How was your transition from WT2 to CW Homer?

[Melissa in CA]

If you used Writing Tales 2 and then moved on to CW's Homer, can you tell me how the transition went? Easy-smeasy? Difficult?

 

I shelved our WT2 at the beginning of this school year and began using Writing Aids. I am now thinking to finish up our WT2 and possibly move on to Homer...or maybe back to Writing Aids or even IEW. I just don't know. It seems that whatever program I use I dislike in some way. It's just me.

 

Anyhow, just wanting to get a been-there-done-that feel to our next curriculum choice. Anyone heard if there's a Writing Tales 3 coming out??

[Testimony]

I plan to make that move next year. I am curious as to how other's did it. What grammar program did they use with this writing program?

 

Blessings,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Melissa in CA]

Hmmm...I thought there were some WT2 to CW Homer users out there. Anyone?

 

Karen, my main worry about moving to CW Homer is the grammar. I would want to use the program as it is written. I would get the Harveys and the workbooks CW has made to go with the Harveys. I would want to purchase everything that would make the program easier to implement. This would cost a bit of money, but I will have it to spend when the time comes.

 

Now, having said that, I greatly fear changing grammar programs!! My son has been using BJU for almost three years now and his grammar knowledge is very good. Much more than his older brothers knew in 6th grade, and probably even a few things they still don't grasp...like diagramming. I have all of the BJU grammar on DVD through 11th grade. I even have all of the workbooks, TE's, etc. I don't know that change in this area would be a wise thing and yet how does one use BJU with CW? It seems like it would be so much harder to do CW with BJU. So, therein, lies my main dilemma.

 

I am familiar with IEW and could use that in a pinch. It's a great program and I could continue using BJU grammar with it without issue. It would probably be the easier choice...but is it the best overall long term choice? This boy will most definitely go to college and I see some type of liberal arts degree in his future. He NEEDS to know how to write well, and how to think about others' writings. I feel we are way behind in this area.

 

We put WT2 aside this year because I wanted to try Writing Aids. WA is great, but it's not a good fit for me. I need more hand-holding I guess. It's just very easy for me to forget to teach writing with it. I need day-by-day instruction [as opposed to a weekly goal] and accountability to get my son writing. WT2 was good in that area. The grammar of WT2 is severely lacking for his age though...even last year in 5th grade...I felt the grammar was waaaaay to simplistic. :tongue_smilie: We used BJU alongside it though, so no biggie. The writing seemed on par for him. Not too difficult, not too easy. {sigh}

 

What to do, what to do.

 

Sorry for rambling...

[Tree House Academy]

This is my plan after we finish WT II - we shall see. I would love to hear feedback too from those wo have BTDT. Anyone??

[chai]

Hmmm...I thought there were some WT2 to CW Homer users out there. Anyone?

 

Karen, my main worry about moving to CW Homer is the grammar. I would want to use the program as it is written. I would get the Harveys and the workbooks CW has made to go with the Harveys. I would want to purchase everything that would make the program easier to implement. This would cost a bit of money, but I will have it to spend when the time comes.

 

Now, having said that, I greatly fear changing grammar programs!! My son has been using BJU for almost three years now and his grammar knowledge is very good. Much more than his older brothers knew in 6th grade, and probably even a few things they still don't grasp...like diagramming. I have all of the BJU grammar on DVD through 11th grade. I even have all of the workbooks, TE's, etc. I don't know that change in this area would be a wise thing and yet how does one use BJU with CW? It seems like it would be so much harder to do CW with BJU. So, therein, lies my main dilemma.

 

...

 

I haven't BTDT, but my dd is in Homer this year. We used Aesop the last two years, but I used my own models and didn't use the CW workbooks. This year, I am using everything--workbooks, instructor guide, Harvey's grammar. IMO, Harvey's is not really integrated into CW. If you really like BJU, I'd keep using it. I don't think you will lose anything. Just keep grammar as a separate time period and do it the way you are doing it now. The Homer core book explains every grammar concept you will need in it's analysis so if you haven't covered it in BJU, you don't need to worry. With the CW instructor guide and student workbook and the Homer core, you will have everything you need.

