jewel7123 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Do you use the Writing With Ease textbook only, workbook only or both together? I'm a bit confused on what I need to purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SewLittleTime Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I borrowed the book from a friend and read that first. It gives a great explanation of the "why" of the program. I use the workbooks only. That is all you need. The teacher directions are in the front, and the student pages are in the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I use only the textbook because I found that the passages in the workbook are WAY more difficult than what the textbook's guidelines are. (For example, the text might say to pick a dictation passage 15-18 words long, and the dictation passage in the workbook for the same week might be more like 23 words long.:001_huh: ) So I use passages from our history/science/literature that we're already doing and simply pick them according to the guidance in the textbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 I should add that I will be using level 1. Are the lines the appropriate size and is there enough space for a 1st grader to write in the workbook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Yes, the lines are appropriate for first, IMO. I bought just the workbook, but I am going to be buying the textbook, because I like to know the "why" behind everything. I think it will be much more customizable that way, as well. ETA: I had the spine cut off and separated out the student worksheets and the teacher's part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The text book was one of the first things I bought when I was first thinking of homeschooling. It explains the why? you could get by with just that for the first four years. I got the workbook just for the easiness factor. I figured I had so much I was already trying to do. I have not seen the workbooks for 1 and 2, but 3 could stand alone. You could go either way. I am someone who needs to know the theory about why I am doing something (hence the text), but I also need easy to implement (the workbook). Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Sorry, one more thing. If you get the workbook, think about the pdf. Yes it is more spendy to start printing out the teacher part for you, but with 3 kids, it is nice being able to print out you pages, that way you don't need to buy it again for your other 2. Also, I have a 3 year old and I often print out 2 copies and she sits and pretends to write during our lesson, she loves that her paper looks just like her big brothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I use only the textbook because I found that the passages in the workbook are WAY more difficult than what the textbook's guidelines are. (For example, the text might say to pick a dictation passage 15-18 words long, and the dictation passage in the workbook for the same week might be more like 23 words long.:001_huh: ) So I use passages from our history/science/literature that we're already doing and simply pick them according to the guidance in the textbook. Forgot to mention that doing this takes me no more time than using the workbook. In fact, it takes less for us because the passages in the workbook were so difficult. It takes me about 5 minutes (if that) the night before to find passages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I'm using the workbook only for WWE1. At this level it seems appropriate, but for the other levels I will probably get the textbook in case I need to do my own passages. I have enjoyed the WWE1 workbook so far. My first grader does the short sentence option. The lines are spaced very well for a first grader. You can see samples of the teacher and student sections on the PHP store website, and also on Amazon. I also highly recommend listening to the SWB audio lecture on teaching writing in the elementary years. It explains very well how WWE works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyB Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I use only the workbook. See if you can get the text from your library before you decide; I found it to be really helpful in understanding how to teach writing. I have my daughter write everything in a Zaner Bloser writing journal instead of the student pages. I love not having to make copies of one more thing! She also uses the journal for FLL because I like to have all her work in one place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Hmm.....an even split on the poll so far. I'm not sure what to do! If you use the workbook, do you have time to actually READ all the books that are used to pull passages from? It seems like a lot of good books are used, but I just wonder if they all get read from week to week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 I use only the workbook. See if you can get the text from your library before you decide; I found it to be really helpful in understanding how to teach writing. I have my daughter write everything in a Zaner Bloser writing journal instead of the student pages. I love not having to make copies of one more thing! She also uses the journal for FLL because I like to have all her work in one place. If you don't use the student pages, then why aren't you just using the textbook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sncstraub Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I voted that I use only the workbook. I did get the textbook from the library and read it, though. I agree with previous posters that the textbook seems easier than the workbook passages. My ds7 does not write in the workbook, though, as he has 2 younger siblings who will use it too. He uses HWT paper for his copywork and narrations/dictations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 If you are unsure, I would go for the textbook. Read it, get the big picture (I struggled to see the big picture when using just the wb) and then decide whether that is enough or you would prefer to have it laid out in workbook form. You asked about line spacing. I actually found the spacing to be too large. My kids seem to write more neatly with smaller spaced lines so I use my own lined paper. This also makes the wb reusable.