We are using Junior Analytical Grammar for English this year and really love it. So when we heard that the same company was making a similar online version of the program called GrammarPlanet, we were excited to review it!
WHAT IS IT?:
GrammarPlanet is made by the same people as the Analytical Grammar programs. Since we’re currently using Junior Analytical Grammar for school, I can tell you that I would best describe GrammarPlanet as an online version of that program!
The best part is that you can sign up for FREE! The free version of GrammarPlanet does contain ads. If you’d like to use the ad-free version, then you can pay a one-time fee of $39 per ad-free user. Your membership never expires, so each student can spend as long on the program as they need to! And if they don’t do as well as they’d like, you can log into the parent dashboard and reset any unit at any time so it can be repeated by that student. In fact, if they don’t exhibit mastery, then you’ll receive an email letting you know that the student’s progress has been locked until you either unlock it so they can continue to the next unit or reset that unit so it can be repeated.
This program is intended for users ages 10 and up. There are currently 13 units available for practice, and new content is being added regularly.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Holden really enjoys using the paper version of Junior Analytical Grammar with the accompanying DVD with video instruction. But since he has ADHD and was late learning to write, he still struggles with writing small enough to squeeze in a lot of information in a small space. So when he is parsing sentences in his workbook, it can be difficult for me to read his responses when they are all scrunched together. So when I learned that GrammarPlanet was a similar program by the same people but online only, I thought it might just be a solution to his writing issues!
I was really pleased with how it worked! As he goes through parsing the sentences, he is able to click on each word of the sentence and pull up a drop-box of choices for the appropriate part of speech, make his selection from the box, and the program adds the selected label to each word. That is so much easier than having him write them down in a small space! So right from the start, we both loved it! The video instruction for each unit is built right into the program, and as he watches it, it periodically pauses to ask comprehension questions at intervals so he can assess whether or not he is comprehending key points in the new material. Before the video starts, he prints out the lesson notes sheet to go with it. That contains the notes that would normally be in the Jr. Analytical Grammar workbook. This allows him to refer back to the notes as needed when he’s completing the practice exercises. Then he begins the practice session.
The program is able to determine if the child needs more practice as they work through each unit and will automatically add additional practice questions if it seems like the student might be struggling. GrammarPlanet recommends that each student spend just 15 minutes a day working through the program so that they have time to absorb and process new material before continuing. The daily practice and reinforcement will solidify their learning as they move through the program. As a result, some practice sessions may be longer or shorter than others, depending on the child’s progress. Grading of each sentence is instantaneous, and on unit quizzes, the grade analysis is given at the end of the test showing what the student did wrong. Parents can track their progress in the parent dashboard.
During the review period, Holden made it through the units for Common Nouns, Proper Nouns, Pronouns, and Articles and Adjectives. I had him repeat two of the units because he sped through and missed some important learning opportunities, and when the program emailed me twice that his account was locked because he didn’t master the material, I easily logged in and reset those units so he could repeat them. I gave him a goal of completing a unit per week, but you really should limit practice to 15 minutes per day, as recommended in the program. Holden is farther along in the actual Junior Analytical Grammar program, so I loved that he could use this program for extra practice on topics we’ve already covered. Clearly, he could use it! 
And I want to mention that GrammarPlanet is definitely not just a very minimal, basic grammar program. It’s actually quite challenging, even for me, and I was known in high school as the class grammarian! It includes even less common words for each part of speech…words that you can’t identify immediately. They require some analysis and extra thought to get them correct. That’s why it is important to slow down and take your time with this program. Honestly, I think it’s even great for adults to brush up on their grammar skills! And when you get to Unit 6 and beyond, the program adds printable sentences for the student to diagram on paper. Answer keys are provided in the program.
I really like the “process steps” provided in the unit notes. They really help the student tackle each sentence systematically, aiding them in correctly parsing the sentence. And there’s a button on the screen to allow the student to refer back to the instructional video at any point during a unit. I honestly just cannot believe all the features that are included with this program absolutely free…you get the online program, the printable notes, and the online instructional videos built in. It’s a perfect combination to really understand grammar…maybe for the first time for many students.
Crew members were the first ones to try out this program, and through our ongoing feedback, the creators were able to work out some bugs and make improvements based on our comments. It’s truly a lovely program, and after investing so much on Junior Analytical Grammar, I’m impressed that this program is available for FREE! There’s really no reason not to try it out. I just can’t say enough good things about it.
Check out what other Crew members have to say about GrammarPlanet by clicking the banner below.
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