Writing With Ease: What level is your student using, and at which age/grade?

[Colleen]

Pure curiousity here, not trying to stir up a comparison game. It's difficult to cover the bases with ten poll options; choose the best options (it's multiple choice) and add any explanation as you see fit.

 

Note of explanation: By "at grade level", I mean WWE 1 in grade 1, WWE 2 in grade 2, etc. "Below grade level" would be, for example, using WWE 3 in grade 4, while "above grade level" would be using WWE 3 in grade 2. Clear as mud? Please don't take offense to these terms. I'm not implying that a 2nd grader using WWE 3 is academically superior to a 4th grader using the same text. Again, just interested in how others are using the program.:)

Edited April 2, 2012 by Colleen

[rocketgirl]

We began WWE for the first time this year, only my first grader & second grader are using corresponding levels, WWE 1 and WWE 2. Those levels are just right for them, 1 is a little too easy for my 1st grader but that is ok. My oldest though (in 6th) has a terrible time with it and she uses WWE 4 because that was the highest or last level. Remembering and explaining information from the long passages is difficult for her, remembering the long dictations are really hard for her, but we just keep trucking along.

 

It is interesting to me that she is very strong in language arts: spelling, writing, vocabulary & reading, yet still, WWE 4 is very challenging. She often comments that 'Writing With Ease, is not.'

Edited April 2, 2012 by rocketgirl

[abrightmom]

DS7 (end of first grade) is in WWE1 and won't complete it until halfway through second grade.

 

DS9.5 just moved to WWE3. We are testing the waters though. His first week went well. If it continues to flow and the summaries don't daunt him we'll stay in 3. But he won't finish until well into his 4th grade year.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Colleen, I answered :)

 

I do have a question for anyone who knows....

 

How are people accelerating with WWE while still doing the curriculum, not skipping a level? THis may not be necessary with all my kids, but I think it will be with one.

[Mommyfaithe]

We are using below grade level.....but, at a perfect fit.

 

Ds in 2 nd is in WWE 1 and ds in 3rd is using WWE 3.

 

Come to think of it, they are using everything one level down......sigh. Just how it goes around here. My guys are late bloomers:D. But we are really enjoying WWE.

[Mommyfaithe]

Colleen, I answered :)

 

I do have a question for anyone who knows....

 

How are people accelerating with WWE while still doing the curriculum, not skipping a level? THis may not be necessary with all my kids, but I think it will be with one.

 

I think you can accelerate WWE as it covers ONE type of assignment for 6 weeks. If they master the skill....skip the extra weeks.

 

Also, I was able to use WWE with my 7 th grader by doing an entire weeks work in WWE 1-3 in one day for about 1/2 hour. She enjoyed it and it did help her writing ability.

 

Faithe

[boscopup]

We started WWE1 halfway through first grade when I pulled DS out of school. We did get to a point where his copywork was always perfect and he was ready for dictation, so I accelerated through the rest of the book during the summer so we could start WWE2 around August. That worked well. Basically, we skipped all the copywork days (he was also doing AAS, so was getting dictation sentences each day), and we did the narrations each day. That put us double time for the week (so week 1 day 2, week 1 day 4, week 2 day 2, week 2 day 4 = one week). He still had to do the copywork for the day 4 narration/copywork day. By time we finished, his question answering and narration skills were good enough to pass, where he'd struggled with some of the questions when I tested him before we accelerated. I knew he just needed a bit more practice on that one aspect.

 

We're in WWE2 now, and we're getting a bit behind because lately, we haven't been doing it every week. My house has been getting some renovations, and it's hard to school like normal when we can't even use one room, many of our things are in boxes, and there are people here working all day long. Plus the weather has been so nice, I've been letting the kids go play a lot. This summer when the kids complain that it's too hot to go out, we'll do LOTS of school. :D Anyway, I think we're on week 21, and I'm not going to do that this week because I'm trying to remediate some handwriting, so I want to stick with just copywork this week. I will of course ask for oral narrations across curriculum anyway. ;)

 

I imagine we'll start WWE3 sometime this fall. I'm still trying to decide whether to use the workbook or pull from our current reading. I have the Complete Writer book, and I intended to do it myself this year, but then I realized I needed the workbook still and was thankful for Amazon Prime. :lol: That may happen again this year. Who knows. My son LOVES the passages, but dictation from other sources works better for him (or making up dictation about Star Wars or something). He's holding his own on WWE2 dictation passages, but I'm not sure how long that will last in WWE3 when they get really long.

