Quid et Quo and Complex Sentences - Video Tutorial and FREE Printable Chart

We just completed Week 15 in our Essentials class!

I remember my first tour with my oldest daughter. Week 15 was I went from feeling lost, to feeling completely overwhelmed.

Just know that if you’re feeling this way, you are definitely not alone.

We are diving deep into the complex sentence structure, examining the difference between adverbial subordinate clauses and adjectival subordinate clauses, and now we are tackling Analytical Task #6: Quid et Quo.

Loosely translated Quid et Quo = what and why

My first year through Essentials in English Language, I barely touched QeQ.

As they say… it can truly feel like you’re trying to drink from a fire hose with EEL.

To be honest, I did not understand the purpose of this task and I hadn’t mastered the grammar charts. I barely knew where to start, much less how to teach my daughter. I had a toddler that year, so sitting next to my daughter in class felt impossible.

I decided to write this blog post because I know other mamas are in the same boat.

This is the Quid et Quo chart that comes with the Classical Conversations program.

The content is absolutely fantastic, but the layout (for me) is terrible. For years, I was confused on how to use the information and how to fill in the chart.

As a first tour mama, I didn’t have the charts mastered, so I didn’t even know the options to fill in each part of speech.

I sat down to really study this task over this past winter break.

I knew that I had to figure out an easier way to approach Quid et Quo, because it truly brings together all of the grammar we have been learning.

This process challenges students to apply their memory work.

I finally realized where our difficulties stemmed from:

1. If you don’t have the charts and information memorized, you don’t even know the possible answers for each part of speech.

2. Once you figure out the possible answers… where exactly do you write them on this chart?

3. How many options/boxes should you fill in for each part of speech?

4. Then, after you do finally generate all the possible answers, students must physically write the answers.

Going through one sentence took a very long time, and it was a huge struggle to keep my daughter engaged.

All of these roadblocks were taking away from the beauty of the QeQ content for our family.

If we want students (and mamas) to be successful, we need to provide scaffolding and support so the process is straightforward.

I sat down over break and studied the analytical task charts and the manual, and I decided to create my own QeQ charts.

This is what I came up with:

I hope this is helpful for you and your student!

QeQ is truly an incredible task that helps you analyze and apply your grammar memory work.

Students will understand how each part of speech is functioning in a sentence… I love this higher level thinking!

I am such a visual person, and I love watching teaching videos.

If I get stuck, I can go back and rewatch to figure out where I got lost.

I made this video to explain how to get started teaching Quid et Quo… whether you are a CC tutor or a mama teaching at home:

My tips for successfully implementing QeQ:

• Always keep in mind: EZ + 1

• Start very simple… with a simple 3-4 word sentence (even if we are on Week 15 in class!)

• Sit next to your student with your charts in front of you.

• To start, you can scribe for your student.

• Don’t quiz your student. Rather, model and show them how and where to find the answers on the charts.

Since we started using these charts that I created, my daughter has become independent with QeQ using complex sentences!

It has been absolutely amazing to see her confidence and skills grow.

After she completes parsing, diagramming and QeQ, I simply sit down with her to go over everything.

It has truly transformed our EEL time each day at home.

Things I always keep in mind for our homeschool days:

• Keep direct instruction lessons short and sweet.

• Help build your child’s independence with school work… don’t let them wait on you to get started!

• I always have their daily assignments/tasks written out on a whiteboard each morning so they can get started without me.

• Toss out extra worksheets and busy work! Keep it simple.

Complex Sentence Structure

The chart I shared above is for getting started with QeQ using 3-4 word sentences.

After I created the chart and it worked so well, I had to then figure out a way to use the same process for compound and complex sentence structures. I spent hours playing with the format, printing, trying it with my daughter and then making more changes.

I changed the format to print vertically to create the fold out chart shown above.

I placed each page in a page protector, trimmed the edges and taped them together.

You can print as many pages as you need to analyze create compound and complex sentences!

It is so neat to watch children become confident and independent with this process.

When they are ready, I also include blank color-coded charts so eventually they CAN generate and write the answers on their own.

Note: If you own my Essentials Bundle, these charts are included in the folder labeled Week 15.

Additional help with complex sentences:

I already felt pretty lost by the start of second semester (week 13) during my first tour, so when we began tackling complex sentences, I wanted to throw in the towel.

I was brand new to homeschooling, trying to work full time around my husband’s schedule while homeschooling with four kiddos ages 2-9. I had learned some of this grammar in high school and college, but definitely not this in depth!

My toddler made it difficult to sit in class with my daughter, so I spent hours trying to find more information on blogs and by watching videos. Thankfully, we had an amazing tutors who was so patient and helpful, but it was still a lot for me to learn.

This is one reason I decided to start sharing what I have been creating with other mamas… I have been there!

One of the first things I created for EEL: 24 Weekly Overview Printables

I spent weeks going through the manual and outlines everything we were covering each week.

I wanted a quick reference tool for both myself and my daughter to refer to.

Sometimes it is difficult for moms to read the lesson before coming to class each week, and this is a huge help to quickly see what we will be learning about.

Here is Week 13 and Week 14:

If these are helpful for you, all 24 weeks are available in my shop HERE

The Classical Conversations Essentials program offers incredible content, but it simply doesn’t come with activities, posters, explanations, etc. that I could implement at home with my daughter.

For years, I had hand-drawn posters, charts and activities.

Last spring, I finally decided to spend time streamlining my EEL materials!

I finally designed them on the computer, so now I can share them with other families.

I had a huge “aha” moment when I drew this chart with word banks a few years ago.

I realized that if my daughter started with finding either the relative pronoun or subordinating conjunction, the entire process would become easier.

Have the exact steps written out for my daughter allowed her to become independent with complex sentences.

If she does get stuck, she can tell me exactly which step she is confused on.

I created as many hands-on activities for students as possible to practice what we are learning.

If you just need additional help and practice with complex sentences, you can find them HERE

You can also print the Lesson Guides I created HERE for Week 13.

I share all of my lesson guides and resources in my EEL bundle HERE

Everything I have created for EEL is included in the bundle:

• 24 Weekly Overviews

• Grammar chart helpers

• Lesson guides

• Teaching slides

• Grammar games

• Worksheets

• Posters/anchor charts

• …. and so much more!

If you’re just getting started with the Essentials program, you may find THIS blog post helpful :)

I recently started an email list to share when I create new video tutorials, blog posts and resources.

---

If you’re new to my blog, you can also find me:

HERE on Youtube / HERE on Instagram / HERE on Facebook / HERE on Pinterest

I just setup these pages last summer, so I am still working on sharing pictures and videos of what I’ve been creating over this past year.

For ideas and resources I use to teach Foundations Cycle 1 CLICK HERE to visit my blog post!