Corrections and Rewriting in Writing with Skill

[Guest]

When your child completes an assignment in Writing with Skill, how critical of it are you? Do you accept their first work if it is fairly close? Do you go over it and make them rewrite it? If it still doesn't come back the way the Instructor text said do you have them correct it a third, fourth, fifth time, etc?

 

We have done IEW for several years prior to my ds(almost 13) starting WWS. He loved IEW, and loved to write. It was always so easy for him. We are only on day 2 of WWS so far. Both days after he wrote his narration I just went over a few things he could improve and had him rewrite it.

 

I am scared of being too critical though of his writings. He has done so well with IEW for the last two years; he has felt successful, and loved writing. I dont want to kill his love of writing, but I see the errors and want to point them out so that he can learn to write well. How much it too much correcting?

 

So far he likes it, and the narrations are easy for him. He did WWE 1, 2, and part of 3 before he did two years of IEW. I gave him the option of going back to IEW today, and he want to stick with WWS this year. He might change his mind in a few weeks though, ha!

[lewelma]

I have my son identify areas that he wants my help on. I ask him to find one content issue (needs more, needs less, confusing the way it is presented etc), and two sentences that he would like to improve the style on. After we work on those, and he has proof read the paper, I make a mark in the margin on every line where there is an error and he tries to see if he can find them (mechanics, punctuation, spelling, etc). And I explain anything he can't find.

 

This process feels less like a 'here is all the things you got wrong,' and more of a self owned process with a mentor as a guide. It does take a bit of time though.

 

Ruth in NZ

[TarynB]

I have my son identify areas that he wants my help on. I ask him to find one content issue (needs more, needs less, confusing the way it is presented etc), and two sentences that he would like to improve the style on. After we work on those, and he has proof read the paper, I make a mark in the margin on every line where there is an error and he tries to see if he can find them (mechanics, punctuation, spelling, etc). And I explain anything he can't find.

 

This process feels less like a 'here is all the things you got wrong,' and more of a self owned process with a mentor as a guide. It does take a bit of time though.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

Ruth, this is brilliant. I love it. Thank you for sharing your approach with us.

 

[redsquirrel]

I have acquainted my son with the idea that 'there is no writing, there is only rewriting". I both try to not to criticize him too heavily on too many fronts,and try to normalize the reality of rewriting. I feel in middle grades, I can be a bit softer on him. He really is learning a lot of process and if he has done what is asked I mostly just accept it with minimum revision.

 

We have had a couple crash and burns though. We are now beta'ing WWS3 so over the past three years of course there have been some exercises that just. didn't. work. For whatever reason what is given to me had no relation to what was assigned. The usual cause is his not reading the instructions closely...or at all. When that happens it is do over week.

 

Now before he hands in an assignment to me, I read my grading rubric out loud to him while he looks over his paper. He doesn't hand it in to me until he agrees that he has met all of the requirements. He he has flat out not met a requirement I won't accept it. I can't, because it isn't done.