[g7s22]

I have a daughter in 4th grade who is using WWE3. This is our first year homeschooling and she had absolutely no experience with narration/dictation. (We completed WWE2 the first half of the year). My 2nd grade daughter is using WWE2.

[jentancalann]

1st grade dd is using 1, and dyslexic 5th gr ds is on 2 and has been for quite a while. I did drop it for probably a year when it led to nothing but tears every day. He's doing much better at this age and level.

[happy-hs]

We started WWE 1 when my oldest were in K and 1st. They are now in 3rd and 4th and using WWS. My 1st grader is using WWE 1.

 

Melissa :)

[Walking-Iris]

I've only just started WWE this year. I only have the text and after going through the evals with my ds and some of the other assignments---it's a mish-mash. He has no need to do copywork---that would just be busy work with no purpose for him. He's a whiz at grammar. He's never done any dictation, but he did okay the first few times we tried it and even seemed to like it. He struggled a bit with the review questions but could narrate pretty well. He really has no need for me to write down his narrations, he can do that himself. He can read the passages himeself confidently. He can tel me his thoughts in a complete sentence.

 

So all this means---I'm reading some WWE1 and WWE2 selections to him and having him work on answering those comprehension questions and narrate them, I'm giving him dictation sentences. I switch up reading to him and having him read some selections out loud from WWE3.

 

I honestly think that if we keep this up---maybe even through summer, he could be ready to go into WWE4 next Fall (I may or may not get the WWE4 workbook).

 

Also I have to say---I'm a person completely at ease with tweaking a program or changing things around to suit my learners---I think adapting and changing curriculum or programs like this would drive some people batty :lol: but I'm already seeing my ds respond to WWE and liking it---and that always means a keeper.

 

I also plan on continuing with our Writing Strands along with WWE.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Pure curiousity here, not trying to stir up a comparison game. It's difficult to cover the bases with ten poll options; choose the best options (it's multiple choice) and add any explanation as you see fit.

 

Note of explanation: By "at grade level", I mean WWE 1 in grade 1, WWE 2 in grade 2, etc. "Below grade level" would be, for example, using WWE 3 in grade 4, while "above grade level" would be using WWE 3 in grade 2. Clear as mud? Please don't take offense to these terms. I'm not implying that a 2nd grader using WWE 3 is academically superior to a 4th grader using the same text. Again, just interested in how others are using the program.:)

 

WWE 2 with my 4th grader. He's loved the book and the excerpts have prompted him to read several of the featured books. His reading was not strong a year ago, when we started using WWE. A year ago, he was slowly reading through Usborne chapter books and level 3 or 4 DK readers. He recently finished the Hunger Games trilogy and started Harry Potter.

 

I will probably redo the placement test and consider having him do WWE 4 rather than WWS for 5th grade. He is my slow and steady learner. But man, when he gets it, it stays got. He's memorized more poetry and does better with diagraming than his older brothers (and the latter shows during Latin time).

[LisaKinVA]

All of my children are using it "at grade level." While I honestly believe they could use it above grade level, my kids had spent 2+ years doing lots of "writing" assignments (public-school-like). I felt by staying "at grade level," it would give them a better foundation (and remove lots of the frustration they associated with it).

 

So far, so good. We're using WWE3, WWE4 and WWS. Next year, we'll be doing WWE1, WWE4, WWS, and hopefully WWS2 :D

[Gailmegan]

The program became available when mine were in 1st and 3rd, so I started then in 1 and 3, respectively. We have continued with the program and are now onto WWE 3 and WWS 1. I plan to continue. My only issue is that I hate doing WWS with PDF the first half of the year.

