Writing with Ease workbook or to not workbook?

[arliemaria]

I bought the hardback spine, but have not implemented the book yet. Was wondering if perhaps I had the workbook I would do it more regularly.

[Ellyndria]

I am so grateful for the WWE1 workbook. It is so easy to implement, we have not fallen behind at all since starting the book in January. DS actually cheers when it's a narration day. (Though he is not so fond of copywork/practicing his handwriting.)

[Paintedlady]

We started using WWE3 this year and I really liked having the workbook pages to hold my hand a bit. I bought the hard back book and will use that next year without the workbook b/c now I feel more comfortable and able to implement the concept accross our curriculum.

[KathyBC]

We used the sample lessons in the hardback. They were such a good fit, I bought the workbook.

[boscopup]

I haven't had any trouble keeping up with the workbook this year. It's already done for me. I just have to open and go. I put our day's work in a folder, so when I pull out math first thing in the morning, WWE pages are right there behind it, easy to notice. :D

 

I was originally thinking I'd wing it next year with the instructor text, but I got to thinking and looking at the way narrations change next year, and decided I'll do the workbook again. It holds my hand in an area that I'm not completely comfortable, and it's laid out and ready to use every week. If we skip a day, we just double up another day, and that happens sometimes. But I have the pages staring at me, reminding me that they need to be done. :)

[sewpeaceful]

Honestly? I wouldn't keep up with it if the workbook wasn't there holding my hand. The wb ensures I do what I set out to do. I posted the same question a few weeks ago and had an overwhelming response the WB is the only way to go. There were a FEW moms who thought the textbook/TM was sufficient, but they were the minority.

 

I've only used WWE3 for 2 weeks and it has been great to be able to open and go and have 1 less thing to plan.

 

BTW, the student pages are the last half of the workbook so you have them whether you purchase printed or .pdf. They sell the student pages as a seperate .pdf on Peace Hill Press if you want to be able to quickly print and go. This info comes with a warning - there are over 180 student pages. It might be cheaper to purchase the printed student pages for about $10 and have them shipped than to print them yourself. Though a laser printer wouldn't be so bad.

 

Another idea is to cut the spine off the WB, hand the story pages to your student and have them write in a separate notebook for the narrations and dictations.

[JudoMom]

I love the workbooks. It makes doing the lessons painless and easy for me :001_smile:.

[Heidi]

I have the workbooks, but narration and copywork come so easily to my dd that I decided not to do the workbooks. For her it just moves too slow/too easy. We narrate a few stories every day (we're doing Ambleside Online, year 1 for lit.), provide a copywork sentence from our readings, and I was just thinking she's probably ready to do a little dictation now.

Now that I've done w/o for so long, I feel fairly confident to tailor copywork and narration to the child. It's not hard. I think what makes it easy to do is that we are on AO's reading schedule. I read at least a chapter from two or three books a day, and we narrate all of them. If it weren't for that I think I would struggle finding a variety of things to narrate/copy.

[FO4UR]

The only downfall to the wb (from my pov) would be if you have a child who hates doing the narrations from a book he isn't currently reading or hasn't read.

[EJCMom]

I bought the hardbound spine too, and only did it consistently on the weeks that had the sample narrations. I ended up getting the PDF download of the workbook on the PHP site. It was the best $27 I ever spent. We do it every day now, and the reading selections have caused my daughter's read-aloud list to grow. The narrations are so well chosen, and she gets so caught up in them, that we've checked several of the books out from the library and they've become some of her new favorites. I highly recommend getting the PDF of the workbook.

[LauraKay28]

I love the workbooks! I have one dd in WWE2 and a DS in WWE1 and I just tore out the sheets and had them copy onto a piece of handwriting paper so that we can re-use the originals without paying for ink to copy them. A great bonus is the kids get so engrossed by the snippets of stories that we then end up checking out the whole book from the library. I really need curriculum that's open up and go and this is perfect for us! I don't have to plan ahead for anything.

[arliemaria]

Can I just download the student pages (9.50) or do I need to download the entire workbook (27.95)?

[foxbridgeacademy]

We use the WWE 3 WB, I don't think it would get done otherwise. Very simple, open and go. The kids don't mind it too much.

[aliall]

We love the workbook and might not do it without it. I have used levels 1, 2, 3 and will be starting 4 tomorrow with my oldest. My middle guy is working through 1 now. I have used the workbook for each level and I find that it is one less thing I have to prepare ahead of time.

[mommy4ever]

Can I just download the student pages (9.50) or do I need to download the entire workbook (27.95)?

 

There are no instructions in the student pages. It would be simply the lined pages, notated with book the passage would be from, no passage. There would be copywork for Level 1 and 2, but nothing for 3 and beyond. Level 3 and up, there would be passages to read, but no instructions, no narrations questions, as these are done orally with the instructor.

 

So I don't think those pages alone would work. Those are meant form some one who had a hard copy of the book and wants to use it for more than one, It is much easier to print from a pdf than to scan and print.

[KrissiK]

I found the workbook to be very very helpful!

[arliemaria]

If I do decide to go ahead with the PDF workbooks, do I need to keep my hardback spine? Is that still useful? If so, what do I need it for?

[susesmiles]

FYI - the workbooks are $22/23 on Amazon. That will save you a few $.

