Several are animals observed in the wild. Wanda field tested the grammar readers with on students of various ages. The children were all delighted with them.

Some grammar books consider preposition to be a difficult concept to teach, but these books helped children who did not know how to identify a preposition to do so with ease.

Wanda knows of nothing else on the market quite like these booklets. A side benefit is that the beginning grammar readers also gently teach grammar to the teacher who feels insecure in this area.

 

Only $8 for both books!

 

Phonogram Game Cards

Only $10

New Release!

Wanda Sanseri just published her first Phonogram Game!

She writes:  I designed it to play the memory games, but soon realized 
that it could be used with other applications as well. I have a 
set of small white playing cards with all 70 phonograms in book 
face. Then I have a set of yellow playing cards with all 70 
phonograms in cursive. On the back of the cards I have a triangle 
with the point facing in the direction that would be the tope of the 
letter on the other side. You can select specific phonograms that 
need extra review (or use them all). Put the yellow ones in a 
orderly pattern on one side and the white ones that make a pair with 
them on the other side. The student turns over a yellow one, says 
the phonogram sound(s). He next turns over a white one and says the 
sound(s). If he has located a pair, he gets to keep the cards and 
take another turn. If he does not find a pair, the next person gets 
to take a turn. The winner in the end is the one who finds the most 
pairs.

The Phonogram Game Cards could also be used with other 
games. For example, you could use them to play Go Fish. Ask, "Do 
you have the cursive form of /b/?" They could even be used to play Old Maid. However, I have never liked that name for a game because I know some lovely women who never married and I do not like to see any one pick on them. You could use the Old Maid rules but call the game, Don't Be a Donkey. There are several blank cards in the set. You could draw a donkey on one of them.

 

You could also use Phonogram Game Cards as individual cards while 
working with the board games in the Phonogram Fun Packet or with 
other favorite games like Candyland or Shoots and Ladders. To earn 
the chance to move on the board, the student draws a card and says 
the sound(s) correctly. You can tailor the draw pile for each 
student. A beginner may have only the basic alphabet while a more 
experienced student will work with multi-letter phonograms. Someone just learning cursive could concentrate on cursive cards.
 Wanda Sanseri

My four year old, Fiona, has been enjoying the game cards very much!  We brought them on vacation.  I sat next to Fiona in the car and we played with Wanda's cards.  /ough/ is her favorite phonogram!  (Daddy always praises her when she says it!!)  So after she said all six sounds of this phonogram she took her finger and traced the cursive version of it all in the proper direction. (With no prompting from me!) 

This was easy for her, because she can already trace all the sandpaper letters in the proper direction.  But I realized that Wanda's cards can also be a large motor way of teaching the kids to make connected cursive letters.  This is always a concern for moms, how to teach how to connect the cursive letters.  Wanda's Phonogram Game Cards also address the concern I hear from many moms who wonder how their kids can read book face if they are taught with cursive first.  All the games with her cards will ensure that they can read the phonograms in both ways.

Britta McColl 

Morning Star Learning

www.morningstarlearning.com

SWR Cursive Sandpaper Letters—New release!

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/310294/

Excerpt: We love the SWR Cursive Sandpaper Letters.  My youngest girl just turned 4 and can write nearly all the letters--large motor with these sand letters.  The red stop sign at “two o’ clock” is great.  She understands to stop there and go back!  It is so cute.  She picked up an “F” to trace and before she started said in a cute little squeaky voice, “This is a tricky one.”  She then traced it with her finger perfectly!   The other day I played Phonogram Bingo with my two youngest girls aged 4 and 6.  They each had two cards.  One extra bingo card for each of their dolls. After the game they got out the SWR Cursive Sandpaper Letters and were holding their doll’s hands, helping them write the letters in the correct direction. What little mothers!! 

 

 

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To read more about Spell to Write and Read follow these links:

 

You CAN Do It-Spell to Write and Read DVD-New Release!

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/151329/

 

Cursive First

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/74689/

 

SWR and Preschoolers

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/74652/

 

How I Got Started With SWR

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/66558/

 

What Is Spell to Write and Read (SWR)?

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/66553/

 

Spell to Write and Read and Special Needs 

 http://homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/93920/

 

 Does SWR Work for Wiggly Willys?

http://homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/64551/

 

Spell to Write and Read vs. Spelling Power

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MorningStarLearning/110789/

 

 

To purchase a full line of SWR products go to:  www.morningstarlearning.com

 

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