Homeschool Curriculum Review: Grammarlogues

Grammarlogues is a grammar program for grades K through 12. It is promoted as a high-quality product created by grammarians. The program has two distinct parts; an online portion and software that resides on your computer. I planned to use this program for my sixth-grade son and my high school junior. Homeschoolers can install this program on a maximum of five computers for the same price--making it a bargain if you have more than one kid.

An overview of Grammarlogues

Initially, I installed the program on my laptop. This is the computer that I use for writing and for homeschooling my sixth-grade son. Installation is a simple download and install on a Windows system. Once the software is installed, you enter the registration codes that are sent to you in an email and you are up and running.

The directions state that you should use the software portion first and then go to the online portion. You can choose to follow the default sequence that the computer chooses or you can create your own sequence of grammar lessons. Selecting a grade level is easy--make your choice after installing the software.

The good

The software is reasonably priced. When you take into consideration that you can have up to five kids using it simultaneously, it is a bargain. I purchased my copy through the Home School Buyers Co-op using points I have earned instead of paying cash.

Installation of the software is easy. There were no glitches and the company sent me the registration information in a timely manner.

The graphics are okay, but high school students may find them juvenile. The screens are well laid out and easy to read. They are colorful, but not to the point of being distracting.

Information is provided in a clear and concise way. First, the student is taught about the topic with a short paragraph to read. This is followed by a practice exercise on the topic. The student should read the student notes and teacher notes provided with every lesson. After the lesson is completed, the student must log-in to their account for a practice test and then a subject test. Everything that is done online is automatically graded. Parents can see a student's progress by logging in to their account and viewing the grades.

The not-so-good

I found the program to be difficult to figure out. It is unclear in the documentation what the different settings mean. It took me a while to figure out which settings I should change and which I should leave as the default. I finally decided to leave everything at the default settings.

Another issue I had with the software is installing it on multiple computers. After the first installation, you have to email the company and ask them to reset your download. This must be done every time you want to install the software on another computer. It took them two days to respond to my request--Grammarlogues says this is normal in their documentation. If you plan to install this on more than two computers, allow for a week or so to get everything up and running.

Overall, Grammarlogues is a good grammar program. It is reasonably priced making it affordable for homeschoolers. After careful evaluation, we decided that Grammarlogues did not suit our needs but it may work for you. My recommendation is to check it out. You can purchase it directly from Grammarlogues or you can see if the Home School Buyers Co-op is offering a deal.

A purchased copy of Grammarlogues was used for this review. I have no connection to Grammarlogues.