Dissatisfied with ALL writing programs so far...

[Sue G in PA]

Why is it that I do not like ANY writing program that I have used or looked at so far? I was always an avid writer. I loved and still do love to write. My dd13 HATES writing...any type of writing except songwriting and poetry. She writes beautiful songs, full of emotion. Formal writing is just not her strength. Ds12 is a creative writer. He loves to write stories, movie scripts, etc. Ds10 will write if forced, but prefers not to. :tongue_smilie: Ds9 thinks his hand will fall off if he has to write more than a dozen words in one sitting. :glare: Anyway, back to topic: I've tried many different programs over the years and I have always found something wrong with every.last.one. Writing strands: blech and more blech. IEW: Just not my style I guess? K12 Writing in Action: Eh...it wasn't all bad, just not great. Igniting Your Writing: just got it and it looks, "okay" at best. Wordsmith Apprentice: appealed to my ds12 at the time, but I did not care for it. WWE: I do like that for the elementary years. Writing Tales: that was "okay", but not terrific as I had hoped and my ds preferred to write his OWN story...not copy somebody else's (he's gonna HATE IEW's Amer. Hist. based writing lessons for next year, but I got it anyway!). So, there you have it. IS there a program out there that has it all? Good, solid instruction, ease of use, appeals to the student, isn't boring and dry, encourages writing from the hesitant writer but doesn't bore the avid writer? Or, am I just doomed to be dissatisfied with all programs?

[Ann@thebeach]

I think so many of us are searching for the "perfect" writing program (or math or spelling!) and nothing is going to be "just right" for both parent and child.

 

I think the key is to find something the child will tolerate (dare I say "like"?) and that we, as the teacher, thinks covers the important skills needed.

Even if we don't "love it" I think we need to put the child's needs first and just work through it.

 

No magical advice here though because we're still looking too! Working with SWI A currently.

 

Have you looked at Bravewriter?

 

Good luck!

[swimmermom3]

I think so many of us are searching for the "perfect" writing program (or math or spelling!) and nothing is going to be "just right" for both parent and child.

 

I think the key is to find something the child will tolerate (dare I say "like"?) and that we, as the teacher, thinks covers the important skills needed.

Even if we don't "love it" I think we need to put the child's needs first and just work through it.

 

No magical advice here though because we're still looking too! Working with SWI A currently.

 

Have you looked at Bravewriter?

 

Good luck!

 

:iagree:I would second Anna's suggestion. Maybe you don't need a "program," eh? Bravewriter is a great resource for you and may appeal to your writer's sensibilities.

[Sue G in PA]

I have looked at Bravewriter. I do like what I see and even joined the Yahoo group or subscribed to the newsletter or something (been so long, can't remember). I just couldn't swallow shelling out close to $100 for a book!

[EppieJ]

NaNoWriMo is something your dc may enjoy. We did it in November and are continuing the editing process still. The end result is a great feeling of accomplishment and a published book! Check it out.....

 

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/

[Kate CA]

Two things that have worked well for us are these:

 

WriteShop (http://www.writeshop.com)

 

and

 

Writing Skills, Books 1-3

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

 

The Writing Skills are from the Explode the Code folks (http://www.epsbooks.com) and they are systematic writing instruction from creating solid interesting sentences to paragraphs and eventually essays. They are inexpensive, but did a thorough job.

 

Story Starters is a good one for creative writing alone.

[PeterPan]

You might find this easier to solve if you could actually delve into their minds and figure out WHY they hate writing. Pudewa makes the comment in one of his convention speeches that kids LIKE doing what they can do well. In other words, if it were easy for them, they'd like it. So either the task is too hard, OR you've landed on an area where they have some issues. For instance, if your hand hurts to write, it's NOT fun to write! My dd's hand hurts when she writes, lived that for how many years now. Ugh. I've finally concluded that the hand and the not liking writing thing are connected. Put a label on it if you want, but I think there's something different about the way her brain works. To her, the thoughts are flying all around in her head and she has trouble catching them. Took her quite a while to finally explain that! Means she needs a bigger flyswatter to help her catch those flies. And the most successful writing we've done has been where she has had to do (against her will, I might add) detailed keyword outlines of the material. Even then it's not easy and wears her out.

