Can someone compare WWE to CW Primer for me

[plain jane]

Do they do basically the same thing or do they complement each other? This would be for grade 1. Thanks. :)

[plain jane]

:lurk5:

 

Still wondering if I should do one or the other or both together. :)

[TKDmom]

I've started wondering what CW entails, as well...

[Verity]

I can only share my experience. I bought CW Primer Autumn for my 2nd grader (with fine motor and ADHD) and CW Aesop for my 5th grader (also has some ld's). I felt like both were very simple to use and very basic - there was some copy work and short selections to read but I don't think I ever understood what I was supposed to do with such short passages for four or five days. I finished out the Primer but dumped Aesop after a few weeks and both boys moved on to WWE 1 and 3 respectively. I guess I needed more handholding. I can see that both attempt to do similar things but the WWE (with instructor guides and worksheets for the kids) is alot easier for me. I love the selections for reading in WWE and often they spark the boys to want to read the entire book afterwards.

 

Next year we are going on to WWE 2 and 4.

[TXMary2]

:lurk5:

 

I am trying to decide between CW Primer and WWE. So far the only significant difference I see is that CW includes nature and picture study which I like because left to my own devices - we would likely never get to either of these! However, the CW Primers Autumn, Winter and Spring would all take up one school year.

 

I am wondering if after doing CW Primer in first, what do you do for 2nd since CW's next level appears to be for third grade? Am I missing something? I am really torn and can't decide.

[nansk]

I have both, but so far, have only done CW Primer with my dd. Also, I have only looked in detail at the first year of WWE. Here are the differences that I see:

 

1. WWE covers 4 years but provides only 1 passage for every 4 weeks and you have to select the passages for the missing weeks (although you have to buy separate workbooks if you want all the passages selected for you.) CW Primers have everything selected for you (the primer is the workbook and there is no real need for the 'teaching helps' sold separately).

 

2.

So far the only significant difference I see is that CW includes nature and picture study which I like because left to my own devices - we would likely never get to either of these!

 

That is correct.

Apart from copywork and narration, the CW Primers also have a little bit of grammar instruction (plurals, homonyms, contractions etc), nature study and picture study. So they are more comprehensive.

WWE only has copywork, dictation and narration, no grammar, nature study or picture study.

 

3. In CWP, the copywork and narration selections are different in the week.

in WWE, the copywork and narration is from the same passage for that week. One line of copywork is directly taken from the passage, the other line is taken from the student's narration (answers).

 

4. In CWP, the narration is for a complete short story (Aesop fable or Baldwin story or Burgess story). In WWE, the narration is based on a passage from a longer book (such as Little House in the Big Woods) and the narration is basically answering questions (to test comprehension).

 

5. imo the CWP stories are shorter than the WWE passages, so it is easier for a younger child (i.e. you may start CWP in kindergarten but maybe not WWE.)

 

6. CWP only covers copywork and narration; WWE moves into dictation in the second year.

 

 

 

 

However, the CW Primers Autumn, Winter and Spring would all take up one school year.

 

Yes, but I plan to stretch out the primers over 2 yrs and 'pad' with lessons from Language Lessons by Gordy & Mead which also has dictation & narration.

 

I am wondering if after doing CW Primer in first, what do you do for 2nd since CW's next level appears to be for third grade? Am I missing something? I am really torn and can't decide.

 

There are several options among old (vintage) books if you are interested. I like Language Lessons by Gordy & Mead, Talking with the Pencil by Swinton, Mother Tongue by Sarah Louise Arnold and Primary Lessons in Language and Composition by Maxwell.

 

HTH

~ Nandini

[TXMary2]

Thank you Nandini.

 

If I use all three CWP in first grade, would using WWE 1 in 2nd grade be too slow? I will be using FLL for grammar.

[TXMary2]

bump

[Melissa B]

If I were going to continue with CW as my writing and grammar I would probably save CW Primers and use them in 2nd moving right into CW Aesop in 3rd.

 

 

I plan to use WWE (text only) and the CW Primers for first grade.

I will use the WWE text schedule during history and science using my own selections from her history and science readers. The CW Primers will be used during English class.

[squirtymomma]

I thought CWP does have a weekly dictation exercise. Also, the copywork selections in CWP are fairly lengthy compared to WWE 1 and 2 (from what I've seen). CWP does do some light grammar and phonics/spelling as well. For my dd, who is midway through OPGTR and has finished HWT K going into her kinder year, I plan to use CWP as a complete 1st grade LA program (that is, when she's 6, not this coming year when she's 5). Then (tentatively), in 2nd, move on to WWE3 and start formal grammar then (FLL, CLE, R&S?). I think if you have a kid who would benefit from the very incremental nature of WWE, CWP would not be a great fit. But for kids who are early-ish readers and comfortable with writing, I think it's a great gentle LA program.

Edited May 14, 2010 by squirtymomma

[nansk]

If I use all three CWP in first grade, would using WWE 1 in 2nd grade be too slow?

 

Hi,

 

Sorry, I didnt see this thread come up in the last few days, so I didnt see your question.

 

If you do the three CWP in first grade, you could get the WWE2 workbook for second grade and then move on to CW Aesop (as a pp suggested) or Writing Tales 1 (my pick) for third grade.

 

Or, as another pp suggested, after doing the CWP, you could wing it on your own in second grade and then decide what to do for third grade. There are other books by Thornton Burgess and William Baldwin or books by EB White that will provide good narration/dictation selections.

 

HTH

~ Nandini