Review: The Basic Cozy Grammar Course
Designed by Marie Rackham, a retired English teacher, The Basic Cozy Grammar Course is a delightful and effective basic grammar program. The 27 English grammar tutorials cover all of the parts of speech and their uses. Rackham introduces the program with a rationale for learning grammar and concludes with an amusing but kindly lesson on common errors. The strength of this program lies in the clarity of its presentation and in its accessibility. The videos are filmed entirely on location in and around Rackham’s cottage on the beach in Campbell River, BC. Concepts and examples are found written in the sand and on the refrigerator door. (They are also superimposed on the screen throughout the videos to make note-taking easier.) Frequently sporting bedroom slippers, Rackham is eccentric and amusing enough to engage the viewer’s attention yet she is never condescending. The two videos are accompanied by a reproducible 110 page workbook that includes lesson outlines, exercises, tests, and an answer key. The workbook is of the same high caliber as the videos; the exercises are clear, well written, interesting, and effective. The Basic Cozy Grammar Course is clearly the result of years of classroom experience. This “living textbook” makes grammar painless and is suitable for ages nine to adult.
Highly recommended for middle and high school libraries, as well as public libraries (especially those serving homeschoolers).
