Compacting Writing with Skill

[SierraNevada]

We recently started WWS 1 (having never used the earlier series WEE). WWS seems to be pretty easy, but in a nice, get it done quick, type of way. DS is a natural writer but I feel like the main area of writing where he needs a little direction is in the organizational flow. I don’t think sticking with this series for three years is what he needs, so I’d like to compact it. Had anyone else used this series but in a compacted manner. Or any other ideas to really focus on writing organization? Thanks. 

[SoCal_Bear]

This is an interesting question because I've never heard of anyone compacting WWS. It's a relatively newer program though. I wouldn't say that WWS is anything like WWE which I do use compacted. I've only seen posts on here of people were commenting that it was too much for their students. However, I haven't seen people who have ALs commenting on that. If I recall correctly, it wasn't the beginning of WWS1 that was an issue, but later when it ramps up with writing output. 

Having used WWE though, I can say that SWB's style is incrementally building skills over a long period of time. I know that she was targeting the reluctant, not natural writer (my ds is definitely in this category). I would imagine that perhaps that might be why you find it easy? Maybe CAP's Writing and Rhetoric or Lost Tools of Writing might be interesting.

https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/composition-and-grammar/ungraded-multi-level-resources-composition/the-lost-tools-of-writing

https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/composition-and-grammar/ungraded-multi-level-resources-composition/writing-and-rhetoric-series

[SanDiegoMom]

Someone did compact it, but all the threads are on the old board and hard to find! I wish I had saved them! I can't remember who it was:-( 

I have not compacted but I have cut out parts so as to work on other types of writing without over loading. For instance, last year one did fiction writing and they both did a literary essay writing class. So for WW2 I looked at the WTMA Preparation for Rhetoric schedule to see which assignments they prioritized from each WWS level and I just made sure to hit the ones listed for WWS 2.  

 

 

[MamaSprout]

We jumped in at WWS3, but dd had done quite a bit of previous work (W&Rh, Lively Art, Window to the World and writing across the curriculum) and dd is definitely a natural writer. I did compact some of the early weeks into 3 days.

If it's painless and getting done, I wouldn't worry about the next two years yet. If you finish the first level easily, maybe look at both the second and third levels to see where to jump in. It did take some effort on my part to set up the binder so she had the terminology and reference materials from the first two levels.  In the third level there's a lot of topics that can almost be treated as unit studies with mixing and matching- poetry, writing for science, literary analysis, etc.

My dd really likes it.

What has your dc done previously?

[lewelma]

16 hours ago, SanDiegoMom in VA said:

Someone did compact it, but all the threads are on the old board and hard to find! I wish I had saved them! I can't remember who it was:-(

It was me.  I have the file somewhere for how I compacted it, page by page.  I'll try to find it.

[lewelma]

Well, I found it!  It was on the hard drive of my old computer.  I'm not sure I remember all the details as it was in 2013, but here it is word for word as written in the document. I'm pretty sure I've listed only the pages I'm going to do.  All pages not listed are to be skipped. Looks like I edited this document for putting in the hive all those years ago, as I see comments written to you guys from back then.  ? Ruth in NZ   Compacting WWS2   I have the explanation first, with the example passages in parentheses S1, S2 = student text WWS1 or WWS2 I1, I2 = instructor's manual WWS1 or WWS2   Narrative (WWS2 weeks 2, 4) Scientific Discovery S1p.65 Chronological narrative of past event (S2p.25, easy) Sequence History S2p.30 (refer to p.27-28); I2p.65 Natural Process S1p.281-2(refer to p. 279-80, 282) combination of narrative and sequence S2p.63-65 (read); study T2p.62-65   Explanation by comparison (WWS2 weeks 5,6,7) S2p.79-80step 2 (refer to p.75-76, 78) Lit analysis T2p.274 Introductions and Conclusions S2p.94step 2 (refer p. 91-93) Combination of comparison and intro/conc S2p.110step 2(refer p. 109-110)   Description (WWS2 weeks 12, 13) Person S1p.223-4 Place: point of view and metaphor S1p.116 (refer 115, 118) Scientific S2p.155-157   Explanation by Definition – scientific (WWS2 weeks 12, 13, 14) Essential and accidental S2p.159step 3, p161 step 1 Function S2p.173step 2 using p.171-3 step 1 Genus S2p.187step 2 using 161 step 1 S2p.193-5 step1 T2p.240-1 step 3   Explanation by Definition – historical (WWS2 weeks 19, 20) Unique properties S2p.241-7 all of day 1 Function S2p.253-6 all of day 4 Genus S2p. 257-60 all of day 1   Not sure yet if I will compact these or just work through them. My older is not very good at writing about history. Explanation by Temporal Comparison – historical (WWS2 weeks 26-28) Week 23 mimicking classic essays Week 31, 32 combining Topoi   Figurative language (We will definitely be working through this as my son is a very black and white thinker) S2p.87-90 Simile S2p.103-107 metaphor S2p.283-5 metaphor S2p.308 figurative language These are just from the WWS1 student book. I have indicated the examples that I like the best for each topos. Each topos is covered over 2 weeks, so I tried to pick the more complicated example. I put a few extra examples in the narrative section in parentheses.   Chronological narrative Past event: p.49-51 (p.45-6) Scientific discovery: p.65 (p. 62-64)   Description Place: point of view, p.115-6, 118 (metaphors in these passages noted on p 126-7) Scientific points of view p.168-9, 181-184 Person: p.223-5, metaphor p.237   Combining Topoi Chr. narrative of scientific discovery with scientific description p.198-201 Biographical sketch (description with chr. narrative) p. 253-4   Sequence Natural process p. 279-83               ReplyForward

Edited September 18, 2018 by lewelma