Rod & Staff English Users

[kanagnostos]

Do any of you skip the writing component and use a different program for that?

[bugs]

I tend to keep the "outlining" part of the writing then use something else for the rest. We use Classical Writing.

[LindaWood]

I use RS writing lessons that I like and then use other writing programs such as WriteSource and Format Writing. This year for my 7th grader and 4th grader I am taking some ideas from TOG (we used it several years ago in our family) and am doing a Civil War newspaper and a state notebook. I am adding in some RS writing and WriteSource. I'm still working on what to do with my 11th grader.

 

Linda

[HSMom2One]

I just mentioned in another thread that I listened to SWB's audio, "A Plan for Teaching Writing: Focus on the Middle Grades", and in the lecture she suggests that very thing. If I were going to continue with R&S, that is exactly what I'd do. We're hopping over to PHP for grammar and writing as of this year.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[musicmommy]

Yep! I use a couple of the R&S writing assignments, but otherwise, I use our weekly assignments from TOG. Usually, a professor from a local college also offers a writing course for homeschoolers once a year so I utilize that.

[ChrissySC]

We skip too. Grammar three days a week and writing two days a week - we use different writing instruction. :)

 

If you skip the writing, you narrow the subject matter to just the grammar, which keeps the strength of this book. You end up with roughly doing three lessons a week. This leaves two full class hours for writing. :)

[frankcassiesmom]

We do something different for writing. For youngers it's SWB's recommendations and WWE and WWS. For olders it's Potters School classes. I do make them do occasional odds and ends like writing a formal letter, writing a poem, etc.

[crimsonkelley]

Yes, we skip the R&S writing. My daughter was in 6th last year and we used IEW. This year we will be doing TOG.

 

Take care,

Rachel

[Crafty Mathy Mom]

We go over the R & S lesson, but I substitute TOG for the actual writing assignment when possible.

[curlgirl]

Now you say you only do three lessons a week. Do you complete one book a year or are you only doing half a book each year? Thanks so much!

[A.J. at J.A.]

We do IEW for writing, so we don't do the R&S writing assignments but I do have the boys read the material from the lessons in R&S. Particularly because that material sometimes shows up in R&S reviews, quizzes, and tests.

 

Blessing,

Angela

[SilverMoon]

Now you say you only do three lessons a week. Do you complete one book a year or are you only doing half a book each year? Thanks so much!

 

If you do four lessons a week you'll finish the book in a school year, so taking the writing lessons out and only doing three will probably get you to about the same place.

 

My oldest only does R&S three times a week. We don't skip writing lessons, but we do double up on the easier grammar lessons. I aim for an overall average of four lessons a week.

[curlgirl]

Thank you silver moon!

[Hedgehog]

We don't do the writing assignments in R&S. We do WWE, and they do plenty of writing in other subjects.

[TC5]

In 3rd and 4th grade, my son did the writing assignments, as well as some Writing Strands and WTM-style writing in content areas. In 5th grade, my son read the writing lessons but didn't do the assignments. He again did Writing Strands and content-area writing. For 6th grade, I expect he'll do the same, adding in WWS instead of Writing Strands.

 

My second son isn't as interested in writing so will probably not do the writing assignments in R&S. But he will continue with WWE and then WWS, as well as extra history, science, and literature writing.

 

If it weren't for WWE and WWS, we would probably use the R&S writing assignments and then try to do additional assignments using those skills in other subjects.