Chris in PA Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Hi all, I am working on plans for the fall. My ds will be in 8th grade. We have used IEW for the last 2 years and it is going ok..... But I am looking for something different for this upcoming school year. His writing skills are what I would consider average. I am considering Write Shop, Brave Writer, or possibly sticking with IEW. But I am wondering what else is out there for me to consider. I really want to work on helping him develop solid paragraphs and essay writing skills. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 IEW too! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I'll be using IEW for both my 7th grader (reluctant writer) and my 9th grader (eager writer). 9th grader will be doing Elegant Essay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I have no idea what we're going to do next year for writing (6th grade). This year she's just writing about her history and science, but I want something more structured. I'm going to look at options in person at the NorthEast convention in June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swirl Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We used Write-at-Home this year for 6th grade and will go with them for 7th next year too. It is expensive, but I've been very pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 One L Michelle :lol: What she said but drop IEW and add LToW along w/ Pattern Based Writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 For my 6th grade struggling writer a combo of Brave Writer, IEW, MCT, and Killgallon - LOL. Ha! Now I don't feel so bad with my combo of Killgallon, MCT, BraveWriter, The Paragraph Book 4, and the Lively Art of Writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We've been using Killgallon and Essay Voyage this year (7th), the former for practical sentence writing, and the latter is more and more for inspiration and advice - I haven't found the assignments at all useful, and it seems the lessons are too wordy and rambling for them to easily transfer them to their writing. I've started giving them roughly biweekly assignments - they can choose a topic from history, science or literature, but they need to develop a thesis and support it. For practical help in this I'm using some photocopied sheets from a friend's dd's 9th grade ps class. :tongue_smilie: I'm pretty sure we're going to add a WriteGuide tutor to assess their writing - if that works this spring, we'll keep on next fall. I have Image Grammar and I really like a lot of what's in there, and I also have the Lively Art of Writing, either or both of which I may well add to the mix next year (8th), and I'll probably buy some kind of MLA guide to help with that aspect of things. I'd love to get LToW, but I think with all these materials and the WriteGuide tutor, we might be good. I'm just not confident enough that I can figure out how to implement LToW and it won't sit on my shelf - and even if I did figure it out, that my kids would take critical feedback or keep deadlines for me. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We used Put That in Writing this year. It does a good job of covering short essays, both timed and untimed. I assigned topics based on history and science rather than their suggested topics and that worked fine. Next year I'm thinking about using the first half of Classical Writing's Herodotus along with a half credit online composition class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 My oldest will be using Classical Writing's Diogenes Maxim, and my younger logic stage kidlet will be using Classical Writing's Homer (She'll finish A and get into B). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 and my younger logic stage kidlet will be using Classical Writing's Homer (She'll finish A and get into B). Wow, I realized that I've been obsessing so much over my older kids' writing issues, I didn't even include my younger kid when I responded. The plan for her is that we'll finish whatever she hasn't finished in Paragraph Town and Killgallon Story Grammar, and then move on to Writing with Skill, but now I'm worried it won't be ready in time! Sigh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 OH yes, add Writing with SKill to my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 With my son we will and are using Pattern Based Writing and once done with that use Writing Strands 4 and hopefully he'll be ready for High School :tongue_smilie: My dd is using Hands on Essays and will use Pattern Based Writing next year. Both can be done independently with me checking in on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Hi all,I am working on plans for the fall. My ds will be in 8th grade. We have used IEW for the last 2 years and it is going ok..... But I am looking for something different for this upcoming school year. His writing skills are what I would consider average. I am considering Write Shop, Brave Writer, or possibly sticking with IEW. But I am wondering what else is out there for me to consider. I really want to work on helping him develop solid paragraphs and essay writing skills. