Has anyone used Bravewriter's The Arrow?

[kokotg]

http://www.bravewriter.com/thearrow.htm

 

thoughts?

 

I'm thinking of using it for my 7 year old (who's an excellent reader) to add a bit more of a formal literature component to our language arts stuff (which currently consists of WWE and FLL and 30 minutes of independent reading (his choice, with my input) a day).

[Capt_Uhura]

I haven't used it yet but you can get a free one at Julie's website so you can see what it's all about.

[Frontier Mom]

http://www.bravewriter.com/thearrow.htm

 

thoughts?

 

I'm thinking of using it for my 7 year old (who's an excellent reader) to add a bit more of a formal literature component to our language arts stuff (which currently consists of WWE and FLL and 30 minutes of independent reading (his choice, with my input) a day).

 

I used this a few year's ago, especially for some dictation. I didn't use it as much as I would have liked but the price went up quite a bit if I remember correctly. Anyway, I switched to getting narration from some sites for Charlotte Mason type education and just picking out my own.

[kokotg]

I haven't used it yet but you can get a free one at Julie's website so you can see what it's all about.

 

thanks--yeah, I have looked at the sample, and I like what I see....I was just wondering if anyone had used it for the whole year and how it worked out for them.

 

I'm mainly drawn to it not for the dictation, but because it looks like it starts teaching close reading to kids, and that's certainly the kind of mindset I'd like to get them into for later, more advanced literature studies in high school. And at the same time, I like that it seems relatively low key. I want to start introducing DS to literary terms and concepts and reading critically, but I don't want something super formal or time consuming.

 

thanks for the responses! anyone else?

[Heather in VA]

I have used 3. I like them in general. What you see in the sample is pretty much what you get with the others as well, except of course different topics. I find them to be a nice addition without being overwhelming. It doesn't hold your hand much for teaching the concepts or the writing practice but even I, the math major, was able to figure out how to present it and come up with ideas for practicing the concept. We used the book as a read-aloud and then did the lessons. We get most of our grammar from Junior Analytical Grammar and Latin but Arrow is a nice, gentle introduction into thinking about literature and what makes good writing.

 

Heather

[LindaOz]

I use it with my 10yo and I find it very good. I have her write the passage from copywork one day, dictation the next, and then later in the week she does a rewrite of the passage where she writes as much of the passage as she can remember inserting own words as necessary. We use the notes on literary elements, punctuation and grammar as well and I find it a really relevant and efficient way of teaching these concepts. My older children used to use it as well, and I liked it then too. They do LLATL now but my 10yo does better with The Arrow.

[siloam]

I love the dictation and when it points out literary devices. Though it doesn't always do that. I like the base philosophy of the writing to a point. For my writer it seems like there isn't much to do, KWIM? You work on one writing project for a whole month. My writer can produce a pretty good piece in a week, so over a month I think she would just...read more books. For a reluctant writer it would be great.

 

The only thing I HATE about it is the format. The sample shows exactly what you get, and it is written to accommodate people who don't have fancy programs, so they use asterisks to show indentations and little things like that that just makes the whole thing look cluttered to me. Though I am a visual dyslexic and I might be having issues there.

 

Also be aware that Ruth Beechick philosophy in general is delayed in grammar, so The Arrow has very little grammar that covers parts of speech. It will cover punctuation in the dictations.

 

Heather