help me with my LA plan for 3rd and 1st.

[Lots of boys]

I know there have been a lot of LA questions already but I am planning our year (we start the beginning of Sept.) and I am really having trouble.

 

Last year my gr.2 son did WWE 1 and half of WWE2. He did o.k. but is starting to really groan at the dictations. It is mostly his pselling that is holding him back but he is a sloooow printer even at the best of times when he knows how to spell it.

 

I would like to finish WWE 2 with this this year so will try to continue it once a week (doing two days in one). My question is - what else should I do with him. I want to bring some JOY back into writing for him - get him doing some creative writing...

 

I already have WWW 2 and 3 that I had bought thinking maybe I could use that once or twice a week with him. I also like the look of SWI - A too but am intimidated a little by the program.

 

My gr. 1 boy hasn't done any writing yet - just working on handwriting last year in K. What program should I start him on???

 

I would love your suggestions. They are both wiggly, writing reluctant boys. They love to dictate stories to me to record (and then they illustrate them). We have many "books" around the house that they have made this way. Unfortunatly, now that I am starting to request more writing, they are reluctant to even dictate - for fear it might lead to actual writing :)

 

Thanks

Edited August 12, 2012 by agarnett

[boscopup]

I switched from WWE2 to IEW SWI-A. It had been a monumental change around here.... For the better! I also watched TWSS. IEW is laid out so well and is very ready to teach (even for a math-living engineer like myself).

 

Like your son, my son was terrified that he couldn't spell the words. IEW had allayed that fear.

[Lots of boys]

Thanks for your reply. How much time does implementing SWI-A take - both prep and rolling it out for ds?

[dbmamaz]

Remember, curriculum are tools, not rules. I havent used that particular curriculum (ok, i admit, i'm eclectic, not classical) but if its too much . . can you just do every other page? Whatever curriculum I use, i feel free to do half (or less) of the problems, skip pages that are too easy or too hard, and drop it all together if its not working.

 

For my late-reading, hate-writing boy, i'm delaying LA entirely and doing very, very minimal. this year is 4th grade, and we are just going to start spelling, free writing (i'm currently reading through Bravewriter Writers Jungle), and I plan to have him pick a sentence out of his science reading to copy every day or maybe every other day.

[boscopup]

Thanks for your reply. How much time does implementing SWI-A take - both prep and rolling it out for ds?

 

The only prep is watching the videos, which I did before we started. I spent a few weeks watching off and on, then we jumped right in. I've only watched 4 of the 6 TWSS DVDs so far, thought he last two don't touch upon anything in SWI-A. I've watched the first SWI-A disc once before my son started and then again with him.

 

The DVD itself is about 30-45 minutes, once every couple weeks. Usually if you watch the DVD, the writing work is either done during the video (in which case you may be pausing some for writing) or done the next day, and it's usually just a keyword outline, so nothing really hard. The actual writing is done on a different day.

 

Most weeks in Units 1 and 2 (where we are right now) are like this:

 

Day 1 - Watch DVD and/or do keyword outline

Day 2 - Write rough draft

Day 3 - Edit rough draft

Day 4 - Write final copy

Day 5 - free day

 

If it's a long paragraph or if I'm feeling nice, I sometimes let DS split the rough draft across 2 days, especially when we first started. Now he's able to write the whole thing in one day pretty easily. He will often write 2-3 sentences, then switch to another subject, then switch back and do 2-3 more sentences, etc. Most paragraphs are in the 6-8 sentence range, though DS often combines sentences to make them more like 5-6 sentences. :) Combining sentences is perfectly fine!

 

We have skipped a few of the paragraph assignments along the way, when I didn't feel like the reinforcement was necessary. For example, after doing the first two paragraphs, my son was pretty solid on KWO and "which" clause, so we moved on to the next thing. The reinforcement paragraphs are listed as optional. You use them if you need to, and don't if you don't. You are still the teacher. You can also substitute assignments if you want. For example, if you find a good passage in the history or science you're currently reading, you might replace one of the reinforcement paragraphs with that. It's a flexible program.

 

Each day's writing assignment probably takes my son about 30 minutes, but that is not with me there the whole time. He writes his KWO with me nearby, then we brainstorm dressups together (I use the sliding glass door as a white board for this). Then when he writes his rough draft, I stay near enough to help with spelling if needed. Otherwise, he's on his own unless he asks for help (and I provide it very happily). For writing the final copy, there isn't a need for help, since we have already edited the paper together. I find this LESS teacher intensive than WWE, though it probably is more writing time than WWE was.

[Lots of boys]

Thanks so much for your replies. I really like the look of SWI-A but I wonder if it is to much of a jump from where he is right now? I think he might be better off trying this in 4th and spending this year trying to finish off WWE2 and maybe doing WWW 2/3.

[boscopup]

Thanks so much for your replies. I really like the look of SWI-A but I wonder if it is to much of a jump from where he is right now? I think he might be better off trying this in 4th and spending this year trying to finish off WWE2 and maybe doing WWW 2/3.

 

We did through about week 22 of WWE2, but you could certainly wait until 4th grade. That's a good time to do it. :)