 

HTH

[Kfamily]

but I will know more later this school year. We are working hard to finish WT2 and I hope to start Homer by February. We are going to use the Harvery's grammar because I too wanted everything to be set up. My dd has not been using a serious grammar program so this was easy for me but I have understood that you can use your own grammar program and that it should not be a problem. I have also understood that WT2 should go into Homer quite nicely. I have looked ahead at Homer and I think we will be just fine coming from all we are learning in WT2. We are nearing the end (L23 out of 30) and it has really begun to step up.

 

Sorry I'm not more helpful but I can share more in the spring if you'd like!

 

HTH:001_smile:

[Melissa in CA]

I haven't BTDT, but my dd is in Homer this year. We used Aesop the last two years, but I used my own models and didn't use the CW workbooks. This year, I am using everything--workbooks, instructor guide, Harvey's grammar. IMO, Harvey's is not really integrated into CW. If you really like BJU, I'd keep using it. I don't think you will lose anything. Just keep grammar as a separate time period and do it the way you are doing it now. The Homer core book explains every grammar concept you will need in it's analysis so if you haven't covered it in BJU, you don't need to worry. With the CW instructor guide and student workbook and the Homer core, you will have everything you need.

 

HTH

 

Thank you! That was very helpful. I guess I thought that if we didn't use Harvey's the program would be far harder to follow and we wouldn't get as much out of it. Good to know the grammar is covered in the Core book and that CW does not rely too heavily on Harvey's (integration). BJU's grammar is pretty thorough so I doubt Homer would have anything we have not covered in some form or another. Perhaps not mastered...but at least covered. ;)

 

I see you are using Homer with a 9 yo. How I wish I had learned of the "Classical Education" earlier. I feel like we are very far behind and doubtful to ever fully catch up. :tongue_smilie:

 

Thank you for posting. I truly apprecaite it. :D

 

Blessings,

[Testimony]

I am thinking this through myself.

 

I spoke to a woman who has gone from Writing Tales to Homer and has used Our Mother Tongue. Now, she said that she spent an entire summer matching Our Mother Tongue topics to Homer and it was in sixth grade that they did it. So, I have decided. I will purchase both Classical Writing Homer and Our Mother Tongue. I will organize the lessons to match with the writing. Also, I am going to break up Our Mother Tongue into 2 years instead of 1 year. The woman that I spoke to said that Our Mother Tongue should be done in two years for a younger grade student.

 

Blessings in your homeschooling journey.

 

Sincerely,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

Edited December 12, 2008 by Testimony
did not like the wording

[PeterPan]

Melissa, I read your post with interest because I followed you so much on the Homesat threads. (I seriously pondered Homesat with the new baby, but now things are setting in to the point where we're surviving. Not great or perfect, but surviving, hehe.) Anyways, I wondered if you had pondered doing the BJU writing. There's nothing wrong with it, and it would be exactly what you're saying: age-appropriate, college-prep, daily lessons, easy to implement.

 

I think you're going to be fine, absolutely fine, going from WT2 to Homer. I just ordered the core and whatnot, so we'll see. From the looks of it and from what people have said, I think we'll be fine. You should stop giving yourself such a hard time about his progress. I know you feel like he's behind, but he's right where he's MEANT to be, as in what fits him. And you know, there's a big spread of when you can start things and still come out fine. I also wanted to observe that in the BJU science and reading they sneak in quite a bit of writing. Don't know about their history, as I don't have the heart to do it. (I'm with you on the joys of a literature-based history study!) So anyways, if the BJU writing doesn't seem like enough, it's because there's so much writing in the other subjects. Like in the science 4 we're doing, there are concept webs, a paragraph writing assignment for each chapter, study guides to fill in, and guides that teach them how to read articles and research. In the reading, there is outlining and study skills stuff. They spread it out rather than stuffing it just in the writing program.

