Writing Curriculum Suggestions for 9 year old

[acurtis75]

I'm not even sure I want a writing curriculum but I am sure dd is pretty bored with WWE. We have kind of been treading water in this area for a while. Technically we're doing WWE3 because we have the book but we don't get to it very often and it really isn't a priority. DD is gifted with coming up with stories and ideas and loves composing songs and poems but doesn't love physically writing anything down so keeps things short if it is a formal assignment. I have been looking at the CAP fairy tale curriculum, MCT materials, IEW, online options, etc. I'm open to anything...even outsourcing if necessary. I'm also okay with just leaving her alone and not doing formal writing for a while or having her just write and revise her own stuff. Is there an AOPs equivalent for writing and grammar? Something challenging and self-paced? She likes to work on her own but involve me in the checking/reviewing stage.

 

Here are some examples of things she has written recently on her own. I've left her spelling and punctuation alone.

 

chorus to a song she wrote called "wait for me" (pretty sure she composed a whole song but only wrote down the chorus when we insisted):  

 

Wait for me, I'll come, you'll see. No matter what you think, even if your hopes sink, down so far, hey hit rock bottom. You may think I will fail, but I will prevail, just wait for me.

 

I think this was for a figuratively speaking assignment but I can't find the original prompt..I think it was something about imagery:

 

Springtime reminds me of my youth, the time when I played and ran, the time when I got married and had kids. Winter reminds me of my old age, the time I needed a walker, and had great grandchildren to visit me. Death is the end of the path of life, you go to Heaven and live in peace.

 

Vocabulary from classical roots assignments:

 

Describe a course using minutiae or minutia in your sentence

"In history class children are taught tons of minutiae such as the names of rulers and the laws they made."

 

Write two sentences that show the different meanings of attenuate. Use attenuate in both sentences.

"I think your new diet started to attenuate you June, your nothing but skin and bones."

"This medicine should attenuate the effect of Melissa's cold, Jane"

 

Describe a magnanimous act made by someone you have known. Use magnanimous or magnanimity in your sentence.

"Daddy was being magnanimous when he let me eat upstairs even though I didn't finish eating the time before. 

 

 

 

[basketcase]

I can't say enough good things about MCT. Linguistics and literature are my expertise, so I was looking for something that really taught correct principles from the beginning. My DS10 and DD8 can identify all the parts of a sentence, and the older one can identify verbal phrases as well. They can both write in meter and identify the meter. And they know that a paragraph needs to be organized, not some artificial concept about a paragraph needing 5 sentences (thesis, three supporting points, conclusion). The vocabulary starting in the Town level is particularly rigorous. Good luck finding what you need!

[MamaSprout]

For writing, my dd really likes CAP's Writing and Rhetoric. I would also recommend a subscription to Stone Soup magazine.

 

She regularly writes stories without being asked. I see many high school level writing concepts covered in CAP, but in a kid-friendly format. We owned MCT Island level, and while we liked it, it just didn't click for us like it does some families. I really like his 100 words list, though.

 

For literature, I created a discussion and writing assignment sheet based on SWB's lectures (read, talk, write) and use the book list in my signature.

 

Good Luck!

[acurtis75]

Thanks for the replies. I actually forgot about this post! I went down with a nasty bout of strep right after I posted it and completely forgot about it. I will take another look at MCT and CAP.

[eternalsummer]

We're doing WWS - we just started homeschooling a few months ago, so I decided to skip WWE entirely (my daughter is almost 9).  It works.  She often takes the subject of whatever the writing is about for the day (the Titanic, smallpox, etc.) and does some creative writing thing with it, so it's not entirely a bore. :)

[serendipitous journey]

I'm sorry you were so sick!  and hope you're completely better. 

 

We are just figuring the writing thing out, for A. who has wonderful expressiveness in his language but is pretty writing-averse.  At the moment it's mainly WWE/Classical Writing here, and we're slowly working through MCT's island level. 

 

I think that you might like combining MCT with CAP (or CW, which I think we will be using).  MCT is rather a linguist's dream!  the first grammar program I've seen that talks about grammar the way linguists do.  I do know that many boardies seem dissatisfied with MCT at the essay level, though.  And the progym programs give a strong basis in writing skill sets that seems like what (some) writers do.  I know that the CW S&S includes exercises that remind me of John Gardner's suggestions for writers. 

 

We're considering WWS + MCT, esp. because Ruth has been happy with WWS, but what has swung me toward CW (and I think CAP would be similar) is going over the student writing samples I've found on the web.  The CW writing examples show an unusual freshness and are just plain interesting -- the writers seem very engaged.  Also the vocabulary is outstanding.  DH has pointed out that there are so few writing samples available, and I've not looked at ALL of them, so this isn't a very scientific survey, but one has to start somewhere.  

 

I am thinking of trying to run all three somehow but am not sure that would work as we do the more writing-ish elements of MCT. 

[greenmamato3]

just following along, and hoping to give you a bump, too.  appreciate all the posts so far

[texasmama]

I will be using Writing Tales 1 with my 9 year old, third grader next year.  Love Writing Tales.  :)