fbpx

Educational Media Reviews

Educational Media Reviews Online MastheadReview: The Basic Cozy Grammar Course

Rating: Highly Recommended
Audience Level: Grade 6 – Adult
Subject(s): Language, English
Date Reviewed: 1/19/2004

The Basic Cozy Grammar Course and workbook is a presentation of English grammar tutorials that instruct on all of the areas commonly considered grammar. The lessons are taught by retired English teacher Marie Rackham, in and around her home in a cottage on the beach in British Columbia. The viewer goes along on the journey as the instructor uses household chores, a dinner party, and other daily life scenarios to teach the concepts. The real life examples in the lessons make the transfer and application of grammar skills clear-cut. Ms. Rackham spends a good deal of time addressing the different learning modalities of her viewers. Her approach to teaching is free spirited, with occasional use of humor, making the lessons run smoothly. Background classical music by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and others helps enhance an ideal learning atmosphere.

The transition from one lesson to another is well done and the length of each is kept short enough to hold the viewers attention. The instructor has a playful persona and her passion for language is apparent, making the material very engaging and easy to assimilate. The accompanying workbook has a table of contents, exercises, sample tests, and some extra information not found in the video lessons. Additionally, the appendix has suggestions for using the materials.

I highly recommend that these resource materials be purchased by public, academic, and school media centers. The information found on these lessons would be very useful for the independent learner or as a tutorial to supplement and reinforce classroom instruction. Additionally, these materials are a great resource for students who have learned English as a second language and for the home schooled population. A very worthwhile investment!

Educational Media Reviews Online Icon