Reasons you did not like the Jump in writing program

[April in WA]

I'd like to hear any reasons that you did not like the Jump In writing program. I would be using it with a 6th grader and 8th grader.

 

Thanks,

April in WA

[KarenC]

Abortion is the most obvious one that comes to mind. But, I could work around those. I really didn't like the informal approach to writing. I don't want my students using first or second person in most cases. I also have strong writers and while the baby steps Jump In uses may be great for reluctant writers , we found it too easy/slow.

 

I used it with my oldest daughter, but added in quite a few extra writing assignments. I won't use it again.

 

Karen

[Samiam]

I also did not like the repeated attempts to bring abortion up as a topic. Just doesn't seem like the place to have that topic discussed at this age level.

 

I bought this for my DS10 who had very little writing experience. Writing was a painful chore for him and I did not push it, as I figured it would come easier to him as he got older. (I wasn't fully aware of the WTM writing philosphies at that point).

 

Even using Jump In, his writing was poor. It wasn't the process so much, he as able to do and comprehend WHAT they were asking for, but he just could not create, if that makes any sense. His papers were not very inspired, not very thought out, not very interesting.

 

For example, Jump In has you think of three main points, organize them in order. Then you take each point and expand. Say the paper was why dogs are great pets. So his point 1 might be "Dogs are fun"...and his whole paragraph on that point would be something like this: Dogs are good pets because they are fun. They do fun things. You can have fun with them. See what I mean...yeah, not very inspired.

 

So the problem that I had with Jump In, is yes, it was teaching the formatting of writing, and even talked about brainstorming, but SOMETHING was missing, at least for my son.

 

So after re-reading WTM, I think he is really missing that base of writing, and this is where copywork, narration, dictation will fill in that base...so we are starting from the VERY beginning with him, back to WWE level 1.

 

So I guess it depends on where your child are when they start Jump In...if they are already "creating" writing, just not putting into a good composition, then it might work. If they have no background in "creating", then it's not going to help.

 

K

[Love2Smile]

I wont be ordering that!!!! how do they incorporate abortion into the program?????????

 

What 6th grade writing program do you like instead?

 

WOW!

[home4school]

Take a look at Meaningful Composition: http://www.tfths.com/comp.php

 

Level 4 starts as simply as writing a good sentence, then builds on that to a good paragraph, etc. It uses "dress-ups" which I assume are similar to the IEW format.

 

We haven't used it, but that's what I'm looking at for next year.

 

Happy hunting!

 

Kim

[amtmcm]

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=477100&netp_id=440387&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

We're going to use Write with the Best next year. I've read through the whole course and I'm excited to get started!

 

 

http://www.stackthedeck.com/catalog/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,6/Itemid,26/

I've also seen a few people recommend Stack the Deck which looks very good and nicely priced.

 

 

We used IEW SWI-B this year and loved it! It was the best $99 I spent this year. My daughter's writing organization improved tremendously!

[Brindee]

Write Shop is another good writing program.

 

ETA: If the things I'm trying this year aren't working well, would I start my dd, a reluctant writer, in WWE 1 just to start from scratch, or see where she falls when she would take the level test? Or are those really too easy for a 12 yo? It says the next level, for grades 5-8, will be out in mid-2009. Is that on schedule, does anyone know? Is that going to be "starting from scratch" info. or will it assume you've done the previous levels and move from there?

 

It's hard to know what to plan.....

Edited May 15, 2009 by Brindee

[KarenC]

I wont be ordering that!!!! how do they incorporate abortion into the program?????????

 

What 6th grade writing program do you like instead?

 

WOW!

 

 

I have Volume 1 for my 10 yo dd and Volume 12 for my 12 yo dd.

 

Karen

[home4school]

 

We used IEW SWI-B this year and loved it! It was the best $99 I spent this year. My daughter's writing organization improved tremendously!

 

I'm trying to decide between MC and IEW. I don't understand the "sequence", I guess you would call it, of IEW. What would you use after B? Why aren't you continuing with it?

 

 

Thanks,

Kim

[clementine]

We were easily able to do without the abortion topic. I just blacked out that info....no big deal to me.

 

I still think it's a great program.

[home4school]

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=477100&netp_id=440387&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

We're going to use Write with the Best next year. I've read through the whole course and I'm excited to get started!

