Writing Tales users - I have a question

[peacefully]

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[Mom0012]

In my effort to try to stop collecting homeschool curricula (as opposed to actually using them :001_rolleyes:), I thought I should just ask you wonderful mamas to help me out here. The scope and sequence at the WT website suggests that most of the analysis for each lesson's model is going to focus on grammar, not necessarily some facet of writing. Am I way off base here? Does WT go any deeper than having the student identify parts of speech? How are they connecting these grammar exercises to writing?

 

We are about halfway through WT1. So far, there has been a focus on the parts of speech, but also on proper punctuation and different types of sentences as well as what makes a complete sentence.

 

Every two weeks, the child reads a new story (often a fable) and a grammar concept is introduced. During the two weeks, the child does things like circle the grammar concepts she's learned in the story -- nouns, pronouns, capitals, adjectives, question marks, etc. She plays games that reinforce the grammar concepts and she is encouraged to apply what she has learned to her rewrite of the story. There are usually a few worksheets on grammar during the two-week period.

 

My daughter has been using CLE LA for a couple of years and I'm continuing with that, but I really like how WT reinforces what she's learned in CLE and "brings it to life".

 

Lisa

Edited June 19, 2011 by LisaTheresa

[RootAnn]

I don't have my WT1 book right now (another HS mom is borrowing it to see if she wants to use it with one of hers), but let me try to explain how WT1 works.

 

It presents an Aesop fable (for example). You read it together & talk about it. Then, your child might take little sentences (already prepared) that tell the story & put them in the proper order of the story. Or, the student might retell the story orally & identify the main character(s) and the problem/solution in the fable.

 

Over the course of the week, they do a little copywork, focus on one grammar idea (punctuation, a part of speech, etc.), and rewrite the fable in his/her own words (rough draft). The following week, they will edit their rough draft - looking at spelling, punctuation (since they focused on that), adding descriptive words (after they learn adjectives), using pronouns instead of saying "RootAnn did this. RootAnn did that. So-and-so hit RootAnn." Etc. They will rewrite their rough draft with these suggestions (in the form of a checklist) and add any creative touches they'd like. A final copy is created at the end of the second week.

 

The writing instruction is very incremental and gives the student the material/subject/ideas so they just have to focus on the technique.

 

If adverbs are the focus for that week, they might be asked to include several of them in their rough draft or when editing for their final draft. I remember one of the checklist items on the edit list was for at least two direct quotes (after the chapter on quotations) to be used.

 

WT uses the progym approach. It can be very different than a "typical" writing program, although it lines up well with WWE & SWB's approach for the 3rd-5th grade years, IMO. It won't teach how to write a strong topic sentence or how to write a five-paragraph essay.

 

Does that help?

[peacefully]

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