comparing Classical Writing to WWE

[3Rivers]

I think I've narrowed it down to these two for writing. If you have experience or knowledge of both, could you please compare them?

[Colleen in NS]

I think I've narrowed it down to these two for writing. If you have experience or knowledge of both, could you please compare them?

 

I'm using WWE, and have looked at CW online. I think WWE is a good foundation for any other writing program you might use later on, including CW. It teaches first how to get thoughts into words and words onto paper. After that, you can branch off to other programs and methods.

[3Rivers]

So WWE would be for the beginner beginner.

 

So...I'll go back and review the sites again, but based on this, if I have:

 

DD11 who is a very reluctant writer, but can do well when she knuckles down and just does it. She says it is hard for her to combine putting things into words with also writing it down (exactly as SWB said in the intro to WWE) BUT she *can* do it, just not without tears. :(

 

and

 

DS8 who is okay putting things into words, but simply dislikes the mechanics of writing (okay, actually anything resembling academics :lol:)

 

Which would be best, just based on that? The primer of CW looks pretty basic to me. Maybe I should talk to someone from each of those companies. Hmm

In the meantime, I still appreciate any and all responses on the subject. :D

[yslek]

So WWE would be for the beginner beginner.

 

So...I'll go back and review the sites again, but based on this, if I have:

 

DD11 who is a very reluctant writer, but can do well when she knuckles down and just does it. She says it is hard for her to combine putting things into words with also writing it down (exactly as SWB said in the intro to WWE) BUT she *can* do it, just not without tears. :(

 

and

 

DS8 who is okay putting things into words, but simply dislikes the mechanics of writing (okay, actually anything resembling academics :lol:)

 

Which would be best, just based on that? The primer of CW looks pretty basic to me. Maybe I should talk to someone from each of those companies. Hmm

In the meantime, I still appreciate any and all responses on the subject. :D

 

WWE sounds perfect for both dc. How about getting just the main book (rather than workbooks) and doing just the sample lessons included? There are a total of 20 sample lessons (covering years 1-4), so at 1 lesson/week you could cover this in less than a school year.

 

I have B & T working in WWE 2 this year (not finished yet :D) and plan on continuing with some level 3 & 4 lessons next year, although Writing Tales 2 will be our main writing curriculum. (They did a couple of CW Aesop A lessons this year as well, mostly before I found WWE.) WWE is so gentle and really doesn't take up that much time, that I think it should work. So that's another idea (just combining the two.)

 

HTH

[Colleen in NS]

So WWE would be for the beginner beginner.

 

So...I'll go back and review the sites again, but based on this, if I have:

 

DD11 who is a very reluctant writer, but can do well when she knuckles down and just does it. She says it is hard for her to combine putting things into words with also writing it down (exactly as SWB said in the intro to WWE) BUT she *can* do it, just not without tears. :(

 

and

 

DS8 who is okay putting things into words, but simply dislikes the mechanics of writing (okay, actually anything resembling academics :lol:)

 

Which would be best, just based on that? The primer of CW looks pretty basic to me. Maybe I should talk to someone from each of those companies. Hmm

In the meantime, I still appreciate any and all responses on the subject. :D

 

I'm sure someone who has used beginner CW could answer that part of it better, but from what you said, I would think WWE would be perfect for BOTH of your kids. If your older one is crying even while she *can*do it, and if she is articulating that she has a hard time combining those skills, I would definitely get WWE and figure out where to start her. WWE is SO GOOD at picking apart the whole process of those two skills, and leading the child through them so that they become easy. I'd also think that WWE would move your son from being *OK*with putting thoughts into words, to being confident and articulate with it. It will also help him with the mechanics of writing - the copywork and dictation are very sequential in building mechanics.

 

I took my son through part of WWE last year when he was 10, to shore up some missing things, and he can easily read a passage now and boil it down to the essentials, put those thoughts into words and write them down. This was very hard for him last year. Now that he can do this, I can take him further in writing skills. He doesn't have to think so hard about how to phrase things, and mechanics are becoming second nature to him as he writes now.

[lauracolumbus]

We started CW last year and loved it, but didn't get very far. I'm planning on taking a step backward and doing WWE b/c I want to make sure that we don't miss anything. I'll try to squeeze CW-Aesop in there somewhere b/c I have it.

[Kathie in VA]

Well I haven't seen WWE or the primer for CW. I have used CW's Aesop, Homer and OB books. My kids struggled in the beginning also. That's when I worked with them more. I'd sit with them and type in their dictations. I found that they could pump out quite a bit if they didn't have to stop to put it to paper. So for use it wasn't that they didn't know what to write! Then I would have them copy or retype what they said (or some of it). We also did some of it as dictation. This way we broke down the process into the steps it took and we found which steps needed work. At some point they didn't want me in the way anymore ;) (oops, is it actually faster to do it without Mom! :lol:)

 

Good luck in your search. FWIW, I like the CW program and how it incorporates the grammar and later the logic.

 

hth

[siloam]

I think I've narrowed it down to these two for writing. If you have experience or knowledge of both, could you please compare them?

 

I wouldn't compare them, but would put WWE as working on base skills needed in WT. You do one then the other. Though that is as long as the higher levels of WWE are not available. :D

 

Heather

[3Rivers]

:D:DWonderful!:D:D

Thank you all for the help. Your thorough responses makes a decision very easy. So that's one more thing to check off.

Yahooooo!

[dragons in the flower bed]

I would do CW Aesop A with the eight-year-old who dislikes mechanics because there's plenty of fun and easy writing practice.

 

With the eleven-year-old who can't combine skills, I would run the placement test in the WWE hardcover manual, then work through it at a faster pace, say, two days of work in one day, and with a writing period five days a week, so that two and a half weeks gets done every week. That would allow her to remedy the skills that she's lacking, but still move on to grade level material before high school.