 

So that's just a different perspective to look at it from. You can look for the perfect curriculum all day, but the answer might be figuring out what the hang-up is with your kids, things beyond volitional and more in the realm of how they tick. As I ponder this, I was just realizing one thing my dh does (who is very similar btw) is to get very ALONE when he writes. That's very important for him. So I think there's something to figuring out what helps, what thought processes, what mechanical aids (computer, Inspiration software, etc.), what time frame and room environment it would take to help them get over their hump.

 

And for your younger whose hand hurts, may I suggest a fountain pen and things to build his shoulder and hand strength? (climbing jungle bars, crawling, gardening, painting fences, whatever) The fountain pen has made a HUGE difference for us this year, and the hand/shoulder strength thing is what we're working on next.

[Carol in Cal.]

So do it yourself!

 

TWTM has plenty of instruction in how to teach writing. So does Bravewriter. You don't necessarily need a program. You certainly don't need to tie yourself to just one--I don't! I have used Rod and Staff sparingly, to teach the bare bones stuff, Writing Strands in burst of intensity, subject area writing, copywork, creative writing and essay prompts, an IEW class locally, two online Bravewriter classes at crucial points, and other resources that I forget right now. I don't do them all at full speed. I intersperse them as needed.

 

When you really know your stuff, a curriculum is only a tool. Don't be contained by it. Contain it! Teach the child, not the course, and you'll be just fine.

[MIch elle]

Take IEW and make it your own - add or substract as needed; skip lessons, take your time and just do it!

 

IEW is REALLY a great program if you take the time to "make" it perfect! ;)

 

 

:grouphug:

[Ann@thebeach]

I have looked at Bravewriter. I do like what I see and even joined the Yahoo group or subscribed to the newsletter or something (been so long, can't remember). I just couldn't swallow shelling out close to $100 for a book!

 

You can often find it used and you can resell for almost what you bought it for if you don't care for it. And just think what you've already spent on programs-waaayy more than that ;) What's another $100? Seriously. Sell off some of the programs you didn't like and use that money for this or something else.

 

It's a good resource IMO. We haven't done any of her on-line classes but I've heard good things about them and hope to do one later.

[swimmermom3]

So do it yourself!

 

TWTM has plenty of instruction in how to teach writing. So does Bravewriter. You don't necessarily need a program. You certainly don't need to tie yourself to just one--I don't! I have used Rod and Staff sparingly, to teach the bare bones stuff, Writing Strands in burst of intensity, subject area writing, copywork, creative writing and essay prompts, an IEW class locally, two online Bravewriter classes at crucial points, and other resources that I forget right now. I don't do them all at full speed. I intersperse them as needed.

 

When you really know your stuff, a curriculum is only a tool. Don't be contained by it. Contain it! Teach the child, not the course, and you'll be just fine.

 

You can often find it used and you can resell for almost what you bought it for if you don't care for it. And just think what you've already spent on programs-waaayy more than that ;) What's another $100? Seriously. Sell off some of the programs you didn't like and use that money for this or something else.

 

It's a good resource IMO. We haven't done any of her on-line classes but I've heard good things about them and hope to do one later.

 

If I could have quoted Carol's headline, I would have.:D If your kids are dragging their feet, then use something like Unjournaling by Thurston to bring some fun back into it. Do you have some of your own writing books on hand by authors like Natalie Goldberg or Annie Lamott? Pull from there. In Bird by Bird, Lamott has entire chapters on plot and character. I love the the one on dialogue. Lamott's language is spicy so don't just hand the book to your kids if that's a problem.

 

Most writing programs for kids are dull. My middle child perked right up a few years ago when I read this to him with regards to character development:

 

"Baking a Cake"(from Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldgerg

 

"When you bake a cake, you have ingredients: sugar, flour, butter, baking soda, eggs, milk. You put them in a bowl and mix them up, but this does not make a cake. This makes goop. You have to put them in the oven and add heat or energy to transform it into cake, and the cake looks nothing like its original ingredients. It's a lot like parents, unable to claim their hippie kids as their own in the sixties. Milk and eggs look at their pound cake and say, 'Not ours.' Not egg, not milk, but Ph.D. daughter of refugee parents- a foreigner in her own home...In a sense, this is what writing is like. You have all these ingredients, the details of your life, but just to list them is not enough...You must add the heat and energy of your heart. This is not just any father; this is your father. The character who smoked cigars and put too much ketchup on his steak...

 

An assignment from Room to Write by Bonnie Goldberg is called "Down Under." Rooms in our homes often lend themselves to corresponding metaphors. Think about your basement and what's usually stored in it. Describe you basements contents and see if what you discover has symbolic content.

