Can someone help me with Writing Strands?

[WaterLily]

We're using Rod & Staff English but this year I decided to add a writing program for my oldest (6th grade). We're using Writing Strands and I started him with level 3 since I already had it and he hasn't done a writing program before. He actually likes it so far but of course it's really easy at this point. I'm wondering how you're supposed to stretch some of the assignments out since many of the sections say "Days 5 and 6" or something along those lines. For example, we finished lesson #3 and the last part gives directions for "Days Two through Four" where you're supposed to write a short story. My son wrote a short story - one paragraph, a little more than half a page in length - in one sitting. So what is he supposed to be doing for days 3 and 4? Am I missing something? I own Evaluating Writing but haven't read it yet. I'm not sure if there is anything in there that would help clarify or not. Can anyone who has used WS explain?

 

Thanks!

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I let my dc work at their own pace with lessons like that. If I feel that they are working quickly through it and they seem to get it, we maybe do 2 weeks in one week. Sometimes we've had to slow it down a little because of hitting something completely new or something a little challenging and I want to make sure they really get it. But, otherwise we can do 2 weeks in one if we want.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have only just started writing strands as well, so I am no expert .

what I have been doing is getting them to write another paragraph, or short story or whatever with a topic of their own choice ( or mine) using the technique that was taught in that lesson.

[Melissa in Australia]

one thing that I forgot to mention is that I allow my children to do writing strands on the computer.that way they can insert words, improve sentence and paragraph development, etc.

they also are improving their typing skills , and learning how to use windows office.

[Peela]

When we used WS we didn't skip weeks when it says to take a week off. We just worked through, and it always took less time that the book seemed to think it would. I usually assigned by time, as in I had a set amount of time set aside twice a week, and she would just do whatever she could in that time. Or I looked at the assignments and divided them into 2 sessions.

Curricula is meant to be a tool so always feel free to adapt it to your own child and situation rather than being a slave to the directions in the book.

[cbollin]

On that assignment, WS 3, exercise 3, older students might not need 3 days of writing to complete the short story. WS 3 can be used from about grade 3 or 4 up to about grade 7. A 6th grader is not going to have to take as long on that assignment. But it is a good idea to take 2 days on it. One to write, one to revise/improve.

 

EX. 3, day 1, (my 9 y.o this year) we did that part out loud together to help think about expanding sentences by adding in an adjective. And then it carried over into the story that we were writing for the rest of the assignment. But you weren't asking about that part of it.

 

Day 2 for my kid this was time to develop the story. My average 9 year old spent the writing time acting a story about the kitten. I wrote down her words and story in outline form based on the questions that are asked. I used those 4 paragraph points to prompt her a bit. In some ways this was an oral lesson meets drama time combined with the outline too.

 

Day 3, my 9 y.o wrote out and revised with me the first two paragraphs of the story.

 

Day 4 -- wrote and revised the final 2 paragraphs.

 

When I was helping with this lesson, I encouraged my daughter to try to include one sentence in each paragraph that was about the thoughts or feelings of the kitten or duck instead of just describing action. And we also practiced a little bit of dialogue writing in one of the paragraphs (last one) to have the ducks talking to each other.

 

That's what I did.

 

I tend to use WS about 2 days per week so that the other days of the week can be for reading and other English/language arts. That way I have built in the "take a week off" of writing that WS encourages. It amounts to the same thing. Even doing that, my oldest (last year 6th grade) was going through WS book 3 at a faster pace. So she ended up doing all of this specific assignment in 2 days instead of 4.

 

And my oldest uses word processing for her WS assignments. (She did book 3 and 4 last year in 6th grader and is in book 5 this year as a 7th grader.) Just this year she began to enjoy writing an ongoing fan fiction story. So, she will use the goals and skills that are in some of WS assignments and apply it to things that she wants to write about as a way to play with writing styles and incorporate new ways in her writing.

 

Just a heads up on Exercise 7 in WS 3. Many kids freeze up on that assignment and think and say it is dumb or whatever you allow your kids to say when they are frustrated. :)

Just keep in mind the goal about the skills. The skills in this lesson are valuable for learning how to organize your thoughts and to logically present those thoughts to a reader. Also in Exercise 7, some children need a writing prompt to help start it. One idea my oldest and I tossed around was to make it about a detective walking into a room and needed to be very accurate about his report.

