Question about the end of WWE level 4

[DragonFaerie]

I have not used any of the WWE books with DS, but I really, really like WWS.  He started WWS last week, and while he did okay with it, I don't think he really slowed down to take in the information presented.  Week two moves on to outlining, but I want him to do more summarizing first.  Does the end of WWE 4 do more summarizing?  The only samples I can find online are the first few weeks with lots of dictation, and that's not what we need.  I don't want to spend $36 on WWE 4 only to find that it doesn't really have what we need.  Can anyone offer any info?

[Chrysalis Academy]

It has 2 days of week of narration/summarizing, and 2 days a week of dictation.  It should fit the bill for you.  But you can also work on summarizing using other things - sections from his history or science, short stories, fables, chapters of whatever books you are reading.  I think you are smart to work on solidifying this skill before moving ahead with WWS, but don't feel that you must buy a workbook to do so.

[Penelope]

WWE4 even at the beginning should have two days per week of narration and writing summaries, and two days of dictation.

 

The reason it might look like all dictation is that it is written to help the kids who still aren't ready to write down their entire narrations without help from the parent with the intermediate step of dictation. My kids have been ready to write down the narrations themselves from the end of WWE2, without having me dictate their sentences to them. We still go through the other WWE levels (or similar passages from across the curricula) but just leave out the dictation step on the narration days.

[Penelope]

And adding on after reading the post above mine, agreeing that you don't need to buy the workbook. You could work through the samples to get an idea of the length and complexity of passages to use.

[DragonFaerie]

Would using IEW this year be a good "bridge" to using WWS next year?  And if so, should I go w/ SWI-A or would the U.S. History-based theme program be sufficient?  (We're doing US history this year and next, so that would fit into the plan just fine.)

[Chrysalis Academy]

I would ask Alte Veste Academy about this if I were you - I know that she was using IEW as a bridge to WWS . . . though I think she's still debating whether it's still a bridge, or is now the destination . . . 

[Alte Veste Academy]

I would ask Alte Veste Academy about this if I were you - I know that she was using IEW as a bridge to WWS . . . though I think she's still debating whether it's still a bridge, or is now the destination . . . 

 

:lol: This about sums it up. I've been thinking about it though. If the WWS guide isn't out after a few years with IEW (and my mountain of supplements), I can still see working through WWS successfully by pointing out the whole and where each detailed lesson is leading.

 

Would using IEW this year be a good "bridge" to using WWS next year?  And if so, should I go w/ SWI-A or would the U.S. History-based theme program be sufficient?  (We're doing US history this year and next, so that would fit into the plan just fine.)

 

I am using IEW as a bridge and it is working beautifully for that. But WWS is just one side of the bridge; WWE was the other. This is on top of the fact that we regularly do both CM and WTM style narrations across the curriculum, beginning in the earliest grades. So where you are coming from matters.

 

I have not used any of the WWE books with DS, but I really, really like WWS.  He started WWS last week, and while he did okay with it, I don't think he really slowed down to take in the information presented.  Week two moves on to outlining, but I want him to do more summarizing first.  Does the end of WWE 4 do more summarizing?  The only samples I can find online are the first few weeks with lots of dictation, and that's not what we need.  I don't want to spend $36 on WWE 4 only to find that it doesn't really have what we need.  Can anyone offer any info?

 

Since you know your destination is WWS and he is struggling with the summarizing, a foundational skill for both WWE and WWS, backing up to do some WWE would probably serve you better than moving to IEW. IEW starts with outlining. IEW baby steps outlining more than WWS does, but if summarizing is what is missing, IEW might just be an expensive misstep. That $36 will look like chump change if you spend the money for IEW and it still doesn't teach the one skill your DS most needed, you know?

 

In case it helps, I decided to use IEW as a bridge for two reasons, neither of which was actually to prepare for WWS skill wise. First, my oldest DS had WWE down pat and did not need WWE4. But I had heard over and over how challenging WWS was and I saw no need to get intensive with writing by attempting a program in 4th grade that other bright kids were struggling with in 5th and 6th. He is not a reluctant writer, and I didn't want to risk making him one. Basically, my goal was to allow time for increased maturity. Secondly, my DD is a precocious, natural writer and only 19 months younger than her older brother. I wanted to buy some time to start both of them in WWS together.

 

If you decide that he just plain needs more time in addition to working on summaries, I would recommend either TWSS or SWI. I personally do not think starting with a theme provides enough of the big picture of IEW.

[DragonFaerie]

:lol: This about sums it up. I've been thinking about it though. If the WWS guide isn't out after a few years with IEW (and my mountain of supplements), I can still see working through WWS successfully by pointing out the whole and where each detailed lesson is leading.

 

 

I am using IEW as a bridge and it is working beautifully for that. But WWS is just one side of the bridge; WWE was the other. This is on top of the fact that we regularly do both CM and WTM style narrations across the curriculum, beginning in the earliest grades. So where you are coming from matters.

 

 

Since you know your destination is WWS and he is struggling with the summarizing, a foundational skill for both WWE and WWS, backing up to do some WWE would probably serve you better than moving to IEW. IEW starts with outlining. IEW baby steps outlining more than WWS does, but if summarizing is what is missing, IEW might just be an expensive misstep. That $36 will look like chump change if you spend the money for IEW and it still doesn't teach the one skill your DS most needed, you know?

 

In case it helps, I decided to use IEW as a bridge for two reasons, neither of which was actually to prepare for WWS skill wise. First, my oldest DS had WWE down pat and did not need WWE4. But I had heard over and over how challenging WWS was and I saw no need to get intensive with writing by attempting a program in 4th grade that other bright kids were struggling with in 5th and 6th. He is not a reluctant writer, and I didn't want to risk making him one. Basically, my goal was to allow time for increased maturity. Secondly, my DD is a precocious, natural writer and only 19 months younger than her older brother. I wanted to buy some time to start both of them in WWS together.

 

If you decide that he just plain needs more time in addition to working on summaries, I would recommend either TWSS or SWI. I personally do not think starting with a theme provides enough of the big picture of IEW.

 

Thanks so much for this!  It really helps clarify things for me.  I'm leaning towards SWI-A, but I must say, I'm really excited about the All Things Fun and Fascinating theme.  What I might do is order both.  IEW's refund policy is fabulous, so if I look through them and decide that one or the other (or both!) won't work for us, I can just return them.