 

Hey! It's a double duty assignment - descriptive paragraph and a look at symbolism. How efficient.

 

Sorry! Got carried away.:D

[plain jane]

:seeya: Sue, what about the series, The Paragraph Book? There are 4 books in the series and the reviews here have been good. It sounds like it would teach kids solid paragraph writing skills and build up from there. Not a lot of fluff, but since you can't find a writing curriculum, maybe all they need is some instruction for formal writing and let them loose to be creative the rest of the time.

 

Here is a sample page, and here is the link to them at RR. From what I remember, you don't need the TMs for these.

 

Sorry I'm not more help. My kids are all still younger than the ages you are looking for.

Edited April 23, 2010 by plain jane

[Homeschooling6]

Here are some that I have been looking at:

 

• Hands on Essays
  
• Teaching the Essay & Teaching the Report
  
• The Father's Books
  

Bravewriter sat on my shelf for two years before I finally sold it :001_huh:. It just looked to complicated to get started like Spelling Power.

[HollyDay]

I totally hear what the original poster is saying. I also quite agree. Have you looked at AG's 2 writing programs. They are very basic, very inexpensive, very "just the facts to the point" type.

[Guest]

Sadly, you are doomed (but in a good way). There's no one program that's going to do it all, or do it all for kids with different interests, strengths, and weaknesses. That said, there's no reason you can't use a program that works reasonably, most or even half the time, and mix it up with non-formal, individualized activities. One of the things you're aiming for with an elementary-aged child is simply writing fluency and ease, and there are lots and lots of ways to achieve this. One child's songwriting and poetry will do it for her, journaling for another, stories for another, etc.

 

In fact I think it is really, really helpful to remember there's a whole world of writing outside of formal essays. Sometimes I get stuck in that mode; it's easy to think this is the only kind of writing that somehow really counts. But what also counts is what inspires, tickles, motivates, and challenges your kids.

 

I've found some great ideas and even lessons/activities in books by writers rather than by educators. Our latest couple of finds include Don't Forget to Write (authors are listed as "workshop teachers," but they include Dave Eggers and a few others like him), and a booklet I have to go find in my closet to get the title straight -- but it is by an author of kids' books, and contains a series of exercises that are creative and flexible: take this story (one or two paragraphs) and write it as a a newspaper article, as ascience fiction, as a spy thriller, as romance, etc. Take a favorite picture book or chapter in a longer book, and turn it into a radio play. Record it, with sound effects, using family and friends. That kind of thing.

 

These types of exercises may center on fiction or "creative" writing, but they still teach voice, style, main ideas, order and chronology, even causation. Some books like these even take apart sentences to explore why they are good sentences, and thus throw in a little grammar.

 

A steady workload of narration, summaries, paragraphs, and reports will grow thin at some point for most kids. I know SWB says that some kids gravitate toward creative writing and will do it on their own; but others may need suggestions and formal permission to break outside of the more academic writing box, to play around, explore genres and perspectives.

 

You can also play around with various genres for academic purposes. Take a history event and turn it into a comic strip (whole books are written and published in this format). Take a science unit and make an ABC book, with each letter representing a concept; illustrate it or get pictures off the internet or from old magazines. Have a futuristic alien drop into some historical period and write about what it sees. Read some political cartoons and make your own, or write letters to the editor (you do one too) or respond to an article or event on-line. There are even books of science rhymes (not emotional poetry, but still, perhaps a way to draw in the poetic child), and a book called Fantasia Mathematica contains some math-related poetry by famous writers. The point is that you (and your child) can play with form and style while still practicing finding main points, evaluating evidence, identifying point of view, learning to draft and revise gradually, etc. -- all the things writing programs focus on. Your child will be applying writing skills to academic/subject content, but feel freer to experiment with different ways of doing so.

[SS in MD]

Two things that have worked well for us are these:

 

WriteShop (www.writeshop.com)

 

and

 

Writing Skills, Books 1-3

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

 

The Writing Skills are from the Explode the Code folks (www.epsbooks.com) and they are systematic writing instruction from creating solid interesting sentences to paragraphs and eventually essays. They are inexpensive, but did a thorough job.

 

Story Starters is a good one for creative writing alone.