 

 

-crystal

[cbollin]

My son wrote a short story - one paragraph, a little more than half a page in length - in one sitting. So what is he supposed to be doing for days 3 and 4?

Thanks!

 

One other thing in my mind.... (I went back for coffee....)

The story is "supposed" to be 4 paragraphs long. Each paragraph is roughly 4 sentences each. Each of those questions that are presented is your topic for each paragraph.

 

at least that's how I interpreted the assignment. So, he might want to write 2 paragraph on each of days 2 and 3 and then on day 4 revise/improve all of them.

 

-crystal

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[cbollin]

I have a 5th grader doing WS 3 this year. I am letting him move along more quickly than scripted to try to "catch up" to grade level. WTM recommends that a 5th grader be in WS 5; a 6th grader in WS 6, etc.

 

 

I don't have my copy of WTM easily available to read that suggestion in context.

Just to encourage you though.... WS 5 was written for about 8th grader or 9th grader, so please don't over rush the lessons to try to do WS 5 in 5th grade. And it would have to be a very advanced 6th grader who would be able to do a WS 6 as WS 6 is written for about high school level. The book numbers do not necessarily match grade level. You'll have to scale back quite a bit in WS 5 with a 5th grader. It can be used, but it might work better when the child is a little bit older.

 

-crystal

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Ellie]

Just to encourage you though.... WS 5 was written for about 8th grader or 9th grader, so please don't over rush the lessons to try to do WS 5 in 5th grade.

Well, actually, according to the Writing Strands site, it would be for "students aged 15-16yo, OR for those who have finished Level 4." That "or" is an important word.

[cbollin]

Well, actually, according to the Writing Strands site, it would be for "students aged 15-16yo, OR for those who have finished Level 4." That "or" is an important word.

 

That is true about the "or" part. I didn't intend to leave that out. WS 5 is designed for students who are 15 or 16 and starting the program for the first time. (or for younger kids who have finished book 4)

So, clearly WS 5 and 6 are up there in level. My 7th grader, age 13, is in WS 5 right now after having used WS 3 and 4 in later parts of 5th and 6th grade.

 

I think what I am trying to say is there is no need to *rush* through books 3 and 4 with a 5th grader in order to "stay on track" with WS. No need to rush a 5th grader into book 5 out of concern of "being behind" in the scope and sequence. make sense??? Yes, a 5th grader who has finished with book 4 can be in book 5, but it is not "5th grade book" and the student is not behind.

 

It is my experience with my advanced child that the WS 5 book still needs to be adjusted for a 5th grader who is using the book as it is written more for the expectation of the older range. It even says that in WS 5 itself: "of course, fifth and tenth grade students would write much differently, but that is not a problem. Both can experience learning the skills presented in this level."

 

 

-crystal

[Carol in Cal.]

She just finished WS5. She did each assignment in two days, and sometimes I would require a further revision or polishing, extending an assignment further. I have never thought that the length of time that it suggests is reasonable--it seems to choppy and stretched out. I prefer to use the extra time to do subject area writing or other types of assignments, or to discuss how to refine some writing that she has already done. For this particular child, I find that it's often best to let writing sit for a bit before she revises it. It is easier for her to revise when the fever of creation has fallen off a bit.

 

I don't use WS every day. We also use aspects of Writer's Jungle, Rod and Staff, creative writing, subject area writing, and various standard forms. We are seriously considering having her participate in National Write a Novel month or whatever that is.

 

I plan to purchase WS6 next week, and finish it sometime around March of 2009.

[Lori in MS]

WTM has different suggestions for advanced writer, average writer and reluctant writer. The recommendation for 6th grade reluctant writer was to start in WS 4.

[WaterLily]

Thank you all so much for your replies! They were all extremely helpful. I think I'll do a combination of trying to pull a little more out of him on the lessons (he's prone to work very quickly and do the bare minimum) but at the same time letting him move quickly through the book since it seems to be pretty easy for him so far - and I suppose it should be since it's a low level for his age/grade. Good to know that I don't have to be "rigid" as far as the amount of days it says to take on each lesson. I just thought I was missing something b/c I didn't know why it should take 2 or 3 days to do something simple, but maybe it's because, like I said, he's working in a lower level book.

 

Thanks!!!

Edited October 25, 2008 by beccasboys