[kitten18]

-Using at grade level

-Started in 1st grade

-Started with WWE 1

 

 

DD(8) is in 2nd grade, she is using WWE2, started with WWE1 in 1st grade. I did not start WWE1 until Spring of 1st grade and we're just a few weeks into WWE2. I plan to continue through the summer and hope to finish WWE2 in late Fall.

[laundrycrisis]

Dysgraphic 3rd grader completed WWE1 the first half of the year and had begun WWE2.

[bluemongoose]

We started late and are accelerating. DD is in 2nd using WWE1. We started late because DD is a bit behind in fine motor skills and because I tried using WA first. That just was not getting done and her fine motor skills had caught up enough to start writing, so I switched to WWE.

 

We accelerate by doing 5 lessons a week rather than the 4 that are planned and if we have extra time we do 2 lessons in one day.:)

[laundrycrisis]

Dysgraphic 3rd grader started and finished WWE1 the first half of the year and has begun WWE2.

[In2why]

We use it below level. My son isn't a strong reader and although I read the passages I knew that the dictations were a stretch at grade level.

[justLisa]

We started WWE1 halfway through first grade when I pulled DS out of school. We did get to a point where his copywork was always perfect and he was ready for dictation, so I accelerated through the rest of the book during the summer so we could start WWE2 around August. That worked well. Basically, we skipped all the copywork days (he was also doing AAS, so was getting dictation sentences each day), and we did the narrations each day. That put us double time for the week (so week 1 day 2, week 1 day 4, week 2 day 2, week 2 day 4 = one week). He still had to do the copywork for the day 4 narration/copywork day. By time we finished, his question answering and narration skills were good enough to pass, where he'd struggled with some of the questions when I tested him before we accelerated. I knew he just needed a bit more practice on that one aspect.

 

We're in WWE2 now, and we're getting a bit behind because lately, we haven't been doing it every week. My house has been getting some renovations, and it's hard to school like normal when we can't even use one room, many of our things are in boxes, and there are people here working all day long. Plus the weather has been so nice, I've been letting the kids go play a lot. This summer when the kids complain that it's too hot to go out, we'll do LOTS of school. :D Anyway, I think we're on week 21, and I'm not going to do that this week because I'm trying to remediate some handwriting, so I want to stick with just copywork this week. I will of course ask for oral narrations across curriculum anyway. ;)

 

I imagine we'll start WWE3 sometime this fall. I'm still trying to decide whether to use the workbook or pull from our current reading. I have the Complete Writer book, and I intended to do it myself this year, but then I realized I needed the workbook still and was thankful for Amazon Prime. :lol: That may happen again this year. Who knows. My son LOVES the passages, but dictation from other sources works better for him (or making up dictation about Star Wars or something). He's holding his own on WWE2 dictation passages, but I'm not sure how long that will last in WWE3 when they get really long.

 

This is basically us. DS is 2nd, using WWE2/3 style. I have the WWE2, but he is able read and write a narration now with little help. I've been rather lazy about it lately because we just go tired of it, but I am really thinking of going back to the workbook. I am at a loss of what to do next year. Neither of us want to use the workbook, but I just want a writing curriculum that helps me teach how to write. We are already good at reading a passage and writing a narration, however not quite ready for WWS next year in 3rd

[aliall]

DD10 for K: WWE1

1st: PS

2nd: WWE2 (did every other week after week 18)

3rd: WWE3 (did every other week after week 18)

4th: WWE4 (did every other week after week 18)

5th: on week 5 of WWS1... She is doing great with it, and it is fun to see the pieces fitting together.

(Also doing Hake Grammar 5)

 

DS8:

K:none (The copywork would have been too much for this lefty who doesn't like to hand write.)

1st: WWE1

2nd: WWE2 (currently on week 22)

(Almost done with FLL3)

 

DS6

K: WWE1(currently on week 5 and only doing 2-3 lessons/week. He is doing great, but seems so disappointed that we are not getting to read the entire story each time.)

(Just starting the 2nd half of FLL1/2)

Edited April 2, 2012 by aliall

[Wabi Sabi]

Colleen, I answered :)

 

I do have a question for anyone who knows....

