CAP Writing & Rhetoric - 100% teacher intensive or is there room for independence

[abrightmom]

I am using Fable with my 10 yo and so far we like it! It has been 100% teacher intensive in that I've not been able to walk away for any length of time (maybe a few minutes while he writes an amplification or summary but sometimes he needs me to talk through it).

 

I'm thinking about Narrative 2 and Chreia for my rising 6th grader but the LAST thing I can handle is a writing course that is 100% teacher dependent. There is simply not enough of my time to go around this crew. Semi-independent, open/go, written to the student type of curriculum seems to yield better results because we get to it. 

 

W&R is so engaging and I want to use it. Please let me know if you think it can be used in a semi-independent fashion with older students (as in, would you hand it over and let them go for it?). I may have to let this one go or use it with only one student this year (my middle guy would win as he's already using Fable). 

 

 

[idnib]

I think it could be used semi-independently although we don't use it that way. For example, a student could read a 4-5 page story, order the sentences offered for ordering, and write one- to two-sentence summaries of the beginning, middle, and end. Another person would need to participate in the picture discussions, open-ended questions, etc.

 

I think WWS is written for a more independent experience, being addressed to the student. Have you looked at it? We're doing Narrative 2 as a bridge between WWE and WWS.

[Clear Creek]

In my experience, the older the student, the more independent they can be with this program. Last year with my 6th grader we discussed the questions together after she read the fable or whatever at the beginning of the lesson, then she did the rest of the lesson on her own until it was time to critique her writing. My 4th grader needed me by her side a lot, and I expect it will probably be the same again this coming year; I think she really needs another year to mature before she can do the lessons semi-independently.

[kirstenhill]

My 4th grader was able to do most of Books 1 and 2 of W&R relatively independently this past year...but she is quite the independent type when it comes to schoolwork anyway.  She and I would work together on the first day -- I would read the story, she would narrate back and we would do some of the questions as oral discussion.  She would do the work in the workbook, and just come to me if she got stuck.  I would look over her work or sometimes have her read her stories back to me.   Sometimes we would do revisions, correct spelling/grammar/mechanics, write a final draft...but realistically we only did it maybe 3-4 times all year.  I didn't like that this wasn't a part of the writing process in the workbook.

 

We're going to go ahead and use Narrative 2 this year along with Paragraph Composing for Elementary (Killagon)...and I am not sure what else, as I don't think that will take us all year.  I am not sure I want to continue with W&R, but I am not sure she will quite be ready for WWS even after those two things, or that WWS is even a good fit for her (though I kind of like the looks of it).

[kiwik]

it was made for use in a school so surely there must be some degree of independance.

[SilverMoon]

Comparing your DC's experience to my DD's suggests that it very much depends on the particular DC. It's been half and half for my DD (8.5yo, rising 4th grader, precocious/advanced). Thus far we've shared a student text or a TM; we don't own both for any level. All her actual writing goes in a notebook. Typically we start out together, discussing as we go, occasionally she writes a few sentences in her notebook, and we usually get to a larger chunk for her to do on her own. When it's time to write a story, read a story to practice inflection, and such, she takes her notebook and/or the text to her bed and I move to the next kid.

[Chelli]

Comparing your DC's experience to my DD's suggests that it very much depends on the particular DC. It's been half and half for my DD (8.5yo, rising 4th grader, precocious/advanced). Thus far we've shared a student text or a TM; we don't own both for any level. All her actual writing goes in a notebook. Typically we start out together, discussing as we go, occasionally she writes a few sentences in her notebook, and we usually get to a larger chunk for her to do on her own. When it's time to write a story, read a story to practice inflection, and such, she takes her notebook and/or the text to her bed and I move to the next kid.

 

:iagree: This is exactly how we use it as well. Even down to the writing on a separate piece of paper. The parts we do together don't take that long. The longest part is when she does the rewrites, amplification, summary, etc. but those parts she goes off and completes by herself after we've talked over the direction she want to take.

[Roadrunner]

Well, you need to be present during narration and "talk about it" sections. Call it day 1. Day 2 exercises, which include some grammar and sentence writing/vocab can be done independently, with a exception if dictation. Day 3 - Summary/amplification can also be done independently. We also add a teacher intensive Day 4- rewrite/editing that is our main writing activity.

I think doing most of thus program independently would take away from the quality. We discuss even the "independent" sections.

[EmilyGF]

We meet at the beginning (longer on days with narration), discuss the questions, and then my son does it alone. I do have a day for rewriting, if needed.

[abrightmom]

Thanks for the feedback. I think my son using Fable is producing better thinking and work due to talking through it. I'll have to test out giving him more independence though. Now that we have a few lessons under our belt he may do just fine. :)

 

Man, I didn't think of having him work in a notebook so I could reuse the student book. Rats, rats, rats!

 

I like CAP W&R so much I may TRY it with the oldest in Narr 2. It is only 11 lessons. :)