This FAQ was updated in 2023.
Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind (GftWTM) is curriculum for teaching grammar to middle-school and high-school students. Students can start as early as 5th grade, but many families find better success with a 6th-grade start. For grades 1-5, we recommend First Language Lessons (FLL), Levels 1-4.
Many people pair our intermediate writing curriculum, Writing With Skill (WWS) with GftWTM, but the two are independent of one another. Use a writing curriculum alongside GftWTM.
How does Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind work? How is it structured?
What do I need to buy?
GftWTM is structured to create a complete grammar course for middle- to high-school students and to provide enough practice to make the student proficient in grammar. To teach the material, you need the Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind Core Instructor Text (a one-time purchase) and any “color” set of the Student Workbook and Answer Key
The teacher uses the scripted Core Instructor Text to take the student through up to 4 cycles of grammar instruction.
The students complete each cycle of instruction in the Student Workbook, finding answers and further instruction in the companion Answer Key. Each color - Purple, Red, Blue, Yellow - offers different content to practice the instruction in the Core Instructor Text. Most families find that it takes 1.5 years or more for the first 2 repetitions - and that's OK: the point is not speed, but mastery.
You can use the workbooks in any order. Each “color” has the same level of difficulty; the difference is in the selection of sentences the student works with. So when the instructor teaches Lesson 12 (or 45 or 82) from the Core instructor Text, the student using the Red set will work with different sentences than the student using the Blue set: the grammar instruction is the same, and the "level" is the same. This article explains the concept a little further: About Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind. Susan Wise Bauer explains it in this video.
We offer two optional-but-helpful reference books for students working in First Language Lessons, Level 4, and Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, as well as a supplement for those who want or need more diagramming practice.
- The Grammar Guidebook (TGG) is a lifetime reference book for you and your student.
- The Diagramming Dictionary (TDD) is a power-assist in teaching sentence diagramming.
- How to Diagram Any Sentence pairs with The Diagramming Dictionary to give further practice in diagramming.
Which format should I order?
All of the GftWTM materials are available in physical media (hardback for some, paperback for others) or PDF format. Before you place your order, consider the following:
- If you are comfortable teaching from a tablet or laptop, the Core Instructor Text in PDF format can save you some money; it has a lower price than the printed text, there is no shipping fee, and delivery is nearly immediate. The same can be true for the Answer Key.
- Figure out whether it is more economical for you to print the Student Workbooks or to order the paperbacks and have them shipped; the students will write on most of the pages and the books are pretty thick. For most people, the paperback (even with shipping) is more economical. The exception is with international shipping, which is costly, and may include customs expenses.
Can I see a sample of the curriculum?
Look under the product image for any book in the store; click the sample button under that image. If you would like to try the materials for 6 weeks, you can download the first 6 weeks of the Core Instructor Text, the Purple Student Workbook and the Purple Answer Key. Give the material a try.
At what pace should my student complete a “color” of GftWTM?
In this video, Susan Wise Bauer introduces the Blue set and describes how to use the curriculum over 4 (or more) years. This chart shows the flexibility you have in using GftWTM over 4 or 5 (or more) years. Many teachers/parents find that each color takes 1.5 to 2 years to complete, especially the first two cycles.
Can I use GftWTM with a high school student?
GftWTM is definitely suitable for high-school students. Many families use the books on 4 repetitions of a 1.5- to 2-year cycle...which takes the student all the way from middle school through high school.
Do you have teaching tips from Susan Wise Bauer or from someone who has used the curriculum?
In this video, Dr. Bauer offers teaching tips that help you adapt GftWTM to your own situation.
In this video, Dr. Bauer and Jessica Otto, who uses GftWTM at our Well-Trained Mind Academy, talk about how to use the curriculum in different situations.
I wish I could see a role-play of a teaching session.
Can I use GftWTM in a classroom setting?
Yes. We have licensing information in this FAQ article.
Do you have a Scope and Sequence for Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind?
Yes - Scope and Sequence.
We have completed FLL-4, but my student needs diagramming practice.
GftWTM provides extensive diagramming instruction and practice. (Our illustrator produced more than 450 diagrams for each student workbook.) How to Diagram any Sentence, paired with The Diagramming Dictionary, gives students 100 more sentences to work with for additional practice.
Susan Wise Bauer explains the importance of diagramming.
Jessica Otto shows how to diagram four sentences from How to Diagram Any Sentence.
What if I am already committed to another grammar curriculum?
The Grammar Guidebook (TGG) and The Diagramming Dictionary (TDD) provide instructor backup for any grammar curriculum. How to Diagram Any Sentence (paired with TDD) provides even more instruction in 100 example sentences, and can be used with any grammar curriculum. FAQ: How to Diagram Any Sentence
We produced GftWTM and How to Diagram Any Sentence because we couldn’t find a curriculum rigorous in teaching the structure of the language, especially through sentence diagramming. If you use TGG and TDD, you can give your student this additional instruction.
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