 

I bought the hardbound spine and have been using it for the last month. Here are my reasons for doing the spine instead of the workbook:

1. Level 1 is pretty straight forward, easy to pull a narration assignment and copy work out of the literature we are currently reading.

2. We are regularly reading a literature book. I do the narration from the book we are already reading, I usually use the first few paragraphs of the chapter.

3. We sit at the computer and I type up my child's narration sentences.

4. I already have a list of literature books to get through this school year. If we used the workbook then I know the kids and I would then want to get that book from the library and read it too! And my kids would ask all sorts of questions about the book the narration snippet came from, while good....it just reinforces that we'd need to read it also. LOL! While the ideas for additional books would be fun, that's even more books to add to our reading list :) and therefore would end up in more work for me. EX: The textbook has a sample narration from Alice in Wonderland, I've put that narration on hold until we finish reading our current literature book. Then I'll read that narration exercise and get Alice in Wonderland from the library. We are still doing narrations, just from our current book.

 

So for me, sticking with the hardbound spine saves me work and time. :)

[tomandlorih]

Going with the wb here. It wouldn't get done otherwise=D

[arliemaria]

@susesmiles Thanks for mentioning the amazon prices, but I'd have to pay shipping since my prime membership just expired or add another few items for free super saver shipping. I will think about it though, there is always something I want to buy. :)

 

Why do you type the narration? Isn't part of the program to have the children write out their oral thoughts? Maybe I'm confused. Perhaps this would only be done for Level 1.

[jengjohnson]

Love the workbook! My kids always enjoy the lit and like the pictures in the corner.

[kbed0849]

I love the workbook. Only downside would be doing narrations from works that you are not currently studying!

[arliemaria]

Is there a list of the narrations per level so maybe I can try to correspond some of the literature?

[boscopup]

Is there a list of the narrations per level so maybe I can try to correspond some of the literature?

 

The TOC for each workbook is in the sample (on PHP and Amazon).

[Heidi]

If I do decide to go ahead with the PDF workbooks, do I need to keep my hardback spine? Is that still useful? If so, what do I need it for?

 

No, you just need the workbook. You can keep the hardback spine if you want to glance at the full picture of what you'll do for levels 1-4, but everything you need to do a level is contained in the workbook.

The cheapest way, i think, is to look for a used workbook that doesn't have the student pages. They sell for really cheap. Then get the student pages download.

[Heidi]

 

Why do you type the narration? Isn't part of the program to have the children write out their oral thoughts? Maybe I'm confused. Perhaps this would only be done for Level 1.

 

 

I don't know if WWE requires that you type the narrationd; I don't use the program. But in general, you type the narration as the child is narrating so that you can read it back to them and they can hear what they said. It helps them be more mindful of how they word their sentenses.

You also type it out so you can then use their narration for dictation the next day.

[arliemaria]

No, you just need the workbook. You can keep the hardback spine if you want to glance at the full picture of what you'll do for levels 1-4, but everything you need to do a level is contained in the workbook.

The cheapest way, i think, is to look for a used workbook that doesn't have the student pages. They sell for really cheap. Then get the student pages download.

 

Thank you. I will now start looking for the used workbook w/o the student pages and download the student pages.

 

Any good tips for finding these workbooks on the cheap like you suggest? On here or on amazon?

[Heidi]

yes, here on the for sale boards, and also at homeschoolclassifieds.com.

[JESSICAinMD]

I bought the hardback spine, but have not implemented the book yet. Was wondering if perhaps I had the workbook I would do it more regularly.

 

I bought the hardback and didn't implement it until I go the workbook. Now we get writing done quickly, frequently, and pain-free.

[In2why]

I am using the workbook and I like the ease of use. BUT with that said, it does add to the day. It kinda hangs out there with nothing to tie it to our studies. Next year I am going to handle narrations and copywork by using what we are already working on. Yet I am not sure I would be able to do that if we hadn't already had plenty of practice with the workbooks.

[kitten18]

We're only on level 1, but I love :001_wub: the workbook! It is so EASY to use. I bought the pdf, printed the whole thing and put it in a 3-ring binder. So, for this week, I pulled out the teacher pages and the student pages I would need and put them in the folder with all of our other work.

 

I'm trying to read aloud the books each week, the literature selections are great. I downloaded many of them for free onto my Nook.

[susesmiles]

Why do you type the narration? Isn't part of the program to have the children write out their oral thoughts? Maybe I'm confused. Perhaps this would only be done for Level 1.

 

I do this for Level 1. In level 1 the parent is supposed to write down the child's narration and keep it in a notebook. I'm printing out a page of narrations for each book after we narrate it and then putting it in their notebook.

[HLDoll]

I guess I'm in the minority. We're almost done with WWE2 and we've never used the workbooks. My son loves narrating from passages we're already reading in history or literature and it's good reinforcement. For copying and dictation, I just look up whatever concept is being covered in the spine that week (adverbs, titles or respect, commas, whatever) and make sure I choose sentences from our books that include that concept. It takes me about a minute to select a passage, and I'm usually ready by the time he's settled in his seat with his paper and pencil. We have a small whiteboard, and that's where I write out his copywork and his narration for him to see/copy. It's not hard or time-consuming at all.