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyB Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The text requires you to find the appropriate material for narration and copywork. The workbook has all of that done for you. The copywork in the workbook has the passage at the top and lines on each page. I simply have her copy it onto other paper. It saves me from having to make copies and I can reuse the book for my other daughter later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 If you don't use the student pages, then why aren't you just using the textbook? Because the workbook has 36 weeks worth of lesson all planned out and for levels 1 and 2 the student pages are largely lined paper (okay the copywork is already there and they have cute pictures ;)). Then the lines were never the right size for us. I had one that they might have been close, but the copywork wasn't written on the large lines and he had a hard time copying it from a smaller, floating model. For my other, the lines were always too big (he started late, they weren't available when he was in 1st). The text book only has 4 or 5 weeks worth of lesson for each year, you have to come up with the other 32. This is how we are doing it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Hmm.....an even split on the poll so far. I'm not sure what to do! If you use the workbook, do you have time to actually READ all the books that are used to pull passages from? It seems like a lot of good books are used, but I just wonder if they all get read from week to week. You're not *expected* to do that. We find that the selections generally fall into these categories: -Books the child has read (either independently or heard read aloud) and loves. It's always nice to have an "old friend" appear in the lessons. -Books the child hasn't read yet but because interested in based on the excerpt. (These are sometimes books I would suggest, but the suggestions are met more enthusiastically when the child "discovers" them on his/her own, and sometimes they're books I would never have thought to suggest.) -Books we don't have much interest in before or after the excerpt. Doesn't mean they're *bad* books, but we all have different tastes, and sometimes it's nice to do the lesson and move on, without feeling obligated to read the "whole" of a particular work. -Selections that are relatively complete on their own (Aesop or fairy tales, poetry, etc) and don't need to be explored further. ...Overall, the selections in WWE are excellent and working through them has been a very positive experience. Think of them like little samples. :) But you do *not* have to plan to read the whole of each book each week. My kids *have* read most of the books that are excerpted in WWE (2-4 are the workbooks I've used). We didn't have to plan it -- they just read a lot. I find the workbooks are a tremendous time-savings and very well done. Really, an excellent tool! We love them. I've made adaptations here and there along the way (we were ready for completely kid-driven narrations well before they were required in WWE, for instance, so I just handed over more of the responsibility a little sooner; we were ready to move faster, so dd does one narration and one dictation per day), but really, very, very happy with the workbooks. I used the textbook because it came out before the workbooks. My older son was 9 or 10 at the time and basically beyond the WWE level. Still, we used the sample lessons only for levels 3 and 4 for the few weeks it took him to go through them as a quick review/reinforcement section. I did the same with level 1 for my dd, though she worked through levels 2-4 in the workbooks since then. The textbook is great for understanding the whole of the program, but you don't *need* it. If you don't get the textbook, be sure to read the writing chapters in WTM carefully, and perhaps consider listening to SWB's writing lectures -- they also do a good job of giving you the complete picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova mama Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I voted textbook only. But I will get the workbook next year, if not sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I like the workbooks because the selections are done for me but I find the writing lines to be crazy-big! We use the bottom half of the lines. My 3rd son is starting wwe this week and he's just using wide ruled paper to write on. I read the book way back when and still own it, but don't refer to it on a regular basis. If I had to select all my own passages it would never get done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 If you use the workbook, do you have time to actually READ all the books that are used to pull passages from? It seems like a lot of good books are used, but I just wonder if they all get read from week to week. I am pulling our read-alouds mostly from the WWE books, but I am NOT doing all of them. We don't read-aloud that much to get them all done (can't read aloud too much with a toddler in the house that likes to trample you or fuss when you're reading chapter books). In a few years, we might do a lot more reading, but in this short season for our family, we couldn't possibly get all those books read each