cherylterese Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I'm debating between getting the Writing With Ease Strong Fundamentals book or the Level 1 Workbook. How time consuming is it to pick your own passages? I thought it might be nice to pick my own because I could tie it in to things we were reading, but at the same time it would be nice to have it all laid out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I use the workbook. It's open and go and we get exposed to even more lit than I'd find on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I use the workbook. I love all the passages and MANY I never even knew of. That was so neat to experience with my dd. The open and go aspect appeals to me more than the freedom of creating my own. Plus for me I don't have the time and can't do a better job than Susan did in this amazing curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Workbook. You can use other paper and give/sell when you are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acat Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 It is much harder for her to evade the assignment with the workbook. I was frequently surprised at how often the literature passages coincided with what we are doing just by coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classically Minded Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I copied this from my answer to another post that answers the same thing: I have the book and the workbook, I prefer the workbook. The book does show you how to do writing for grades 1-4, its very detailed. It gives you lots of examples and it does seem fairly easy to lay your own out but I didn't want the extra work right now, I like the open-and-go of the workbooks. Basically for first grade, all you are doing is 4-days a week of selections. Two days are copywork and the other 2 are the narration exercises. For instance, read a selection from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Ask questions, having the child respond in complete sentences and then ask one thing they remember from the passage and write it down. A full week, or 4 days, is spent on one classic book - so you have 2 narrations from 2 separate selections and then 2 copywork sentences from that classic book as well. So for a full year for 1st grade, you would need to use 35 classic books with the last week, 36, the evaluation. Year one in the book, gives you 6 sections on how to progress and is pretty easy to understand. Then with 2nd grade, you start teaching the child dictation and it continues on from there till the end of 4th grade. If you don't mind finding the books, choosing selections, making your own Q&A's and writing out the copywork - then you will do fine with the book. However, with the workbook, you don't have to do any of that, its done for you! ;) I also recommend SWB's lectures on writing, I listen to her lectures over and over again throughout the year and it really helps me understand why we are doing what we are doing. She has one on the grammar stage on the Peace Hill Press store for download: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store...rades-mp3.html Maybe you could listen to the lecture and then decide from there. HTH! :) You can find the other thread with some more replies on this here: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=285055 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyjoh62080 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Workbook only! I ordered both thinking that I would need them and ended up selling the textbook as it was much harder to implement (unless you have the time). The workbook is pretty open and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skirch Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I used the workbooks 1 and 2. I decided this year I would use the text since I already had it and wanted to pull from literature we would be using. I sat down last week and started writing out my plans. That lasted about 20 minutes before I came to my senses, got online and ordered the workbook.:tongue_smilie: I LOVE the idea of pulling it all together yourself but really, who has time for that? I was frequently surprised at how often the literature passages coincided with what we are doing just by coincidence. Yes! I found this to be true in our case as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I have to be different. I do my own. I choose passages and selections for copywork and dictation from history and literature. It does not take that much time at all. I use Startwrite software too. I also require that we use the passage much like we learned with WWTB volume 1 - we circle subjects, adjectives, blah blah I hate to let a moment pass where something serves more than one purpose. We get to use the sentences for parts of speech identification, reinforcement and comprehension of content, handwriting practice, and dictation. Gah, really ... how could you pass it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylterese Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 Thanks, everyone! I'm going to order the workbook (sorry ChrissySC!). This will be our first year homeschooling and I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed, just with all of these decisions, so I think having it all laid out for me will be the best thing for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I used the workbooks 1 and 2. I decided this year I would use the text since I already had it and wanted to pull from literature we would be using. I sat down last week and started writing out my plans. That lasted about 20 minutes before I came to my senses, got online and ordered the workbook.:tongue_smilie: I LOVE the idea of pulling it all together yourself but really, who has time for that? This was me last year! I ordered the text and the WB. Started to try to do it on my own until I realized it was too much work I had patience or time for. I shelved the text and used the WB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks, everyone! I'm going to order the workbook (sorry ChrissySC!). This will be our first year homeschooling and I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed, just with all of these decisions, so I think having it all laid out for me will be the best thing for now. :lol:Hey, whatever works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylterese Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 :lol:Hey, whatever works! Maybe next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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