maptime Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 I'm trying to nail down writing for my rising 5th grader and need some advice. Long term I think I want to use WWS, but feel like I want to give him an extra year before starting WWS1 since I've heard many students do better starting the progression in 6th grade. For those who are familiar with WWS, what would you recommend for the year leading up to it? I was all set to use IEW this year but am now second-guessing myself. Is a year of IEW (sans the stylistic techniques) a good prep for WWS, or would the difference in outlining approaches (keyword vs. full sentence) confuse him? Thoughts? My other idea was to use something like Jump In, but I'm open to other things too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 We used IEW several years before WWS and I think it is a very good way to prep for WWS. My kids had no trouble transitioning from a key word outiline to the outlines required by WWS, and I think it was an excellent preparation, as we just flew through the WWS outlining lessons. My recommendation is to start WWS in 7th or 8th grade as I feel that is the most developmentally appropriate. My kids were strong writers from IEW, but I'm so glad I waited because they are able to glean everything WWS has to offer, and go deeper with the material. Hope that helps! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 (edited) Agreeing with aaplank, esp. about waiting for WWS until 7th/8th grade, unless you have a strong natural writer. For IEW -- we only used ideas from IEW in our homeschooling (key word outlining; spreading out the stages of the writing process ideas over a week; etc.), but if you think IEW will be a good fit for your family, go for it! Nothing in there would be antithetical to then later on using WWS. Just another thought: for 5th-6th grades, what about sparking an enjoyment of writing, and just getting comfortable with putting pencil to paper, with something like:Wordsmith Apprentice (gr. 4-6), possibly followed by Wordsmith (gr. 6-8) -- and Cathy Duffy reviewCover Story (gr. 6-8) -- and Cathy Duffy reviewJump In (gr. 6-9) -- and Cathy Duffy review -- we used this one, and while it says for gr. 5-8, I recommend waiting until at least 6th grade And then in late middle school you could move towards more formal/structured writing instruction with WWS. Edited August 17, 2019 by Lori D. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) If I were prepping for WWS I would work on two main areas: reading research articles/essays and breaking them down into sections which you then categorize into the topoi; working on persuasive writing. Those are the two elements I feel WWS is lacking in. My kids struggled because it was so focused on the component parts first that they didn’t understand or see the point and went through the motions without learning well how what they were doing would fit into the bigger writing form (eg academic paper). And WWS failed to focus on the persuasive essay. I think the persuasive essay form, in its basic form, should precede the academic research paper. ETA I agree 7th or 8th is a more appropriate time to start WWS Edited August 19, 2019 by Targhee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maptime Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 This is great food for thought. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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