Looking for an easy grammar curriculum that works? We’ve got you covered!

The award-winning Poodle books make language arts something kids fall in love with.

If you’re a parent or teacher who handles language arts lessons with young children, you know that grammar time can be a slog. Between the boring worksheets and mindless memorization, kids aren’t excited about learning, and they aren’t absorbing the majority of what you’re teaching. That’s why, if you’re looking for an easy grammar curriculum that works for young children, you should consider the Poodle books by Michael Clay Thompson.

Beautiful illustrations, charming characters, and poetic storytelling make these books a win for language arts lessons.

The Poodle books are a series of language arts texts that are specifically designed for elementary-aged students. Written by award-winning language arts curriculum author and instructor Michael Clay Thompson, these books are known for their innovative and effective (not to mention FUN!) approach to teaching grammar.

So what makes the Poodle books the best way to teach grammar to young children? Here are a few reasons that this is the easy grammar curriculum for you.

1. It's developmentally appropriate.

Young children don’t want to drill and memorize which words are nouns and which are verbs. They want to use imagination and play to discover the world around them. The Poodle books are designed to be developmentally appropriate for elementary-aged students and to tap into their love for imaginative play. These books are far from textbooks; they’re entire illustrated stories whose adorable characters and creative plots let learning happen along the way.  As a result, kids are more likely to be engaged and motivated by the content and are better able to understand and retain what they’re learning.

2. It's organized in a logical and incremental way.

Grammar is the foundation of language arts, but it can be tough to find an easy grammar curriculum. Every level in the Michael Clay Thompson language arts program begins with grammar, and the Poodle Series is no different. But the Poodle books are meant to build toward Level 1 of the MCT language arts curriculum, so how do they break down the concepts in ways that young children will understand?

They start at the beginning. Grammar begins with the parts of speech and then builds to the parts of the sentence, then to phrases, and finally to clauses. The Poodle books progress in this manner, weaving in other language arts concepts such as poetics along the way. This  means that new concepts are introduced and built upon in a way that makes sense. This can help kids better understand and remember what they’re learning, which makes the learning process more efficient and effective.

3. It offers a wealth of supporting materials.

In addition to the student texts, the Poodle books also offer instructor manuals to accompany each student book. These manuals are formatted so that parents and teachers can follow along page by page with students and give additional information, insight, answers, and suggestions along the way. The Poodle books work best when read by the child, so having a separate instructor book helps ensure that kids are in the driver’s seat. 

4. It's an easy grammar curriculum with a proven record of success.

The Poodle books have a proven record of success, with many teachers and parents reporting that their kids have made significant progress in their language arts skills as a result of using the materials. They are also the recipient of numerous prestigious awards in the few short years since their publication. Check out some of our glowing reviews from trusted resources like Cathy Duffy!

Still not convinced? Check out this helpful video from author Michael Clay Thompson that explains how to use the Poodle books, the value of reading, and many more wise tidbits from one of the greatest language arts educators of our time. And don’t forget that we have more than just an easy grammar curriculum! Shop all of our innovative and engaging curricula at rfwp.com!