Need help to decide between WWS and Jump In! for a child with anxiety

[TammyB]

I am down to making my last language arts choice for my thirteen year old son who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and depression. He stresses very easily, so finding the best materials for him is challenging. There is a fine line between stretching him and stressing him.

 

I own Jump In! from Apologia, and I think it looks promising....very unintimidating....visually appealing. I've looked at some of the sample online of WWS, and it looks extremely thorough...yet challening. Maybe too challenging.

 

I did about five weeks of WWE 3 with this child, and he did very well with it. If he clicked with the style of that book, should he with WWS as well?

 

I need gentle and incremental with this child.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks,

Tammy

[SilverMoon]

With your description I'd go with Jump In. Hands down. I own both. My DD who'd only done WTM style writing and Classical Writing felt stretched by WWS. It was good for her, but it's probably not the best option for a kid who struggles with stretching.

[TammyB]

With your description I'd go with Jump In. Hands down. I own both. My DD who'd only done WTM style writing and Classical Writing felt stretched by WWS. It was good for her, but it's probably not the best option for a kid who struggles with stretching.

 

 

 

Thanks for your input. :)

 

So...what about the skills that are covered in WWS? Is there another, gentler way to attain them?

 

I'm so afraid that his anxiety is going to keep him from getting the education he needs.

 

Thanks,

Tammy

[Blossom'sGirl]

I found WWS to be stressing. I think part of it is the labeling of " Day 1, Day 2, ect. where some "Days" the assignments were really too much to finish in one day. I had to let ds take several days to do some of the assignments. There were also several times that we could not really understand exactly what was required. I had to figure it out by trying to connect the teacher book samples to the student book.

[SilverMoon]

So...what about the skills that are covered in WWS? Is there another, gentler way to attain them?

 

This would probably work better in a top-down approach. In other words, you study SWB's method until you know it well, then start working it into his lessons in any subject, slowly increasing the difficulty level. You could do this by rereading all of TWTM's writing chapters: grammar, logic and rhetoric. There are also audio lectures on writing that you can buy from peacehillpress.com. The blogs at Classical Writing and Classical Composition sometimes have great teacher helps too.

 

You can use other subjects like history and science to practice outlining and summarizing. :001_smile:

[HappyGrace]

In your case, definitely Jump In. I have done both.

 

For WWS skills, read WTM and and apply what she says there to your history and sci.

 

My other and preferred recommendation is to do Jump In and THEN do WWS the following yr if he seems ready. WWS is not too light, even if you wait a year. I think there was a thread awhile back where someone was asking where it was that SWB had said if they just went thru WWS (not sure how many volumes of it?) in high school they would be prepared for college writing.

 

That is what I'll do for my ds.

 

I said a prayer for your son-Lord bless him in his challenges.

[Jaz]

I agree with the others that if Jump In looks like a good fit start with that. WWS is pretty intense.