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Rod and Staff Grammar... No writing?


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In my copy of TWTM (not the newest version) it says that Rod and Staff used for the logic stage does not need an additional writing program. Anyone have experience with this? Has this changed in the newer version of the book? Is it possible that I won't have to force ds to use a writing program?

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In my copy of TWTM (not the newest version) it says that Rod and Staff used for the logic stage does not need an additional writing program. Anyone have experience with this? Has this changed in the newer version of the book? Is it possible that I won't have to force ds to use a writing program?

 

Well, there is a writing program - it's called continuing to write narrations, learning to outline, and then dropping narrations as you learn to rewrite from outlines. This is supplemented with R&S *grammar* (or any other good grammar book).

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Well, there is a writing program - it's called continuing to write narrations, learning to outline, and then dropping narrations as you learn to rewrite from outlines. This is supplemented with R&S *grammar* (or any other good grammar book).

Oh, and some dictation, right? I meant that it's not like doing WWE or WS. It's more writing with everything else and less writing for the sake of writing.

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We do all the writing assignments in R&S English. My daughter has learned how to write letters, various types of paragraphs, summaries, book reports, outlining, etc. We then take what we learn in R&S and apply it to our science, history, and literature writing.

 

I haven't added any other writing program and I'm quite happy with my 6th grader's progress.

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This is why it is called Rod & Staff English instead of Rod & Staff Grammar. Since the curriculum encompasses both grammar and composition, they give it the label of English.

 

We use R&S too, but I will be supplementing with some of the Writing Aids assignments with our TOG studies. I just want to do it, not that we really have to since R&S is a nice, full program.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

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  • 3 weeks later...

... with very little writing. He does however write for the 4th day of the week from the topic in Spelling Workout E and for narration exercises in History, Art, Habitat and Science. He doesn't really know that he's doing 5th grade language arts as a 4th grader. I don't push him to write, spell or study grammar; I just put it in front of him and he goes for it.

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I use R&S grammar with my 2 logic-stage boys, and here's how I implement it. I did FLL (the original) with them in 1st & 2nd grades. They have used R&S grammar since 3rd grade.

 

5th grader:

R&S 5: He does all of the lessons, and does all of the writing assignments in the book except writing friendly letters and book reports. We cover friendly letters when he writes thank-you notes, and book reports are covered when he writes narrations.

WTM-style writing: Every week he writes 2 1-level outlines (usually of the Kingfisher history book), 1 narrative summary of a chapter of a book he's read (Newbery novel or Landmark biography), and 1 Literary response of a book he's read.

If the R&S Grammar has a lot of writing that week, he is allowed to skip one of his WTM writing assignments.

 

7th grader:

R&S 7: He does all of the lessons, and does all of the writing assignments in the book except writing business letters, book reports, writing poems, and writing fictional stories. We'll cover business letters when the time comes (and it will, sooner or later, as I've found out with my 2 older dc who are in college), and book reports are covered when he writes narrations.

WTM-style writing: At the beginning of the year, every week he writes 2 one-level outlines (usually of the Kingfisher history book), 1 narrative summary of a chapter of a book he's read (Newbery novel or Landmark biography), and 1 Literary response of a book he's read. Through the year he transitions from this to writing 2 3-level outlines, 1 paper based on one of his outlines, and a literary response paper.

If the R&S Grammar has a lot of writing that week, he is allowed to skip one of his WTM writing assignments.

 

The challenge level is just right for my 5th grader. I may switch my 7th grader over to something else next year because he is a pretty capable writer, probably The Lively Art of Writing.

 

HTH,

GardenMom

Edited by MomsintheGarden
tweaking
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  • 2 weeks later...

This is my first year using Rod and Staff. In my opinion, it is a stand alone program. I am using it, but my darling firstborn wants to try IEW SWI. We are doing it because someone convinced us to try it. I am only doing the one program through IEW. I have decide that Rod and Staff is for us. I like how we are learning how to write and take notes. My son just took notes from sources last week. He will write his outline and draft this week. I totally agree that you don't need another writing program with Rod and Staff.

 

I am sorry, but I have done a few writing programs so far since third or fourth grade with my son. Rod and Staff is the one that is truly helping him to write a paragraph. I highly recommend Rod and Staff for middle school. My son learned what actually goes into a paragraph. He learned that the paragraph must consist of one topic and the sentences to follow are supporting the main topic and the last is the concluding sentence. No other program has taught him to write that clearly and logically.

 

Yes, once you have Rod and Staff. You have it. No other writing program needed!!

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey!

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

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R&S includes writing, and opinions vary as to whether or not it's enough. The grade 7 & 8 books have several lessons on writing per chapter. I've often added other things, but my middle one is a natural writer and doesn't really need much else so far. She's doing R&S 7 now.

 

That said, my ds, who is using R&S for the first time (grade 5) loathes the book and constantly complains. True, he is a reluctant scholar for English, but he really hates the fact that the book is so "oldschool." I have also noticed some sexist comments coming from him lately, but I'm not sure how much of that is R&S and how much of it his just him going though a stage. He certainly has plenty of role models of women outside of traditional roles IRL.

 

So, after 2 dd's using R&S, I am probably going to go with something else next year. Not that he'll suddenly like English (he has his moments when the lessons are easy) necessarily, but he's so different than my dd's, and the diagramming isn't working for him the way it worked for them.

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