value of WWE4 dictation (planning not to do it ...)

[serendipitous journey]

I'm finalizing our plans -- this is Week 0!!! -- and am planning to use WWE4 for reading, comprehension and narration but probably not dictation, 'cause folks find it so frustrating and I haven't heard that that portion is worth the struggle.  (A. will be in 4th grade and interleaving the WWE4 with Classical Writing Aesop B; he'll also have copywork from Presidential Penmanship and perhaps science too.   I am planning a strong-ish focus on writing this year)

[Walking-Iris]

We stopped halfway through last year and started Killgalon. 

 

My main issue with WWE in general is how tedious and somewhat boring the selections and the routine get to be.

 

I much prefer using Bravewriter Arrow guides for dictation,mainly because we're working with the entire book, not just a random passage.

 

I have WWE1 in my sig for my 2nd grader, but I'm seriously contemplating not even cracking it. 

 

My oldest finished WWE2, 3, and half of 4. He definitely got the most benefit out of 2, 3 felt like we were forcing ourselves through it. 

 

Now I praise WWE a lot for helping my ds's reading and listening comprehension, and his narration skills. And we also found some new favorites to read we hadn't heard of before.

 

Honestly, if you've got other sources for dictation and writing in general that you prefer better, I doubt there would be harm in just reading the selections. 

[serendipitous journey]

I'm glad to hear you think it would work, and glad of the reminder to include dictations (which I realize otherwise probably aren't in our plan, though they're simple enough to add: just a matter of actually doing it, I suppose I could "schedule" WWE regularly and just sub my dictations). 

 

I'd thought about skipping ahead to WWS, because A. was sort of gaming the early-WWE4 narrations when I trialed it this summer (trying to give very short sentences if he thought he'd have to write them out later) and he did terrific with the list-phrases-and-combine-into-few-sentences method of the first WWS week, but I think that program would be too hard to run right now and keep my content subjects.  So we may also adjust the narrations, and have him do them early-WWS style in writing ...

 

ETA: I'd love to hear if anybody's found the WWE4 dictations esp. useful. 

[Mom-ninja.]

Funny, because I feel the dictations did/do help my kids. I break it up though. My oldest, who went through levels 1-4, has amazing retention now. I stopped half way through level 4 with my middle ds because he was bored. He now does the new CAP writing, but I still do WWE 4 dictations with him once a week. 

[serendipitous journey]

Funny, because I feel the dictations did/do help my kids. I break it up though. My oldest, who went through levels 1-4, has amazing retention now. I stopped half way through level 4 with my middle ds because he was bored. He now does the new CAP writing, but I still do WWE 4 dictations with him once a week. 

 

Thanks for that perspective -- I've only heard the negative -- could you say more about the postives you observe?  what do you mean by "amazing retention"?  -- thx so much!

[Mom-ninja.]

By amazing retention I mean that my kids are able to hold a lot of words in their head before getting them down on paper. Any of our other books that have dictation (AAS, CAP, history) are so easy for them in comparison. They have no problem at all doing those shorter, easier dictations. They are actually able to put more focus into spelling and grammar when they are writing because it doesn't take much effort for them to hold words in their short term memory to write them down. 

 

Again, I think it's okay to break up the dictation if needed, but I like to push them and give them a challenge. They get a great sense of proud accomplishment when they do a tough dictation. It's good to work through hard things. I want my kids to struggle because the payoff when they break through to the other side is great. The shiny look on their faces says it all. 

 

Of course, that's not to say that during the struggle there have been tears and/or fits. We work through it and I adapt as needed. 

 

When I was going through it with my oldest I really questioned why. I wondered if the pay off was worth the struggle and frustration. I was tempted many times to stop and switch to something else. I'm so glad I didn't. It was hard for both of us. I doubted. But I just told myself to keep going and push through. I'm glad I did. 

 

I just asked my oldest and he said he thinks it was worth it as well. 

[serendipitous journey]

Mom-ninja, I am so glad to have your thoughts on this, and know we aren't the only ones working through the occasional tears.  We are believe in struggle here, too.  Well, struggle with a purpose.  ;)  I'm trying to keep A.'s work challenging and rewarding ... so good to know your oldest thinks it was worth it.  Will reflect on this.    

[Walking-Iris]

Mom-ninja, I am so glad to have your thoughts on this, and know we aren't the only ones working through the occasional tears.  We are believe in struggle here, too.  Well, struggle with a purpose.  ;)  I'm trying to keep A.'s work challenging and rewarding ... so good to know your oldest thinks it was worth it.  Will reflect on this.    

 

Dictation doesn't have to mean WWE4 dictation.

 

I think dictation is extremely valuable. You may get a different perspective in how to teach dictation from a Bravewriter Arrow guide. The way Julie explains what she calls "French dictation" (from the way she observed it being taught in French schools) was my light bulb moment. 

 

The passgaes are way more challenging and longer than in WWE, but they are a part of abigger routine that really reinforces the learning.

 

WWE felt sort of "lifeless" in it's overall presentation and routine.