What is a good starting point for LA?

[Gil]

We are going to begin a slightly more formal writing program, but I have no idea what. Also, the boys have always done their "school" together and love working with one another so is there something that is appropriate for both of their current levels or, in your opinion, would each boy benefit more from different programs? I was never a very good writer and I don't profess to know much about grammar but I'd like to begin working on something that will get them writing decent compositions by next Spring. Here is a sample of both of their work that they wrote yesterday at my request.

 

Pal is a good speller--in isolation. I have noticed that often, when he writes something he will misspell a lot of words that he should know or other wise does know how to spell. Also, I could use feedback about his handwriting legibility. (ie, can you tell what it says?) It took him 7min12sec to write this so *I*, knowing what he can do in the handwriting department, feel that it could/should have been neater. Pal is 6yo.

 

The Writing Prompt: Write about how to do something that you like. (Pal chose business)

Pals Composition:

If you want a Shop then you need a loan problee
Also you have to get utilitees and som mercshandise products and shelving.

Register with the city and get to clean your building. Get a sign for the [drawing of a door] *Door

*(I told him he needed to write, not draw so he added "Door".)

 

 

My evaluation of Pal

Random use of capital letters (i.e "Shop" "Door")

His grammar is choppy--Only two periods.

malformed sentence fragment "...and get to clean your building"

Misspelled a few words. I don't think he could figure out the spelling for 'merchandise'

Buddy is also a good speller usually and he has fewer issues with spelling + writing, however his grammar isn't that great, his letters "scrunch" in size and he struggles with writing a little more than Pal. It took him 11min3sec to do his writing prompt.

The Writing Prompt: Write about how to do something that you like. (Buddy chose pets.)

Buddys Composition:

If you get a dog you are lucky. Super lucky because I can't have a dog all because

my dad Gilroy said "No Pets Ever!"

I would setle for a fish even but Not with my dad. No way. If I had a

dog I name her Phaye or him Scoot

er.

 

My evaluation of Buddy

Composition isn't very focused on topic. (He wrote about wanting a pet. Not how to do anything for or with a pet.)
Weak sentences or sentence fragments (No way)

Punctuation issues: No Pets Ever (3 capital letters in one sentence)

Misspelled "settle"

 

Based on where we are at, where do I need to start?

I'm not great at LA type stuff but I didn't need a remedial class at it, so I think I probably write on a 7th-9th grade level in general. I do NOT produce collegiate level writing. Something with teacher guidance for me would be great. Also, I don't want it to be a time sink or costly. If it is a PDF/eBook that I can print at my convenience than that would be great.

I looked at KISS grammar but couldn't figure it out...

 

[Gil]

I had to edit it because the 2nd picture was upside down. Sorry about that.

[Crimson Wife]

You might want to get Evan-Moor's Teacher File Box. That would give you access to all sorts of EM e-workbooks (in all subjects) that you could print out to work on specific skills. HSBC has a discount on a 1 year subscription: https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/teacherfilebox/?c=1

[Gil]

I looked at Teacher File Box and at Evan-Moor and to be honest, I can't figure it out. What would I do with the TFB site? Is there a teachers manual that would walk me through using all of those things? I have no idea how to go about using tens of thousands of vaguely grouped worksheets. I guess that personally I am hoping for more hands-on and guidance for me.

 

I can teach math because there is a definite and concrete point at which the answer has been found and verified. I don't know how to do that with composition type stuff. The boys are capable but "meh" about writing. They don't love it and would probably get mad if I made them do a lot of it daily. I am hoping for something that helps us work on a small-to-medium amount of vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation every day throughout the week and guides us to write 1 composition a week. Each year/level increasing the weekly quota until they are writing 1 a day for middle school.

Does that exist?

[Annie Laurie]

I looked at Teacher File Box and at Evan-Moor and to be honest, I can't figure it out. What would I do with the TFB site? Is there a teachers manual that would walk me through using all of those things? I have no idea how to go about using tens of thousands of vaguely grouped worksheets. I guess that personally I am hoping for more hands-on and guidance for me.

 

I can teach math because there is a definite and concrete point at which the answer has been found and verified. I don't know how to do that with composition type stuff. The boys are capable but "meh" about writing. They don't love it and would probably get mad if I made them do a lot of it daily. I am hoping for something that helps us work on a small-to-medium amount of vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation every day throughout the week and guides us to write 1 composition a week. Each year/level increasing the weekly quota until they are writing 1 a day for middle school.

Does that exist?

 

I go to the Evan-Moor website and click on the language arts category and look at the options, when I find something I want to try, I look up the EMC number by zooming in on the cover of the book and I type EMC and whatever number it is into the TFB search window and it will pull them all up. Then I use the look inside feature on the Evan-Moor website to see the table of contents, and that helps me figure out what order to print them in. There are instructions included with the material.

 

You can always just buy the Evan-Moor books you want in ebook format and print them off, bypassing the TFB option. It just gets more expensive that way.

 

CLE language arts (www.clp.org) has language arts workbooks that are really good for workbooks and relatively inexpensive. They have a litle bit of grammar, spelling, penmanship, vocab, etc, in each workbook and are open and go. You can purchase a teacher's manual. They have samples on the website.  There are small writing assignments, but it's not really a complete writing program. But if your kids are younger, it might be enough for your purposes. And if it doesn't feel liek enough, adding some copywork and dictation would be enough writing for younger kids.

 

Writing With Ease is open and go if you purchase the student workbooks, but it focuses on copywork, narration, and dictation in the younger years, not writing compositions.

 

Something like Serl's Primary Language Lessons might have a nice mix of things that you would like, all in one book.

 

Writing Strands is another option, I have never used it so can't comment on it.

[Crimson Wife]

With TFB, you have access to a ton of different EM workbooks in an electronic format. So, for example, you could have your boys work through "Language Fundamentals" for grammar & mechanics, "Paragraph Writing" for expository writing, "How to Write a Story" for creative writing, "Vocabulary Fundamentals" for vocab, "Building Spelling Skills" for spelling, etc. It would be open-and-go once you picked the correct grade level books to start with.

 

 

I think given your limited budget and need for work that can be done independently TFB would be an attractive purchase. EM may not be as engaging as something like MCT, but everything I've used from them has been solid.