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks We've been using the read, outline and write recommendations in WTM. With a boost from the beta testing of Writing with Skill that we've been doing, I think my kids are finally getting the hang of producing some acceptable writing. Even though WWS 1 is targeting grade 5, it has been very useful to my kids. I think that it is supposed to be out in spring 2012. If I'm understanding this post correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We've been using the read, outline and write recommendations in WTM. With a boost from the beta testing of Writing with Skill that we've been doing, I think my kids are finally getting the hang of producing some acceptable writing. Even though WWS 1 is targeting grade 5, it has been very useful to my kids. I think that it is supposed to be out in spring 2012. If I'm understanding this post correctly. Wow! They look so nice, but I need to stick and stay on course, I need to stick and stay on course, I need to....................:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) I have Lively Art of Writing to use later in the year (next year). I am undecided about what to use earlier, I have a lot of resources. I'm just trying to figure out which will work best for ds. I'm pulling my hair out matching my personal writing philosophy with his abilities. :willy_nilly: , Edited March 2, 2011 by elegantlion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I"m not certain about that Sebastian. In a recent post at the General forum, she reiterated a Fall publication date for WWS. It could be the creative writing text and Advanced Lang Lessons are the February 2012 books she is referring to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We've been using the read, outline and write recommendations in WTM. With a boost from the beta testing of Writing with Skill that we've been doing, I think my kids are finally getting the hang of producing some acceptable writing. Even though WWS 1 is targeting grade 5, it has been very useful to my kids. I think that it is supposed to be out in spring 2012. If I'm understanding this post correctly. :svengo: the covers are gorgeous. I may have to add that to my list. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hearts4homeschooling Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 IEW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) One L Michelle :lol: What she said but drop IEW and add LToW along w/ Pattern Based Writing. For one year? My dear, will you share that schedule with me because my poor rain-sodden brain cannot wrap itself around the blending of all those programs. I like the idea, but... We really need a coffee cup emoticon on here. Oh! Forget the cup! http://www.etsy.com/listing/49772856/purple-cafetiere-french-press-cozy-nerd Edited March 2, 2011 by swimmermom3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 The remainder of this year and next for my two oldest: Classical Writing Homer and moving into Maxim. MCT Paragraph Town moving into Essay Voyage. Killgallon Elementary moving into Middle School books. This is probably overkill but I'm so tired of struggling with writing. The Classical Writing is long term, the MCT is experimental for dd11 but may go long term if it works for her, and the Killgallon will be short term as I think we will move through the books within 2 semesters. My plan is to make the remainder of the year and next year writing intensive. By the end of next year I want writing to be second nature to them. Oh, I almost forgot...I'm also having them work through (fairly independently) an 8th grade McGrawHill Composition workbook. It really only takes them about 20 minutes a day so it doesn't add that much to the day and surprisingly they say they like doing it. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 So it is normal to combine writing curricula? Dd begged to stop the WWS beta-test (please don't throw tomatoes...) so I let her as she was already showing mastery of outlining. Her former school really did do a good job with all language arts. I know I'll be able to look at IEW and MCT at the convention. I'll have to look through the lists of speakers and vendors more carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanMom Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Classical Writing Diogenes Maxim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSDCY Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 We've been using Killgallon and Essay Voyage this year (7th), the former for practical sentence writing, and the latter is more and more for inspiration and advice - I haven't found the assignments at all useful, and it seems the lessons are too wordy and rambling for them to easily transfer them to their writing. I've started giving them roughly biweekly assignments - they can choose a topic from history, science or literature, but they need to develop a thesis and support it. Why is it that I often find you saying exactly how I feel about a specific curriculum? ;) Except that we don't do Killgallon, the above quote is exactly what I think about Essay Voyage, and I give out assignments exactly the way you do. I see great improvement in ds's writing after using IEW for three years (3rd to 5th), but I felt that he had absorbed all he could handle and needed to change course so I use nothing but Essay Voyage this year (6th). To be honest, I don't see him transferring what he learns from Essay Voyage to his writing at all. Now he goes to a writing tutor for 1 hour per week for the rest of the school year while I figure out what to do next year. I might try LToW with him next year. IEW has taught him to write summery and report type of essays well, but he has problem when it comes to expressing his opinions or ideas. LToW might help him in that aspect and prepare him to write persuasive essays later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeJM Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I'm going to finish up some EPS targeted writing skill books, then it's either going to be IEW or Write Shop next, I will decide later. Our writing progress has been really slow, so I'm not as far with ds as I had hoped to be by now (6th). We will keep on going, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I have Lively Art of Writing to use later in the year (next year). I am undecided about what to use earlier, I have a lot of resources. I'm just trying to figure out which will work best for ds. I'm pulling my hair out matching my personal writing philosophy with his abilities. :willy_nilly: , Paula, I have to ask. You don't find by any chance find that trying to do the part in bold means that far less writing is getting done in general. That is where we are at. Janice's words about doing what gets done are ringing in my ears right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Paula, I have