week. We started Little House in the Big Woods the first week of school, and 2 weeks in, we're only halfway through it. :tongue_smilie: DS will only tolerate a chapter at a time, and my voice can only tolerate that much too. We're working up to this reading thing. :D And really, I should have gotten the audio, because we would have been done by now, but oh well. We have done a couple other audio books in the van already during that time. They usually only take a couple days! Anyway, you don't have to read any of the books in WWE. The narration questions are just on the passage read. You can go read the book if you want, but you don't have to. I have marked the books I would like us to read, but we may not read them before doing the selection in WWE. A question for those who use the textbook, since I haven't seen it yet... Are you good at coming up with questions for the narration section? I am NOT good at stuff like that. So I kind of need that hand holding in WWE. I'm just wondering if people who aren't good at that kind of thing became so when selecting their own selections. Language arts is not my strong point. I'm totally a math girl. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 A question for those who use the textbook, since I haven't seen it yet... Are you good at coming up with questions for the narration section? I am NOT good at stuff like that. So I kind of need that hand holding in WWE. I'm just wondering if people who aren't good at that kind of thing became so when selecting their own selections. Language arts is not my strong point. I'm totally a math girl. :tongue_smilie: It can be tricky at times. I just scan the section that either the child has just read (or I've read to him) and pick out the key pieces of information that will help him arrive at a summary. That's what the comprehension questions are designed for - to help the child pick out the important things in order to summarize the passage. Now, if you're not good at summarizing either, then yes, perhaps the workbook with the questions would be better. But as long as you can summarize and can isolate the information necessary for that summary, it's pretty easy to come up with questions.:001_smile: I DON'T do this ahead of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 It can be tricky at times. I just scan the section that either the child has just read (or I've read to him) and pick out the key pieces of information that will help him arrive at a summary. That's what the comprehension questions are designed for - to help the child pick out the important things in order to summarize the passage. Now, if you're not good at summarizing either, then yes, perhaps the workbook with the questions would be better. But as long as you can summarize and can isolate the information necessary for that summary, it's pretty easy to come up with questions.:001_smile: I DON'T do this ahead of time. Thanks! I think I better stick with the workbook for a bit, but hopefully will get better at summaries myself in time! Learning alongside the boy. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I use the textbook only and pick my own passages from what we're reading in history. It takes maybe 2 or 3 minutes of prep on my part. It works out nicely because DD doesn't feel like I'm adding yet another subject to her school day. We narrate and do copywork as a part of history. That's how I sneak it in :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Nyssa Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 We got both, but stopped using the workbooks because we did not like reading snippets of stories, DS wanted the whole story! So we decided to use the principles in the textbook, using our own reading: literature or history or science. Also, the writing in the workbook was more than DS could handle and it was very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I use the workbook passages, and write them all out on HWT paper due to my ds needing that. I have the workbook and text, but with the way life is right now I know it just wouldn't get done if I had to take the time to find our own passages and copy them out! We're on WWE1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thanks! I think I better stick with the workbook for a bit, but hopefully will get better at summaries myself in time! Learning alongside the boy. :D Doesn't CLE Reading cover the questions? Could you do narrations on those stories? (I haven't seen levels 1 or 2 so maybe that wouldn't work.) Then add copywork from anywhere. I also usually just use the section we are studying in SOTW, it already has questions! But really if it is a narrative passage then you ask Who? What? Why/How? If it is a descriptive passage then you ask Who/What? What kinds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Doesn't CLE Reading cover the questions? Could you do narrations on those stories? (I haven't seen levels 1 or 2 so maybe that wouldn't work.) Then add copywork from anywhere. There are usually maybe 1 or 2 questions, and they really don't lead to a narration. For example, if I'm reading the questions from WWE workbook or from the SOTW AG, I can usually get from the questions what the passage is about. Looking at the CLE Reading workbook, if I haven't read the story, I have NO clue what it's about. I also usually just use the section we are studying in SOTW, it already has questions! That is a good idea! We do the narration for SOTW once a week, so I ask the questions before doing that. I must say, thanks to WWE, my son is getting so much better at narrations. I used to ask him what a story was about, and he'd say no more than what the title told me. :tongue_smilie:He's still giving me very little information, but sometimes it will at least be a longish sentence, with a comma involved (doing this orally - he isn't copying his narrations yet, which means they might get shorter next week when that starts!). But really if it is a narrative passage then you ask Who? What? Why/How? If it is a descriptive passage then you ask Who/What? What kinds? I'll have to practice that. Maybe by time we need to abandon the workbooks (and it sounds like we might need to when the passages get longer than what the textbook recommends), I'll be a pro at it. