Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

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sarah_smile07
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:14 pm
Location: Michigan

Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

Post by sarah_smile07 » Thu Apr 16, 2015 10:24 pm

Ah yes... diagramming! It has been a couple of years (20+!) since I last diagrammed a sentence, but I can remember enjoying it back in elementary school. (Yes, I was one of those kids! ;-) )

We just bought R&S 5 for my sixth grader (to go w/RtR), & I see that there is some sentence diagramming in it. It's been so long that I need a refresher, & my son has never diagrammed a sentence. We do not own any other R&S levels. Is there a free site, or a book that I can get from the library, that can catch us up to the level 5 work? I don't want to skip it throughout the rest of the books, but I also think that jumping right in without some background info seems a little too confusing.

Thanks!!
~Sarah :-)
Mama to three sweet kids:
*DS - 12 yrs old (Rev to Rev)
*DD - 7 yrs old (Bigger)
*DD - 2.5 yr old (starting LH soon!)


Completed: Res to Ref, Beyond :D

StephanieU
Posts: 1652
Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 7:10 pm

Re: Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

Post by StephanieU » Thu Apr 16, 2015 10:46 pm

Honestly, I would purchase Rod and Staff 4 and use that. Then do Level 5 in 7th grade and Level 6 in 8th grade. Level 3 starts diagramming, but Level 4 seems to repeat all of the basics.
Mom to
DD15 US1 (completed LHFHG-WH)
DS13 MtMM (completed LHFHG-Rev2Rev plus some of LHTH)
DD12 Rev2Rev (completed LHTH-RtR)
DS7 Beyond (completed LHTH-LHFHG)

momxnine
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:22 pm

Re: Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

Post by momxnine » Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:02 am

I'm also one of the "crazies" who love diagramming. :D We're in R & S 6 and there is a lot in it. My son knows the basics but was getting stuck as we got towards the later lessons, so we've gone back to the beginning as of a couple of days ago and we're marching through making sure he's understanding all the concepts. I also had to refresh my own mind as to why the slanted line versus the straight line for the direct objects. :)

I think all of the R & S books give a review just adding a few more elements with each grade. :)
Vicki in SW. MO.
Mom of 9 (ages 14 - 35) and Grammy to 7
14 ds - Finished CTC, RTR and Rev To Rev; MTMM - Fall of 2016

LovingJesus
Posts: 331
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2011 8:29 am

Re: Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

Post by LovingJesus » Sat Apr 18, 2015 4:05 am

I think you will actually be OK starting in R&S 5. It will help though if he has some grammar background. The R&S web-site suggests starting with 5 for anyone past grade 5 and starting with R&S grammar.

My ds11 has done books 2, 3, 4, & is now almost 1/2 way through level 5. Level 5, for him, has honestly been a breeze because he remembers levels 2, 3, & 4 and the first 1/2 of level 5 has been a review of those first 3 books. In fact, the diagramming 1/2 way through level 5 is easier than what he was doing towards the end of level 4. It has been good to review and see how much he has retained, but I can see why R&S says that older students can start with level 5. It is obviously moving through the material more quickly than the lower levels, but I think he will be fine. The first few lessons on diagramming in level 5 really went back to the basics almost as if they had never had it before. Whatever, grammar he has had though will be helpful for him.

Rod and Staff is so beautifully clear in their explanations of grammar and thorough that I think you will like it. I know we do! :D

P.S. I just noticed in your signature your son is age 10. At age 10, without having used R&S previously, like the others I would recommend R&S 4.
Last edited by LovingJesus on Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Nealewill
Posts: 1611
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 5:08 pm
Location: Cincinnati, OH

Re: Rod & Staff... & diagramming. Where to begin?

Post by Nealewill » Sat Apr 18, 2015 4:36 am

Has your son completed much grammar in the past? If not, then I would probably start with Level 4. I know R&S does recommend using R&S 5 if your child is starting the R&S series in 5th grade. But I also know my kids and know that they would appreciate some hand holding when it comes to this. HOD actually schedules level 4 to be completed over CTC and R2R anyway. My oldest is starting R2R next year and she will be finishing the 2nd half of the R&S 4 book anyway. If you started your child in 4 and completed it over a year, that would put him in 5 when get to RevtoRev anyway. That would then put you right on the same schedule as their frame of completing R&S 6 by the end of 8th grade. And then using R&S 7 & 8 for high school. And I next year my dd will 6th grade too completing half of book 4. There is a lot of meat in each book and a lot of repeating practice. The lessons go super fast - we do quite a bit orally. I think you and your son might appreciate the ease of doing R&S 4 personally and saving 5 for the following year. What are you thoughts? Also - R&S 4 has a lot of writing intermingled with it. My dd has found some nice helps and balance by using it.
Daneale

DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R

Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM

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