Writing Prep for MFW High school

[1Togo]

If you are using or have used MFW high school ancients, can you tell me what writing prep we need to do in 8th grade to prepare? We are covering basic short story writing, beginning poetry writing, and paragraph skills this year. Since MFW uses the SMARR guide for essays, do we need to cover essays in 8th grade? I know we will get to multi-paragraph papers this year as well. Just not a full essay course.

 

Making a decision about high school has been difficult because there are so many excellent options. At this point, I deciding between MFW (laid out of the student, and while dd needs some input, she wants (insists on) independence) or a modified WTM logic/retoric approach.

 

Thank you.

 

Bonita

[cbollin]

In AHL, MFW uses a "mfw version" of the SMARR guides as part of the Literature and Composition supplement. Not sure how that's different, but things were adapted with permission from SMARR.

 

My oldest just finished week 7 of AHL.

 

I think if you cover paragraph skills in 8th grade, that will be important for entering MFW high school. In the first week of AHL, students will be introduced to writing the essay. It is not assumed they know how to write one yet. It is assumed they can write a sentence and write a paragraph and write their own thoughts and ideas.

 

Later in the year there are some creative assignments, so you'd fine there.

 

Also, student should be able to write one sentence answers to questions. We do some stuff orally, but for journaling in Old Testament, they are writing one sentence (or more if they want) to help journal and think through scripture.

 

If you can cross compare the scope and sequence of Writing Strands level 4 to the products you are using, make sure you're covering the same kinds of skills and you should be set.

 

http://www.writing-strands.com/scope-and-sequence.asp#WS4

 

But the big thing to know going into that first week is how to write your paragraph from your own thoughts even if you don't have a model to base your essay on.

 

-crystal

[1Togo]

Crystal,

 

I will compare what I am using with WS, but it seems like dd should be alright with writing for MFW high school. I want to get this settled in my mind, so I enjoy 8th grade with our daughter. Your posts have helped.

 

Bonita

[cbollin]

I got to thinking a bit more. You'd want to make sure you've covered grammar because it is not "taught" in high school, but "reviewed". There are grammar lessons, but it's review in nature. MFW recommends Applications of Grammar book 1 in 8th grade. So if you cover those topics, you're good.

 

Julie in MN has a nice post on mfw board with table of contents on that Applications of Grammar if it would help you to know what's covered

check here

 

-crystal

Edited August 20, 2010 by cbollin
fixing the link

[Julie in MN]

You know, I think 8th grade is a fine time to check out your student's weaknesses in writing and "prepare" them for high school essays. I agree with Crystal that making sure they are up to speed on paragraphs and on grammar are big. So, I'd look at:

 

1. Do they have the "vocabulary" of grammar down? Will you be able to talk about their high school writing with useful words, like, "What exactly is the subject of that sentence?" Or, "You are using lots of verbals but I don't see a true verb?" I don't think they need to have mastered every single bit of grammar, but they will benefit from a strong understanding of grammar issues and a vocabulary to talk about them -- mostly so you don't have to spend time in high school on that. The fancier details of grammar will be covered in MFW high school years, so a solid base will help there, too.

 

2. After organizing a sentence using proper grammar, the next step is organizing a paragraph. My son spent all of 8th grade on this (and Crystal's daughter probably didn't need to work on it all!). Stopping to look at paragraphs in good books helps. You can even do silly things like cut apart a paragraph and put it back together in different ways. I think good paragraphs require either (a) a child willing to follow rules or (b) a child willing to put themselves in the shoes of their reader.

 

3. The next step will be essays. As Crystal mentioned, these will be covered well in AHL. We won't start AHL until after Labor Day, but I've had my materials a while and have a good background in teaching a high schooler and tutoring many others. I think MFW covers essays well. However, if your child hasn't been exposed to the idea of an essay at all by the end of 8th grade, I might spend a week introducing him to the idea. We came across the idea of an "essay" naturally -- in a seminar, an outside class, and some readings that I noticed were well organized & pointed them out to my son. At one point I thought I would "teach essays" in 8th, but instead I went back to paragraphs.

 

 

HTH,

Julie

[cbollin]

2. After organizing a sentence using proper grammar, the next step is organizing a paragraph. My son spent all of 8th grade on this (and Crystal's daughter probably didn't need to work on it all!).

 

oh yes she did! :lol:

 

 

-crystal

[1Togo]

Crystal and Julie, both of you have been a help to me. Thank you so much.

 

Julie, are you the Julie on the MCT forum? If so, I am trying to piece together a good plan for our daughter. We are working through MCT Level 1 poetics and all of MCT Level 2 for 8th grade. She definitely needs the paragraph work in MCT Level 2. Should we try to get in some of Level 3 before tackling MFW high school? Also, do you think it is possible to use MCT along with MFW; i.e. start the year with MCT grammar, for example, then use the poetics and vocabulary during the year, and perhaps use the writing after she has finished her MCT year. Our daughter loves MCT, and I do also. It's difficult to let go of MCT, but I know we can't do it all.

 

Bonita

[Julie in MN]

Yes, that's me. I just love what I love, and MFW is definitely at the top but MCT blessed us, too.

 

I used MFW recommendations for 3rd-7th grade language arts and they were all good.

 

I was able to do MCT fully during 8th grade. But you have to be willing to let go of some other things, because it is a full program. We did a lot of level 2 (all of vocab & writing, some poetry) and a little of level 3 (part of writing & vocab), plus level 4 grammar & practice. It was all good for my son.

 

He still doesn't like grammar, but he loves Caesar's English I & II and actually uses a better vocabulary now. He very much enjoyed Paragraph Town. He liked the poetry lessons about sounds and such, and said, "He takes poetry to a whole new level!" However, he didn't really get into the iambic pentameter and the like; I was just going for exposure there. I posted our schedule in the MCT files, in case it helps someone not have to reinvent the wheel there.

 

I won't be using MCT right now, but I have their materials if I see a need or if ds asks for them as a sub in some instance or other. We'll see. AHL language arts looks great to me, and I always start with the easiest thing first :)

 

Julie

[1Togo]

Thanks, Julie for the input.

 

For many reasons, dd is not where I expected her to be in math or in writing. I went through this with our sons. We tried to play catch up on writing skills throughout high school while putting together a transcript. Most high school curriculum expect the student to be writing well by high school. I spoke with the folks at MFW, and they said the 10th grade is a heavy writing year - lots of papers and genres. Since our daughter loves MCT, I am beginning to think she should work through Levels 2 and 3. At that point, she will be caught up in math. Dd knows (and accepts) that she will be schooling year round until the beginning of 10th grade. SWB suggests backing off some subjects to get writing off the ground, and I am beginning to think would be best for dd. Perhaps we can start MFW mid-year of 9th.

 

After all my questions, it seems that we need to keep working and then assess.

 

Bonita

[Julie in MN]

Bonita,

It sounds like you have a good plan. You can always adjust as you go.

 

I let go of some things in order to focus on writing (over and over, it seemed!). We didn't get to much Spanish, we dropped Health, we did little music or art. But looking back, I think we accomplished our goals.

 

Julie