Grammar & Writing Question

[amandajh]

I am trying to figure this out...

 

I want to use Rod & Staff grammar for my two (levels 3 and 5). I know that TWTM suggests that R&S writing is enough for grammar stage writing if you add narration & dictation from history, science, etc. So, I am thinking I would like to use WWE for our narration & dictation. I have looked at the samples and I know my oldest would not be above level 3 or 4 with this technique, but I will use the diagnostic evaluations to put them both in the right levels.

 

Anyway, my question is....do we do the writing in R&S AND WWE or just WWE? I'm thinking both since R&S should teach paragraph writing, outlining and taking notes, but WWE teaches narration and dictation.

Am I correct in my thinking?

[Ohdanigirl]

I do both. Ds was a really really reluctant writer. One four word sentence and the whining began. We started doing WWE, and he started getting much better. Then I tossed in R&S, mostly orally, and I saw a big improvement oin his Science and History narrations. We have now built up to writing all of R&S independently (for him). I still do all the oral drills and what not, but it really has made a big difference. The two work very well together.

 

I would say he still needs improvement, but (a year or two ago) I would not have expected him to be at the level he is at now. Leaps and Bounds. His spelling has even improved. Often, can just circle the word and he knows what to change. This shows me that he has learned and really just needs to take more care to apply the rules. YES!

 

HTH

Danielle

[amandajh]

Okay, so you use both.....I am hoping that will not be too much for my son who is very school phobic ;)

[Ohdanigirl]

My son was very school phobic as well. He took to WWE, because it really is only a short lesson and then you are done. He has always been a strong reader though and good at narrations. Since he was not the best writer we began R&S orally, which really helped. I know many people do that. I did make him do the diagraming. Now he does it by himself. The lessons are fairly short IMO, so that helps.

 

Danielle

[amandajh]

It looks like the writing instruction in Rod & Staff is much different from the writing in WWE. Am I right about that? WWE workbooks will just be adding planned narration and dictation. The work of getting the sentence together for dictation would be done for me instead of taking it from our own books. Is this right?

 

I'm still not sure about this.....

 

Also, what if my dd is in 5th grade R&S, but still in the 4th level of WWE? Would that cause any problems that I have not thought of?

 

Oh, I just looked at the FLL4 samples and I may just use it instead of R&S....my oldest will be a "5th grader", but FLL 4 teaches things that we have not covered this year. Then maybe Writing With Skill and the new language lessons will come out by the time we need it! Anyone know when that might happen?

Edited March 6, 2011 by amandajh

[Guest]

I would not use WWE with your 5th grader. Just stick with the R&S lessons and call it done. there is no reason to backtrack and do narrations/dictations if he is going to be moving on to outlines and such.

[SilverMoon]

My kids using R&S English and a separate writing book don't skip the R&S English writing exercises. The R&S lessons are more about teaching the mechanics, and any actual writing done is usually fairly short. If their writing book has them writing a good amount on the same day R&S wants something written too, I will let them jump to the next grammar lesson that day, and do the R&S writing the next day.

 

I would not use WWE with your 5th grader. Just stick with the R&S lessons and call it done. there is no reason to backtrack and do narrations/dictations if he is going to be moving on to outlines and such.

 

This is what I'd do, also. R&S 5 is a good level for a kid without any previous grammar exposure. You can practice narrations and dictation in history and science if you're concerned his skills aren't up to snuff.

[amandajh]

I would not use WWE with your 5th grader. Just stick with the R&S lessons and call it done. there is no reason to backtrack and do narrations/dictations if he is going to be moving on to outlines and such.

 

Is R&S going to teach outlining or do I need to use history and TWTM directions for that?

 

Also, I thought that narration and dictation continued in the middle grades....but I have an older version of TWTM. Has that changed?

[amandajh]

My kids using R&S English and a separate writing book don't skip the R&S English writing exercises. The R&S lessons are more about teaching the mechanics, and any actual writing done is usually fairly short. If their writing book has them writing a good amount on the same day R&S wants something written too, I will let them jump to the next grammar lesson that day, and do the R&S writing the next day.

 

 

 

This is what I'd do, also. R&S 5 is a good level for a kid without any previous grammar exposure. You can practice narrations and dictation in history and science if you're concerned his skills aren't up to snuff.

 

So your extra writing program that you use does not include narration and dictation?

The diagramming in FLL4 was way beyond what we have done this year with CLE 400! That is what made me think we should go back.

[SilverMoon]

So your extra writing program that you use does not include narration and dictation?

The diagramming in FLL4 was way beyond what we have done this year with CLE 400! That is what made me think we should go back.

 

I use Classical Writing, which does include optional narration and dictation. If you make narration a habit in science or history it's easy to cover it casually.

 

R&S 5 will start at the very beginning of diagramming with basic skeletons, just simple subjects and simple predicates, and build up from there. It also teaches outlining.