Thanks, but it was more elementary than either ellen machinery or RS4K, I believe.

I saw this years ago here on the forum but I can't find it in any searches now. It was a science book or curriculum, the author was a woman who publishes in all science fields, I think on her own website. In the reviews here on the WTMF it was the chemistry text that was the favorite, and I even saw a sample which made chemical bonds make a lot of sense with clever drawings. Anyone know what I'm talking about maybe? thanks for your help-- I've searched here a lot and didn't find it.

thanks anyway... retracting post.

My boy has steadily declined in handwriting to the point where he is slow, messy, and illegible. He's developing fine in all other ways but it's like a regression back in time. Any recommendations for a handwriting program that would be good for an older child writing in regular ruled notebooks (and not giant sized lines)? He needs to write both faster AND neater (he's in public school now) and I'm not sure how to help him. Thanks!

It might have been writeguide.com which closed shop recently, although their main teacher told me was going to open his own company. You can look the old website in archive.org and maybe find clues as to his name, etc or try to contact the old company http://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/composition-and-grammar/ungraded-multi-level-resources-composition/write-guide

Hi there I was wondering if anyone could recommend a concept based 7th grade math curriculum that lines up more or less with common core. I like Singapore math a lot, but don't like what their 7th grade looks like nor what I hear about it. Is there something like Singapore math, but for 7th graders? common core approximation is a plus but not a deal breaker. I mention it because it tries to be conceptual, which i like. I'm looking for a curriculum that is kind of open and go. thanks so much for any leads! Alan

A couple years ago I stumbled on a website that had online classes for kids that were about basic online design things like working with images and documents and very basic online skills, kind of like writing but for the digital age. I know this is vague but does anyone know such a thing? I would love to find that website again.

thanks! i got the link from them too-- https://www.iew.com/webforms/teaching-writing-structure-and-style-second-edition-upgrade will post my review some day far in the future.

let us know!

Get Dancing Bears http://www.prometheantrust.org/usshop.htm and do it 5-10 min. a day, 3-4 times a week. Don't overdo it, but keep on going. It really works for that problem, which my son had. Using the cursor is brilliant! I think they have a free sample which you can actually use to try out the program -- once you do you'll see why it's so great. Be sure to keep it brief, light, fun, and consistent. Don't push1

Bump-- I want to know this too. What's in the new ones? I know there was a window where you could send the old ones back, and get the new ones for a minimal fee. I don't know if that offer is still out there. I missed it.

I think if someone is just starting out with their kid the safest and gentlest route is to start with BW if you can wrap your head around what you actually are doing, which is setting up a routine of language-based activities in your lives. But I just had a kid write a fantastically funny and creative essay on her take-home IEW assignment. Creativity and IEW are not opposites, but it depends on the kid. BW teaches grammar piecemeal through copywork and dictation for the most part. That is a fine way to go as you discover with your kid how much she wants/needs to memorize grammar rules. If she enjoys memorizing them, then FLL (WTM) might be good to go with BW. IEW doesn't teach comprehensive grammar but is able to form and shape and initiate complex writing from kids that appear beyond their years and grammar should sink in along the way.

Yes I absolutely use IEW and Bravewriter together. They are my two favorite curricula. As Farrar says (and I will pause for a moment to acknowledge that I am a HUGE fan of Farrar here on this board), the philosophies couldn't be farther apart. But... I think philosophies are just there to make us feel excited and oriented about what we are doing. Then, there's the actual doing. If it makes the teacher feel like they are not doing the "right" thing because they have conflicting feelings about what is the "right" thing, then it will be a bad mix. If you teach the kid "this is how you are supposed to do it" with two different methods that would be confusing. But why on earth would you ever do that with even one method? I find that the approaches balance each other out nicely. Exploration, creativity, and fun on the side of Bravewriter, and some safety, regularity, and easy path to a moderately successful outcome with IEW. One thing I can say is I would not use IEW for several years straight without BW or similar. BW is the solution to all problems IEW, is how I would put it. But not the other way around. If you have the dedication and the mental space and focus to enact a BW lifestyle there is every chance that that will work out great for an unlimited amount of time. To tell you the truth, recently I started teaching a group of nine kids, age 11, (2 are mine) and while I started with a BW approach, it just started to get too hard because there really is a lot of partnering and relating to each kid individually required, the projects need to speak to everyone which is impossible, and I was actually a little sad when I "relapsed" into IEW. It felt like returning a cadillac for a ford focus. I felt sad that the kids were going to have to have such a stilted and formulaic approach. But it was necessary because it's so suited to a larger audience. Then I started using it and remembered all I liked about it, including the clever way it uses imitation, both like and unlike SWB style copywork (copywork and dictation is also something I struggle with in group settings), and most of all in how it works to get actual written objects produced and finished quickly so that the kid can really feel like they are getting things done and writing easily, while applying new things they learn about writing. I like the structure teachings in IEW (ALOT!) and some of the style including the use of checklists. What I do not do is only teach style with a quick IEW-type style lesson, and then put it on a checklist, and off you go. No. The kids need to learn the style elements straight from literature and with play and experimentation on their own. Then I am hoping to see these come out in their IEW projects. My focus is on word-play and the study of lively creative language, ala BW, then switching into IEW and seeing if some of that can stick in the writing. I think I'm using IEW to test if things are sticking, from BW-type teaching, in their prose style (they are), and using BW to enhance the IEW curriculum. Ask me if you have any specific questions-- I did 5 online courses with BW and have 5-6 curricula from IEW. I chase shiny objects. I've been bad.

