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 most 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 GftWTM work? How is it structured? What do I need to buy?
GftWTM is a complete grammar course for middle- to high-school students. It provides instruction and 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. Each cycle is represented by a "color."
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 two repetitions - and that's OK: the point is not speed, but mastery.
You can use the workbooks in any order. Each “color” is the same level of difficulty; the difference is in the selection of sample sentences. 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, and a supplement for those who want 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 (HTD) 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 the reference books, paperback for the rest) or PDF format from Well-Trained Mind Press, and the Core Instructor Text and Answer Key from multiple ebook vendors. Consider the following:
- If you are comfortable teaching from a tablet or laptop, you can save a little money by getting the Core Instructor Text and/or the Answer Key in PDF (only from WTM Press) or ebook format (ebook) from multiple vendors. The PDF is printable; ebooks are not.
- The student will write on most of the pages in the Student Workbook. Choose the option that is most economical for you: buying printed and paying for shipping or buying PDF and printing it yourself. The workbooks are about ~600 pages. For most people in the continental US, the paperback + shipping option is more economical. Given the costs of shipping and possible customs expenses, customers outside the US should look for a local vendor or order PDF. Ebooks are not a good option for the Student Workbook.
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.
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. 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. The graphic at the end of this FAQ shows several possible K-12 grammar progressions, adjusted for starting at different ages.
Is GftWTM appropriate for 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 a teacher who has used GftWTM?
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.
Here is a role-play of a teaching session.
Can I use GftWTM in a classroom setting?
Yes. We have licensing information linked in this FAQ article.
Do you have a Scope and Sequence for GftWTM?
Yes - here is the link to the Scope and Sequence.
We have completed FLL-4, but my student needs more 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 practice sentences.
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) offers 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.
If you wish to receive regular updates on product releases or be informed about our sales, subscribe to our newsletter and/or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter at Well-Trained Mind Press.