Taming the Grammar Wild Cards: Understanding Irregular Verbs for Your Homeschool Classroom

There are moments in homeschooling—whether you're deep into a unit on ancient history, tackling a complex language arts passage, or just helping a student write a personal essay—when you realize grammar is less of a straight road and more of a winding, beautiful country lane. Some rules are easy to follow, but then you hit a verb that just... refuses to behave. These are the irregular verbs.

If you’ve ever stared at a worksheet and thought, "Wait, *go* becomes *went*? But *run* just becomes *ran*?" you know exactly what we mean. It can feel overwhelming, like trying to memorize an entire foreign language just to write a simple sentence about what happened yesterday.

But here’s the good news: understanding these exceptions isn't about memorizing a giant list; it’s about recognizing patterns, embracing the quirks, and trusting the process of learning. For our homeschool families, approaching grammar this way—with curiosity rather than fear—is the best way to build solid skills.

The Difference Between Regular and Irregular Actions

To start, let's quickly review what makes a verb "regular." Most verbs are predictable! If you take the base word and add "-ed" or "-d" to change it to the past tense (like *walk* to *walked*, or *love* to *loved*), you’re following the established path. These are the reliable workhorses of English grammar.

Irregular verbs, however, are the rebels of the verb world. They change in ways that defy the standard suffix rule. Some change vowels entirely (like *come* to *came*), some keep the spelling the same but change the sound (*read* today vs. *read* yesterday), and some are just plain stubborn!

We found this video really helpful because it broke down these concepts in a very digestible way, showing us the 'before' and 'after' of these tricky words. It’s a great resource to pull up during a language arts block when you need a refresher.

Making it Practical: Beyond the Worksheet

While online videos and worksheets are wonderful tools for practice, remember that the ultimate goal in homeschooling—whether you’re following a Charlotte Mason approach with heavy emphasis on reading, or dipping into unschooling projects—is fluency. The best way to master these verbs is through consistent, real-life application.

Think about how you are talking with your family this week. When you recount what happened at the park, or what you read aloud from a history book, you are actively practicing this! When you say, "Yesterday, we *went* to the market," you are using an irregular verb correctly. When you say, "Today, we *go* to the library," you are using the present tense. The context clues—like "yesterday" or "today"—are your best friends!

For parents who are looking for structured ways to reinforce this, reviewing common irregular verbs alongside your current curriculum unit can be a powerful addition to your daily routine. Whether you are using a formal language arts curriculum or integrating grammar study into a nature study journaling session, these verbs are always waiting to be mastered.

A Sovereign Approach to Learning

Ultimately, learning grammar, like learning to live wisely, is about understanding the rules so deeply that you can navigate the exceptions with confidence. It’s about knowing the foundational structure of the English language so you can communicate your faith, your family values, and your ideas clearly and powerfully.

Don't let these exceptions derail your momentum. Treat them like little puzzles—fun challenges that prove that even the most established systems have beautiful, unique quirks. Keep reading, keep writing, and keep chatting with your family!

Ready to deepen your skills in language arts or find a community to tackle curriculum together? Take a Field Trip with a mentor this month, or claim a Faculty profile to connect with other homeschool parents tackling the same curriculum challenges!