Essentials in Writing-enough?

[happyWImom]

We had been using R&S for grammar the last few years, and I did like the content and rigorousness of it.  Our writing, however, was very hit & miss, and dd really hasn't had a consistent writing curriculum.  Luckily, she enjoys writing on her own, so she did do that, but we obviously needed more.  Also, we were having lots of issues, so I wanted to switch to something more independent for her.  

 

She started with Essentials in Writing this year (I started her with Lev. 6, even though she's 7th grade.)  She likes it, understands it, and especially likes the independence.  So, why am I questioning anything?  That's what I do, second-guess! :tongue_smilie:

 

I do want to make sure she's prepared, though.  I don't see that they've done any outlining or anything, and even when I looked at Lev. 7 (she will start it before the end of this school year) I don't see outlining or notetaking anywhere in the schedule.  

 

Is it enough?  Is the grammar and writing a solid program, do you all who use it think?  Honestly, when we added it this year, it was really to save my sanity, so that's why I'm questioning it.  I know the old saying her, "If it works, don't change", and I agree for the most part.  But, I want her to be prepared.  I was looking at Cover Story as a possibility, because it also comes with a grammar dvd.  And maybe adding Fix It from IEW.  I don't want to completely change things up on her; I still wanted her to have a lot of independence with it, but if I needed to do more, I would.

[kiwik]

I only use it to after school. It is probably enough writing instruction but you need to practice the skills in your other subjects. Also at the level we are at (3) I would use WWE during the grammar portion.

 

I never heard of outlining before I came here.

[Jasperstone]

I am adding Daily Grams, and another writing program, as coming from CLE is appears very light.

[Murrayshire]

I can't answer your question about being enough, as for some students, it is enough.

 

My 6th grader has been alternating EIW (just the writing portion) with IEW's medieval theme book and we are just beginning Fix It.(AG is not going to work this year) 2 weeks EIW, 2 weeks IEW has been the schedule we are following. I find it gives a change of pace for my dd as well as adding different perspectives. Some kids wouldn't learn well with this sort of schedule and could cause confusion, but my dd has been thriving! Dd likes both writing programs and they are both so different in style of instruction.

 

If EIW is doing the job and you are worried about outlining skills, why not purchase an outlining workbook? Then use those skills along with EIW when writing across the curriculum. That may be the simplest way without changing what is working now. Work on EIW for a week, or through a full assignment, then devote the next week practicing outlining and using it in science/history assignments.

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/022872

[SparklyUnicorn]

We have level 9.  I'd say it's "light".  But when we used it that is pretty much all we used for writing.  This is not to say I didn't require writing in other subjects, but for focused writing instruction that was it.

 

 

[MerryAtHope]

The course doesn't cover note-taking, but it does help kids outline an essay (I actually thought his way of outlining an essay was much easier to write from than how I was taught in school) as well as use graphic organizers. 

 

It doesn't have outlining in terms of reading history and outlining it, if that's what you meant.

 

My kids came out knowing how to write and organize good, solid essays, and it gave me an easy way to communicate with my kids when their were issues with their essays--so for us it was very successful, and it's easy to add in additional writing assignments or write across the curriculum with the methods he teaches (that's what we're doing this year--in past years we mainly followed it as is, but sometimes I added an additional research paper to another subject, depending on time and our needs). 

[happyWImom]

The course doesn't cover note-taking, but it does help kids outline an essay (I actually thought his way of outlining an essay was much easier to write from than how I was taught in school) as well as use graphic organizers. 

 

It doesn't have outlining in terms of reading history and outlining it, if that's what you meant.

 

My kids came out knowing how to write and organize good, solid essays, and it gave me an easy way to communicate with my kids when their were issues with their essays--so for us it was very successful, and it's easy to add in additional writing assignments or write across the curriculum with the methods he teaches (that's what we're doing this year--in past years we mainly followed it as is, but sometimes I added an additional research paper to another subject, depending on time and our needs). 

I guess I need to get more involved with it.  I've been letting her do it all without any input from me, and I'm woefully behind in even checking her work, so maybe that's the issue.  It's also that EIW isn't talked about here that much & I put a lot of stock into the feedback here.  For instance, I know that IEW doesn't work for everyone, but I believe it's a very thorough, put together curriculum.  I purchased EIW to basically get us through this year, now I'm stumped.  

 

One reason I'm doubting it, is that for our history class, dd is supposed to write a report on Ben Franklin, and her comment was "I don't know how to do that, you'll have to help me."  Okay, what have you been learning to do the whole year???

[Murrayshire]

I guess I need to get more involved with it. I've been letting her do it all without any input from me, and I'm woefully behind in even checking her work, so maybe that's the issue. It's also that EIW isn't talked about here that much & I put a lot of stock into the feedback here. For instance, I know that IEW doesn't work for everyone, but I believe it's a very thorough, put together curriculum. I purchased EIW to basically get us through this year, now I'm stumped.

 

One reason I'm doubting it, is that for our history class, dd is supposed to write a report on Ben Franklin, and her comment was "I don't know how to do that, you'll have to help me." Okay, what have you been learning to do the whole year???

I'm not Merry, but after my dc watch a lesson video they explain it to me. Then they read their notes on the worksheet and complete the assignment. Then we check. My dd does this independently but I involve myself in helping her choose topics and helping with the revising/editing. I have her use her IEW Resource Notebook for strong words.

 

My ds does his assignments under my wing so far...... We always discuss the "meaning" of the lesson.

[MerryAtHope]

I guess I need to get more involved with it.  I've been letting her do it all without any input from me, and I'm woefully behind in even checking her work, so maybe that's the issue.  It's also that EIW isn't talked about here that much & I put a lot of stock into the feedback here.  For instance, I know that IEW doesn't work for everyone, but I believe it's a very thorough, put together curriculum.  I purchased EIW to basically get us through this year, now I'm stumped.  

 

One reason I'm doubting it, is that for our history class, dd is supposed to write a report on Ben Franklin, and her comment was "I don't know how to do that, you'll have to help me."  Okay, what have you been learning to do the whole year???

 

Well, that is somewhat different, unless she has already done a segment on doing a research paper (I haven't done elementary levels, so I don't know if he covers reports). Her confusion could be:

 

1, she doesn't know what goes into a report

2, she isn't sure how to research or where to get information

3, she isn't sure how to take information (especially if she's read a lot on Ben Franklin) and put it into a report

4, she doesn't know how to narrow the topic (Ben Franklin is a huge topic--where would you even start to do a topic like that justice?)

 

 

In looking at the topic list for Level 6 of EIW, I don't see a research paper or report included; plus it looks like the first half (give or take) is grammar and mechanics focused, plus paragraphs--I'm not sure she's done longer pieces, or that she might know that a longer piece she has done would have similarities with a "report." So the issue could be one of what she's done so far, or it could be a semantics issue, or just not understanding what the expectations are for the assignment and how to work with it. 

 

I wouldn't take her comments to mean "I haven't learned much this year," but simply, "I don't understand this assignment yet." 

 

I found that teaching my kids to write reports and research papers was a process, and that they mastered parts each year and had other parts that they needed more help with until they were ready to take off on their own. Each year they knew how to do more. 

[kiwik]

We are using 3. The first half is grammar. The research report is towards the end of the writing section. DS had to write a report for school just after we started so we jumped ahead and did those lessons.