Another Rod & Staff English question if you will...

[angela&4boys]

We are not unhappy with Writing Strands and I'm concerned it would be too much to do both.

 

Does anyone do additional composition curriculum alongside R & S?

[Beth in Central TX]

I use R&S Grammar along with Classical Writing; however, in TWTM, SWB says that the writing in R&S Grammar is enough.

[Unicorn.]

I don't see why you couldn't do both. I think if you are taking the excercises from R&S, and applying them in other areas, you wouldn't need to add anything else. If you aren't doing that though, you could certainly continue w/ Writing Strands, as the writing in R&S is about 1 assignment per month. Maybe you could just skip WS the week they do a R&S writing assignment?

 

I hope that made sense, I'm running out the door. HTH (some at least)

[Ellie]

I don't think you *need* to, but I don't think it would hurt to use Writing Strands. I love the way it teaches, and it would help with R&S's writing assignments (the opposite would be true, of course, as far as mechanics).

[MIch elle]

We use IEW Ancient History Based Writing Lessons along with R&S English 6. We don't always do the writing assignments in R&S but we do read them and do the class practice for those lessons.

.

[Rhondabee]

I don't see why you couldn't do both. I think if you are taking the excercises from R&S, and applying them in other areas, you wouldn't need to add anything else. If you aren't doing that though, you could certainly continue w/ Writing Strands, as the writing in R&S is about 1 assignment per month. Maybe you could just skip WS the week they do a R&S writing assignment?

 

I hope that made sense, I'm running out the door. HTH (some at least)

 

in the 5th and 8th grade books, the writing assignments are more like one a week rather than one a month.

 

I have also tried (with CW, CC, and Wordsmith) to add to R&S's writing assignments (or, to replace them altogether). I always concluded after two weeks that it was just too much hassle.

 

The writing instruction in R&S is very good - you just need to keep in mind what has been taught (you can use post-it notes, or make a separate list) and then put those things into practice whenever you can. (I don't usually try to go out of my way to "make up" writing assignments in other areas. They really do just present themselves naturally.

 

hth,

Rhonda

[angela&4boys]

As always, you ladies are very helpful. I would like to address all of you individually, but I don't know what board etiquette with regard to responses.

 

I think that my 11yo (5th grader) can handle Writing Strands 3 along with R & S 4. His other written work includes dictation 2x/week and a narration for both history and science 1x/week. This actually looks balanced to me when I see it written out. If I see his written work is too heavy one week, I'll adjust accordingly.

 

As Ellie mentioned...

I love the way it teaches, and it would help with R&S's writing assignments (the opposite would be true, of course, as far as mechanics).

... so I'm hoping we can keep WS plugged in for at least this year.

 

As for my 8yo, I'm really drawn to the 2nd grade text and will likely do that with him with most of the exercises being oral.

 

Many thanks :),

[Carol in Cal.]

...if, as you and I are both doing with our children, we have them doing Rod and Staff a year or so behind grade level. I think that the RS writing assignments are spot on grade level or a little 'young', but that their grammar can be difficult and can be construed as ahead of grade level. In any case, my DD simply could not possibly do RS grammar at grade level, so she is operating a bit behind.

 

I do have her do the writing assignments in RS as they are good mechanical assignments, but I don't really count that as grade level writing; more like writing exercises.

 

For our other program writing we use Writing Strands, elements of Brave Writer, subject area writing, and poetry assignments.

[angela&4boys]

I think that the RS writing assignments are spot on grade level or a little 'young', but that their grammar can be difficult and can be construed as ahead of grade level.

 

I do have her do the writing assignments in RS as they are good mechanical assignments, but I don't really count that as grade level writing; more like writing exercises.

 

Thank you Carol. This helps confirm what I could see from the samples. However, I'm starting to wonder if I should move him quickly through 3 since he has never diagrammed? Any thoughts?

[MIch elle]

I suggest you start at R&S English 4 even if you've never taught formal grammar. It will teach diagramming from the beginning just a bit faster than R&S E. 3.

 

Your 8yo could start w/ R&S E. 3.

[angela&4boys]

I suggest you start at R&S English 4 even if you've never taught formal grammar. It will teach diagramming from the beginning just a bit faster than R&S E. 3.

 

Thank you Michelle. This is what I hoped to hear. It's hard enough for my 5th grade ds to see a "4" on the cover. :tongue_smilie:

[MIch elle]

http://www.rodandstaff.info/samples/english/

at the differences

 

I highly recommend the R&S E. worksheets! We use them for written work in place of the written exercises in the textbook whenever they're available (not for every lesson). We also make flash cards for all the important terms to memorize and review them daily prior to beginning the Eng. lesson for the day (sentence, subject, predicate, parts of speech, DO, IO, etc.) until they are ingrained in our brains.

 

Good Luck!

[Carol in Cal.]

that he could start right off the bat with RS4.

 

And if you want a reference book for yourself, the Rod and Staff handbook is reasonably priced and very informative -- short and sweet.