 

How are people accelerating with WWE while still doing the curriculum, not skipping a level? THis may not be necessary with all my kids, but I think it will be with one.

 

I have a first grader and we just started WWE1 in January. We're "accelerating" it by doing two lessons a day, four days a week. So, for example, this morning he did Day 1 and Day 2 of the workbook. Tomorrow we'll do Day 3 and Day 4. Even with doubling up it only takes us 15 minutes a day and he really enjoys it.

 

I'm only doing this so that we can "catch up" and be done with the first level in order to start WWE2 in the fall but if we stuck with the way we're currently using the program we could easily finish two or more full levels in one year.

[Perogi]

I am using it slightly below grade level.

 

With my first I tried SL LA for gr 1 the switched to WWE 1 near the end of the year. She's in gr 3 and just finished WWE 2 a couple of weeks ago and moved into level 3.

 

My first grader is using WWE 1 at half speed, just 2x per week, mostly because she is pencil phobic.

 

It's working well for us to use it about 1/2 a level behind.

 

Fwiw, they have June birthdays so in first grade are 6 for nearly the whole year and in third grade are 8 for nearly the whole year.

[Kathryn]

We are doing WWE1 this year. He's K by age in our state but doing all first work. We started halfway through our schoolyear when we dropped SL LA at exactly the halfway mark. So, we double up and do two days' worth each day, completing two weeks of work every week. This looks like it'd be harder to do with later levels (we use the workbook), but it works great with the way the days in level 1 are set up.

[Rivka]

We started on grade level (WWE1 for a 1st grader), but we are year-round homeschoolers and use a long school year, so we've begun level 2 before officially starting 2nd grade.

 

The combination of WWE and AAS has been amazing for my reluctant writer. Her writing has improved by leaps and bounds, and her tolerance of writing has greatly increased as well. She has easily passed my writing goal for first grade, which was the ability to write 2-3 good-quality sentences a day from dictation.

[Mothersweets]

My 2nd grader (7yo) just finished WWE1 and has started WWE2. We usually do 2 lessons/4 days a week.

 

My 5th grader (11yo) is in the middle of WWE2. We have been moving very slowly through the book as a result of my forgetting to do it every day!

 

My 7th, 8th, and my high schoolers are working through WWS at varying paces.

[Mommy22alyns]

Both girls started with WWE 1, in first grade. Sylvia is on grade level. Rebecca got derailed for half a year with SL LA. We went back to WWE, so she's slightly below grade level. I'm thinking of working through this summer and next summer to try & get her at grade level. I plan to continue with WWS.

[estelleblue]

My ds6 is very writing adverse. He is in 1st, and we use WWE 1. For copywork, he always chooses the shorter sentence, even though is is more than capable of writing the longer option. My dd5, though, would be happy and able to begin WWE1 right now, but I have held off thus far, so that she can read the sentences when she writes them.

[Colleen]

Wide disparity in the voting ~ as expected, I suppose. I'd be interested to hear SWB's take on young students using WWS. I personally don't see a great deal of value in getting ahead of oneself to that degree, but four more students and a dozen years make a difference. ;-) Thanks for all the replies!

Edited April 2, 2012 by Colleen

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

We'll be starting WWE1 soon. My DD is 4.5 but loves copywork and narrations and keeps asking me when she can start copying the selections from Little House on the Prairie from the WWE 1 workbook:) Hence, I may not wait until the fall to give it to her. She would be K at PS in August, but since she's homeschooled, we don't worry about grade levels and just let her do work at her level.

[Lucy the Valiant]

We just found WWE this year, and my twins are 8 and in 3rd grade (their birthday is 1 week past our town's cut-off, and they were reading fluently on their own, so we started them).

 

They're doing WWE 2, and it's certainly not DIFFICULT, but of course it never occurred to me to speed things up.

 

I haven't had a chance to look to WWE 3 or 4 to figure out for next year.

 

So I voted that we are using it "below grade level" - unless you (like some of our acquaintances) insist that being 1 week past a rather arbitrary cutoff date means you're REALLY 2nd grade. Hahaha! From that perspective, we're "on grade level."

[Shellydon]

We use it a year below grade level. I like it better that way.