Writing options for early middle schooler

[KSera]

I used WWS with my older kids when they were starting middle school, but I can't see it with my current rising 6th grader. She's a decent natural writer, but I'd like to start introducing a bit more structure to her writing. Something like IEW would not be a good fit; it's too rule-based. WriteShop Junior has so many pieces and parts, which never fits our style. What else is out there right now that might be worth me looking at? I'm looking for materials for us to use at home, not online classes.

[desertflower]

How about writing and rhetoric from classical academia press? 

[Lori D.]

Cover Story
(gr. 6-8) -- -- secular presentation, Christian author. Includes grammar, but makes it clear that it is optional. Types of writing covered are more creative writing-based, and include: a review; poetry (free verse and ballad); news article; letter; short story; blog post; a humor piece; a "how to" article; a "how everything went wrong" article; an advice column (letter & response); and ad copy. This can be a great program as a fun "pit stop" year-long program that allows the student to spend a year strengthening writing skills before moving on to more formal academic writing (essays, analysis and reader responses, research papers with citations, etc.) in later middle school/high school.

Jump In
(gr. 6-9) -- Christian author/perspective; Cathy Duffy review. While advertised as a 2-year program, it is because after each unit, it is suggested you stop and spend 4 weeks doing "free writing" from the prompts in the teacher guide. We found the prompts (in the original edition of the program) to be lame and repetitive and dumped that aspect, and finished the entire program (without free writes) in one year. It covers the 4 types of writing (descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive), and focuses on helping the student think of what to write, and how to organize their writing. Starts with 1 paragraph assignments, and moves into multi-paragraph essays.

Analytical Grammar: Beyond the Book Report 
(gr. 6-9) -- secular presentation, Christian author; Cathy Duffy review. There are 3 "seasons"; each is scheduled to take 12-15 weeks so that you can do 1 unit is a year and intersperse with the Analytical Grammar units. "Season 1" has 3 projects: book report; pamphlet book report; news article. Here is the full scope and sequence of the 3 "seasons".

Essentials in Writing
(by grade level) -- secular presentation, Christian author; Cathy Duffy review. DVD-based daily lessons, and includes a grammar unit and a composition unit. Looks like pretty complete coverage. Assignments in the year-long level 6 program include descriptive, expository, and persuasive paragraphs; summary; personal narrative; persuasive letter; compare & contrast; expository essay; research project.

Wordsmith
(gr. 6-8) -- secular presentation, Christian author; Cathy Duffy review. Written to the student in an informal tone, and can be done mostly independently by the student. Fairly light, so a strong writer would finish well before the school year ended. Covers all 4 types of writing (descriptive, narrative, expository, persuasive), and moves the student from single paragraph assignments, to a few multiple paragraph essays by the end of the program. I tend to think of Jump In is a more in-depth version of Wordsmith.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Lori D.

[kiwik]

Lantern literature if you want someone else to mark it for you.