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Need 2 months of writing - suggestions?


alisoncooks
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Oldest DD (7th) will finish her writing curriculum this week. I don't yet want to start next year's program...but I don't want to do nothing. 

If you had 2 months to fill, what would you use? I have Wordsmith Apprentice on hand...but I'm not sure how long it'd take to finish (I suppose we'd have 4-5 months, if she works through the summer). This child is not a strong writer and would benefit from continued practice. 

Any suggestions or thoughts?

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I'd grab a Spectrum Writing book https://www.rainbowresource.com/viewpict?pid=002103

It's not amazing, but it is inexpensive and will keep her toes in the water.

Or Evan Moor's Nonfiction writing...https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/049256

It would be easy to pick and choose topics from the EM book if she has any gaps that need filling.

Or you could try The Writing Revolution http://tapconyc.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/1/5/191529/the_hochman_method_09-15-2016-062048.pdf

Edited by Zoo Keeper
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Twisting Arms could cover about a month or so. Or longer if you stretch it out. It's about writing a persuasive paper.

You could also just do two writing projects and call it done. Our favorite of the middle school projects in BW's Faltering Ownership was making the book jacket. So they picked a book, read it, wrote the blurb on the back, wrote the about the author on the inside of the flap, and chose the excerpt for the other inside flap, plus designed the cover and put the whole thing together. It was really fun. More writing elements than I anticipated. You could do something like that. And maybe a little research report or a persuasive paper or a letter to the editor or a reflection paper about her 7th grade year since it's the end of the year.

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Wordsmith Apprentice would be a fun way to end the year. And it sounds like it would be a good fit right for DD right now -- plus it's written to the student and largely done solo, so *you* won't have to do too much. It's designed so you can assign as big or small of a "bite" per day as works for your student. Struggling writer DS#2 did it in 7th grade, and it did not take a full school year. Perhaps just go as far as you get, and then either finish over the summer, or finish it next year, as a supplement/break from time to time from whatever is your spine writing program.

Or, spend that 2 months on an extended project:
- do a research paper
- write a paragraph a day to add to a blog
- prepare and give several short oral presentations on topics from your history or science, with a slideshow
- do some real world writing: create a resume; write business letters (letter of complaint, of request, of commendation)

Edited by Lori D.
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Thanks for the ideas! 

I'm thinking about using Cover Story in the fall with DD (8th). Is it different enough from Wordsmith Apprentice to use them back to back? (One being working at a newspaper and the other creating a magazine.) I don't want to "ruin" Cover Story by using something similar right before... any thoughts?

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36 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

Oh dear, now I'm worried that it might be too difficult. This kiddo didn't read til 3rd grade, and we're still playing catchup in the LA dept. Cover Story looked fun...

I haven't used Cover Story, so I don't know for sure but I think you're probably okay. Wordsmith Apprentice is definitely light and easy, but also very directed. I have the sense that Cover Story is also extremely explicit (ahem, Brave Writer) while not being too dull (ahem, IEW). Hopefully someone who knows it can chime in. It seems like a lot of writing because I know there's a daily journal, so if the issue is that she's slow and it's all very deliberate, maybe it won't work. But if it's just that she's catching up, it could be okay? Can she write a paragraph without it being pulling teeth? Can she write a short essay?

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17 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

Oh dear, now I'm worried that it might be too difficult. This kiddo didn't read til 3rd grade, and we're still playing catchup in the LA dept. Cover Story looked fun...


I think Cover Story will be fine next year. You can always slow the pace, or reduce the writing to fit your DD, if needed. :) And don't underestimate how the element of "fun" can really help struggling writers clear the hurdle of writing more than they thought they could. ;)

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Write on (https://www.learn4yourlife.com/homeschool-writing-curriculum.html) was recommended to me. It wasn't quite what I was looking for then, but I think it might be soon. It plays with language starting with words and then moves to sentences and paragraphs. It's a lot of creative writing type things, that looks fun, but keeps kids writing.

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So close to the end of the school year, maybe doing a daily journal with fun prompts, and a weekly (or less often) more structured piece of writing would help keep writing more fluid and continue to reinforce concepts already learned, while not costing much, of anything, and not leaving you halfway through something you’ll feel obligated to “finish”.

also letter writing to relatives or friends who will write back can encourage more writing without it seeming like an assignment. Buy some cute cards or stationary, stickers, etc. Or maybe a family newsletter, which could include work by others in the family as well.

another thought is starting a blog on a hobby or topic of interest. With all of the blog metrics and comments giving feedback on what people are reading, it might help encourage more writing painlessly.

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Thanks again for all the suggestions. I got sucked down the hole of researching the Killgallon stuff (still might see if it can be used somewhere...), but I think I'll start DD on Wordsmith Apprentice. (Which works because I already have it.)

Speaking of already having something, while rooting through my writing stash, I found Treasured Conversations (never used with oldest as originally planned) but will work perfectly for younger DD next year. Woo!!!!

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My dd enjoyed Wordsmith Apprentice, so if it looks like a good fit go for it! I will say that it was very destructured (no clear divisions for days/lessons, etc.) which drove me a little crazy. And as far as next year, I'm not up on Cover Story, but have you looked at the stuff like Thememaker and Story Grammar Marker from Mindwings? I'd be concerned about spending a whole year with materials that are sort of general if she has some really specific writing intervention needs. Moreau behind MW developed her stuff while working in a dyslexia school, so you're literally her target market. You may find that "not a strong writer" = narrative language deficits. 

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