Preparing to Build contains 6 units and a short dictionary. Each unit closes with review lessons, an extra activity, and a poem. (Unit 6, as a supplementary unit, does not follow this pattern.)

This book teaches the concept of a sentence as the expression of a complete thought. Basic concepts of nouns, verbs, pronouns, and adjectives are studied. The paragraph is introduced. The supplementary unit teaches alphabetical order and basic dictionary skills.

The teacher's guide suggests ways for the teacher to present each lesson and supplies the answers for the various exercises and unit tests.

A separate test booklet provides tests for each of the first 5 units.

Communication skills are taught in Grade 3. Understanding sentence type and structure is basic to writing sentences, and then paragraphs and stories. Sentence parts are studied, and some simple diagraming. Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs and their correct usage are exercised. Dictionary work, capitalization and punctuation, proofreading, and oral communication round out this English course.

A separate booklet of worksheets is available for suplementary practice. They are a resource for the teacher to select and copy the ones needed.

A test booklet provides a test for each of the 5 units.

The teacher's manual gives guidance for presenting the lessons. It shows a reduced copy of the pupil's pages with the answer key beside the exercises. Answer keys are also included for the worksheets and test booklets.

These 127 lessons are divided into 11 chapters. The first two chapters deal with understanding sentence structure and types. Chapters 3-8 and Chapter 10 focus on seven parts of speech--nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. Chapter 9 teaches concepts about punctuation. Chapter 11 concludes the course with lessons on capitalization, the dictionary, synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms. Interspersed throughout the book are 33 composition lessons. Continual review is built into the lessons.

The booklet of 68 worksheets is for supplementary practice. The sheets may be copied as needed in teaching this English course.

The test booklet contains 11 chapter tests.

The teacher's manual has reduced copies of the pupil's text, the worksheets, and the tests. The answer keys are beside the exercises. Guidance is given for presenting the lesson to the students. The specific points to be taught are listed, along with further instruction and information for the teacher.

English 5 has 119 lessons divided into 10 chapters. The first two chapters deal with understanding sentence types and structure. Chapters 3-7 and 9 focus on the eight parts of speech. Chapter 8 teaches concepts about punctuation. Chapter 10 deals with miscellaneous lessons on capitalization, the dictionary, synonyms, antonyms, Bible reference books, hyphens, and colons. Interspersed throughout the book are 28 composition lessons. Continual review is built into the course.

A booklet of 68 worksheets is available.

The sheets may be copied as needed in teaching this English course. The test booklet contains 10 chapter tests.

The teacher's manual has reduced copies of the pupil's text, with the answer keys beside the exercises. For the worksheets and tests, the answers are shown in color on the reproduced pupil's pages. Guidance is given for presenting the lesson to the students. The specific points to be taught are listed, along with further instruction and information for the teacher.

This course has 132 lessons divided into 11 chapters. The first two chapters deal with understanding sentence types and structure. Chapters 3-6 and 8-10 focus on the eight parts of speech. Chapter 7 teaches concepts about capitalization and punctuation. Chapter 11 deals with miscellaneous lessons on the dictionary, Bible reference books, synonyms, antonymns, homonymns, and word families.

Interspersed throughout the book are 32 oral and written composition lessons. Continual review is built into the course.

A separate booklet of 82 worksheets is available for additional practice. The sheets may be copied as needed in teaching this English course. The test booklet contains eleven chapter tests and a final test. The teacher's manual has reduced copies of the pupil's text, with the answer keys beside the exercises. For the worksheets and tests, the answers are shown in color on the reproduced pupil's pages. Guidance is given for presenting the lesson to the students. The specific points to be taught are listed, along with further instruction and information for the teacher.

This course has 125 lessons divided into 11 chapters. The first two chapters deal with sentence parts and sentence construction. Object complements and subjective complements are introduced.

Chapters 3-9 focus on the parts of speech. Verbals, progressive and emphatic forms of verbs, intransitive verbs, restrictive clauses, conjunctive adverbs, and so forth, are introduced. Ample sentence diagraming practice is included.

Chapter 10 teaches concepts about capitalization and punctuation. Italics, single quotation marks, and ellipsis points are introduced. Chapter 11 deals with using numerous kinds of reference books, studying words, and studying word families.

Some of the new composition skills taught are guidelines for proof-reading, character sketches, and note taking. Paragraph construction, outlining, letter writing, and poetry are taught at deeper levels.

English 8 has 124 lessons divided into 11 chapters. The first two chapters deal with sentence elements and sentence structure. Objective complements, elliptical sentences, and compound-complex sentences are introduced.

Chapter 3 teaches concepts about capitalization and punctuation. Dashes, parentheses, and brackets are introduced.

Chapters 4 10 focus on the parts of speech. These chapters reinforce what has been taught in earlier grades and introduce retained objects, dangling participles, and relative adverbs. Problem words are discussed, and there is plenty of sentence diagraming.

Chapter 11 deals with using reference helps and the public library. Composition lessons introduce persuasive arguments and teach effective sentences, paragraph construction, proofreading, outlines, story writing and poetry at deeper levels. Over one-third of the book deals with composition.

A separate booklet of 42 worksheets is available for extra practice. The sheets may be copied as needed in teaching this English course. The test booklet includes chapter tests and a final test.

This Bible-based, advanced grammar and composition course consists of parallel texts called Book One and Book Two. Either book may be studied first, and Grades 9 and 10 can be combined for English class if desired. Both books review grammar concepts from Grade 8 and previous years, but each one deals with different kinds of composition.

New grammar concepts include retained objective complements, nominative absolutes, subjects of infinitives, moods of verbs, and idioms. Composition skills in Book One include lessons on listening and speaking, Bible study, outlining, argumentative essays, poetry, and letter writing. Composition lessons in Book Two teach study skills, expository essays, stories, descriptions, reference sources, and parliamentary procedure.

Interspersed throughout both books are lessons to improve writing, speaking, and editing skills. Writing and speaking lessons focus on style rather than content.

The English handbook contains important rules of grammar, usage, and composition. The revision is largely based on Grades 9 and 10 of the Building Christian English series. This improved edition includes writing, speaking, and editing skills; study skills; helps for producing effective compositions; and directions for using reference sources. A thumb index labels the main sectiions, and red text highlights the main points.

The uses of this handbook reach far beyond the school. This handy all-in-one English reference source is an excellent tool for writers and for those who wish to study English without the lesson exercises.

Paperback. 311 pages. More info

(The old English Handbook -- item 12828 -- is no longer available.)

These worksheets are suitable as supplementary work for any or all grades from 3-8 and as remedial work for students above the fifth grade. In some multigrade classrooms, several grades have worked together with good success on exercises of this type.

The worksheets include three sets: The Eight Parts of Speech, The Sentence, and Punctuation and Capitalization. Rod & Staff recommends they be studied in this order. Each subject is presented in two levels of difficulty: Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8. The rate at which they are completed is not important. Some may complete one set of worksheets each year. Others may cover more or less.

Not all the material in the Building Christian English Series is covered in these worksheets, nor do they correspond lesson by lesson. They are not designed to be used in place of the textbooks. They provide drill in specific areas for those who desire it. Answer keys are available in the form of worksheets with answers filled in.

Notice: These worksheets were written to supplement the original English series, copyrights 1968 through 1985 or 1986. They do not correlate with Rod & Staff's present English textbooks.