Fix It! Grammar {Review}

I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

For years I have struggled with my son who is a reluctant writer. As the demands of written assignments have increased in high school, he voiced both a need and desire to improve his grammar skills. Before he could change his mind, I eagerly agreed to review Fix It! Grammar Level 3 Robin Hood from IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing).

About the curriculum:

Fix It! Grammar is a program that has the student apply grammar knowledge and editing skills to correct errors in a daily passage.

Each of the 30 lessons covers a daily exercise over a 4-day week. Lessons are completed using a five-step method:

• Learn It! – The students reads through the weeks Learn It section which covers the concept they will practice. Instruction is provided for fixing passages.

• Read It! – After reading the daily passage, the student looks up a vocabulary word in a dictionary and selects the definition that best fits the context of the sentence.
• Mark It! – A guide is provided at the top of each daily exercise for the student to use to mark the passage.
• Fix It! – The passage is corrected using editing marks, accurate punctuation, etc. The guide at the top of the page lists the necessary corrections.

• Rewrite It! – Space is provided for the student to write out the corrected passage.

A scope and sequence are provided which outlines what week a topic is covered. Several concepts are reinforced in later lessons. The daily lessons tell a cumulative story.

There are five levels currently available, covering elementary through high school. Level six is expected to be released in Fall 2022.

Our Experience:

I initially struggled to determine my son’s placement level. I wanted the material to challenge him but felt concerned the text in the lower levels would feel too remedial for a high school student. I found each level uses passages from quality literature, so I only needed to focus on where he best fit into the concepts being taught.

I used the available descriptions and sample pages from the student and teacher textbooks to determine the best level for my son. I chose level 3 Robin Hood which is more of a middle school level. As my son has an extensive vocabulary, I have not required him to look up any words in a dictionary unless he cannot accurately cite the definition. For other students, I would encourage completing the exercises as recommended.

My son caught on quickly to the editing marks and steps of the lessons. The exercises have gone quickly and there is already marked improvement in his other written assignments.

The teacher’s manual is a duplicate of the student book, only with completed answers.

Grammar Cards:

We also received Fix It! Grammar Cards. They are an optional resource that can support grammar lessons. There are 30 full-colored cards that highlight key grammar concepts. Instructions are provided with the cards on how to use them with the curriculum, as a game, a review tool, etc.

Fix It! Grammar has been a great addition to my son’s lessons. The exercises are short and even a little fun. Not only would I recommend this curriculum to others, but I intend to add this program to the lesson plans of all my kids. Go to the Homeschool Review Crew to see how others are using Fix It! Grammar from IEW.