3rd grade writing

[tmstranger]

Hi!

Next year, I will have a 3rd grader (this is my baby, so I'm in denial!).  I'm trying to decide what to do, if anything, about writing.

 

This year, he has used WWE2.  I do the physical writing for him when the book tells me to do so.  He does the dictations and copywork as asked.  He does all history narrations on his own (2-3 sentences depending on the unit) 3 days/week.  In science, he has some copywork to complete (sometimes very lengthy) and he usually has to write down some animal or habitat facts.  We do science on the 2 days that we don't do history.  He also has handwriting practice each day, but that is not much.  All subjects have some writing...math, health, grammar, and even art or music at times.  I don't want to overload him and make him hate it.  For what it's worth, he has an Aug. b-day, so will be just turning 8 when we start 3rd grade.

 

My older son is currently using the All Things Fun & Fascinating from IEW.  I know IEW can start in 3rd grade, but after looking at what my older son is writing, I can't see the younger one doing that much writing in a day...on top of history or science writing.  Maybe I'm underestimating him??  And of course, we still have several months before 3rd grade "starts!"  

 

Part of me just wants to do history and science work next year and have him continue to improve his history narrations.  But the other part of me wants to ramp him up to more writing.  I really don't want to do WWE3...I'm honestly kind of bored with it and I think he is as well. 

 

How much writing do you expect of your 3rd grader?  I was looking at Write Shop Primary today...if you've used that, did you like it?

 

Thanks for your input.

Michelle

 

[Dramorellis]

My 8 year old (also August Birthday) has been using CAP Writing & Rhetoric this year and is really enjoying it. He writes a lot though across all "subjects" and in his free time. I do break each lesson up over 3-4 days. I expect a decent amount because I know he is capable of it. Nothing unreasonable in my opinion. I have not transcribed anything for him for a few years though.

[ALB]

Hmm, my third grader will also be All Things Fun & Fascinating.  He definitely doesn't enjoy writing things out, so I hope it won't be too huge of a struggle.  I personally haven't even looked at it yet so you know way more than I do what to expect.

When my dd was in 3rd, I just had her do the normal copy work and dictation from history, science, and mostly literature.  We also were bored with WWE.  Actually, I never made it through any level of WWE because I found it simpler to just pull things from our other subjects and books.  All of that was fine for her and she was well prepared for Classical Composition Fables in 4th.  If that's the route you feel like would be best for him, go for it!  Or just do ATFF at a slow pace in the beginning and ramp it up as it gets easier.

[tmstranger]

Hmm, my third grader will also be All Things Fun & Fascinating.  He definitely doesn't enjoy writing things out, so I hope it won't be too huge of a struggle.  I personally haven't even looked at it yet so you know way more than I do what to expect.

 

 

ATFF has the child outlining a story (story is given to them) and then retelling it--at least in the beginning.  Each story is about 8 sentences.  I had my older ds doing one lesson each week, which means outline, rough draft, and final draft in one week.  I believe he is a typical boy in that he hates writing, so he complains endlessly!  He actually likes the program better than CAP, which is what he was using, but he just doesn't like to write.  We're only on lesson 6, which has him outlining and re-writing a 3 paragraph story, so we split this up over 2 weeks.  I honestly just see my rising 3rd grader hating this...he'd be managing through lessons 1-5, but at 6, he'd probably hate it.  

 

My ultimate goal is to find a love of learning in these kids (just out of public school), so I want to push them, but not to the point of making us all miserable. 

 

I appreciate you both sharing what your 3rd graders do.  It helps me to try to gauge where I need to get him.  Thanks.

[Chrysalis Academy]

My 3rd grader has spent the year up till this point doing mostly oral narrations, copywork, and dictation.  She's just now starting to write her own summaries, now that she feels ready and she is excited to do it.  I didn't push it before that.  I think continuing what you are doing now sounds just fine, and ramp it up if and when you think he's ready, not on some arbitrary "ok, we're in 3rd grade now" schedule.  KWIM?

 

I think there is a ton of value in doing copywork of long, interesting, varied sentences.  I think this gives kids a store of knowledge about the way words and phrases can be combined in interesting ways.  Talking about the copywork, picking out the subjects and verbs, noticing interesting word choices and nice descriptive phrases can help a kid see what writers do to make their writing interesting.  Then when they are ready to write on their own, they naturally incorporate that stuff into their own writing.  But only if it's in their heads, right?

 

If WWE bores you guys, don't keep going with it.  I think buy-in and engagement with a program is way more than half the battle.  You can pick your own passages for writing, like you are doing, or you can try something like CAP W&R, which has more variety and higher interest for some kids than WWE.  Another great option for 3rd graders is Treasured Conversations, written by a board member, which combines grammar and copywork, outlining and rewriting paragraphs, and basic report writing.  We're enjoying Write From History, which gives you history passages to narrate/summarize, copywork, and dictation.  It's nothing I couldn't pull together myself, but since it's already put together, it actually gets done! And my dd loves history, so she'd rather write about that than anything else.

 

I think you are doing exactly the right thing, mama! Trust your instincts and add more challenge when you feel sure your son is ready. He'll be a young 3rd grader, so don't judge him by other kids readiness, just by his own.