Writing Curriculum for 4th Grade??

[mommyto4QT]

Hi, I am starting to plan ahead for this coming fall.  I am really struggling with picking a writing curriculum for my then-to-be 4th grader.  Currently, we are using Writing Strands 3 and almost 1/2 way finished.  He completes most exercises without my help, but he does them quickly and with very little effort.  He "completes" each one, but not at the standard I know he could, if he just put forth more effort. 

His opinion is that it is boring.  

 

I really want a writing curriculum that is not too time intensive yet will set him up with strong writing skills.  I also cannot spend too much $$.  

Any advice or recommendations for what you used for 4th Grade?  

 

Thanks!!

[texasmama]

I like Writing Tales.  There is a 1 and 2, depending on your child's needs.

[Alte Veste Academy]

He completes most exercises without my help, but he does them quickly and with very little effort. He "completes" each one, but not at the standard I know he could, if he just put forth more effort.

 

I really want a writing curriculum that is not too time intensive yet will set him up with strong writing skills.

Not too time intensive for him or for you? What is your level of involvement with his writing? I think you can do amazing things for very little money, but I believe most kids benefit enormously from having someone work with them on writing. It does not have to take a big chunk of time on a daily basis; small chunks add up when consistently scheduled. We do partnership work here, and my feedback is vital. They benefit from my involvement—discussing, brainstorming, editing, correlating grammar concepts where helpful, even mentoring. My kids' writing is so much better when I become more involved in the process as opposed to when I have them go through something (anything!) on their own. I don't use Brave Writer materials, but we do BW Lifestyle stuff, and I highly recommend listening to the podcast on Partnership Writing. http://blog.bravewriter.com/2012/06/19/04-partnership-writing-stage-of-development/

 

I use everything but the kitchen sink in our homemade Writing Workshop, so I am not qualified to recommend one thing, LOL, but I just wanted to say that changing my POV and approach about writing instruction has been the single biggest contributing factor to my kids' growth as writers.