WWE: If you chose your own passages...

[blendergal]

I’d like to switch my 2nd grader to WWE, but I don’t think the passages in the workbook are going to work (har har!) for us. He has some special needs, and writing in particular is much less of a struggle when the content is interesting to him.

 

What tips can you share for choosing and working with your own passages? What worked? What didn’t? How far out did you plan? I know it’s a big job and I don’t mind spending time on it, but I want to be as efficient as possible.

[arliemaria]

For K/1st we did some basic copywork.  Almost a very very simple version of commonplacing.  He wrote things like limericks from Edward Gorey, song lyrics, a line from his favorite movie (at the time it was and I hate to admit this, Short Circuit), his address, family member names.  This year we were finally able to pick up WWE 1 and he is flying through it.  We do two lessons at a time.  He narrates very well.  It just took more time to develop more fluid writing.  He doesn't have to take a mental pause before thinking about how to form a letter or whatever his brain was doing.  :)  

[Miss Tick]

I did it for our first year in WWE. I planned it all out the summer before. That gave me time to try to find the recommended types of passages from the books we owned. It also made it very easy to implement, which I need. The skill set that is being worked in WWE is well defined and self-contained, so I wasn't too worried about planning ahead that way.

 

However, I think if you are flexible you could really do it pretty much on the fly. I remember struggling to find just the right passage demonstrating dialog to go in week <whatever>, but really it just needed to be discussed when it came up, does that make sense? So if it will go better for you all to have the passages relate to current interests or topics, then rather than pre-select all the passages, I would instead focus on a list of grammar topics you want to touch on. Then you can keep an eye out for suitable examples as you go. Not every week has to teach something, either. I think I'm getting rambly here, so I'm going to end, but you can definitely make the concept work for your situation.

[Hobbes]

I do it week by week, taking passages from whatever we (or they) are reading at the time. I choose and type up the passages on Friday or Sunday evening, when I am typing up the week's checklists.

 

Sometimes I move topics around, if I find something that's a great fit for another week. I think the essential part is a progression in length/difficulty and covering a good grammatical range.

[JIN MOUSA]

I found a series that would interest DD (the American Girl historical books, first the Kirsten series, then Kaya, maybe Josephine next). I use usually just the first chapter of the book for WWE, and it's not available for DD to read until we're done with it for WWE. I try to plan 4 to 6 weeks at a time, and that usually just about covers that first chapter. I try to go ahead and write out the copywork when I plan as well. After the first chapter, I turn it over to her for free reading and move on to the next book in the series.

 

It was more work when we first started this about 8 months ago. We also alternate doing only FLL or WWE each quarter, usually trying to do it 5 days a week.

[hollyhock]

We pick passages on the fly. If we did science or history that day, I grab that lesson and pick something. If there's nothing good there, I pull out a Pathway reader or a Nature reader or any piece of literature the kid is currently reading, including read-alouds. Obviously, this way, we don't include the grammar suggestions in our passages, but we are usually on a slower grammar track than the book anyway.

[TheAttachedMama]

I did it my first year using WWE.   I suggest choosing passages from the books she is using as readers.   

[nixpix5]

We pick passages on the fly. If we did science or history that day, I grab that lesson and pick something. If there's nothing good there, I pull out a Pathway reader or a Nature reader or any piece of literature the kid is currently reading, including read-alouds. Obviously, this way, we don't include the grammar suggestions in our passages, but we are usually on a slower grammar track than the book anyway.

This is how we do it too. I pull from whatever we are reading together or they are reading independently. I often ask them what copywork they would like and if they had a favorite scene. I will often try to find something that has grammar rules we are working on or special sounds in phonics or spelling we are practicing.

 

I bought a copywork book with a place to draw so that if they feel inclined to do so, they can illustrate. My DD was reading Bunnicula last year and her copywork and pics for that time are treasured gems :)

[blendergal]

So you would choose copywork and dictation from his readers? And then look ahead a bit in our content subjects to find passages to use for narration? Is there a stand-alone source that would be good for WWE2 narration passages?

 

Sorry, just want to make sure I get it straight.

[Porridge]

We pick passages on the fly and increase the length as DS’s writing endurance increases. We pull passages from the books we are reading- mostly classics. in terms of narration, if you want a stand alone source, consider 30 Famous stories retold (Baldwin), Story of the World book 1, Paddle to the Sea, or Aesop Fables. Those short chapters or stories are good for beginning narration.

[Porridge]

We pick passages on the fly and increase the length as DS’s writing endurance increases. We pull passages from the books we are reading- mostly classics. in terms of narration, if you want a stand alone source, consider 30 Famous stories retold (Baldwin), Story of the World book 1, Paddle to the Sea, or Aesop Fables. Those short chapters or stories are good for beginning narration.

[wathe]

The WWE 2 workbook passages were too hard for my 2nd grader last year.   I pulled passages from Story of the World, on the fly.  He loved it.  I liked that both history and writing got done.

Now in 3rd, he is using WWE 2 without a problem

[Hobbes]

So you would choose copywork and dictation from his readers? And then look ahead a bit in our content subjects to find passages to use for narration? Is there a stand-alone source that would be good for WWE2 narration passages?

 

Sorry, just want to make sure I get it straight.

For narration, I just choose chunks from our history reading (occasionally science) now. Often biography. For a while, we worked our way through a book of Aesop's fables. My oldest is reading short bios from the History Lives series to match our time period - she's at the point where she reads half of one (about 4 pages) and narrates it. They also narrate SOTW for history weekly, so there is a mix.

 

Then I pick copywork and dictation from our current literature.