Joani Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 We're only three weeks into the school year and my 8th grader is already completely overwhelmed with what I'm asking her to do in language arts. :( She's doing exactly the same curricula/assignments as my 7th grader but is somehow taking twice as long and getting frustrated. I can't slow it down for her, and I can't continue to have her spend 3 hours per day on language arts, so I'm headed back to the drawing board. We're using WWS, Analytical Grammar and Lightning Literature right now, and I'd intended to have them do The Creative Writer on Fridays, but we haven't gotten to it yet. Does anyone have any suggestions for language arts that are (somewhat) quick and painless, but will still prepare her for high school English? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Why give up so soon? She may very well push through the problems with some persistence. She's obviously challenged, and that isn't a bad thing necessarily. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Copper.Penny Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 :grouphug: Hugs to you! I'm sure we've all been there. We used Oak Meadow last year (for seventh grade) and my daughter spent hours doing the assignments and was very unhappy. We ditched it for eighth grade. I've never used any of the curriculum that you mentioned is your post, so I'm no help there. But I can tell you what I am using and maybe that will give you new ideas. Handwriting: Getty Dubay Italic Handwriting Composition: Writing Strands 4 Vocabulary: Classical Roots Grammar: Daily Grams I've been wanting to try IEW, but the cost is a factor for us so I haven't been able to. I've tried MCT about two years ago and we loved it! :) I hope you find something that works for your daughter soon! Having to start back at square one with finding a curriculum can be so frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddle Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Maybe alternate to not do grammar every day and alternate that with Lightning Lit? Let your dd do less of the workbook in LL - some of it is grammar. Lastly pick and chose the writing assignments in LL because you are already doing WWS:) HTH! Paula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Do you know how long each component is taking? Maybe one thing is more to blame than another? Which season of AG is she in? Are you using AG full pace? It would not surprise me if it's taking quite a bit of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I can't slow it down for her Why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Do you know how long each component is taking? Maybe one thing is more to blame than another? Which season of AG is she in? Are you using AG full pace? It would not surprise me if it's taking quite a bit of time. I agree with looking at the time of each component. I would allow 45min -1 hour each day for WWS alone. I'm not sure how long the other programs usually take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 If you do decide to change what you are using, Hake is a program worth considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Can't you assign a specific time for each subject and just progress at her pace? Is she really struggling with the level of work/amount of work, or is she dawdling? Does she just need a little extra one on one with you...I know my dd needs me for a bit with both AG and WWS. Those are just really good programs - I hate to see anyone bailing on them after just a couple weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I wouldn't quit AG b/c I think it is very efficient for grammar. I haven't used LL, but I think it has writing as well. Are you doing that writing in conjunction w/WWS? If so, I'd stop that and any grammar that might be in LL. I found that WWS was too time consuming for us. I'm working back to the WTM suggestions for writing. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joani Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks for all the responses. We're having a rough week here, so maybe I'm not thinking through everything clearly. I used all three of these programs with my oldest last year, and my 7th grader is doing them now with no trouble. I really, really like them, but I don't see them working for my 8th grader. WWS and AG are both causing trouble - WWS should be taking 30-60 minutes (depending on the day), but she takes almost twice as long. She seems to take longer to understand what she's supposed to do and to actually get the words on paper. We're doing AG every day, but I'm having her do half a lesson per day and it's still taking 30-40 minutes. I really think I made a mistake having both girls do the same language arts programs. I'm afraid that having them both work at their own pace will discourage her even further, and switching now might save us all some tears. I like Hake (my 4th grader is using Hake 5), so I'll definitely see if I can move one of the girls to this. Does anyone have any recommendations for a writing program that isn't as tough as WWS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 IEW ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Have you looked at IEW? It is very incremental, step by step, and set up to move at the pace of the student. In the beginning it focuses more on getting the student writing and utilizing techniques to make their writing more stylistically interesting, which gives the dc a lot of confidence. Once they become fluent in using the tools taught and learning how to gather and organize information you can concentrate more on content. My dd wasn't able to use WWS last year, but after a year with IEW she is now moving through WWS pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joani Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks again. I'm stretched pretty thin, so I'd have to go with SWI-B instead of TWSS. Does that sound alright? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks again. I'm stretched pretty thin, so I'd have to go with SWI-B instead of TWSS. Does that sound alright? Yes, the SWI will work. You will just need to monitor how she is doing so the two of you can determine if she needs more practice for the week or is ready to move onto the next video lesson. She can use the rubric\checklist of the last lesson she did over and over again on any model you or she picks out. She can use a paragraph from anything she reads for extra practice; science, history, literature, fables work great. She can do this on her own too; just make sure she picks a model that has about the same # of sentences that the model from the SWI had. Does that make sense? I've had dd do extra practice from paragraphs from her school work, from her own free reading, from magazines, from the internet, even from her sister's fanfic (much to the dismay of her sister when dd's rewrite was better than the original :tongue_smilie:). I hope it is a great fit for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joani Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Yes, the SWI will work. You will just need to monitor how she is doing so the two of you can determine if she needs more practice for the week or is ready to move onto the next video lesson. She can use the rubric\checklist of the last lesson she did over and over again on any model you or she picks out. She can use a paragraph from anything she reads for extra practice; science, history, literature, fables work great. She can do this on her own too; just make sure she picks a model that has about the same # of sentences that the model from the SWI had. Does that make sense? I've had dd do extra practice from paragraphs from her school work, from her own free reading, from magazines, from the internet, even from her sister's fanfic (much to the dismay of her sister when dd's rewrite was better than the original :tongue_smilie:). I hope it is a great fit for her! Thanks so much! I'm thinking that the flexibility of IEW (in terms of scheduling it and possibly tying it in with LL) will work much better for us. I have to admit that I knew of IEW, but was a little intimidated by the whole production, but just looking at SWI-B (and just for one child) makes it seem much more simple. Thanks for giving me the nudge to look at it again! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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