Homeschool Grammar Curriculum – Fix It Grammar

Sometimes I come across a curriculum so good that I just have to talk about it. Truly IEW Fix It! Grammar is just that curriculum. First, I will tell you a little bit about IEW and Fix It! Grammar, and then I will tell you how I am using it in my homeschool.

While I have homeschooled for 28+ years, and I could make almost any curriculum work with modification, I don’t always have time for that modification – working, being a grandma, and still homeschooling 2 children, one that is autistic. So I am always on the lookout to make teaching easier and more effective. I have used Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) as a writing curriculum in the past couple of years, and it worked great for my 4th son, I knew that I could not use it with my autistic son.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out IEW’s Fix It! Grammar through the Homeschool Review Crew. First, this homeschool grammar curriculum has been redesigned. The third edition has been updated and if you order from the company you will receive the new fourth edition. Next, it is designed for use in short time periods – 15 minutes a day. This is excellent for a child like Jack-Jack who has trouble sitting through lessons that are much longer than that.

If you are new to my page, Jack-Jack is my last child who is autistic. He is a teenager who has learning disabilities. We will continue to homeschool him as long as he is learning and engaged.

This post does contain affiliate links which means I earn a small percentage from each sale generated.

Fix It! Grammar Level One Teacher and Student Books

FIX IT GRAMMAR – Ages, Levels, and Content

Fix It! Grammar is a physical product that comes with a Student Book and a Teacher Manual.

Currently, there are five levels with a sixth level coming out in Fall 2022. IEW recommends reviewing the book descriptions and the student samples on their website. If your child has little or no grammar background, they should begin on level 1.

Each level of Fix It! Grammar tells a story broken down into 30 weekly lessons. Each week there is an introduction to a new concept (Learn It!). For example on Level 1: Week 3 you learn pronouns and Capitalization. These include your grammar rules. Then there are four daily passages that will take 10-15 minutes per day. You Read It!, Then you Mark It! (mark the parts of speech that you have learned so far), and Fix It! (punctuation marks – end mark in week 3 – Level one, and capitalization). Next Rewrite It! – your child rewrites the corrected passage. Finally, Review It! – review the help with long-term memory.

At the end of the book, your child will reread the daily passages and read an entire story associated with each level.

Fix It Grammar is suitable for students from 4th grade through adults. This grammar curriculum is great and easy to use – like so easy – you just pull it out of the box and go!

The teacher’s manual is easy to use and the grammar instruction is easy for most children that they may not need you to help them. The Teacher’s manual includes the answer key. At the back of the book is Appendix 1: Complete Story. There is also a Glossary that is an easy reference for the homeschool mom to use.

Fix It! Grammar Levels

Teacher’s Manuals are reusable, and the Student Book is consumable.

Levels One & Two are considered Elementary (Reading Level, and not grade level)

Level One: Nose Tree – no prior grammar knowledge. Introduction of basic parts of speech such as subject noun, subject pronoun, action verb, linking verb, adjective, adverb, end-mark punctuation – period, question mark, exclamation mark, capitalization, phrases, homophones, strong verb, new vocabulary word, and more.

What does Level Two Cover: Town Mouse and Country Mouse – define parts of speech, basic commas, capitalization rules, complex sentence patterns, and more.

Level Three & Four are considered Middle School (Again, reading level and not grade level)

Level Three – Robin Hood – Additional comma rules, quotation punctuation, indefinite pronouns, and more
Fix It!™ Grammar: Level 3 Robin Hood [Teacher/Student Combo] ($29.00)

About Level Four – Mowgli and Shere Khan – additional punctuation, essential clauses, complex sentence patterns, and more
Fix It!™ Grammar: Level 4 Mowgli and Shere Khan [Teacher/Student Combo] ($29.00)

Level Fix and Six are geared toward High School students

Level Five – Frog Prince – New grammar concepts include noun functions, pronoun cases, and advanced concepts of verb types.
Fix It!™ Grammar: Level 5 Frog Prince [Teacher/Student Combo] ($29.00)

Finally in Level Six – Little Mermaid – Past participle openers, conjunctive adverbs, active voice, passive voice, and advanced punctuation.
Fix It!™ Grammar: Level 6 Little Mermaid [Teacher’s Manual] [UNAVAILABLE] ($19.00)

While we have opted to start with the first book and work through each level at the pace that works for Jack-Jack, you can work at a faster pace and complete 2-3 pages a day. At that rate, you would do two levels each school year. For older students that have some knowledge of grammar, you may want to start at a higher level.

My Overall Recommendation:

To emphasize I am absolutely loving Fix It! Grammar. I fully intend to finish Fix It! Grammar Level One: Nose Tree before September and begin Fix It! Grammar Level Two Town Mouse and Country Mouse. I love how each week there is new grammar knowledge being learned, but since it is an incremental program which means that while new concepts are introduced, your child will continue to use what they have learned previously to really solidify that knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is there a placement test?

There is not a placement test for the 4th Edition, but there are sample pages for each level.

Are there any supplemental materials to use with Fix It Grammar?

Another key point to remember is that there are Fix It Grammar Cards which are thirty full-color cards that have grammar concepts for quick reference. You can drill concepts or review concepts easily with these cards. There is also a link for online grammar activities. These cards

Does the Fix It Grammar program cover sentence diagramming?

No! But at the end of the six levels, your child will have all the knowledge necessary to diagram sentences.

How much time does Fix It Grammar take each day?

Not only should your child be able to complete the daily lesson in approximately 15 minutes per day, but some children will be able to complete two lessons in that time period. (Jack-Jack is doing Level One, and he is getting each lesson done in 8-10 minutes.)

Will I need to use any other English or Language Arts Curriculum?

Since this is a grammar program, you will still need a homeschool writing curriculum.

What grade should I begin to use Fix It! Grammar?

While you can start a 3rd grader if they are advanced, most students should be ready at about 4th grade. If your child has a basic knowledge of grammar you can probably start at Level 2 or 3.

If I am teaching additional students, do I need a Student Book for each student?

While IEW allows copying the book for additional students in your immediate family for Home Use only, I would definitely have a Student book for each student.

Keep in mind, that those participating in a Small-Group or Co-op students and Classroom Use are all required to have their own books. Teachers are not permitted to copy the student book.

Additional Thoughts About Fix It! Grammar

Since I write about homeschooling with movies, obviously, there are Fix It! Grammar Levels that are geared toward watching the movie. When we use Robin Hood, we will definitely watch several different versions of the movie. Additionally, with Mowgli and Shere Khan, we can watch The Jungle Book. The Frog Prince is great to pair with The Princess and the Frog, and finally, Little Mermaid has so many different versions of the movie, The Little Mermaid.

To Learn More About Homeschooling With Movies, visit Elements of Fun Learning

Patty Moliterno

Reviewing movies for parents from a Christian perspective since 2005. Know Before You Go!

Christian Homeschooling mom – 30 years and counting

Autism Mom & Disney enthusiast