mymonkeybug Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 With Writing Strands, IEW, CIRCE, Writing With Ease, etc...out there, how is one to decide what to use. What do you use and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keniki Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I'm loving IEW. This is the first program I've found that teaches me how to teach writing, and it's the first writing program I've used that I actually look forward to using again next year. I only wish I'd have tried it sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I'm loving IEW. This is the first program I've found that teaches me how to teach writing, and it's the first writing program I've used that I actually look forward to using again next year. I only wish I'd have tried it sooner. I agree that IEW is THE best! However, it just doesn't get along with my teaching style at all! I'll be using Meaningful Composition next year instead -- it's very IEW'ish, but it's all laid out and directed to the student. I have no problem teaching my kids; I've been doing my own thing for years! But for some reason, I just do better with materials that are better organized than IEW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I am currently loving Brave Writers The Writer's Jungle--I'm on chapter 3 and am gleaning so many great ideas for teaching writing. It's currently on sale at Homeschool Buyers Co-op for 50% off. I also love WWE, and Writing Strands is nice as well, as far a curriculum is concerned. SWB's downloads on writing are great, too. But I've discovered that there is no perfect curriculum, and that I need to understand more about how to teach writing (hence my love for The Writer's Jungle). I plan to purchase Lost Tools of Writing as soon as I have the funds (late this fall, probably). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymonkeybug Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 Just found this http://homeschoolwriting.com/ Anyone familiar with this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Just found this http://homeschoolwriting.com/ Anyone familiar with this one? Here was our experience with Igniting Your Writing. My dd used both IYW 1&2 in 6th grade and the comment she made was that it helped her writing more colorful. It doesn't go into into report writing. Level 1 deals more with different pieces that you need for effective writing. Level 2 goes more into outlining and specific writing types such as to entertain, to inform, and to persuade. The lessons in Igniting Your Writing were so practical. They were like pieces of a puzzle that were all put together by the end of the course. They were lessons you could sink your teeth into and run with, yet they were simple. The lessons in IGW1 have 3 different skill levels that you can choose from depending on your student. You can use it with multiple students or you can take the same student through it at different times using different levels. CurrClick has good samples of both levels. IGW2 has separate lessons for Intermediate and Advanced. There is no beginning level in IGW2. There is a Teacher's Guide at the back of each book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymonkeybug Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 Anyone familiar with Jump In by Apologia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I chose WWE because I completely agree with SWB's philosophy on teaching writing (totally loved her lecture on the subject). My son had been in school, being forced to "journal", which was NOT working for him. He was writing phobic. WWE has been perfect for him because he is learning the separate skills needed to write, and then later will put them together, once he's over his writing phobia! I look forward to seeing Writing With Skill (the next series for logic stage) when we get to that point, and eventually Writing With Style (which surely should be out before my first grader needs it :lol:). All that said, we have tried nothing else, and again, it's a first grader. ;) I have seen benefits to the narrations and copywork though, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsiew Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 For Grammar stage hands down WWE. I have seen HUGE improvement in my children's writing. When I brought my K'er and 1st grader home a few years ago they would CRY every time I put a sentence starter in front of them and asked them to write. Thankfully, I found the WWE text and read it cover to cover. It made SO much sense! SWB explains the process of learning to write and how important it is to build the skill of writing... not just expect kids to know. Even though dictation is hard, I have not had tears with WWE. The narrations my kids give me are great and NO ONE complains about writing! I don't even give my 3rd and 4th graders minimum number of sentences to write in history and science because they do just fine on their own. We are just heading into logic stage, so I'm not sure what will work best. I've listened to the SWB lectures on writing and we'll do her recommendations in science and history as we have been. Since we use R&S for grammar, I'm going to start by using the writing sections as our writing curriculum (to this point we've skipped the writing assignments because we've been doing WWE). If I feel like we need something different Bravewriter is on my list to look at. However, since R&S is a complete English curriculum, I'm guessing we'll be just fine following SWB's ideas in science and history and using R&S in it's entirety. Simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Anyone familiar with Jump In by Apologia? I like how Jump In is laid out. A self-starter would be able to use it on his own. Part of the lessons are laid out very clearly. But someone who needs everything laid out in tiny pieces may get bogged down at the end of the unit writing project without someone keeping close tabs on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twins05 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I chose WWE for my ds8 when we started first-grade because I agree with SWB's writing philosophy. He's in second-grade now, using WWE2, and we are also working our way through Writing Strands 2. WS2 is more stressful for my son. Even though he's very talkative, when it comes to original writing, he is stumped! I love that he writes beautiful sentences (copywork and dictation), even though they're not his own words (yet!). I also love the review of punctuation, grammar, and SPELLING that happen naturally as a process of dictation. Although narrations have never been particularly difficult for him, I can see how his thought processes and sentences are steadily maturing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) I find it hard to find curricula that INTENSIVELY teaches only what NEEDS to be taught. Repetitive, step by step programs usually include a lot of nice, but unnecessary things, I don't have time for. And sometimes the formulas are so tight they make it harder rather than easier to write. My favorite minimalist resources are: Fred Lybrand's course http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/2995.php Write Like Hemingway Writing Tools Comprehensive Composition by Kathryn Stout and old copies of a 2nd edition (not newer edition) remedial junior college text Real Writing Edited March 20, 2011 by Hunter oops...wrong title :-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymonkeybug Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Some here I have never heard of which is why I asked. Thank you all for sharing and please keep the suggestions coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I fixed the title on one of the books and wanted to add this one. Why ... Thank You! by Cat Wagman a book about writing thank you notes. Much of it is applicable to all letter writing and some of it will help with writing in general. It also has suggestions for getting letter writing supplies organized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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