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emilia Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thanks for posting this. I have been asking myself the same things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I use the workbook only AND my own paper. I hate consuming consumables. I gave up on the dictations a while back and just do the reading and summarizing. I've almost given up on those because we have so many other things to summarize in history and literature. I like to do one summary a day and so if we have nothing else going on then I'll pull it out and pick up wherever we left off. I LOVE what I learned from WWE and now I'm taking off on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Both together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thank you guys for all the input! Unfortunately, I think I'm more confused now, lol, but I think I will start with the workbook as a safeguard, and then after I get comfortable I might be able to branch out using the textbook and pull passages from our history/science as some do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 I have another question. I currently use A Reason for Handwriting (we're about to start level A, which is 1st grade.) Would I need to continue with this if I'm using WWE? I understand that WWE is a writing program, not a penmanship program, so I'm thinking the answer is yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewel7123 Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 I forgot to add that I also have StartWrite software, so I could make my own handwriting and copywork sheets as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I voted workbook only, but I did get the hardback book from our library when we first started. I wanted to at least read through it once so that I could get a feel of what direction the program was going in and what it was all about. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Thank you guys for all the input! Unfortunately, I think I'm more confused now, lol, but I think I will start with the workbook as a safeguard, and then after I get comfortable I might be able to branch out using the textbook and pull passages from our history/science as some do. I think you'll be happy with this. I suggested the text but that is only because it is SOOO helpful in seeing where this is going. The workbook is really easier to implement. (IMO) I have another question. I currently use A Reason for Handwriting (we're about to start level A, which is 1st grade.) Would I need to continue with this if I'm using WWE? I understand that WWE is a writing program, not a penmanship program, so I'm thinking the answer is yes? I am not using a separate handwriting program once proper letter formation is established. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 ... I found that the passages in the workbook are WAY more difficult than what the textbook's guidelines are. (For example, the text might say to pick a dictation passage 15-18 words long, and the dictation passage in the workbook for the same week might be more like 23 words long.:001_huh: ) ... This is EXACTLY what frustrated me about WWE 2! I own and read through the textbook. I have the first 2 levels of workbooks also. I was frustrated by the workbooks (see above) but found that without them I didn't have good follow through in using the program. Dd2 has just started WWE1. I find the short narration chunks in the workbook perfect for her. They were so easy for dd1 that she didn't use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 So in week 3 of WWE1, I just ran into an issue with the passage... My son didn't understand some of the language. It was the passage about Rumpelstiltzken, and it had things like "had an audience with the king" and "appear a person of some importance". The latter was needed to answer one of the narration questions - "He wanted to look important." I kept reading that sentence over and over again, emphasizing the word "importance", and he just had no clue what it was talking about! :lol: I'll definitely have to practice pulling questions out of a passage to lead him in narration. I think WWE1 will work fine for the most part, but I can definitely see us needing to switch to passages from things we're currently reading later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razorbackmama Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 So in week 3 of WWE1, I just ran into an issue with the passage... My son didn't understand some of the language. It was the passage about Rumpelstiltzken, and it had things like "had an audience with the king" and "appear a person of some importance". The latter was needed to answer one of the narration questions - "He wanted to look important." I kept reading that sentence over and over again, emphasizing the word "importance", and he just had no clue what it was talking about! :lol: I'll definitely have to practice pulling questions out of a passage to lead him in narration. I think WWE1 will work fine for the most part, but I can definitely see us needing to switch to passages from things we're currently reading later on. Yes! Mine had a terrible time with that passage. And they were in like 5th-6th grade!:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.