@thecainhome Hi there! I think there are definitely ways to wait until 3rd or 4th grade to begin grammar instruction. Many curriculum companies offer ungraded curriculum (you can begin on the level that suits you) such as IEW’s Fix It Grammar (they suggest any student from elementary through high school begin with Level 1). I think you could do something similar with First Language Lessons (although there are levels 1, 2, 3, etc.) and begin where you feel your student would be comfortable. Even companies like Analytical Grammar have materials based largely for middle and high school students, but also offer a “Junior” level for 4th and 5th grade students to get their feet wet, so to speak.
Here’s my take: If you teach grammar at a very young age, the student is likely not to retain a great deal. If you wait until the student is older, when they are able to grasp the concepts more fully and to apply them, you might be introducing a lot of basic knowledge at the start, but being an older student, they will be able to pick up the basic concepts quickly and then move forward at their age-appropriate level.
I have seen this happen with a group of high school students I am teaching at our co-op this year. They are coming from a variety of backgrounds when it comes to grammar instruction. But we were able to skip Level 1 and begin in Level 2 (IEW’s Fix It Grammar) because they can pick up quickly what would have been taught in Level 1 and integrate that with the information being presented in Level 2.
It’s also important to keep in mind some of the ways students learn grammar best:
- By hearing it spoken well.
- By reading something written with good grammatical structure.
- By knowing when they hear/read a mistake that it doesn’t sound/look quite right.
Based on that, students who aren’t receiving any formal grammar instruction in the early grades are still “learning good grammar.” Also, we can’t underestimate how much copywork from a good source can impact their grasp of grammar as well. Even employing copywork only in the early elementary ages can prepare them for “formal” grammar training later on.
Sorry for so much wordiness! I am a total grammar nerd. 