English for the Thoughtful Child, Vol. 1
by Mary F. Hyde, Cynthia A. Shearer

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Book Reviews of English for the Thoughtful Child, Vol. 1

Book Review: This Is A Beautiful Book but...
Summary: 5 Stars

At first glance, I wanted to toss this for something more "structured" and "self-directed". I couldn't figure out how a child was supposed to learn anything by using this book. It is devoid of the normal jargon found in most workbooks. And what was up with the pictures? How can I ask my child to analyze a picture and call THAT a "grammar" lesson? What were they suppose to be learning from THAT? Weren't they suppose to be studying nouns and predicates and doing daily drills and such? But, alas, good things come to those who...slow down!

This book makes heavy use of narration (the child telling back a story in his/her own words), or "oral composition". If this is a foreign concept to you then delay this purchase and buy books by Dr. Ruth Beechick and/or anything about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy. You need to understand narration and why it works so effectively. If you are not sold on this approach, then don't buy this book. If you are familiar with the works of these two pioneers of "natural learning", and you feel comfortable with this approach, then this may be a great grammar/composition book to use with your 2nd - 4th Grader. Jessie Wise and Susan Bauer mention narration in _The Well Trained Mind_ , but they don't expound on it the way Beechick and Mason do.

The beauty of this book is in its simplicity. It causes a child to think deep and answer thoroughly; hence the title. This is not a book to rush through. Every page, every lesson is to be savored, and chewed thoroughly like a good meal. I realized this after changing my homeschool program into one that is more relaxed and focused on the joy of everyday learning. This book causes you to slow down and think. Think REAL hard. You may or may not want to put that much time into a grammar/composition program.

Having said that, I must say that I agree with some of the complaints mentioned here, but it took a second purchase (after selling my first copy) to force me to look at it more closely. I wouldn't exactly call this a self-directed, independent program. You have to like working closely with your child. You have to be willing to work slowly and thoughtfully. If that's not your style, then don't buy this book! Also, remember that some kids read better than they write. This book encompasses a lot of writing exercises, but they can be done orally.

My 8 year-old daughter and I loved working through this together. It was a struggle for me to slow down the pace and enjoy it, but I realized that she needed this time with me so I forced myself to stay cool and slow down. It was tough, but worth it. That relaxed pace has spilled over to other areas of our homeschool and I have found it really works well for us.

Hope that helps. Enjoy this one (if you can!)

Cris

Summary of English for the Thoughtful Child, Vol. 1

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