Greta Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I feel that what is really lacking in the writing instruction that I have given my daughter so far is that I am not very good at giving her feedback and constructive criticism. I mean, with math, it's so easy. The answer is either right or wrong, and if it's wrong, oh, look, here's where you messed up. Voila. Done. But with writing? :confused: It's hard for me to know what "good" writing is for her age level, where I should correct, and where it's just her personal style and not a matter of correction being needed. I feel that we really need to focus on writing this year (6th grade) since dd will probably be attending a brick and mortar school for 7th, and as I've been told, they tend to require a lot of writing from kids these days. So, what would you do in my shoes? Is there an online or correspondence type school where we could enroll in a writing program where someone else would grade her assignments and give her useful feedback? Or is there a writing program that gives the teacher clear guidelines about what to expect from the student and how to improve what they've written? (As soon as we know which school dd will attend in 7th, I do intend to talk to someone there and ask for guidance about getting her ready. But in the meantime, well I guess I can't help obsessing!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxing Hare Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I feel exactly the same way. Teaching writing is more about the teacher's judgement and experience than in other subjects. My kids have been using http://www.home2teach.com for writing for the past two years. They are going into 6th and 5th grades. Some of the online teachers have been better than others. I feel that the poorer teachers are on par with what I could do. But the good teachers have been much better than what I could do. Plus, my kids don't grumble as much when they are writing for someone else. When I taught writing it was like pulling teeth. Dragging each sentence out of them was excruciating. Now if they complain about not knowing what to write, I can simply tell them to e-mail their teacher if they have a problem. This usually makes them think of something to write. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I have struggled with these same issues (and I was actually a professional writer at one time!). What should I be expecting for my child's age? This is where my child is, what should we be working on next? And how to do that effectively? And I've found that when we've worked with teachers (who are supposed to be giving feedback on such things) that they don't know either. Have you looked at the Write Source materials? One good thing about them is that they have samples of the type of writing they're trying to teach (and they have a book for each grade level). They give a good idea about length and level of complexity and what sorts of tasks the student needs to work on. But this is mostly just to say that I'm right there with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Or is there a writing program that gives the teacher clear guidelines about what to expect from the student and how to improve what they've written? I would use Killgallon Sentence Composing for Elementary School. I honestly think it's a pretty easy book to use, and if she's feeling slackerly, you can easily ask her, can you give me a stronger word than the one you chose? Is there a more precise way to describe what you're trying to say? But the directions and examples make teaching it pretty easy. I don't think I'd worry so much about getting her to where she should be, but more like improving her skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 What about online classes with Bravewriter.com? I've heard great things about those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thank you ladies so much! For the tips and advice, and for the empathy. Especially for the empathy! :001_smile: I feel better already! Mouse, that Killgallon book has gotten rave reviews so I think we'll give that a try. The other resources that you all mentioned, Write Source, and the online classes from home2teach and Bravewriter are new to me, so I'm going to check them out. I've heard of Bravewriter, but I thought it was just a curriculum, and didn't realize that they have online classes too. I think I've seen Write Source in some signatures here, but I've never looked into it. What do you think of SWB's writing programs? Would the new one coming out (WWS?) be good for a 6th grader? Does she give you lots of hand-holding? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedmom4 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I have always struggled to evaluate my children's writing. For the past couple of years I have paid for writing instruction through Write at Home. I think it is wonderful and has really lifted a tremendous burden off my back. I know they are getting good writing instruction. The added benefit is that my daughters and I don't butt heads about writing much any more! God Bless, Elise in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 So here's what I've gathered so far... Bravewriter is set up such that *I* would be the one interacting with the online teacher, submitting daughter's work, and getting feedback which I then pass on to her. Is that correct? If so, I think I will probably pass on that one. I can definitely see the advantages of this, but it's not what I'm looking for in our particular situation. I'd rather she be the one to interact directly with the teacher. Time4Writing has 8-week courses, several of which look like they would be appropriate for her level. She gets feedback within 24 hours of submitting a paper (nice!). We can start a course whenever we want, and she can log in to their website and get the instruction/assignments whenever she wants. Write at Home has a complete 6th grade course which she can take over the entire school year or condensed into one semester, but it's still the same course -- right? These courses have definite start and end dates, but her work schedule within that is flexible. It sounds like the instruction is pretty thorough. Home2Teach courses also have definite start and end dates, with one hour per week that is the "class period" where the students interact online with the teacher. These courses last six weeks each, and they have several different topics to choose from. Did I misunderstand or miss anything important? If anyone has any details they want to share with their experiences, I'd be so grateful to hear any and all feedback! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Put That in Writing has samples for students to evaluate. Perhaps practicing those evaluations would help you learn how to evaluate student writing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Put That in Writing has samples for students to evaluate. Perhaps practicing those evaluations would help you learn how to evaluate student writing? Thank you, I will look into this. I've never heard of it before, so I appreciate you mentioning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 After talking it over with dh, I don't think we are going to be able to go with one of the online courses for financial reasons. We are already "outsourcing" art, and will add a foreign language tutor this year, so the writing instruction needs to be handled at home. So . . . now looking at programs that help the teacher a lot, and/or help the student evaluate her own work. I have Put That in Writing on my list so far. Any comments about this or other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snippets Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Thanks for posting the different resources, Greta Lynne. I have been looking at Time4Writing for a little while. I have friends who have used it successfully with their kids, so I am considering it for my child who doesn't always like everything coming from ME. Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 Thanks for posting the different resources, Greta Lynne. I have been looking at Time4Writing for a little while. I have friends who have used it successfully with their kids, so I am considering it for my child who doesn't always like everything coming from ME. Jackie We're still doing our own thing this semester, but I am seriously considering one of these for next semester. Please let me know what you think of it if you do give it a try. I'd love to hear your experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Dd took writing from The Potters School. Ample instruction and feedback. Highly recommend. Be prepared to write. A lot. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 I had similar issues. I'm a math person and had no idea how to teach writing. IEW is expensive (with very good resale - you could almost get back 75% of your initial cost), but makes it easy to teach writing and evaluate it. With a 6th grader I would try student writing intensive A or B. You buy a teacher. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I'd recommend The Writer's Jungle from Bravewriter. It's a manual all about how to teach writing to your kids. I'm reading it at the moment and it is revolutionising the way I am approaching writing and language arts with my children. You can get the whole thing as a e-book now and they currently have a discount going at homeschool buyers co-op which would be worth looking into if you are interested. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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