I think I'm going to need to purchase WWE for my girls

[Nakia]

I love love love SWB writing audio lectures, and for about three weeks, I have been doing my own lesson plans for writing. I really wanted to pull stuff from their history and literature, but it's easier said than done. It's really overwhelming me, to be honest, and even though I bought the WWE instructor's guide, I still need more guidance, I think. I just want to go ahead and buy a level of WWE for each of my girls. I figure I can always do some simple narrations from our history and literature if I want to, even if we are using WWE. The problem is that I have no idea what level to buy for each girl, and I cannot get all four.

 

My 5th grader (who used to HATE writing) says it's her favorite subject now, but I have a feeling it's because it's easier than what we were doing before where she was having to come up with so much creative writing. Copywork is super easy for her, and we are definitely past that. Dictation is a bit harder, but she is doing great with it, and I think we need to crank that up. Narration is going well, and I am having to give her guidance, of course, and I am still writing her narrations for her. So that's where she is.

 

My 2nd grader is also doing really well with the copywork. I am doing really simple dictations and narrations with her, and she is doing great with the dictations, but the narrations are sometimes a struggle.

 

Can you all help me decide which level to start them in? Thanks!!

 

Oh, and if I buy the WWE workbooks, do I still need the instructor's guide? It seems like when I was looking at the workbooks at Barnes and Noble, it included all the information about teaching I would need.

[snickelfritz]

All instruction is in the book. I have only used the workbook and it's fine. Listening to the lectures did flesh some things out for me.

 

I don't know about later levels. I will say that level 2 dictations were VERY challenging for my 2nd grader. We had gone through level 1 quickly, skipping some weeks. I'm spending this semester backing up to do those weeks and working on dictation through spelling. We'll pick WWE 2 up after the holidays.

[abbeyej]

For the 2nd grader, it sounds like she would do well beginning with WWE2. Everything you need is there in the book. For the 5th grader, you might actually consider buying the instructor's book and just using the lessons that are written out (6-8 per level) for levels 3 and 4 (and maybe 2, if you like) rather than doing one of the workbooks. Older kids often don't need a *whole* year at a level, so the instructor book has enough lessons to remediate without dragging on and on. (Of course, if you bought the instructor book first, you could use the placement tests to help you decide which to order for your 2nd grader -- though I suspect she'd be fine with WWE2.)

[abbeyej]

BTW, I completely agree that the convenience of having the lessons written out is *well* worth buying WWE. And the range of readings is a lot of fun -- some old favorites, some things we wouldn't have thought to read, etc...

 

And yes, we still do narrations for history as well. (I don't require them for literature at this age -- just the ones in WWE.)

[prairie rose]

If you have the WWE instructor's guide, all the written out for you lessons in the instructor's guide are in the work texts. The only difference is instead of having you find your own selections after that, all the selection are chosen for you. So whatever section in instructor's guide is working for you is the worktext I would buy.

 

For what it's worth, my 5th grader and my 4th grader are doing WWE 2, they seem to be in the same place as your fifth grader. Copywork is easy but dictation is still a bit hard for them. WWE 2 introduces dictation in the first week. The still copy before they do dictation but I find it really helps with the dictation.

[DDR]

I've been thinking the same thing. My first grader is doing fine with writing, but it feels like one more thing I have to pull together. This thread makes me think WWE would simplify things for me.

[MelanieM]

You can get the diagnostic evaluations on the Peacehill Press web site, which should help you figure out which levels they need.

[laughing lioness]

I'd start with WWE 2 for both kids. If your older kiddo isn't used to dictation WWE 3 &4 is gonna cook thier grits. Just saying...

WWI for a first grader- we used it last year for a class day of first graders and the kids LOVED it!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE WWE!!

[deeinfl]

If I could only buy one level, I would buy level 2 workbook. No, you do not need the Instructional Guide. Everything you need is in the workbooks, including instruction on what to say.

 

I would only do the questions for the younger one, and shorten the copywork, and also only make her give me the two sentence summary and write it down without making her write it down. There is no dictation for level 1 work and that was the book I started my second grade son in. For the older one, I'd do everything else as is.

 

 

HTH,

 

Dee

 

ps I tried to do it on my own as well this year...didn't work, I ended up buying the workbook and it was the BEST decision! :)

[AngelBee]

Honestly....I am just starting and we are starting with WWE1. They can move as fast as they would like and I will skip as needed, but that way we will not miss anything.

 

I have more who will use it later, so it did not bother me to purchase it even if we used it briefly.

[Nakia]

You can get the diagnostic evaluations on the Peacehill Press web site, which should help you figure out which levels they need.

 

Thank you. We just spent some time on that, and it looks like I need level 1 for my 2nd grader because she has a hard time with narrations, and level 3 for my 5th grader. Now I will head over the the S&S board here to see what I can find. :)