 

Hi Kate,

I'm trying to find a writing curriculum for my 4th grader next year. We used WWE 2 this year, but dd got so bored with doing narrations every week (she did enjoy the book excerpts though). But, I would like some variety next year... and not just learning to summarize. So, I'm considering continuing w/WWE 3 next year along with another writing curriculum (maybe this is overkill). Anyway, about the Writing Skills series, I went online, to the eps website, but couldn't find any samples. Do I need the Teacher Handbook? Also, is the book divided into daily lessons? (Is it pick up and go?)

 

Thanks so much,

Sangita

[2boysmom]

Have you picked up a Spectrum Writing book? Only $8.95 and I think it explains writing well and is easy to use. What's $8.85? take a look.

We are using the 8th grade now. Very fun, with different styles of writing easily explained.:)

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

Two things that have worked well for us are these:

 

Writing Skills, Books 1-3

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

QUOTE]

 

:iagree::iagree: We are finishing Book1, there is also a BookA that we used the year before. These are really great. I think what the other programs missed were that they didn't teach HOW. This actually teaches them how to write a topic sentence and how to add supporting sentences.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

Hi Kate,

I'm trying to find a writing curriculum for my 4th grader next year. We used WWE 2 this year, but dd got so bored with doing narrations every week (she did enjoy the book excerpts though). But, I would like some variety next year... and not just learning to summarize. So, I'm considering continuing w/WWE 3 next year along with another writing curriculum (maybe this is overkill). Anyway, about the Writing Skills series, I went online, to the eps website, but couldn't find any samples. Do I need the Teacher Handbook? Also, is the book divided into daily lessons? (Is it pick up and go?)

 

Thanks so much,

Sangita

 

http://intervention.schoolspecialty.com/products/details.cfm?series=2561m

On this link, on the Right is a button labeled Free Resources. If you click on that a page will pop up with samples to choose from. There is not a traditional TM for every book, but there is a Handbook. The handbook has some really good ideas to keep in mind. We used Book 1 this year without a TM, just opened to the next Exercise and completed it.

[8filltheheart]

I can't stand writing programs either. When they are young, I teach them myself. When they are older, I use several different sources to teach some writing concepts and create my own assignments.

 

But, mostly, the key for my instructing my kids on writing is through our editing their writing together (which many on the board would consider a brutal process. We take their writing apart and talk about the strengths and weaknesses and then they have to re-write it) Works here.

[PeterPan]

...the key for my instructing my kids on writing is through our editing their writing together (which many on the board would consider a brutal process. We take their writing apart and talk about the strengths and weaknesses and then they have to re-write it) Works here.

 

I think most people here aspire to help their kids edit and grow in the process of writing, and I don't think anyone around here considers it a "brutal" or child-unfriendly process. Most who struggle with it just lack confidence or have kids who are bucking them. THAT is terribly common.

 

Now I'll just toss in here the observation that when WTM, CW, WT, and other approaches disconnect the act of writing and the getting of the thoughts into words from the content, they do so because it usually results in stronger output. Your kid can put his energy into saying it WELL if he's not still trying to figure out WHAT to say. So it's just one more thing to consider as you weigh your writing approach options. In the past few weeks we've had a number of people post 6th grade essays, and comparing them might give you more of a sense of where these writing approaches come out.

Edited April 26, 2010 by OhElizabeth

[angela in ohio]

I found it very helpful to not teach creative writing. Dc are more personally attached to their creative writing, and so they do that on their own. I have resources available if they want them. I am not at all concerned about the quality of their creative writing. If they decide they want to pick one of the very, very few majors where they would need to do creative writing, they can pick it up later.

 

I focus on getting them proficient in academic writing. My goal was for them to be able to write a three page research paper from multiple sources effortlessly in a few days by the time they started ninth grade, and dd is there. She has written about two dozen such papers in junior high, learning to get it right and do it easily. We worked on other forms of writing (book reviews, etc.) but our focus was the type of paper she will need to write for college.

 

There is really no perfect program. I tend to shut out anyone who says they wrote or use the absolute perfect program. No program can teach everything in every style. So the key is to find what works for you out of what is available for your dc.

 

For us, that is IEW. For a friend of mine, it is WriteShop. Because writing comes easily to me, the format of IEW's TWSS works well for me. I create my own assignments, pull in other resources, etc. I would just pick one program as a base and then do what you need to tweak it. Or don't use a program. Either way, I think you need to decide on your own, without looking at a program's S&S, what your goals are. Then find resources to fit those.

