WWE & The Complete Writer (middle grades)?

[C&R]

My oldest is now in 2nd grade so I have been thinking a lot about writing.

 

I have a question about Writing With Ease and The Complete Writer. The little I looked at Writing with Ease One once it looked like copy work and dictation. I have not used it though since I like choosing passages for copy work and dictation.

 

So I would like to share what I am doing, and know if it is enough to prepare for The Complete Writer:

 

Copy work by mom (Bible passage or sentence from a reader or read-loud)

Dictation (increasing. I am trying to work it up to where I can dictate from a book he is reading or listening to).

Narration: We do use for science.

Summaries of books he reads: I have him dictate them to me.

Grammar: Rod and Staff

Spelling: All About Spelling

 

I am very interested in Susan Baur's Middle Grade English program. If I continued the above through 3rd or 4th grade would he be prepared for it? What exactly is in Writing with Ease 4?

 

Thank you!

[Colleen in NS]

My oldest is now in 2nd grade so I have been thinking a lot about writing.

 

I have a question about Writing With Ease and The Complete Writer. The little I looked at Writing with Ease One once it looked like copy work and dictation. I have not used it though since I like choosing passages for copy work and dictation.

 

So I would like to share what I am doing, and know if it is enough to prepare for The Complete Writer:

 

Copy work by mom (Bible passage or sentence from a reader or read-loud)

Dictation (increasing. I am trying to work it up to where I can dictate from a book he is reading or listening to).

Narration: We do use for science.

Summaries of books he reads: I have him dictate them to me.

Grammar: Rod and Staff

Spelling: All About Spelling

 

I am very interested in Susan Baur's Middle Grade English program. If I continued the above through 3rd or 4th grade would he be prepared for it? What exactly is in Writing with Ease 4?

 

Thank you!

 

Just in case it is confusing, The Complete Writer is the name of the series that contains Writing With Ease 1-4 and Writing With Skill (which will have four levels, not sure how they are labeled). The series will also contain SWB's high school writing program later.

 

It looks to me like you are doing a fine job with copywork/dictation and narration. It is possible that by grade 4 or 5 your student would be prepared for Writing With Skill (the middle grade program). I have read that if a student successfully completes Writing With Ease 3 he will be ready to jump right into the first level of WWS. WWE 4 is a bridge, probably for age considerations. I'm not sure that most fourth graders could go into WWS easily.

 

WWE 4 is more dictation and narration work. The goal is for the student to be able to read a couple of chapters, summarize them in 3-4 grammatically correct/properly punctuated/correctly spelled sentences, and write them down himself. WWS (first level) does have many weeks of continued narration practice, so I suppose this is why an older student could jump from WWE 3 to WWS and skip WWE 4.

 

Having said all that, if you are not too sure about how you are doing with the copywork/dictation and narration, and want to be sure your student will be prepared for WWS, you could use the WWE 1-4 Instructor Guide. It's one small book; but it's all four levels, and it gives you instructions to use in something like 6-week chunks, for copywork/dictation and narration. Each chunk gives you a sample week (with literature chosen), and then tells you how to carry on that study pattern, with your own literature selections, for the next 5 or so weeks. You can also pick an appropriate starting place in it - meaning, you don't have to start at level 1 if he doesn't need it. You can also start anywhere within a level. Each section of the level takes the student a little further in his skills.

 

I did what you are doing for my son in grades 1-4, and while it mostly prepared him, I do wish I'd had the WWE IG back then. It would have made me more secure in what I was doing, and it contained little instructions that would have greatly helped me in teaching and him in understanding. I did quickly go through it with him when he was in grade 5, before I moved on to teaching him outlining. I also used it with my daughter when she was in the younger grades. I loved being able to pick our own literature.

 

hth

[C&R]

Just in case it is confusing, The Complete Writer is the name of the series that contains Writing With Ease 1-4 and Writing With Skill (which will have four levels, not sure how they are labeled). The series will also contain SWB's high school writing program later.

 

It looks to me like you are doing a fine job with copywork/dictation and narration. It is possible that by grade 4 or 5 your student would be prepared for Writing With Skill (the middle grade program). I have read that if a student successfully completes Writing With Ease 3 he will be ready to jump right into the first level of WWS. WWE 4 is a bridge, probably for age considerations. I'm not sure that most fourth graders could go into WWS easily.

 

WWE 4 is more dictation and narration work. The goal is for the student to be able to read a couple of chapters, summarize them in 3-4 grammatically correct/properly punctuated/correctly spelled sentences, and write them down himself. WWS (first level) does have many weeks of continued narration practice, so I suppose this is why an older student could jump from WWE 3 to WWS and skip WWE 4.

 

Having said all that, if you are not too sure about how you are doing with the copywork/dictation and narration, and want to be sure your student will be prepared for WWS, you could use the WWE 1-4 Instructor Guide. It's one small book; but it's all four levels, and it gives you instructions to use in something like 6-week chunks, for copywork/dictation and narration. Each chunk gives you a sample week (with literature chosen), and then tells you how to carry on that study pattern, with your own literature selections, for the next 5 or so weeks. You can also pick an appropriate starting place in it - meaning, you don't have to start at level 1 if he doesn't need it. You can also start anywhere within a level. Each section of the level takes the student a little further in his skills.

 

I did what you are doing for my son in grades 1-4, and while it mostly prepared him, I do wish I'd had the WWE IG back then. It would have made me more secure in what I was doing, and it contained little instructions that would have greatly helped me in teaching and him in understanding. I did quickly go through it with him when he was in grade 5, before I moved on to teaching him outlining. I also used it with my daughter when she was in the younger grades. I loved being able to pick our own literature.

 

hth

 

Thank you Colleen! This information is very helpful. :)