What can you tell me about Writing Tales?

[forwardbyfaith]

I stumbled across this program and I am really interested. We are using Just Write this year and my kids are not thrilled with it. I love the copywork/writing portion of Writing Tales. I think it would help ds get over the "I don't know what to write" syndrome. My question is this: in looking at the grammar portions, they looked pretty intense and a lot of information was given at once. I think the grammar would be overwhelming. We are using Growing with Grammar this year and it is really working well for us. Have any of you just used the writing portions of WT and done your own thing for grammar? How have your kids liked this program?

 

Also, next year my kids will be 9 and 11. I think book 2 would be too much for my nine year old. Could I get book 1 and use it with the 11 year old as well - especially if I am going to use GWG? My thought is that I would expect more out of my 11 yr. old in her writing if I used book one for her too. I hate to get both books. I would like to combine if possible. What do you think? Would book 1 be way too easy for an 11 yr. old? Thanks!

[Lisawa]

just want to move this up for ya! Hope you get an answer. *Ü*

[Wendy in ME]

I am using WT1 with a 9yo 4th grader and WT 2 with 11yo 5th grader. Prior to this year we have used Abeka and then R&S grammar and they are not finding the grammar to be too difficult. Most of what they are learning to this point has been review although they are retaining it so well now that they actually see the concept in use in the context of a story. I really think that WT 1 would be way too easy for your 11yo. In terms of getting past the "I don't know what to what" issue, WT has worked wonders for my reluctant writer. I really can't say enough great things about the program. I just wish that there was a WT3 out.

[Melora in NC]

We are only on our third week of Writing Tales II (I wish I'd known about it at the beginning of Last year -- then our third grade writing would have been fun and successful, rather than a Total Bust!), but I LOVE it! My ds, who is nine, likes it too, and he has Never liked writing.

We've been using Rod & Staff Grammar, and the grammar portions are nothing we haven't already covered. My ds needs to write more than one draft a week (we are doing two -- one on Thursday, and then the corrected version on Friday), so we are skimming the grammar concepts he already knows in order to fit in an extra day of draft writing. If your kids need a little more grammar work, though, I think the grammar included in the program is very good.

I Love how easy this program is to use! I am terrible about planning in advance, and for this, I don't have to. Each day's assignments are clearly laid out, and the amount of work is very age appropriate. This week ds has looked words up in the dictionary, written their definitions, and used them in a sentence; come up with synonyms for words; and practiced key word outlining. And written his first draft of this week's story, to be corrected & rewritten tomorrow, and all Without fussing and complaining! My ds has a very wide silly streak, and he really enjoys the Second week of work with a story, when he gets to add his own jazzy details. He is willing to do the first week "straight" because he knows his chance to be creative is coming. What a great motivator!

I don't often rave about curricula, but Writing Tales II is the best thing we've ever used for writing!

[forwardbyfaith]

I'm just bumping this again hoping some more of you will chime in. :)

[PeterPan]

You can trim down the grammar in WT2 and help your 9 yo through it, no problem. It's the model lengths that get some kids. My dd is on the young end for it (8), so I let her take some shortcuts on the models when they are especially young. I'd do WT2 with both of them and be done with it. There are lots of fun games and things they'll be able to do together, making it more fun that way.