TKDmom Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Edited (I had TMI) My upcoming K'er and 4th grader are starting at a very good local public school this fall. DH has expressed dismay at where ds8 is in his writing abilities (handwriting, spelling, composition). I agree that what he's been doing is probably much less than what PS students do at his age, and I'm pondering what I can do to get him ready for next fall. I'm confident that he's on track in other subject areas, and his reading level is above average, but writing is really my weak spot as a teacher. What would expect a rising 4th grader to be capable of in LA? I have 4 months to work with him. He hasn't learned cursive yet. I don't know if they even teach cursive anymore. But I thought I'd at least spend the summer learning cursive.(If nothing else he should be able to sign his name). He's in the middle of SWO C. We will finish that up. What should I focus on in writing? I haven't done anything other than copywork and narration with him. We recently started Creating Sentences from The Write Foundation, but I'm not sure that will prepare him for a heavier writing load in school. Help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I'd contact the school and try to get examples of what they have been working on, and the names of any text books they have used. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 By the end of third grade work was required to be in cursive for both of my kids. You may want to check on requirements at your school. You should be able to quickly catch him up quickly if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I'd buy Write! by Curriculum Associates. You could do the entire book (time permitting) or just Part II. I believe level C is the third grade book. It is inexpensive and very good, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 What would expect a rising 4th grader to be capable of in LA? I have 4 months to work with him. This varies from state to state, district to district, and school to school. I would speak directly with the school they are going to attend. Also, ask parents with students at that school if you can see samples of homework, assignments, and tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArizonaGirl Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 As others have said, I'd see what the school expects of him. That said, I'd probably get Essentials in Writing, grade 3 (or 4 if you think he can do it), and jump past the grammar to the last half of the school year where the lessons walk the student through writing various types of compositions. I struggle with teaching writing, too, and this has at least introduced my children to the whole writing process of prewriting, drafting/composing, revising, editing, and publishing. They like the fact that it consists of very short video lessons, and the assignment wasn't created by Mom. :) The program was a big lifesaver for my struggling seventh grader who attends 8th grade at a charter school this year. Best wishes with the transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I put my kids into public school briefly this fall. I spent the summer getting the "caught up" on cursive and a whole bunch of other things, particularly in math. Turns out they didn't do cursive at our "very good" local schools. And my kids were bored stiff because they were not learning any new material. At all. I wouldn't sweat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Our school district phased out cursive. Call before you teach it for their sake! Maybe they have a reading list online (so you know what level to expect)? Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 I put my kids into public school briefly this fall. I spent the summer getting the "caught up" on cursive and a whole bunch of other things, particularly in math. Turns out they didn't do cursive at our "very good" local schools. And my kids were bored stiff because they were not learning any new material. At all. I wouldn't sweat it. lol, that figures. Based on friends' experiences, I don't have super-high academic expectations for the school. I just need a change in family dynamics without sacrificing the kids' education. I have been wanting to teach him cursive anyway, for his own good. ;) I suppose I should find out from the school anyway. If they do cursive, I will probably teach him D'Nealian (which was what the district used when dd was in school). Otherwise, I will happily continue on with Getty-Dubay. Dh was telling me that he had to have the all youth at church sign some papers earlier this week, and he was surprised at how many of them couldn't sign their names in cursive. These are high school students, and they were printing their names! So I wouldn't be surprised if the school doesn't teach cursive. I'm hoping he won't get bored in school...we'll see. I know it's a possibility, but of all my kids, his personality would fit in with a school environment the best. He's excited. It cracks me up to compare him to ds10, who declared today that he will never go to school, and wants me to homeschool him until college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Our school district phased out cursive. Call before you teach it for their sake! Maybe they have a reading list online (so you know what level to expect)? Emily Hmm, I'll look, but I didn't see anything when I've browsed the website before. He's happy reading just about anything. My biggest concern is that the school will expect a level of output he's not used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 A friend of mine who put her kids in school had them take a standardized test and then hired a tutor to help them with the weak spots before they enrolled. Having that data helped her focus. There are lots of threads around about testing services and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 He should be able to write at least a paragraph by the end of third grade. Fourth grade is writing intensive in CA as well. Kids write one five paragraph essay every week (paragraph a day), so I would just try to get him comfortable with some orginal writing. I would look ar Evan Moore writing workbooks for ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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