jkl Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 I am driving myself crazy trying to figure out writing for 8th grade. ds13 has done the WWE series and Treasured Conversations and various other pieces of things . This year we tried EIW. We both hated it! He enjoys writing research reports using note taking, an outline, etc. He has done lots of creative writing in the past, but doesn't seem to enjoy that so much now. I had planned on using WWS1, but looking at the samples, I can tell he will resist it! He loves history and loves to read. He and I work best together when I teach him a small lesson or we have a short discussion and then leave him to complete the work while I am available to answer questions or give my input. I am a fairly good writer, but I like guidelines! Can anyone suggest anything that will prepare him for high school level writing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Have you looked at Sharon Watson's writing books? Jump in is the middle school book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkl Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 I forgot about that one. That looks promising. I think I'll print off samples and have him look at them along with the sample of WWS and the Bravewriter thing I was thinking of. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkl Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 Hmm. Looking at Jump In a little more, it reminds me of EIW. There is something about that informal format that bugs me. 🙂 I think that's why I am drawn to WWS. I'm not ruling it out, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Another vote for Jump In (gr. 6-9). Or perhaps head straight on to the high school level, The Power in Your Hand (gr. 8-12). Other ideas: - Beyond the Book Report (pub. by Analytical Grammar) - Write Shop levels I and II - Lost Tools of Writing level I 2 hours ago, jkl said: ...Looking at Jump In a little more... There is something about that informal format that bugs me... Just an observation: Jump In -- and The Power in Your Hand -- are written to the student and largely done by independently by the student, so I'd ask your *student* if the informal format bugs *him* or not, as he will be the one largely interacting with the program, rather than you. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkl Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 30 minutes ago, Lori D. said: Another vote for Jump In (gr. 6-9). Or perhaps head straight on to the high school level, The Power in Your Hand (gr. 8-12). Other ideas: - Beyond the Book Report (pub. by Analytical Grammar) - Write Shop levels I and II - Lost Tools of Writing level I Just an observation: Jump In -- and The Power in Your Hand -- are written to the student and largely done by independently by the student, so I'd ask your *student* if the informal format bugs *him* or not, as he will be the one largely interacting with the program, rather than you. 😉 Ha! Good point! You are totally right! I will look into all of these. Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Have you looked at Windows to the World? It's published by IEW but is very different from most of their writing curriculum, and a student who has never had IEW instruction will be fine in Windows to the World. I have 1 week left of it, teaching 6 teens how to write a literary analysis, and it has been a FANTASTIC program for all 6 of them! ❤️ I'm seriously in love. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkl Posted April 14, 2019 Author Share Posted April 14, 2019 On 4/9/2019 at 6:55 PM, Lucy the Valiant said: Have you looked at Windows to the World? It's published by IEW but is very different from most of their writing curriculum, and a student who has never had IEW instruction will be fine in Windows to the World. I have 1 week left of it, teaching 6 teens how to write a literary analysis, and it has been a FANTASTIC program for all 6 of them! ❤️ I'm seriously in love. I love that you are so excited about this! I have to check it out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkl Posted April 14, 2019 Author Share Posted April 14, 2019 I really lie the loks of Beyond the Book Report (Season 3) and WIndows to the World. I'll be keeping both in mind for 9th grade! For 8th, I think what I am going to do is just use the resources I have (Thinking in Threes, Writer's Jungle, some MP lit guides, etc), and make a big list of assignments (creative and essay-type) and let him work through the list. So, I'm thinking things like reports related to his science topics, writing an alternative ending for a book he's just read, summaries from history and lit, imitating the style of his favorite author, some of the essays from the Hobbit lit guide, etc. I think he will enjoy selecting his own assignments from the ones I provide. He is going to be outlining in history (I may teach him Cornell style note-taking) and writing mini-lit essays like in the WTM. He keeps a commonplace book on his own. I think I have enough resources to help me review each type of writing before he begins each assignment... Thanks for the advice everyone! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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