 

 

 

That looks similar to MC and IEW in the manner you focus on adding the different parts of speech and replacing weak words with stronger ones, don't you think? I like the look of this, too!

 

Kim

[amtmcm]

I should use IEW SICC-B next, but I don't want to spend $269. I like the methodology of imitating the best writers. This is the theory IEW presents (quoting Benjamin Franklin in the TWSS, stating this is how he taught himself to write) and I believe Write with the Best will allow us to continue that method for a more reasonable price.

 

I will probably use SWI-C in the future to teach/reinforce live note taking and high school level essays. Andrew Pudewa is an excellent teacher!

[Samiam]

Write Shop is another good writing program.

 

ETA: If the things I'm trying this year aren't working well, would I start my dd, a reluctant writer, in WWE 1 just to start from scratch, or see where she falls when she would take the level test? Or are those really too easy for a 12 yo? It says the next level, for grades 5-8, will be out in mid-2009. Is that on schedule, does anyone know? Is that going to be "starting from scratch" info. or will it assume you've done the previous levels and move from there?

 

It's hard to know what to plan.....

 

 

Brindee,

Alot of people recommend starting your child out on a lower level of WWE, if not One, than at least Level 2, if they have never done the narration/copy/dictation style of writing, regardless of their age. I started my DS10 out on Level 1 earlier this month, per WTM forum recommendations. We are doing one lesson a day (versus spreading it out over four days as per book), and so will get through this quickly, and do the same with Level 2. But by the time we are done, he will have a solid base in this writing style and be comfortable when we move on to 3 and 4, etc. I would be hestitant of starting with Level 4 or higher, when it is published, if your child is not experienced in this type of writing philosophy.

Since my DS10 already has it in his head that he can't write well, it's too hard, etc etc, starting out with WWE at a lower level helps with two things: One, he will think it is "easy", cuz it actually is at his age for this level so he will have that mindset as we proceed through the levels..and two...I don't think he actually even realizes what we are doing with WWE, instilling the base of writing principles, since he does not have to come up with original compositions with a certain amount of words (as he did with Jump In).

 

hth

[Brindee]

Brindee,

Alot of people recommend starting your child out on a lower level of WWE, if not One, than at least Level 2, if they have never done the narration/copy/dictation style of writing, regardless of their age. I started my DS10 out on Level 1 earlier this month, per WTM forum recommendations. We are doing one lesson a day (versus spreading it out over four days as per book), and so will get through this quickly, and do the same with Level 2. But by the time we are done, he will have a solid base in this writing style and be comfortable when we move on to 3 and 4, etc. I would be hestitant of starting with Level 4 or higher, when it is published, if your child is not experienced in this type of writing philosophy.

Since my DS10 already has it in his head that he can't write well, it's too hard, etc etc, starting out with WWE at a lower level helps with two things: One, he will think it is "easy", cuz it actually is at his age for this level so he will have that mindset as we proceed through the levels..and two...I don't think he actually even realizes what we are doing with WWE, instilling the base of writing principles, since he does not have to come up with original compositions with a certain amount of words (as he did with Jump In).

 

hth

That DOES help, thankyou!

[Lori D.]

We did find Jump In helpful for our struggling writer. He still struggles with writing, but Jump In helped him understand what goes into a paragraph as the support of the topic sentence -- he understands the need for specific facts, details, examples, etc. -- what that actually looks like -- and he is able to generate that on his own (timed essays), and from sources (research papers). He used it in grade 8 (age 13/14), and perhaps being a little older helped him "click" with it. Jump In reminds me a bit of IEW; just gentler and with specific exercises and assignments. In tone and style, Jump In also reminds me a lot of Wordsmith Apprentice -- Jump In is like the longer, more detailed next step up from Wordsmith Apprentice.

 

And similar to Clementine, the references to abortion (and it's more phrased as pro-life or pro-choice rather than head-on abortion), religion or other "hot button topics" were NOT that frequent -- maybe a dozen in the whole book. A few are examples of good writing; the rest are found as ideas (among a list of other ideas) for specific writing assignments. It's easy to skip over them.

 

To see sample pages to decide for yourself, check out:

Christian Book: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=437014&netp_id=461233&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

 

Apologia: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34&products_id=87

 

 

BEST of luck in finding what works for your family! :001_smile: Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Lori D.
added info for clarity