Mommy7 Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Just curious. It just doesn't seem there is much writing. I like the instruction that is there, but I'm thinking I would rather use something else. What do you think, my dear cyber friends? :grouphug: What do you use if you use something different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narrow Gate Academy Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I personally didn't think R&S had enough writing either. We use Classical Writing in addition to R&S along with a little history related writing each week. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Ditto here. R&S and CW. I might start to throw in some paragraph writing as we're behind on writing and CW is slow going for us. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 We are using R&S with WWE and MC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy7 Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Razorbackmama, how do you like MC? That is one of the writing programs I am considering. What level are you using? Is it easy to use, in your opinion? Have you ever tried IEW? I would use the SWI dvd's if I went that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Razorbackmama, how do you like MC? That is one of the writing programs I am considering. What level are you using? Is it easy to use, in your opinion? Have you ever tried IEW? I would use the SWI dvd's if I went that route. I've been following your other thread, but I haven't felt qualified to answer since we just started it a few weeks ago.:D We are still in the portion of it that hits the grammar pretty heavily, but so far it's very easy to use. I am using 4+ with my 4th, 5th, and 7th graders. I've never tried IEW. Honestly the price and the whole "style" issue turned me off (mostly the price LOL). I bought CW at the same time I bought MC to look at to see if I want to try to give it a go next year once my gang has worked all the way through WWE. I'm still very undecided. A lot will depend on how MC goes this year, I think. Overall MC looks VERY good though. Very step-by-step. I do not expect to have to sit down and TEACH anything really. I expect to have to help some, and for those of my crew (ahem, my oldest) who can't seem to follow instructions to save their lives, I'll go over the assignment with them, but I don't expect to have to hold their hands the whole way through. Which is good since I'm due with #7 in 5 weeks LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 We are using R&S with IEW and WWE for the younger ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy7 Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Razorbackmama, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What a beautiful gift children are. I have 7 also! I am also going to be a grandmother in May!!! I don't feel old enough to be a grandmother, but I am so excited!!! Are you feeling okay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I added more formal writing in 4th grade. Prior to that my children just have fun writing letters to family, thank-you cards, short stories, funny poems and songs, take notes in church, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy7 Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 Quiver of 10, what has your experience with IEW been like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Quiver of 10, what has your experience with IEW been like? I have been very pleased wit hit. We have used SWI, SWIC and the themed based writing books. I like how easy the lessons are to teach and my kids actually enjoy the program and are finally writing. We plan to stick with it throughout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I had the same issue with R&S. The writing is not only not enough, but I think it is behind grade level expectations. I tried a couple writing programs and disliked them. I kept thinking that I really enjoy the way R&S teaches and finally came up with a solution. I wrote down all the writing lesson and worksheet numbers and have my son do the grammar and writing separately. He does grammar everyday from the 4th grade book, and is just finishing up the writing sections from the 5th grade book. He works on a writing assignment each day, he usually reads the lesson and writes an outline on day 1, does the rough draft on day 2 and copies the final draft in cursive to his notebook on day three. When he finishes book 5, I think I will have him write a report each week for a while, before we move onto book 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Razorbackmama, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What a beautiful gift children are. I have 7 also! I am also going to be a grandmother in May!!! I don't feel old enough to be a grandmother, but I am so excited!!! Are you feeling okay? Aw thanks!:D For being immensely huge, I feel pretty decent LOL. I'll be very glad to NOT be pregnant anymore though! LOL!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 There's a truckload of writing in R&S's English series. It would not have ocurred to me to add something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I use R&S writing exercises to flesh out dictations, narrations, and outlines that are done every week. I think they are meant to be applied "across the curriculum." That's where the practice comes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I do believe that SWB states in the WTM book that R&S is enough for both grammar and composition. I'd actually like to try just using it alone, to simplify things. I feel a huge push to simplify next school year but can't seem to let go of a number of things. I feel that R&S alone would be more than ample, but I like WWE and IEW a lot so it's hard to let those go. My one son is working on reading comprehension and I do think that key word outlines from IEW would be a big help there. Just rambling. I think R&S is a great program, sometimes I wish we didn't have so many options nowadays... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I do believe that SWB states in the WTM book that R&S is enough for both grammar and composition. I'd actually like to try just using it alone, to simplify things. I feel a huge push to simplify next school year but can't seem to let go of a number of things. I feel that R&S alone would be more than ample, but I like WWE and IEW a lot so it's hard to let those go. My one son is working on reading comprehension and I do think that key word outlines from IEW would be a big help there. Just rambling. I think R&S is a great program, sometimes I wish we didn't have so many options nowadays... I think the key to it being enough is to make sure that you are having the student write on a regular basis in other areas. I personally have trouble remembering to do that, so having another program that gives writing assignments is a HUGE help for me. R&S writing lessons are very sporadic, and unless you are using the information in those lessons to do assignments that you come up with on your own on a regular basis, then no, it's not enough (at least not for us). So I think whether it's "enough" or not depends on if you are able to assign things on your own or if you need the program to give you more guidance in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I think the key to it being enough is to make sure that you are having the student write on a regular basis in other areas. I personally have trouble remembering to do that, so having another program that gives writing assignments is a HUGE help for me. R&S writing lessons are very sporadic, and unless you are using the information in those lessons to do assignments that you come up with on your own on a regular basis, then no, it's not enough (at least not for us). So I think whether it's "enough" or not depends on if you are able to assign things on your own or if you need the program to give you more guidance in that area. That's exactly why I think it might work for us as both grammar and composition. My kids actually like writing. We have a writing center from Lakeshore that I leave out and they are always picking things from it and writing stories and reports, in their free time. I incorporate notebooking and narration in our content subjects, so I think they get a lot of writing practice. But I love the philosophy behind IEW. And I've seen my oldest son need a lot of assistance in writing and feel like I waited too long, since he's in high school. So I also have a fear of letting go of a more formal writing program and regretting it later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 After using R&S English for ooohhhh. . .. 8 or so "kid-years", I read someone the other day who posted that you are supposed to *repeat the R&S English writing assignments regularly across the curriculum*. OOOOOHHHHH. DUUUUHHH!! (Insert Smack Forehead!) If I had thought of that, I'd have likely thought R&S English writing was fairly sufficient. (Have child write a paragraph each week using the R&S techniques as most recently taught. . . Have child write a book report each month. . .etc etc. If we were doing the projects more frequently and in greater quantity, we'd have all internalized them better. As it is, doing a book report one time each year just doesn't make a big impression!!) As I never thought of that, I added IEW a couple years ago and my "plan" now adds IEW to the kids around the same time as R&S English -- by 3rd grade. We still do all the R&S writing, on the weeks when there is a more substantial writing project, I tend to do a lighter IEW week (at least for my younger son, 5th grade. My 7th grader can handle both the same day/week more easily.) FWIW, I find that R&S and IEW do compliment each other well. R&S does a lot about the nitty gritty forming of sentences, etc wherease IEW focuses more on putting all those sentences together into larger compositions. Without adding in assignments, I do feel that R&S simply doesn't assign the *quantity* of writing each week/month that I want my kids to do (and I don't yet require as much as many people advise!) That said, I am very happy with R&S. . . and with IEW (tho I am newer to IEW) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 That's exactly why I think it might work for us as both grammar and composition. And it's exactly why it's not enough for us! LOL! You gave a PERFECT example of what I was referring to - I'd say it's definitely plenty in y'all's case!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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