Intermediate language lessons (what writing program do you use with it)

[joyfulhomeschooler]

We stopped using PLL because we didn't like writing strands... not enough direction for my reluctant writer. I would really like to use these books for LA though. My son will be in 4th next year and I need a good writing program to go with it.

[sagira]

I'm using PLL with WWE 2 at the moment, and plan on adding Galore Park Jr. English Book 2 soon. I teach him as we go along, and his writing is improving steadily. It helps if you are comfortable writing yourself. Next year we'll continue with ILL. I love, love the exercises in both PLL and ILL.

[Kfamily]

My third grader is using Imitations in Writing by Matt Whitling and she really has taken to it. She is about to begin Greek Myths and also Medieval Legends. These follow Fables and another book titled Fairy Tales. There is another book for Greek Heroes, I believe. He has books for poetry as well.

[....]

My 3rd grader is working through ILL and he does several other things for LA. He uses Writing with Ease 3. He also spends 2 days a week on Galore Park English (he's almost finished with junior level 2). He has a special notebook for all of his writing/grammar exercises. Yesterday, he wrote a paragraph about a train ride that he took (that was a writing assignment from GPE).

 

We also write across the curriculum (notebooking, he keeps a timeline, etc).

 

What we're doing seems to be working, because he is turning out to be a very good writer. :thumbup1:

 

OK, so one more thing about ILL....don't forget that ILL is meant to be used throughout 2-3 school years. You can start in 4th and finish it in 6th. I think he completes 2 exercises a week.

[smilesonly]

imho, ILL has enough writing, especially for a dc as young as yours.:grouphug:

[Ummto4]

I use select lesson from Meaningful Composition 4 to help me w/writing instruction. But for PLL re-write, what I usually did was to get my dc to re-tell, then we brainstormed the outline, and then let the dc to write. That's all.

 

With ILL, I do the same. I have Writing Strands 3, so I may try to do some of the exercises to get dc to write better sentences.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

I didn't realize you didn't need writing instruction in 4th grade? That is the only thing that has kept us from returning to PLL and then ILL next year. I have not looked at ILL though so maybe it has more writing instruction than PLL. When I say writing instruction I am referring to the writing process... such as planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, and final draft sort of thing... plus the different types of written work such as persuasive essays, imaginative and so on. Is all of that included already in ILL? I know MFW adds in writing strands along with ILL so that is why I thought we needed an extra program for writing.

[Bula Mama]

Your OP mentions that you don't think there's enough dictation. How about something like Spelling Wisdom added in? http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/spelling-wisdom/

 

This is what we'll use along with ILL soon. I plan to start with these 2 and add in WWE if I'm not totally satisfied.

[....]

I didn't realize you didn't need writing instruction in 4th grade? That is the only thing that has kept us from returning to PLL and then ILL next year. I have not looked at ILL though so maybe it has more writing instruction than PLL. When I say writing instruction I am referring to the writing process... such as planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, and final draft sort of thing... plus the different types of written work such as persuasive essays, imaginative and so on. Is all of that included already in ILL? I know MFW adds in writing strands along with ILL so that is why I thought we needed an extra program for writing.

 

What you're talking about comes much later (if you follow TWTM).

 

There is an audio lecture on the PHP website called "A Plan for Teaching Writing". It goes into what kind of writing is taught in each of the three stages.

 

To give you an example, my daughter follows the 5th grade logic stage writing plan...she writes a one-level outline, one literary essay (half-page) and one narrative essay (half-page) each week. She also takes notes from Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and records stuff on her timeline. There is no essay writing, persuasive writing, etc.

 

Besides the grammar, ILL has some outlining, dictation, letter-writing, summarizing, poems to read, picture studies, etc. There isn't any "learn to write a persuasive essay"-type stuff.

[Tarreymere]

If you would like a vintage text you could try Marcelia Mckeon's 'Graded Composition Lessons' in three parts. Part two is in Google Ebookstore, and I have part one but I can't remember where I got it. It's free and in the public domain, so I can email it to anyone if it is wanted. I haven't located part three yet.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Rainefox

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Your OP mentions that you don't think there's enough dictation. How about something like Spelling Wisdom added in? http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/spelling-wisdom/

 

This is what we'll use along with ILL soon. I plan to start with these 2 and add in WWE if I'm not totally satisfied.

 

I think you must have accidentally misread my OP. I'm not sure about ILL but I know in PLL there is pleanty of dication. I think the word you may have thought was dictation was direction and I was referring to Writing strands with that one. Hope that clears it up for you. :)

[joyfulhomeschooler]

What you're talking about comes much later (if you follow TWTM).

 

There is an audio lecture on the PHP website called "A Plan for Teaching Writing". It goes into what kind of writing is taught in each of the three stages.

 

To give you an example, my daughter follows the 5th grade logic stage writing plan...she writes a one-level outline, one literary essay (half-page) and one narrative essay (half-page) each week. She also takes notes from Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and records stuff on her timeline. There is no essay writing, persuasive writing, etc.

 

Besides the grammar, ILL has some outlining, dictation, letter-writing, summarizing, poems to read, picture studies, etc. There isn't any "learn to write a persuasive essay"-type stuff.

 

So really then, it isn't necessary to add in a writing program? That worries me a little because MFW recommends ILL & writing strands to go together. Writing Strands will just not work for us.

[Evergreen Academy]

We've used PLL and ILL for years now, with one boy completing both, another two on their second year of ILL, and Littlest in PLL. With ds 14, who completed both, I once tried to use a writing program alongside, thinking, like another poster, that if MFW recommended it, we should try it that way.

 

It truly was overkill, and we ended up ditching the secondary writing program and sticking with ILL. It's a strong program, with poetry, dictation, narration, etc, and lots of writing. I did supplement with some traditional grammar, however, so ds would know the terms. We love ILL.

 

What we're doing now with two ds11 is a bit different, but it's also working. We're using HOD's CTC program, and using ILL in place of the writing program they recommend. So we do R&S grammar a few days a week, as scheduled, and use ILL as a writing program the remaining days. We skip the ILL grammar lessons that are redundant, and actually use it mostly AS a writing program. In addition, both boys complete weekly written narrations of their history studies, and daily copywork. IMO, it is plenty.