Thinking of trying JUST the Complete Writer

[joyfulhomeschooler]

I have been reading and rereading this book to see if I can make it work with our current readers or read alouds and I am just so unsure. For instance what if I don't understand the grammar concenpts that are supposed to be covered in those weeks? How am I supposed to pick a passage that covers those topics and explain them to my child when I don't understand them myself?

[keyjoh62080]

I went with the workbook for that very reason.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

I really like the idea of tying it all in to what we are already reading though instead of addign it in as a seperate subject. I'm not getting too many responses... does that mean that most people just go ahead and use the workbook instead of planning their own?

[Jen+4dc]

I have just used the workbook because I simply didn't have the time to find my own passages. When I did find them, I had plans for what books the kids will be reading at what times and then we would get ahead or behind those plans and my writing plans got messed up. I know, it doesn't have to be a big deal, but it was to me, I had gone through all the work of picking passages so they would line up and then they didn't.:tongue_smilie:

 

I find the workbooks open and go with absolutely NO prep from me. I like it that way. Although, lots of people on here use their own passages. I think the lack of responses is more a result of it being a Saturday on a holiday weekend.;)

[Colleen in NS]

I have been reading and rereading this book to see if I can make it work with our current readers or read alouds and I am just so unsure. For instance what if I don't understand the grammar concenpts that are supposed to be covered in those weeks? How am I supposed to pick a passage that covers those topics and explain them to my child when I don't understand them myself?

 

I used just the The Complete Writer's series' Writing With Ease Instructor Guide with our history/science/literature reading, and it was a lot of fun!

 

I completely ignored the grammar instructions - I think they are tied to FLL. We used R&S grammar (FLL 3 and 4 were not out when I started using R&S 3, so I just continued with R&S even after FLL 3 and 4 came out. Also, when we used FLL 1 and 2, WWE was not out. So I never was able to follow the exact progression and integration of WWE and FLL.). So all I did was make sure, with the writing my kids produced via WWE, that the grammar we covered in writing lessons = the grammar they were currently learning. In their narrations I made sure they applied their current grammar knowledge. When I picked out passages for copywork or dictation, I might point out a grammar concept they had recently learned (even if the actual passage had more advanced grammar concepts in it).

 

So, when they narrate about a passage to you, make sure their sentences are grammatically correct according to what they've already learned in their grammar lessons (you'll be learning that alongside them, yes?). If you are unsure if their sentences are grammatically correct, consult the grammar book. Or, if their sentences go off into wordiness, think of how to tweak the sentences to be grammatically correct according to what they and you already know (while maintaining the gist of what they are saying, so that it's still their own idea they are narrating), say them correctly, and have them repeat before they or you write the narration down.

 

So, even if you ignore the grammar instructions in favour of what YOUR kids have learned so far about grammar, you can still use the writing instructions with their (and your) grammar knowledge.

 

And, I know I'm not the only one who did this. In fact, WWE just came out a few years ago, and before that, many people just used the narration and copywork/dictation instructions in the WTM book - I did that for the first four years of my son's education. When the WWE IG came out when he was in Grade 5, I used it to just shore up some of his skills - but mostly the WTM instructions served him well. So, it's very doable. I used the WWE IG for my daughter in Grades 2-4, and it was great. It taught me how to teach.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Thanks! This was very helpful.

I used just the The Complete Writer's series' Writing With Ease Instructor Guide with our history/science/literature reading, and it was a lot of fun!

 

I completely ignored the grammar instructions - I think they are tied to FLL. We used R&S grammar (FLL 3 and 4 were not out when I started using R&S 3, so I just continued with R&S even after FLL 3 and 4 came out. Also, when we used FLL 1 and 2, WWE was not out. So I never was able to follow the exact progression and integration of WWE and FLL.). So all I did was make sure, with the writing my kids produced via WWE, that the grammar we covered in writing lessons = the grammar they were currently learning. In their narrations I made sure they applied their current grammar knowledge. When I picked out passages for copywork or dictation, I might point out a grammar concept they had recently learned (even if the actual passage had more advanced grammar concepts in it).

 

So, when they narrate about a passage to you, make sure their sentences are grammatically correct according to what they've already learned in their grammar lessons (you'll be learning that alongside them, yes?). If you are unsure if their sentences are grammatically correct, consult the grammar book. Or, if their sentences go off into wordiness, think of how to tweak the sentences to be grammatically correct according to what they and you already know (while maintaining the gist of what they are saying, so that it's still their own idea they are narrating), say them correctly, and have them repeat before they or you write the narration down.

 

So, even if you ignore the grammar instructions in favour of what YOUR kids have learned so far about grammar, you can still use the writing instructions with their (and your) grammar knowledge.

 

And, I know I'm not the only one who did this. In fact, WWE just came out a few years ago, and before that, many people just used the narration and copywork/dictation instructions in the WTM book - I did that for the first four years of my son's education. When the WWE IG came out when he was in Grade 5, I used it to just shore up some of his skills - but mostly the WTM instructions served him well. So, it's very doable. I used the WWE IG for my daughter in Grades 2-4, and it was great. It taught me how to teach.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Do you think this could be remedied by just picking passages that go along with the grammar concept you are learning at that time and not according to the book being read? So in other words just pick it from whichever book they are reading at that time?