[Love2Smile]

Two things that have worked well for us are these:

 

Writing Skills, Books 1-3

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

QUOTE]

 

:iagree::iagree: We are finishing Book1, there is also a BookA that we used the year before. These are really great. I think what the other programs missed were that they didn't teach HOW. This actually teaches them how to write a topic sentence and how to add supporting sentences.

 

If you have an older student can she start with book 2? Or should any student start with book one?

Also is the teacher handbook necesary?

These look really good!

[Pongo]

I don't know, I take it from such a different perspective. I don't cook everyone's favorite meal at supper, but everyone has to eat their supper. I pick a solid program for writing, math, English whatever. Liking it or not liking it, is really not up for debate. If my kiddos knew every time they complained about a subject or the books for that particular subject, would prompt me to go find something else, I'd be in a lot of trouble :)

 

I say this barring any learning disabilities and learning styles. I use a combination of math for each child, they do very well but complaining does not warrant a new curriculum. I feel the same about writing, it's not everyone's cup of tea. I have 3 kiddos all using IEW, and they master skills at their own pace but they are still obligated to write. They may not like a certain textbook, but as long as it's solid and they are doing well , then it stays for the year at the least.

 

Have you looked at the One Year Adventure Novel for you story writer, that looks co cool, I will most likely use it for my ds in a couple of years.

Some ideas could be:

 

Attach the writing to their schoolwork.

Write a 2 summaries this week on your History studies.

DO a mini- research report on something from Science you are studying.

Write and essay on a famous composer.

I find many times they want to write about what they find interesting, seeing that they have to write about something;).

If it's a specific skill you are trying to get them to learn narrative, descriptive, expository etc. How about using an outline template and they still get to use their own topic, I do this for my 7 and 10 year old.

Good Luck!:D

[8filltheheart]

I don't know, I take it from such a different perspective. I don't cook everyone's favorite meal at supper, but everyone has to eat their supper. I pick a solid program for writing, math, English whatever. Liking it or not liking it, is really not up for debate. If my kiddos knew every time they complained about a subject or the books for that particular subject, would prompt me to go find something else, I'd be in a lot of trouble :)

 

:D

 

I think either you or I misunderstand the OP. My take is that it isn't the kids that can't stand the various writing curricula available, but as a teacher she can't. I know I don't like any of the ones available so perhaps I read my bias into the OP.

[8filltheheart]

I think most people here aspire to help their kids edit and grow in the process of writing, and I don't think anyone around here considers it a "brutal" or child-unfriendly process. Most who struggle with it just lack confidence or have kids who are bucking them. THAT is terribly common.

 

.

 

Actually, it was based on the responses to one of the threads that I made that comment. I don't remember the name of the poster who thoroughly broke down the writing and illustrated the areas of improvement, but the replies were that the assessment was too critical and expected too much from that age writer.

 

My critique would have been similar to hers, though I have no idea if our approach with the student would be the same. I guide the kids to analyze the mistakes on their own by pointing out a section and asking questions for them to consider, but ultimately, their writing is analyzed and broken down on a very detailed level.

 

I am grumpy and tired this morning......so to be blunt, effort does not hold equal value as product. :lol: I don't expect a child to do anything beyond their abilities, however, I do expect constant progression to be reflected in their writing and as they progress, the critiquing just moves to different areas of focus. By high school, it is all about the argument. But in the younger yrs, it is expected that they follow writing conventions.

[Sue G in PA]

That is correct...I am the one who cannot stand any of the programs we have used so far. I would like to try IEW besides just the theme-based lessons, but am afraid to spend that much $ for the TWSS and risk not liking it, kwim? I could find it used, I suppose. But, still, I'm looking at at least $80 or so.

[Pongo]

That is correct...I am the one who cannot stand any of the programs we have used so far. I would like to try IEW besides just the theme-based lessons, but am afraid to spend that much $ for the TWSS and risk not liking it, kwim? I could find it used, I suppose. But, still, I'm looking at at least $80 or so.

 

Oh well, if it just you then take yourself out of the pic....lol

 

Is a tutor or a writing class an option? I just got the Writers Journey for my 11 year old, it looks really good. Sorry I misunderstood you:glare:

[8filltheheart]

That is correct...I am the one who cannot stand any of the programs we have used so far. I would like to try IEW besides just the theme-based lessons, but am afraid to spend that much $ for the TWSS and risk not liking it, kwim? I could find it used, I suppose. But, still, I'm looking at at least $80 or so.

