Writing Strands vs Write Source

[wehave8]

Which one, and why?

 

Pam

[Starr]

We used Writing Strands. I would now use SWB's writing program.

[Ellie]

Which one, and why?

 

Pam

 

I reviewed a friend's WriteSource and was not impressed: formulaic writing, too many adverbs and adjectives, checklists and stuff...oy...

 

I prefer Writing Strands: simple and straight to the point. No formulas. No rules (e.g., every paragraph must have [insert favorite number] of sentences, including an opening and a closing statement). An emphasis on actual writing and not on paragraphs. Children take what they learn in their Writing Strand lessons and then apply them to any kind of writing, in any other subject (or not even in "subjects" but in actual real-life writing). Each level is approximately a semester's worth of instruction; the author expected the rest of the time to be spent on literature/reading or other English-related instruction.

[wehave8]

I reviewed a friend's WriteSource and was not impressed: formulaic writing, too many adverbs and adjectives, checklists and stuff...oy...

 

I prefer Writing Strands: simple and straight to the point. No formulas. No rules (e.g., every paragraph must have [insert favorite number] of sentences, including an opening and a closing statement). An emphasis on actual writing and not on paragraphs. Children take what they learn in their Writing Strand lessons and then apply them to any kind of writing, in any other subject (or not even in "subjects" but in actual real-life writing). Each level is approximately a semester's worth of instruction; the author expected the rest of the time to be spent on literature/reading or other English-related instruction.

Sounds good to me.

Thanks for the comparison.

I actually have teaching tapes by Dave Marks for levels 1-4 (although, I know they are not needed).  I know my older dc liked listening to him.   I almost always come back to the tried-and-true.

 

Pam

[freesia]

I have used Write Source at times. I really, really like it. I don't see it as formulaic at all--but it did provide structure and direct teaching about formulating paragraphs, writing good sentences, etc. It was good for my dd who did not need the "scales" method in IEW. I have also used it with my boys who mainly do IEW--when we finish the IEW lessons early in the year.

 

You can get Write Source books super cheap used on Amazon (I pay about $5 for each grade level). So, unless your budget is super cheap, it might be worth it to look at and then have as a resource if you go with something else.

[Ellie]

Sounds good to me.

Thanks for the comparison.

I actually have teaching tapes by Dave Marks for levels 1-4 (although, I know they are not needed).  I know my older dc liked listening to him.   I almost always come back to the tried-and-true.

 

Pam

 

I knew Dave and Lee Marks personally--not intimately, not for a long time, but enough that I can hear him talking through each lesson. :-) I also did Writing Strands booths for him at a couple of conventions. :-)

[wehave8]

I knew Dave and Lee Marks personally--not intimately, not for a long time, but enough that I can hear him talking through each lesson. :-) I also did Writing Strands booths for him at a couple of conventions. :-)

Oh, I would love to have met Dave personally.  Did you get his teaching tapes that go along with levels 1-4?  I know they are no longer available. Strangely, when I called WS, they said they didn't know he put out teaching tapes.   I am so glad I still have mine.

 

Pam

[MFG]

Oh, I would love to have met Dave personally. Did you get his teaching tapes that go along with levels 1-4? I know they are no longer available. Strangely, when I called WS, they said they didn't know he put out teaching tapes. I am so glad I still have mine.

 

Pam

I heard Dave Marks give a vendor talk at a convention about 15 years ago. One of the few useful and memorable talks I ever heard.

[Ellie]

Oh, I would love to have met Dave personally.  Did you get his teaching tapes that go along with levels 1-4?  I know they are no longer available. Strangely, when I called WS, they said they didn't know he put out teaching tapes.   I am so glad I still have mine.

 

Pam

 

Dave gave me some tapes but I didn't listen to most of them. By the time he wrote all the levels and I became familiar with them, my dc were taking classes at the community college and whatnot, so I did not use all of the levels and none of the tapes. One of the things I wish I could do over. :-)

 

I think the people who run WS now didn't know Dave and don't know the history of the company.