Online summer writing or literature course

[Malory]

Can anyone recommend a good online summer writing course suitable for a 9th grade kid?  This is our first year having a highschooler and it has been difficult for both of us fitting in all required work.  He is working through WWS 3 but it is slow going and the first thing to get pushed to the side due to the lack of real deadline so to speak.  He seems to do much better with outside accountability so my plan is to have him do as much of the WWS 3 work as possible and when other courses end he can focus on writing/literature for several weeks.  Literature has been rather neglected here lately so something that combines lit and writing would be a bonus.

[Hilltopmom]

I've browsed the Bravewriter classes, seem to have a mix of types.

As far as lit, the Lightening Lit guides are easy, but not online.

We used a few of the free Glencoe lit guides this year.

[Matryoshka]

I signed dd up for the Center for Lit classes for the spring.  She also needs accountability, or I'd never get her to read anything.  For the spring, they have to read one book a month, and write one paper.  There is a 2-hour monthly live discussion about each book, and 1.5 hours (also live) for 4 additional classes to go over the steps in writing the paper.  There are a variety of high school classes with different reading lists to choose from, or there's also an 8th/9th grade level (that's what I signed my dd up for).

 

It's not over the summer, but it's not too onerous, and yeah, she needs the accountability, and really all I have to do is make sure she reads the book (that's hard enough - she can read fine, but she just doesn't want to).  I think they're still taking enrollment for the spring; the class to go over the first book is the last week of January.

[Julie of KY]

Brave Writer will have several 4-6 week writing courses over the summer, but they won't be posted until spring.

 

Center for Lit usually has one free literature discussion group over the summer. Even if you don't get signed up into the class (it fills quickly), you can get on the mailing list and listen to the class when it is recorded.

[Malory]

I signed dd up for the Center for Lit classes for the spring.  She also needs accountability, or I'd never get her to read anything.  For the spring, they have to read one book a month, and write one paper.  There is a 2-hour monthly live discussion about each book, and 1.5 hours (also live) for 4 additional classes to go over the steps in writing the paper.  There are a variety of high school classes with different reading lists to choose from, or there's also an 8th/9th grade level (that's what I signed my dd up for).

 

It's not over the summer, but it's not too onerous, and yeah, she needs the accountability, and really all I have to do is make sure she reads the book (that's hard enough - she can read fine, but she just doesn't want to).  I think they're still taking enrollment for the spring; the class to go over the first book is the last week of January.

This sounds like the very thing my son needs but I am not sure he can handle the workload this spring especially since I want him to continue chipping at WWS 3.  Outside of classes how much time does your daughter put in weekly to write her papers?  

[Malory]

Brave Writer will have several 4-6 week writing courses over the summer, but they won't be posted until spring.

 

Center for Lit usually has one free literature discussion group over the summer. Even if you don't get signed up into the class (it fills quickly), you can get on the mailing list and listen to the class when it is recorded.

 

For my son who has done WWS 1,2, part of 3, should I try him at Brave Writer's Kidswrite Intermediate, Expository Essay, or one of their literature classes?  He has impeccable grammar, but his writing is very dry and boring and terse.  He will do the minimum work required by WWS but I keep thinking he needs something else to round out his writing skills before getting into rhetoric or other more rigorous high school writing programs.  He is a typical STEM kid if you will.  I wish to have him enrolled in WTMA rhetoric next year and an AP Language class the year after that.  

[Matryoshka]

This sounds like the very thing my son needs but I am not sure he can handle the workload this spring especially since I want him to continue chipping at WWS 3. Outside of classes how much time does your daughter put in weekly to write her papers?

Don't know yet! They only have to write the one paper, and it's on the second book, which won't be discussed till the end of Feb, then they'll start the paper after that (first writing class 2nd week of March). They'll have till mid-May to finish it.

[Julie of KY]

For my son who has done WWS 1,2, part of 3, should I try him at Brave Writer's Kidswrite Intermediate, Expository Essay, or one of their literature classes?  He has impeccable grammar, but his writing is very dry and boring and terse.  He will do the minimum work required by WWS but I keep thinking he needs something else to round out his writing skills before getting into rhetoric or other more rigorous high school writing programs.  He is a typical STEM kid if you will.  I wish to have him enrolled in WTMA rhetoric next year and an AP Language class the year after that.  

 

I'm not as familiar with WWS, so I can't compare. I started both my boys as 9th graders in Kidswrite Int. and then followed it up with Expository Essay.

 

Kidswrite Int. works a lot on showing with words rather than telling. It plays with a lot of language to get you to make connections that you would not otherwise make. There's not a lot to show (like a finished essay) at the end of the class, but I thought is was a very worthwhile class. This class would be great at helping his writing not be so boring.

 

Expository Essay is a great class in writing essays and for bringing out his writer's voice.

 

Brave Writer has great feedback from all the instructors.