Is WWE enough?

[Gwenny]

I've been reading through the latest WTM book, and now I'm starting to worry that WWE seems to be missing some things. While talking about Writing Strands, it says to aim for finishing book 4 by fourth grade. It deals with "paragraph construction, composition organization, elements of style - voice, tense, person, descriptive techniques, dialogue, and so on." I wouldn't have a clue when it comes to teaching these myself.

 

I'm still on WWE 1, but I don't see any of these things covered in the book at all. Do I still need more writing for my daughter? I love WWE and it has worked wonders in my daughter who would have struggled greatly if she was giving assignments and journaling like her public school peers.

 

Do the next levels of The Complete Writer plan to cover these skills when they come out? Does any one know when they will be published?

 

Gwen

[PeterPan]

Well have you looked at what WTM says for 4th grade? 5th grade? 6th grade? It's all there. I haven't looked closely enough at my new edition to remember, but my original edition WTM recommended Writing Strands. You use it ALONGSIDE your narration, rewrites, and outlining. Start reading through the grades ahead and see how it comes together. I think you'll be happy.

 

WTM has you writing lots of short compositions throughout the week, and you run a writing program parallel to that. It's not like your writing program is ALL your writing. WWE isn't ALL the writing you do.

[Friederike in Persia]

:confused::confused::confused: I thought SWB wrote WWE to stand on its own. I assumed everything that is recommended in TWTM will be covered by WWE 1-4. Is that not so?:confused:

[ELaurie]

beyond level 4.

 

If you are using WTM recs for history, I think your dc will begin writing outlines and some short paragraphs in 5th grade.

[prairie rose]

While talking about Writing Strands, it says to aim for finishing book 4 by fourth grade. It deals with "paragraph construction, composition organization, elements of style - voice, tense, person, descriptive techniques, dialogue, and so on." ...

 

I'm still on WWE 1, but I don't see any of these things covered in the book at all.

 

These things would not be covered in WWE 1, they are rather advanced skills and neither useful nor necessary to a first grader or any beginning writer. To teach these things to such young or new writers would be like putting the cart before the horse.

 

Do you have The Complete Writer Instructor's Text or are you just working from the WWE 1 workbook? If you don't have the instructor text, read the sample at Peacehill Press. In the sample from the book, SWB lays out the entire progression of skills for the Complete Writer series, for grade 1 to grade 12. Also the product description tells more about the logic stage component, Writing With Skill.

[robsiew]

We use WWE and it is most of our writing program. (I have children in 2 and 3 right now). We also do narration for science and history, but I only require what is required of them in WWE (1-2 sentences for my 7 y/o and 2-3 sentences for my 9 y/o). If you are using WWE you don't need Writing Strands from what I can see. Copywork, dictation and narration are the basis for writing in grammar stage. All the rest comes after grade 4.

[Penelope]

The newest edition of WTM does hint that the WWE curriculum is for more reluctant writers. My son is doing WWE2 and isn't having trouble with any of it, so I'm deciding whether to continue with WWE or use a program that encompasses a little bit more than WWE does.

 

We also do more narrations than the one in WWE, and I do think that this is suggested in TWTM as well. By the end of this year (second grade) I plan to have ds writing more of these narrations himself, as per TWTM. As OhElizabeth said, it's all in there.

[PeterPan]

:confused::confused::confused: I thought SWB wrote WWE to stand on its own. I assumed everything that is recommended in TWTM will be covered by WWE 1-4. Is that not so?:confused:

 

WTM has 4th graders writing weekly book summaries, narrations for history and science, etc. How could the small amount of work in WWE possibly replace all that??? WWE replaces the WRITING program recommendation in WTM. It replaces as much as you think is logical I guess. But most kids will do well to do WWE as their writing development and then carry those skills over to other subjects like history, science, and lit for more practice, as WTM says.

 

You'll figure it out. If it feels like enough to you or all your children can handle right now, then it is. When it starts to get easier for them and they're ready to do more writing across the day, add in more. WWE is your writing program, and you want to carry those skills over and start applying them. The more, the better! :)

[siloam]

paragraph construction, composition organization, elements of style - voice, tense, person, descriptive techniques, dialogue, and so on." I wouldn't have a clue when it comes to teaching these myself.

 

 

 

Gwen,

 

I think WWE is enough. My oldest I accidentally did WWE type stuff. Most of it through lapbooking. She could do summary narrations without being formally taught. The she moved into Classical Writing and most of the issues you listed up there are addressed in the first two levels and more.

 

My 2nd dd is now on the same path, but this time with WWE formally, and so far so good for her too.

 

The most significant thing for me is they don't hate writing. :D

 

Heather

[Colleen in NS]

I've been reading through the latest WTM book, and now I'm starting to worry that WWE seems to be missing some things. While talking about Writing Strands, it says to aim for finishing book 4 by fourth grade. It deals with "paragraph construction, composition organization, elements of style - voice, tense, person, descriptive techniques, dialogue, and so on." I wouldn't have a clue when it comes to teaching these myself.

 

Ds did a quick course in WWE when it came out, just to shore up what we had been doing in grades 1-4 with narration and copywork/dictation. After that, he continued on in R&S English 5. This covers most/all of what you mentioned.

 

I think it's just a matter of rearrangement. You can spend the first four grades JUST working on narration and copywork/dictation and then go on to other skills, or you can try to cover them simultaneously in the first four grades. I found that it was easier to just work on narration and copywork/dictation first so that my kids can get the basic writing foundation in place (being able to put thoughts into words and complete sentences onto paper). After that, it was easier for my son to move on to understanding and trying out some other techniques like different sentence structures and ways to develop paragraphs.

[robsiew]

Gwen,

The most significant thing for me is they don't hate writing. :D

 

This is SO true! Last year, before I found WWE, I had 2 children literally cry tears every time they had to write. They are normally very well-behaved for school and don't complain about their work, but writing... that was a clincher for both of them! I tried many things, but nothing worked. This year, I found WWE and I am so glad I found it when I did! Neither one of them now complains at writing narrations. I was even able to start my oldest in WWE 3 just last week and it does jump up a bit, but he handled it with no problem (even though he was initially daunted by the longer dictation). I love the fact they can ease into writing and build skills that will take them far in the future. With "traditional" writing curriculum I would still be in the same boat with soon to be 3 very reluctant writers. Now, my 4th... he was born with a pencil in his hand! :-)