CW Homer Question

[kanagnostos]

We are on Week 10 of CW Homer. We started last year and are picking it back up in the middle this year. I'm wondering if ds is supposed to be applying what he has learned with noun copia and grammar change to his writing projects? Also, we are getting more into the accidentals/essentials material, which he understands. However, he is not really changing much when doing the actual writing projects. He is mostly just doing a straight retelling of the story and sometimes his writing is word-for-word from the model that he remembers and writes. I'm not sure if we are going about this the right way? Any advise?

[chai]

My best advice is to go to the Classical Writing Forum and ask your questions there. You will get an answer straight from the authors.

 

IMO, by Homer your son should be using the noun copia and other skills in retelling the story. He should not be spewing back the story word-for-word.

[Cleopatra]

We're on exactly the same chapter you are!

 

As for my dd, when we did Aesop I really had her concentrate on synonym substitution (probably more than expected) because I realized how important it was to develop the ability to reproduce a written model in your own words. She got reasonably proficient at it, with practice. If she ever wrote down word-for-word from the model I would make her re-write it.

 

As for using the synonym substitution and grammar change, I would encourage your son to use them whenever he is having trouble putting a sentence or idea from the model into his own words. If he can put it into his own words without using these skills, I wouldn't worry about it. The last couple of models have been loooong, so to practice these skills on each sentence could drive you crazy. :tongue_smilie: With my dd, I simply try to get her to practice new skills on a consistent, manageable basis, realizing that they are new skills and they will only begin to come easily with practice.

 

Hope that helps a little!

[siloam]

We are on Week 10 of CW Homer. We started last year and are picking it back up in the middle this year. I'm wondering if ds is supposed to be applying what he has learned with noun copia and grammar change to his writing projects? Also, we are getting more into the accidentals/essentials material, which he understands. However, he is not really changing much when doing the actual writing projects. He is mostly just doing a straight retelling of the story and sometimes his writing is word-for-word from the model that he remembers and writes. I'm not sure if we are going about this the right way? Any advise?

 

I don't worry about seeing their work carry over into their writing, but my kids don't do a rewrite that is that close to the original. Mine are more guilty of summarizing too much. :D

 

If I were in your shoes I might require him to use the methods, simply because he needs to learn how to restate things in his own words and not word for word.

 

Also watch the accidental and essential work. Does he summarize well? The end goal of Homer A is to summarize a whole piece, by dropping the accidentals first, then by summarizing what is left. This really is a necessary skill for any sort of book report or even for synthesizing information for an essay.

 

I would ask on the CW forums or yahoo group as well.

 

Heather