WWS with Creative Writer? Anyone use both?

[LAmom]

I am thinking of doing WWS2 with my 8th grader next year but want to get her doing some more writing.  Does anyone use Creative Writer (and which one?) alongside WWS?  Is it too much to try to do both?

 

 

[redsquirrel]

Honestly, we always wanted to, and in theory they are made to be done together. But, I have always found that WWS expands to take over all available writing time. My kids do enjoy writing creatively, but after doing WWS, they want freedom to explore their ideas on their own. The last thing they want is another writing curriculum to follow.

 

But, that is just one family's experience.

[LAmom]

Hmm, would you do Creative Writer and not WWS2?  She wants to write but I feel like she needs some guidelines to encourage her in it.  I haven't fully look at WWS2 yet and what assignments she would be doing.

[redsquirrel]

What are your writing goals?  If your goal is to get her ready for high school level academic writing, then, personally, I would go with WWS over creative writing.  WWS is going to address those goals.

[bplacy]

My 7th grader has done The Creative Writer Level 1 and WWS2 this year.  She does the former one day a week and the latter four days a week.  She absolutely loves to write, especially creatively, but I will say it has been a lot of work....almost too much, since she completes The Creative Writer's whole week's lesson in that one day.  If I could go back and do it over, I would replace one of the other subjects she did with The Creative Writer and spread it over the whole week like it's probably meant to do.  Though which subject I'd replace is a mystery since they all seemed so important...possibly one of the extra co-op classes she took.  I hope this helps.