Brave Writer Users.. starting with The Arrow?

[Mandylubug]

We are currently using Spelling Wisdom and Using Language Wisely. My girls are 10, have dyslexia and behind in the writing/grammar/spelling department. They were bored with AAS. So, we are taking a break from that and just enjoying spelling incorporated into our copywork/dictation for a bit. However, their writing input needs to increase.

 

I am considering trying out Brave Writer's methods. I think it would fit well with our CM studies. I don't want to jump feet in and buy The Writer's Jungle, Partnered Writing and The Arrow all at once. Budget won't allow.

 

IF I tried just one month of The Arrow and subscribed to The Brave Writers Life style email list, would this give me a good idea into this method?

 

I also assume this would replace SW and ULW.

[tm919]

You can get a free sample of the arrow and the quiver -- I would do that, because for me after 1-2 issues I felt like I could do it myself.

 

If you only bought one thing from that list now, I'd get partnership writing. It helped me understand what the lifestyle was about, what it looked like day to day and month to month, and -- in my case -- why the full BW lifestyle wasn't for me. There were also some great take-away pieces for me.

 

I do think TWJ is a worthwhile read at some point, but it was more something I needed to read to curb my worst tendencies than something my kids needed, if that made sense.

[Jackie]

You have the right idea. The email list (and/or the blog archives) and an issue of The Arrow will give you a pretty good idea.

 

If you like that, definitely buy back issues and Partnership Writing through Homeschool Buyers Co-op; not only are the savings significant but eventually you get free stuff through SmartPoints. I just "bought" my next chunk of BW product for free!

[SanDiegoMom]

I agree with tm919 -- I have Writer's Jungle, Partnership Writing, Arrow Guides, and now Faltering Ownership.  If I only could have one, I would go with the project based one (we are going into Faltering Ownership in the fall) and make up my own Arrow guides. They are very handy to spark discussion and to keep me on track, but the meatiest of the bunch are the PW and FO.  The majority of the "writing" isn't going to be in the Arrow guides -- those are just one passage for dictation or copywork, and a discussion of why it was chosen, and in the last week a final wrap up discussion and a literary element writing prompt.  All really good, but while I couldn't come up with most of the project ideas, I could do a guide myself. And in the PW, a major part discusses the "lifestyle" and how to implement it. Which you could probably get by spending time on her website too. There are also daily emails of prompts -- I store them away in case I need a new idea for a writing exercise.

 

I did not do much of PW, even though I have it. So take all my advice with a grain of salt! But I bought it for last year and as a brand new homeschooler I wasn't ready for it -- and my ds wasn't ready for such creative type projects. He lacked the confidence in himself. So we just did a lot of narrating and copywork and we used Treasured Conversations and Kilgallon.  Now they are asking for more creativity and are more willing to take chances, so we are going to do FO for fifth grade.