Hands-On English

by Fran Santoro Hamilton

Portico Books

This 8” x 10 3/4” paperback is a useful grammar reference that covers parts of speech, types of sentences, punctuation, spelling, and proper word usage. It also contains information on word roots, proofreader’s marks, footnotes and bibliographies, including how to show e-mail sources. A unique feature of this book--and one that would be especially helpful for visual learners--is the use of small drawings of objects to symbolize the functions of the parts of speech, such as a block for a noun and a spring for an action verb.

The Activity Book to Accompany Hands-On English makes the reference book even more useful. Students work on parts of speech, usage, sentences, sentence patterns, capitalization, punctuation, and basic spelling rules, with some coverage of reading, writing, and vocabulary. Diagramming is included. This Activity Book is available in three formats. In the reproducible format, it includes 175 reproducible worksheets and tests plus answer key with notes in a loose-leaf binder. The same elements are also available at a lower price in a consumable (non-reproducible) edition. A student workbook that has only the activity pages (non-reproducible) is also available. If you have only one student, the second option makes the most sense. For more than one student, your best bet is to purchase the reproducible edition.

These two books together provide a solid, foundational grammar course for students in grades four through nine. (Reviewed by Valerie Thorpe and Cathy Duffy)