Q. if your child has taken WTMA Expository I?

[Wabi Sabi]

I know there are quite a few of you whose children are taking Expository 1 this year. Can I ask you a couple questions: 

1. What else are you doing to round out English/Language Arts? In particular, do you feel the need for a separate grammar program? What about literature, vocabulary or anything else that would generally fall be considered part of English/Language Arts?
 

2. What is the workload like? I know there is weekly writing, of course, but are we talking full papers each week or are some weeks just outlines, a paragraph or two, etc? My ds is taking the WTMA ancient history course this year that I consider to be somewhat writing intensive and is doing quite well, and next year I'm planning on having him take the next history class in the sequence plus Expository 1, but just wondering if the weeks in which is has to write papers for both classes will be manageable or really intense. 

Thanks!

 

Edited March 11, 2016 by Wabi Sabi

[melmichigan]

For us WTMA writing fulfills just that, writing.  We do separate grammar, vocabulary, and literature.  In high school, the rhetoric classes do earn a separate english credit.

[fourisenough]

My DD11 is doing the following for language arts, in addition to Expo 1 at WTMA:

~Analytical Grammar

~Prescripts cursive/poetry study/drawing practice

~Homeschool Book Study JH online literature class (without the essay writing)

~Reading a long-list of books that go along with our history

 

In terms of time commitment, it is not overwhelming. I would say 30 minutes per day 3x per week, plus the 2-50 minute live classes. My daughter is a fast worker and she enjoys it, so YMMV.

 

We love Expo 1 and will continue with Expo 2 next year.

[RootAnn]

Can I tag on?

I see that WTMA is recommending kids be in 6th grade or higher to take EW1. It seemed to me that some really young kids were taking EW1 this year. I've taken (or are taking) two kids through WWS1, so I'm familiar with the material. Do you think I should wait a year?

[fourisenough]

Can I tag on?

I see that WTMA is recommending kids be in 6th grade or higher to take EW1. It seemed to me that some really young kids were taking EW1 this year. I've taken (or are taking) two kids through WWS1, so I'm familiar with the material. Do you think I should wait a year?

My DD was 10 at the start of class, but turned 11 two months into the school year. I suppose she was a 5th grader this year, but is somewhat accelerated across the board. She had no difficulty with the content of the class, nor with managing the technology/handling everything independently. I think a child's maturity and academic readiness dictate how successful she will be in the class more so than grade-level, iykwim. Hope that helps.

[The Governess]

My Dd is taking the class as a sixth grader. She usually completes all of her work for the class on Fridays in a 2 hour block. If it's a re-write or smaller assignment, it will take less time. Most assignments have been around a page, double-spaced. There have probably been one or two longer assignments so far.

 

Outside of this class she takes a literature class that incorporates vocabulary, and we use R&S for grammar.

[redsquirrel]

I know there are quite a few of you whose children are taking Expository 1 this year. Can I ask you a couple questions: 

 

1. What else are you doing to round out English/Language Arts? In particular, do you feel the need for a separate grammar program? What about literature, vocabulary or anything else that would generally fall be considered part of English/Language Arts?

 

2. What is the workload like? I know there is weekly writing, of course, but are we talking full papers each week or are some weeks just outlines, a paragraph or two, etc? My ds is taking the WTMA ancient history course this year that I consider to be somewhat writing intensive and is doing quite well, and next year I'm planning on having him take the next history class in the sequence plus Expository 1, but just wondering if the weeks in which is has to write papers for both classes will be manageable or really intense. 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

My son is taking expository 1 as a 5th grader. His brother also used it when he was a 6th grader, so it's my second time through the book. 

 

WWS  is just composition, so we study grammar on our own. Both my boys used FLL1-4 and then R&S 5-8.  We only use the grammar in R&S and do about 3 lessons per week. Once a week he does Editor in Chief.  We also continue with spelling. We are using R&S spelling, which becomes more about word study in years 7 & 8.  I also assign literature, I don't make him write about it, but it is part of our language arts.

 

The work load is 4 exercise a week. If you want to know exactly what is required look at the sample at PHP.  It varies by week. Right now we are in week 23 and the workload is different than it was in weeks 1-12, for example.  As a rough (very) guide, I can say that day 1 is a summary or a one point outline.  Day 2 might be more writing or it might be something for the student to read.  Day three is usually (but not always) the longer writing assignment. Longer can mean 150 words or 250 or 300.  Or it could have no word count and be a specific number of paragraphs.  But, it isn't anything super long.  Even 300 words is just a couple paragraphs. Day 4 is now something copia, which is word usage, to give the student different ways to use language.

 

My son usually has homework over the weekend. If he were willing to work longer during the afternoons he could get his work done by friday, but he's not and that is fine. His class is M&W. So, he has class on Monday and then has to get days 1&2 done and handed in by the end of the day Tuesday. That means that he sometimes has to hustle on Mondays. He has class for an hour and then he has to do an assignment, or have to double up on Tuesday with 1&2.  Usually he does whatever assignment of 1 or 2 that looks shorter first and does the longer one on Tuesday.  Then he has class on Wednesday and does days 3 & 4 on Th, F, and Saturday or Sunday, depending on his plans for the weekend. I don't think he ever spends more than 30-40 mins on an assignment on any one day.  Some assignments are better spread over a day or two and some are easy to complete in half an hour.

 

One thing I love about WWS, is that everything is in the book. If you need to outline something, it is in the book. If they need to read a story, it is in the book. It is self contained, making it very easy to use. The teacher's book is also very helpful. It has sample outlines or summary, like the AG for SOTW has for the narrations. It has 'how to help' for every part of every assignment, and we use those, lol. It also has the occasional scripted dialogue to have with the student for an assignment, so it is necessary for the course.

 

My son is doing very well, much better than i anticipated. I am still very involved with the process, but the pressure is off me, lol. I am liking that part very much. This is much better than when I did this on my own with DS1.