Classical Writing

[EmilyGF]

If you've used Classical Writing, could you tell me what worked well for you and what didn't?

 

As time goes on, I'm doing a much better job of integrating the language arts subjects. For example, ds 9 is doing Junior Analytical Grammar but both he and dd 7 apply the concepts to their WWE dictation. I have them explain any spelling they don't get the first time from the dictation. I also have them narrate and summarize their WWE passages.

 

Yet we're hitting the WWE3 wall we hit last year yet again and I'm once again floundering. DS 9 had a lot of fun with CAP's Fable but didn't seem to gain skill (maybe we should have spent every other week rewriting? I'm not sure). DD 7 has been doing well but is beginning to cry about WWE 3 (she's in week 10).

 

Not sure where to go...

 

Emily

 

[SilverMoon]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking.

 

My teens had great success with the Aesop and Honer levels, but we didn't get very far beyond that. We really enjoyed those years. :) My little ones haven't used as much CW, but that's because it taught *me* so well I didn't feel I needed it as much to teach them writing. The big ones set it aside to go a different direction for awhile and their path hasn't taken them back that way yet. *shrug* (I'm not wed to any one main theory. We do what works for each kid each year.)

[kiwik]

Your seven year old may not be ready. Ds5 did wwe1 as a tag alonh last year and when we do wwe2 I just ask him wwe1 style questions.

[LMD]

I just love the primers for 2nd grade, and so have my oldest 2 kids. We're working through aesop with my 9 year old and it has been a learning curve (for me) but we are finding it enjoyable and effective. We also use MCT. :)

[Kathie in VA]

I've used CW thru Diogenes. What do you want to know?

I let the workbooks lead. They specify which pages in the core to cover. I've read them to my kids first time through but now I may not as I know it enough to direct them. Then I help them daily with the days workbook page(s). Sometimes we do the spelling or vocabulary pages, other times we skip them. Once I did RnS Eng instead of Harvey's but since then I just use Harvey's. Although we do it mainly orally since the concepts are repeated in the CW workbooks. I do have Mary Daly's First Book of Diagramming on hand for reference.

For Aesop A papers, I would have dc dictate to me her narration while I wrote it down. Then she would copy parts, eventually all of it. By the end I would type her narrations and edit them with her. Then I would dictate some back for her to write.

Aesop B: we continue the writing with more dictating back to her and moving to her writing it on her own.

Homer: careful, this book offers lots to learn and this lots to do if if you use the workbooks. I use the workbooks but skip some of the work as needed for my kids. However, the full work load s doable. I td my co-op students to skip some of it and yet there were a few that were able to do it all anyway. For my kids I needed to do Harvey's orally. I sometimes did the spelling page or vocab page with them or just skipped it. I often did part of the workbook pages with them and assigned the rest for HW. I sometimes did the A&I part one week and the paper the next. If the student wanted to be creative I would allow it within the assignment but basically this gets addressed later In the book anyway. Remember their goal is to try to rewrite the narrative as good as or better then the original author. Apples to apples comparison.

Diogenes: these were fun too. Lots of discussions on classic essays. Again do what you can. Use the answer key to figure out the grammar if need be.

[NancyNellen]

I've used CW thru Diogenes. What do you want to know?

I let the workbooks lead. They specify which pages in the core to cover. I've read them to my kids first time through but now I may not as I know it enough to direct them. Then I help them daily with the days workbook page(s). Sometimes we do the spelling or vocabulary pages, other times we skip them. Once I did RnS Eng instead of Harvey's but since then I just use Harvey's. Although we do it mainly orally since the concepts are repeated in the CW workbooks. I do have Mary Daly's First Book of Diagramming on hand for reference.

For Aesop A papers, I would have dc dictate to me her narration while I wrote it down. Then she would copy parts, eventually all of it. By the end I would type her narrations and edit them with her. Then I would dictate some back for her to write.

Aesop B: we continue the writing with more dictating back to her and moving to her writing it on her own.

Homer: careful, this book offers lots to learn and this lots to do if if you use the workbooks. I use the workbooks but skip some of the work as needed for my kids. However, the full work load s doable. I td my co-op students to skip some of it and yet there were a few that were able to do it all anyway. For my kids I needed to do Harvey's orally. I sometimes did the spelling page or vocab page with them or just skipped it. I often did part of the workbook pages with them and assigned the rest for HW. I sometimes did the A&I part one week and the paper the next. If the student wanted to be creative I would allow it within the assignment but basically this gets addressed later In the book anyway. Remember their goal is to try to rewrite the narrative as good as or better then the original author. Apples to apples comparison.

Diogenes: these were fun too. Lots of discussions on classic essays. Again do what you can. Use the answer key to figure out the grammar if need be.

I will just say "ditto" to all that Kathie said. I, too, have used it through Diogenes. I really appreciate this program and am thoroughly happy with my children's writing and thinking abilities, post CW.

 

I also allow the workbooks to lead. We used Harvey's Grammar along with the workbooks for a year and finally settled on JAG and AG after finishing up FLL4. I just preferred bringing what we were learning into the lessons. The grammar exercises in the workbook are frequently review, but helpful in solidifying concepts. We are big fans of the copia-building techniques, and use the dictionary and thesaurus heavily beginning in Aesop B. Through Aesop A I take their imitation as dictation, and have the child copy it. By the time they are in Aesop B they were usually proficient at typing, so that made things easier.

 

I have found using CW that my kids progress slowly, but steadily. It is definitely a marathon-type curricula, in that they become very strong writers if you stick with the process. Slow and steady and all that.