Can we talk WWE2, 3, and 4

[ChemMommy]

We are nearing the end of WWE2. I'm using it with a now 4th and 5th grader. Okay, I know that sounds wrong, but when we started it, they were in 3rd and 4th and had had no direct writing instruction.

 

WWE2 has been, well, okay. I love, love, love FLL and so do the kids, but we just haven't connected with WWE.

 

We've faithfully done the narration exercises and copywork and dictation. I definitely see the purpose and progression in the copywork/dictation part. The kids like that part. We are still stuck at the level of them being able to take dictation that is two short sentences long or one longer sentence. We're up to putting quotations into dictated sentences.

 

But, the narration part is just not working for us. The kids are SO beyond this.

 

I haven't seen a copy of WWE3 or WWE4 but the samples online show them to be structured along the same lines: narration, copywork, dictation, narration.

 

1. Is that true or does the format vary more?

2. Should we jump into WWE3 without completing WWE2? WWE4?

3. Should we move into CW Aesop, IEW, or MCT to do more direct composition work? I almost think that we are ready to move out of narration entirely, at least with the 5th grader.

 

I'm not bashing WWE; I just think that I picked a level too low for my kids. We would like to stay with the FLL series.

 

I'd love to hear input from others who've used the WWE series. Maybe I'm just using it wrong....wouldn't be the first time! Thanks!

[ChemMommy]

:bigear:

Anyone??!?!

[abbeyej]

Have you adapted it to their needs? I mean, when I do WWE3 with my dd, we do two days at a time (a narration and a dictation), and I have her write out her complete narration each time. After she writes it, we make corrections. I use the selections, the questions, sometimes the narration instructions, and the dictations, but I expect more from her in terms of the narrations than what's asked.

 

On the other hand, I can certainly see moving on to another program with them at this stage. I'd certainly want a 5th grader doing more writing than what is required in most of WWE.

 

BTW, another option is to get the hardback teacher's text for WWE. It has about 6-8 weeks worth of lessons for each level. For older children who still need the foundation but are ready to move more quickly, I think it can be worthwhile to do only those lessons that are written out in full and move through the levels more quickly. So you could do WWE3 in a month or two, then WWE4 in a month or two, then move on to another program. For instance, Imitations in Writing: Fairy Tales (which is based more on IEW but follows a similar format to WWE in terms of narrations -- just at a much higher level).

[truebluexf]

I was thinking similarly. Either get the text and adapt, or get the workbooks again, but you could skip some narrations. Maybe do two weeks each week, but only one narration, that way you do more of the copywork/dictation that they need?

[Ali in OR]

WWE wasn't around for my oldest, but I used WWE 1 with my first grader last year and she is now using 2. I tried a few weeks of 3 with my older dd last year when the sample pages were up and pretty quickly decided that I wanted something different for her level. She used Writing Tales for 2 years (and is tired of that approach) and this year we are using MCT and whatever is in R&S (not a ton of writing in there). Doing so much dictation just didn't sit well with me for what I wanted out of a writing program. I'm not sure that I would be that good at dictation, but I think I developed good writing skills. My younger dd will transition to a different program after WWE 2. I guess I want more of learning how to write your own ideas rather than just narration and dictation. But I think WWE is an excellent beginning for years 1 & 2.

[yslek]

I've been using WWE with older kids, too. The skill level does increase with future levels (longer dictations, for example), but the pace was a little slow for my guys. For WWE3, I had them do every other lesson. I plan to do the same thing with WWE4. Maybe something like that would work for you, too. :001_smile:

[Suzannah]

This will be my first year using WWE with DD. It wasn't around when DS was at that level so we used CW. If you do decide to switch to CW, and your kiddos are very comfortable with narration, begin with CW for Older Beginners which goes through Aesop and Homer at a faster pace. I used the recommendation on the CW website to decide where to place DS when he was in 4th grade and started him in Aesop B. But since I wasn't confident enough at that time to skip lessons to pick up the pace, we took much longer going through Aesop and Homer than was really necessary. We would have used our time much more wisely and ended up at the same place if we'd just started with CW for OB.

 

Good luck!

[Penelope]

Have you adapted it to their needs? I mean, when I do WWE3 with my dd, we do two days at a time (a narration and a dictation), and I have her write out her complete narration each time. After she writes it, we make corrections. I use the selections, the questions, sometimes the narration instructions, and the dictations, but I expect more from her in terms of the narrations than what's asked.

 

 

I am glad to see someone else saying what I was thinking. My 3rd grader is doing WWE3, and he seems to have taken a jump in the last few months in ability.

 

So we do two lessons per day, and when there is a narration, he is able to write a summary independently. Well, first he narrates, then he writes it down without the intermediate step of dictation. I haven't decided whether or not to do WWE4 next year, but probably will as the dictations are all set out and nicely reinforce mechanics and grammar.

 

IMO narration is a skill that is useful for many years, so I don't plan to drop it even when we are done with WWE. It will just be more written than oral at that point. And we narrate all our work in science in history orally and occasionally written, and those are longer selections.