I have just used the workbook because I simply didn't have the time to find my own passages. When I did find them, I had plans for what books the kids will be reading at what times and then we would get ahead or behind those plans and my writing plans got messed up. I know, it doesn't have to be a big deal, but it was to me, I had gone through all the work of picking passages so they would line up and then they didn't.:tongue_smilie:

 

I find the workbooks open and go with absolutely NO prep from me. I like it that way. Although, lots of people on here use their own passages. I think the lack of responses is more a result of it being a Saturday on a holiday weekend.;)

[ALB]

We just use the ideas from the book, too. I like choosing our sentences from the books we are reading. I do a variety of things. Sometimes I specifically choose sentences that reinforce our grammar topics, but usually I just pick interesting or well-written sentences. To me, it makes more sense to use what we are already reading for narrations and copy work rather than add the snippets from books that are used in the workbooks.

[Jen+4dc]

Do you think this could be remedied by just picking passages that go along with the grammar concept you are learning at that time and not according to the book being read? So in other words just pick it from whichever book they are reading at that time?

Yes. But I also use a separate grammar program. WWE isn't enough (imho). It's intended to be a writing program used alongside a separate grammar program.

 

We just use the ideas from the book, too. I like choosing our sentences from the books we are reading. I do a variety of things. Sometimes I specifically choose sentences that reinforce our grammar topics, but usually I just pick interesting or well-written sentences. To me, it makes more sense to use what we are already reading for narrations and copy work rather than add the snippets from books that are used in the workbooks.

:iagree: However, we have discovered some gems to read together that we would never have started if we hadn't come across it in the WWE workbook.:D

[joyfulhomeschooler]

We just use the ideas from the book, too. I like choosing our sentences from the books we are reading. I do a variety of things. Sometimes I specifically choose sentences that reinforce our grammar topics, but usually I just pick interesting or well-written sentences. To me, it makes more sense to use what we are already reading for narrations and copy work rather than add the snippets from books that are used in the workbooks.

 

Have you found it very time consuming to pick your own passages? I will also have a toddler and new baby arriving and though it doesn't seem like it would take too much time to pick a passage from our current read aloud or history reading, etc I don't want to set myself up for failure.

[Tanikit]

I am also thinking of doing this without the workbooks though I still have some time to think about. :bigear:

[joyfulhomeschooler]

:confused: Still trying to make this work.

[Gentlemommy]

:lurk5:

[boscopup]

Give it a try with the instructor text. If it doesn't work out for you, get on Amazon or PHP and buy/download the workbook.

 

That's what I did last year. ;)

 

I'm planning to pull passages for level 3 this year. I am glad I did the workbook for level 1, and I started to pull passages for level 2 but ended up buying the workbook shortly after starting. We'll see how level 3 goes pulling passages when we get there. :D

 

I wouldn't worry about matching the exact grammar concepts for each week. I'd probably focus more on the grammar concepts your child has learned in their grammar program. The goal of WWE is not learning grammar. It's getting pencil to paper and "writing with ease".

[FO4UR]

Have you found it very time consuming to pick your own passages? I will also have a toddler and new baby arriving and though it doesn't seem like it would take too much time to pick a passage from our current read aloud or history reading, etc I don't want to set myself up for failure.

 

 

No.

 

If you need to plan it out, just mark very lightly in your book. I make brackets around passages I want to use for narration. Most of the time, I use WWE text as a "Teach me how to teach!" kind of book and just get oral narrations in the flow of our read alouds. A couple times per week (in a good week :tongue_smilie:) I will ask my dc to "Tell me about...." while I write down their narrations. When I write them down, I get in there and really guide with questions to clean up the verbiage.

 

 

I own WWE1 and WWE2 wb's. I have used WWE1 with dd. She has done well with it. When I tried wb1 with my oldest, he was angry that I was teasing him with bits of wonderful stories that I didn't drop all school work to finish.:001_huh::lol: He doesn't realize that he's narrating for "school" most of the time when it's out of a book we are already reading.

 

With wb 2, I decided that I like tying the dictations in with spelling much better. So I am REALLY just using WWE text as my guide to make sure each child is covering all bases. This is a point I will revisit yearly, I'm sure.

 

Another point not mentioned...some kids have lopsided skills. A child might be able to narrate like a pro, but need a ton more time with copywork at a certain level. The wb's are good for kids who got the memo on SWB's timeline;)...one of mine seems to always miss those messages...and it's truly better for him if I never put a grade-level-expectation before him.

 

That said, I've got WWE1 tucked away to use for my youngest. It is a sweet first year in writing.:001_wub:

[FO4UR]

I don't often mention the grammar concepts. For one thing, when we got to it we had already beaten the concept to death with FLL so it was just too easy of a concept.

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

My kids know FLL. My youngest has much of the memory work down and he hasn't had one lesson. He is incredibly cute singing about verbs! (Perks of being the youngest of the stair-step children....now, what to do with a kid that knows too much to do the same thing, but not quite enough to move along...)

 

 

Seriously. Don't stress about making everything matchy-patchy.:001_smile: