Is this crazy?

[dragons in the flower bed]

When I decided to use three or more approaches to mathematics, my children's abilities and especially interest in math bloomed. I used Singapore, Living Math, ALEKS, and Math Mammoth all at the same time for awhile. It took up a good chunk of our day, but the results have been lastingly good.

 

I'm starting to think about doing the same thing for writing. If we use Writing With Skill, Winning With Writing, BraveWriter, and Critical Thinking's various writing books, maybe we'll start living and breathing composition the way my kids are obsessed with math now.

 

What do you think? What are the cons of this approach?

[ChrissySC]

I do the same thing for Math and Writing. :) I too see great improvement and success. I think it is becaue they see it so many different ways.

 

I seen tons of improvement in writing. I say go for it. These are the two most important things. Don't forget the grammar too!

[KAR120C]

On the plus side..... I agree that multiple approaches and plenty of time (effort) pay off. Devoting yourselves to writing, really immersing yourselves in it, trying out lots of different things, making it a priority... absolutely good.

 

But on the negative side, at least in our house writing takes a huge amount of time -- much more than math ever did, no matter how much math we packed in. I don't think we could really fit in multiple curricula, just because it would take all day.

 

What we've ended up with is more writing-across-the-curriculum. Lots of different approaches (formal, informal, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose), and lots of bits and pieces from different curricula. But we don't use all of any one curriculum. For a long time that felt like a failing, but really I think the bits-and-pieces approach has gone rather well. He's got the grammar and spelling pretty solid, his paragraphs are well-constructed, and he can use evidence to support an argument. Also, his stories are funny. :) We've been expanding his repertoire to more oral presentation skills, videos, and alternative means of communicating and/or using information -- not just the five paragraph essay, but the animated short film, or the theme song (LOL), or the well-researched and well-thought-out set of interview questions. Next year we add writing in different languages. (eek)

 

So to that extent I'd say absolutely draw from more than one source. I've never found one that covered everything I wanted it to, and each one has a bit that I like. But if you try it and find that you're getting nothing else done... you might need to pick and choose from all those sources rather than trying to do them each whole.

[Emmy]

I'll sign up for this plan too since my head is spinning around WWS / WWW and Bravewriter. :) I am sorely tempted to do both WWS and WWW with my boys and throw in the fun parts of Bravewriter for..um well, fun.

[elegantlion]

We did the "poke it with a stick" method with writing this year. It helped. One method alone does not work with my ds.

 

As of this moment I am contemplating how I get away with this method in math as well, sounds like it works for you.

 

I should write this on my forearm, DON'T OVERWHELM THE CHILD, THE TEACHER, OR THE SCHEDULE. That would be my only advice, but I know you have more experience with balance than I do.

 

I say why not?

[BridgeTea]

We tackled math exactly like that for awhile (all things Singapore, plus Key to, LOF, and a school textbook for more traditional practice), sitting side by side working together for 2 or sometimes more hours per day. I watched her closely and we'd keep at it as long as we were progressing, and we'd stop prior to one of us hitting a wall. The outcome has been great: math is no longer her nemesis, but just a bunch of challenging puzzles to tackle. I think I've actually seen her smile during math lately.

 

I thought of it as math boot camp. Got her in shape, and she says she can now "think like a mathmetician". :)

 

The plan is to tackle writing starting in two weeks in the same manner, although I still don't know what all I'm pulling from yet. I have a Write Source handbook that works well for us and we are part way through, along with a couple of college writing handbooks for reference. I have Unjournaling (writing prompts she likes to do) and a few lessons left in Figuratively Speaking. I picked up some poetry, fables, essay, and short story collections at the library for examples of writing. Mostly I have a file with posts copied from this forum that I need to read again. I am looking for ideas. Ideally, the end result of writing boot camp is that writing comes easier to her, and she can comfortably handle writing assignments in any subject called for outside of writing "class" . Conventions aren't a problem, spelling is not, but we are lacking in other areas.

 

Intense focus on one subject matter has always worked for us. It just seems to be my natural style. I've got a background in manufacturing and I tend to think in terms of projects with deadlines. So yes, sometimes my girl and her needs are my "project" for the month. ;)