Google BBC Dance Mat typing be persistent and you will find it its free from the UK government and very good, and a website the best program is the kids version of Typing Instructor, or you can go adult version to have no games at all (i think) but the kids version has straight out typing too. Don't know if its for mac though, maybe not

also bbd dance mat typing (google that) it's free and high quality, with more emphasis on fluidity and less on accuracy than typing instructor for kids. Both together work great.

Same situation: watching this too.

My 10yr old is starting mine craft mod programming in java with youth digital. so far the instruction and tech interface for the class is EXCELLENT. You couldn't imagine a better job for an online class. They really understand the mind of a child, plus have an interactive interface that is great. I have noticed however that if I don't supervise my boy flies through the material just trying to copy the bare minimum to get the sword working or whatever and doesn't really get the concepts.

Thanks for the replies. It's great to get ideas. Love to hear more. Coincidentally, my kids were playing this game last night at a Thanksgiving party with a bunch of older kids and it seemed like a blast. One of my kids could barely play it and the other could not really at all, but it's definitely a great fun language game from what I saw at a distance: http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-A4625-Electronic-Catchphrase-Game/dp/B00D4NJS9O

Hey those are some great points. I like especially the spelling-- I never thought about the fact that once you learn to spell something you probably want to use that word. One resource I have is "IF you're trying to teach kids how to write" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865303177/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 there are a quite a few pages dedicated to word play in there.

I'm doing some great writing things with my twin 10 year olds including plenty of chances for writing descriptively. Despite all we've done to emphasize descriptive writing, through the senses, etc., it's not happening spontaneously in other writing even when it is obviously needed and its a struggle even with my instigation. The problem is not their imagination, but their words: they just seem not to reach easily for non-straightforward-and-functional words. So today I am having them collect cool descriptive words now on notecards. I've done both IEW style requiring and banning of words, and sensory detail writing exercises etc. I am always keen to hear about writing programs, but also right now really focused on this one thing-- building the actual descriptive vocabulary words. Do you know of any good resources, games, etc. for building descriptive vocabulary? A bigger question could also be, resources etc. that basically open up how cool words can be in general. They haven't at all got hooked on the joys of planting a nice juicy word that changes everything. thanks!

Remember when we are talking about how grammar leads to great things like accurate and persuasive writing that doesn't undermine the writers authority and let's them write with great precision-- which is true for some writerswe should also ask when and where this is true. Is this true for an elementary kid? I mean-- are we really dealing with writers who are becoming authorities and need to be persuasive, accurate etc? Or is this an "abstract" idea of a writer in the future that kids cannot really connect with-- passing over the real, immediate concrete reality of a kid writing from where they are at. It's this part of grammar being "abstract" that's worth questioning a little at least. I don't think BW is super light on grammar if you look at the copywork and dictation aspects, and it certainly emphasizes abstract things like alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc.. But one thing one might consider, if going light on grammar, is whether the household is really a highly literate one with lots of reading going on. If a child is immersed in language and reading then you absolutely have nothing to fear if a joy in writing, or at least lack of resistance, is cultivated early on. Grammar will come, or become not necessary. Language itself will overrun them and instill itself, it's natural grammar, and much else besides in a child. But under other conditions maybe just preparing the child to be functional with grammar is the best course of action. I don't have such a highly literate environment myself, and I am a univ prof and writer! Since I don't emphasize grammar, I need to supplement a far more literary environment. My kids are watching tv as i type this. In other words, since I don't worry about sentence diagramming I have something else to worry about! It's not like you can just abandon classical grammar and not replace it with something.

Remember in sussing all these different concerns out that your main concern seems to be output. That is, getting a kid to like writing as a way to express themselves and/or have a curriculum that keeps them writing by the kids knowing what to write. I would advise always keeping your main concern a priority: for instance, an over emphasis on grammar can be boring for some kids and also inhibiting. Public schools can teach grammar ok, and a kid can catch up. Sure, it might be awkward for awhile, but they'll catch up. You know where the real issue is right in the moment. Thoughts about the public school etc. are just thoughts-- we don't really know if that is a real issue on the same level of certainty that we know our actual children.

I thought I should say this because its important to emphasize: art, art, art Drawing crayons markers papers And also tracing games like mazes and connect the dots, or even coloring, etc. Kumon I think has some mazes workbooks. The foundation for beating writing resistance early is in sitting down with paper and making marks. The more fun and engaged that physical activity, the earlier, the better, and it can turn into writing later, even much later. If its creative like art even better, even better than actual writing potentially.

Me too-- I would love to hear more. We are doing kidswrite and it's basically TWJ dispensed in weekly chunks, with some feedback from the teacher. I was wondering if there was something more. BTW that's stunning work for age 11

This is awesome for an 11 year old and I laughed out loud at the beginning. That doesn't happen often.