 

I can sum up IEW in about 3 pages. So not worth the $$ if you know anything at all about writing (I owned 2 different levels and sold them after watching them with the kids once). In a list: key word outline, re-writes, dress-ups, banned words, parallel writing. Blech.

[angela in ohio]

That is correct...I am the one who cannot stand any of the programs we have used so far. I would like to try IEW besides just the theme-based lessons, but am afraid to spend that much $ for the TWSS and risk not liking it, kwim? I could find it used, I suppose. But, still, I'm looking at at least $80 or so.

 

The theme-based lesson really don't do IEW justice. They veer off in other directions and don't concentrate on the very best of IEW, imho. The best way to learn to use IEW is through the TWSS.

 

I think IEW is excellent and will help you help your students write well. The instruction for writing a multiple paragraph paper from multiple reference sources is excellent, as is the model for writing an essay and a book critique.

 

I believe the TWSS is offered "satisfaction guaranteed," so if you got it and hated it, you could return it. Their site says: "We unconditionally guarantee your complete satisfaction with all our products. Simply fill out the form below to make a return. "

[momofabcd]

There is a writing course that many people who use the Robinson Curriculum use. It's a self-teaching program, and it's flexible, letting the child write what they want. It give parents guidelines on how to grade the work and shows them how to help dc edit and improve their work. It's written by a college writing professor who homeschools his dc using Robinson Curriculum. I haven't used it, but am planning to next year after we finish Write with the Best.

http://www.advanced-writing-resources.com/index.html

[Love2Smile]

There is a writing course that many people who use the Robinson Curriculum use. It's a self-teaching program, and it's flexible, letting the child write what they want. It give parents guidelines on how to grade the work and shows them how to help dc edit and improve their work. It's written by a college writing professor who homeschools his dc using Robinson Curriculum. I haven't used it, but am planning to next year after we finish Write with the Best.

http://www.advanced-writing-resources.com/index.html

 

and on that note, how do you like "write with the best"??

It is on my list of possibilities!

[Kate CA]

Hi Kate,

I'm trying to find a writing curriculum for my 4th grader next year. We used WWE 2 this year, but dd got so bored with doing narrations every week (she did enjoy the book excerpts though). But, I would like some variety next year... and not just learning to summarize. So, I'm considering continuing w/WWE 3 next year along with another writing curriculum (maybe this is overkill). Anyway, about the Writing Skills series, I went online, to the eps website, but couldn't find any samples. Do I need the Teacher Handbook? Also, is the book divided into daily lessons? (Is it pick up and go?)

 

Thanks so much,

Sangita

 

I would not do both programs if I was you because you have years ahead to fine-tune writing skills. I would be concerned that writing could become a source of frustration if there is to much of it in the early years. WWE is a good solid program and we are using it for our 2nd and 4th graders next year.

 

If you click through the pictures in the sample here you can see some of what is in Book 1:

http://www.christianbook.com/writing-skills-2nd-edition-book-grades/diana-king/9780838825655/pd/379256?item_code=WW&netp_id=580367&event=ESRCN&view=details Look under "Additional Views" right under the picture.

 

These samples are better than the ones on the Rainbow or EPS site. We did not use the teacher book, but there were a few times I could have used it. :001_smile:

 

HTH!

Edited April 26, 2010 by Kate CA

[Kate CA]

 

If you have an older student can she start with book 2? Or should any student start with book one?

Also is the teacher handbook necesary?

These look really good!

 

You can jump in anywhere along the line. The samples here for Book 2 show the table of contents and a few pages of the first lesson.

 

http://www.christianbook.com/writing-skills-book-2/diana-king/9780838825662/pd/882566?event=CFN

 

Look under "Additional View" right under the picture. :)

[Miss Marple]

Lol! We've been there, too. I've come to the conclusion that I like aspects of various programs, but no one complete program. But I'm holding out the most hope for MCT Advanced Academic Writing (using Essay Voyage first). We have only used it for a very short time - so far, so good. But what really sold me on it was MCT's philosophy of writing/teaching writing. It appealed to me - it isn't forumlaic, it seems to allow for the individual student's personality to shine through, and it is strict on structure and editing.

 

I'm not sure if his writing blurb is on the website - I read it in the back of the Essay Voyage book. We're going to hit writing hard next year - I sorta let them slip by this year. I like the other MCT grammar components so I'm thinking this will be the writing curriculum for us.