to ask. You don't find by any chance find that trying to do the part in bold means that far less writing is getting done in general. That is where we are at. Janice's words about doing what gets done are ringing in my ears right now. One thing I realized is that my son needs the big picture in writing. I'm not sure I've ever explained the big picture except in passing. I'm trying to cut a path through the forest and he's being drug along asking why. :glare: So for the next two weeks I'm deviating and focusing on writing (as I asked about in another post). I'm pulling out the resources I have on hand and we're going to examine the forest, so to say. I'll post on whether it succeeds or crashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) For one year? My dear, will you share that schedule with me because my poor rain-sodden brain cannot wrap itself around the blending of all those programs. I like the idea, but... :lol::lol::lol: I have a great and fantastic plan! Yes, that's it. It's all written up. Around here....somewhere. I know it was here yesterday.............. Seriously, I have no idea. Those are just resources I have available. After we finish up this year and work on writing through the summer, I'll have a better of idea of what we're doing for 6th grade. I suspect that PBW will be finished this year/summer. Then we'll hopefully be in a better position to finish Paragraph Town. Then whenever that is done....move into LToW (only doing the first part I think). One of the teachers at LToW yahoogroup just published a schedule on how he uses LToW with 4th graders+. I need to listen to the CDs again and look through the books. I don't own it, I've borrowed my friends' curriculum. She's upgrading to the 4th edition so hopefully it'll be easier to wrap my head around it. She's had great success with it and her 5th grader. Killgallon will be an add on. We're working through Sentence Composing for Elementary school. So that leaves Story Grammar for next year. Unfortunately, this is something I'd love to really delve into but I don't have a willing student. He cried today over writing his narration from WWE4....yet he doesn't want to get better at typing b/c it's boring.... :glare: Edited March 3, 2011 by Capt_Uhura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 If I had a piano, I would drop the lid on my head, repeatedly. After a bit of that, I think anything would be fine, and my boys' writing would be the least of my worries. :) I think that sounds like a good plan, right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Plan? At one time I had lots of plans and visions of how things would nicely progress. The reality is, I've learned to take it day by day. I have a plan for tomorrow's writing lesson. After tomorrow's lesson, I plan the next day's lesson and assignment. We literally take it day by day. It often depends on whether he crawled out of the wrong side of bed. I'm to the point where my writing goal is progression, that's it. As long as we are moving forward, it's good. When we need a break from one material, we switch to another. When he needs more practice in an area, we may side step. We truly go at his pace and it's hard to predict what that day will bring. Somedays are productive, and other days I feel like I'm teaching "Flat Stanley". My real student must still be in bed. If I had a piano, I would drop the lid on my head, repeatedly. After a bit of that, I think anything would be fine, and my boys' writing would be the least of my worries. :) I think that sounds like a good plan, right now. :rofl::rofl::rofl::smilielol5::smilielol5::smilielol5:Oh my! "Flat Stanley" and a piano lid.:001_huh: Yes, a piano lid would work nicely.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 What is Pattern-Based Writing? What age do you use it for and why do you like it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Hi all,I am working on plans for the fall. My ds will be in 8th grade. We have used IEW for the last 2 years and it is going ok..... But I am looking for something different for this upcoming school year. His writing skills are what I would consider average. I am considering Write Shop, Brave Writer, or possibly sticking with IEW. But I am wondering what else is out there for me to consider. I really want to work on helping him develop solid paragraphs and essay writing skills. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks My dd is going to be in 8th grade too. We will be using Sentence Composing for Middle School, IEW, and other assignments I make up to go with our history & writing. I am also planning to use Pattern Based Writing for essay instruction. I plan to use 8th grade as a very writing intensive year. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in PA Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Thanks for all the awesome responses. I like the look of the Killgallon stuff to supplement for both my ds and dd. I am intrigued by Pattern Based Writing. I am interested to hear if anyone is currently using it and how it works. Still thinking through IEW for next year as well. I too am planning on spending a large amount of time at the Northeast Homeschool Convention looking at writing as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) For my 6th grade struggling writer a combo of Brave Writer, IEW, MCT, and Killgallon - LOL. Ha! Now I don't feel so bad with my combo of Killgallon, MCT, BraveWriter, The Paragraph Book 4, and the Lively Art of Writing. OH yes, add Writing with SKill to my list. Geez, no wonder I feel so neurotic about writing. :svengo: I've looked at all of these recently. And I want to do them ALL! We're going to the SE convention in a couple of weeks and I realized that every single speaker that I want to hear is talking about writing. I need someone there to just point me to the perfect curriculum and make me buy it. :tongue_smilie: Edited March 3, 2011 by bonniebeth4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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