Writing/grammar for 8th grader just starting classical Ed

[julie4]

My 8th grader, new to hs and classical methods, has never done copy work, dictation, diagramming. she's advanced in reading, but doesn't like to write. I would say her grammar may be weak, she doesn't know all the parts of speech. Paragraph organization & sentence structure could use some work.

 

Can you recommend a writing/ grammar program that may be a good fit, even if it's a little below grade level. She does well with workbooks & a lot of structure/ direction.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[sandst]

:bigear::lurk5: Got a 6th grader in the same position. She also likes workbooks...

[redsquirrel]

Well, I would maybe start grammar with Hake Grammar grade 6? It stops in 8th grade so you could go through years 6, 7, and 8. Then in 10th grade you could work through Analytical Grammar.

 

For writing in 8th grade with a kid who is new to writing I would suggest Writing With Skill 1. Yes, Hake has a writing, but I would skip that part and use WWS. Even if you end up skipping onto a high school writing program a year with WWS will teach the basics of outlining and how to approach different kinds of writing.

 

I am sure others will have lots of better suggestions. You might want to consider asking this in the High School forum.

 

It is easier to figure out how you should start if you know where you want to be at the end. Is she going to be staying home for high school? Is she a STEM kid or more of a language arts kid? Do you want secular materials or are you looking for a particular world view? How does she want to approach high school? Is she planning to take of lots of AP classes or do she have different goals? The answers to those (and other questions I don't even know about yet) will determine her end point. Once you know where she wants to end up, you can start figuring out what her journey will look like.

[fiddle]

:iagree:

 

We're also new to classical ed and homeschooling- I have a rising 7th grader. She also was a great reader but totally lacking in writing skills in terms of reports, outlining, etc. We started IEW late this year, and I'm so glad we did. It is giving her the foundational skills she was obviously not taught in public school. It's not a workbook, but if you use one of the Student Intensives, the teaching is done via DVD and the writing assignments are laid out, including with checklists. So, it is very incremental and very structured. Your daughter could probably start with SWI C. Writing with Skill is another option, like the other poster said. I didn't start my daughter off in that because she had a hard time even with basic narrations, so we're using some of the Writing with Ease 4 to introduce that and perhaps will use Writing With Skill later. I'm not sure if my dd is going to homeschool high school, so my goal is to get her writing essays well and begin literary analysis so she's set for high school.

Good luck!

Paula

[HSMom2One]

I would start with WWS1 by Susan Wise Bauer as a writing program. The first section covers a review section on narratives, and if that is difficult for your dd to grasp then you could step back one and do WWE4 until she is ready to move on with WWS1. WWS2 will be released later this year or early 2013, so you could move right into that afterward. WWS is an EXCELLENT writing program like no other I've ever seen. I highly recommend it, as it has benefited my own dd tremendously. And as a side note...please don't be thrown off by anything or anyone that refers to WWS1 as 5th grade level because it is designed for 5-8th grade to prepare students for rhetoric level writing. Students starting "in the middle" like your dd should begin where they are and advance forward at their given pace.

 

For dictations, you can learn to do this easily by watching

video, and then

one. There are other wonderful videos on Youtube listed with Peacehill Press that cover dictation and other various aspects of classical ed, so I'd like to point you in that direction.

 

For grammar, TWTM recommendation for years has been to start with 5th grade level R&S English and move forward, again disregarding the references to grade level. (Remember, we need to let go of that and meet our students where they are and help them advance from that point.) There are some other solid programs out there in addition to R&S. Some people like Hake Grammar, and it covers diagramming as well as the other basic grammar concepts. If you'd like to condense grammar instruction in a shorter amount of time then Analytical Grammar might be a good choice, but you'll find that it is more expensive.

 

If your dd is already set in a good, concise handwriting style then there probably isn't any need for her to do copywork at this point. If she needs improvement, then I'd just have her copy passages from scripture or literature, poetry, or any of the great copywork books that are available online. There's a lot of free or reasonably priced stuff out there.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

P.S. If you don't own a copy of TWTM, then I highly recommend you get one ASAP. Be sure to look for references throughout that refer to "starting in the middle".

Edited June 12, 2012 by HSMom2One

[Mom22ns]

I would start her in Writing With Skill. My dd had never done any classical writing before using WWS for 7th and we both liked it :).

 

I'd suggest Analytical Grammar done in one year. Ideally you want to be finished with grammar before starting high school and AG could let her do that.

[julie4]

Thank you all so much for the replies & suggestions. We are going to start WWS. I've been looking at the student & teacher sample. I think this is a perfect fit for her.

 

And thanks for the reminder not to worry about grade level. As many times as I've read this & honestly do believe it, it's hard to let go of when coming from traditional schooling. I need to remind myself of this daily.:001_smile:

[Jaz]

I would start her in Writing With Skill. My dd had never done any classical writing before using WWS for 7th and we both liked it :).

 

I'd suggest Analytical Grammar done in one year. Ideally you want to be finished with grammar before starting high school and AG could let her do that.

 

:iagree: WWS and Analytical Grammar

[SFossum]

I thought I would add that SWB recommends a grammar program along with WWS. My dd just finished 6th grade, but I had her in 5th grade R & S grammar. She learned so much! I don't think I'll put her in grammar 6, though. It looks like a repeat of grammar 5. Oh, and if your dd doesn't know the parts of speech or how a word can be multiple parts of speech, then WWS is going to be frustrating.

[Twilight Woods]

I have a 6th grader new to Classical Ed. She is my LA girl but is weak in some areas. we are using WWS and Hake 6, and will be going as slow as we need to until she is comfortable.

[Joani]

I'd also recommend WWS and Analytical Grammar. My son did these for 8th grade, which was his first year of classical education, but his third year of homeschooling.

 

My girls will use the same things next year for 7th and 8th grades, but they'll also use The Creative Writer on days when they don't do WWS.

[BibleBeltCatholicMom]

nothing useful to add . . . just want to be able to find my way back to this thread.:bigear:

[HSMom2One]

Thank you all so much for the replies & suggestions. We are going to start WWS. I've been looking at the student & teacher sample. I think this is a perfect fit for her.

 

And thanks for the reminder not to worry about grade level. As many times as I've read this & honestly do believe it, it's hard to let go of when coming from traditional schooling. I need to remind myself of this daily.:001_smile:

 

Glad to be of help. :001_smile:

 

I also thought I'd suggest using a good vocabulary course. We use Vocabulary from Classical Roots because of the inclusion of root language. This might be helpful for you as you get into the classical mode.

 

Enjoy the journey!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda