Fix It! Grammar vs Shurley English
The sharpest difference is used as: Fix It! Grammar is Spine or supplement, Shurley English is Spine. Five more separate them, which puts real distance between the two.
At a glance
Fix It! Grammar
Grades 3-12
Owners report it suits
Reluctant learnersIndependent workersShurley English
Grades 1-8
Owners report it suits
Struggling learnersHands-on learnersWhere they differ
| Attribute | Fix It! Grammar | Shurley English |
|---|---|---|
Rigor
?How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Parent involvement
?How much the parent is present and teaching. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Prep load
?How much the parent prepares before a lesson. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Independence
?How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Time commitment
?How long a daily lesson takes the child. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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| Used as | Spine or supplement | Spine |
| Best for Tags show where owners consistently report a good fit. They are not exclusions. | Reluctant learnersIndependent workers | Struggling learnersHands-on learners |
| Method | ClassicalIntegrated grammar | TraditionalTraditional grammar |
| Grades | 3-12 | 1-8 |
Solid tags are unique to that program. Muted tags are carried by both.
Where they match
- Screen timeboth fully offline
- Faith contentboth None
- Approachboth Spiral
- Formatboth Workbook
How each one plays by grade
Fix It! Grammar runs 4 grades further than Shurley English. If you want one program to carry the subject for the long haul, plan on leaving Shurley English around grade 8 and choosing again.
Fix It! Grammar
Grades 3-12
The books build in order, and IEW suggests most students start at Level 3 or below. Level 1 (Nose Tree) assumes no prior grammar.
Shurley English
Grades 1-8
Concepts repeat year to year, so you can begin at any level without going back to level 1, and combine close-in-age kids in one level.
Cost
| Cost item | Fix It! Grammar | Shurley English |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19-29/level | $60-70/grade kit |
| Consumable | Partial | Partial |
| Per child / year | ~$29/level combo, less for siblings under the home license | ~$60-70/grade kit, ~$25-30 per added student |
What parents report
Fix It! Grammar
Consistently praised
- Short, gentle daily lessons
- Applied editing feels realistic, not busywork
- Story passages keep kids interested
- Grammar sticks better than worksheets
- Affordable and close to open-and-go
Reported as challenges
- The teacher's manual isn't fully scripted
- Repetitive for quick students
- Daily copywork load, plain and text-heavy
- The IEW labeling system has a learning curve
Shurley English
Consistently praised
- The jingles stick, and kids sing them to sort out parts of speech
- The Question and Answer Flow gives a repeatable system for any sentence
- A complete grammar and writing program, so you skip a separate writing course
- The scripts let you teach it even if you never learned grammar
- Marking sentences together gives immediate feedback
Reported as challenges
- The teacher's manual looks intimidating and takes a couple weeks to hit stride
- Scripted and teacher-intensive, which script-haters find tedious
- Daily oral lessons make it hard for a child to do alone
- It does not cover phonics, reading, spelling, or literature
Who Fix It! Grammar fits
Short, applied grammar tied to a story, and the natural companion for families already using IEW writing. Kids who need diagramming, a multisensory approach, or a fast pace with little review should keep looking.
Read the full Fix It! Grammar entry Check price Institute for Excellence in WritingWho Shurley English fits
Systematic and auditory learners, taught by a parent who wants a scripted do-it-together program, and it often works for kids who stalled on gentler grammar. Parents wanting an open-and-go independent workbook, or a hands-off routine, will find it too teacher-led.
Read the full Shurley English entry Check price Shurley Instructional MaterialsSome links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes how a curriculum is described or scored.
Still deciding?
Fix It! Grammar compared with
Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources together with each publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time. Both entries last reviewed August 2026.