Writing

[Quiver0f10]

I think I asked about writing before but we are finishing up the school year and I am panicking at the thought of how far behind my son is compared to kids his age. He is dyslexic and has some sort of processing/memory disorder as well as a seizure disorder. He needs lots of repetition in order for concepts to stick. We have to file a NOI each year and I do have him a year behind on paper. We are also required to test but I was able to have him exempted this year, but I have to redo the exemption each year and I worry about when/if he will actually have to test.

 

He will be 11 in September and will be starting WWE 2 and Barton level 5 in the fall along with R&S English 3. Other than the sentences he does during copy work in WWE and writes during his Barton's lessons he hasn't done any writing. He did use Winston last year and did pretty well with it but I read everything to him.

 

I am feeling like I need to do formal writing with him but I don't know where to begin. I'm just not sure he could handle IEW at this point. Should we continue with WWE and start writing after level 4? By then he will be 13 and I just don't know if it makes sense to wait that long but I don’t think it makes sense to do something he isn’t ready for either?

 

Any ideas?

Edited May 16, 2010 by Quiver0f10

[Laurie4b]

Have you tried IEW? It is really step-by-step. The parent is supposed to essentially do the lessons with the child for as long as it takes until the child can do it by themselves --a little bit at a time. The key to using IEW well is to watch the teaching DVD's. I emphasize the structure and only a couple elements of their style syllabus (because I think it sounds awful to use all of them.) If you use IEW the way it's demonstrated in the DVD's, it's very, very gentle.

[Quiver0f10]

Have you tried IEW? It is really step-by-step. The parent is supposed to essentially do the lessons with the child for as long as it takes until the child can do it by themselves --a little bit at a time. The key to using IEW well is to watch the teaching DVD's. I emphasize the structure and only a couple elements of their style syllabus (because I think it sounds awful to use all of them.) If you use IEW the way it's demonstrated in the DVD's, it's very, very gentle.

 

I use IEW with my older kids, but we have been using the themed based books. Would you recommend TWSS or SWI?

[ZooRho]

How do you know he is FAR behind. My oldest wrote exactly one paper for me before 8th grade. And that was in 4th. I will say he did journal after about 5th-6th on his own and still does.

 

He is now in college and is doing great, and will major in history and minor in English and Bible.

 

My youngest didn't write anything for me.

 

He did start our coops writing class in 6th grade though.

 

Both did Abeka LA we just skpped any writing parts.

 

I wouldn't work on beating him up about writing. The coop class started the children out by rewriting stories that they already knew-Three little pigs, but changing just parts of it. This worked really well. Boys love writing bout blowing things up and secret spies.

[Laurie4b]

I have the basic set. Is that the TWSS?

 

I also just got a theme-based book. While, the theme-based book will be helpful, if you start with that, you miss all the instruction that you get on the basic set. That instruction is what I think is so helpful with special needs kids.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Laurie4b

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you all. I will look at TWSS.