 

Well hopefully that didn't ramble too much. I've tried three times to get this off to you, and each time I keep getting interrupted!

[Melissa in CA]

Melissa, I read your post with interest because I followed you so much on the Homesat threads. (I seriously pondered Homesat with the new baby, but now things are setting in to the point where we're surviving. Not great or perfect, but surviving, hehe.) Anyways, I wondered if you had pondered doing the BJU writing. There's nothing wrong with it, and it would be exactly what you're saying: age-appropriate, college-prep, daily lessons, easy to implement.

 

I think you're going to be fine, absolutely fine, going from WT2 to Homer. I just ordered the core and whatnot, so we'll see. From the looks of it and from what people have said, I think we'll be fine. You should stop giving yourself such a hard time about his progress. I know you feel like he's behind, but he's right where he's MEANT to be, as in what fits him. And you know, there's a big spread of when you can start things and still come out fine. I also wanted to observe that in the BJU science and reading they sneak in quite a bit of writing. Don't know about their history, as I don't have the heart to do it. (I'm with you on the joys of a literature-based history study!) So anyways, if the BJU writing doesn't seem like enough, it's because there's so much writing in the other subjects. Like in the science 4 we're doing, there are concept webs, a paragraph writing assignment for each chapter, study guides to fill in, and guides that teach them how to read articles and research. In the reading, there is outlining and study skills stuff. They spread it out rather than stuffing it just in the writing program.

 

Well hopefully that didn't ramble too much. I've tried three times to get this off to you, and each time I keep getting interrupted!

 

Actually, we do use BJU's Writing & Grammar writing assignments. :D I agree that it's good and definitely worthwhile. It's not that I don't find them "enough" per say. It's that WT and CW teach writing so very differently. My son does not like having to come up with his own stuff to write about. WT and CW and even IEW help in that regard. With WT2, he is able to concentrate on his writing skills instead of getting frustrated on what to write. Does that make sense? This week in BJU he has had to write directions for creating a crafty item. He has hated it and complained all week. "I don't know what to write." "Why do I have to do this?" etc., etc., etc. It's just too much for him to have to not only work on his writing skills, but to also have to come up with something to write about. STILL a worthwhile pursuit though, so I have him do the assignments regardless of any complaining. (He doesn't always complain of course, some BJU assignments are easier than others).

 

Anyhow, after the holidays I plan to finish the year by using BJU and WT2. I may throw a Writing Aids assignment in here and there as well. I won't use WT2 during a BJU writing Chapter though. Instead I will switch off between them. This is what I did last year in 5th when we began WT2 mid-year. It worked fine. His very best writing was from his WT2 assignments. He seemed to enjoy those more so than the BJU ones. But BJU assigns everyday type writing...book reports, narratives, letters, etc; useful things every child should learn to do. So, regardless of his less than great writing for his BJU assignments, I still find them worthwhile. ;)

 

The real problem with BJU will arise next year when the BJU HomeSat teachers no longer walk the child through the writing assignments. In the younger grades the teachers will take an entire week or more going through the writing assignment step by step. From 7th on up this is no longer the case. Instead they talk about the assignment in one lesson, and it is up to the child to complete it and turn it in. No hand-holding at all. I know myself so very well and know that this will not work for us. I used some of the high school BJU W&G classes for my older boys, so I know of what I am talking. Writing will have to be a separate program or it will not get done. A weakness of mine, not BJU. ;) So, even though I will probably continue with BJU's English, I will not be using their writing next year, which is why I am really wanting to find a separate writing program I can stick with through high school.

 

As for BJU's reading, we do not use it. We only used it one year, for 4th grade, and even then it was an optional course that my son chose to do for fun because he loved the cowboy theme and Miss Liston. :D We are not using BJU science this year either. We will jump back into it next year.

 

You are right in saying that BJU incorporates their writing throughout their subjects. If one were using BJU for every subject, I believe they would have PLENTY of writing assignments! Even in spelling they have a journal day with great pictures & video presentations to give the child writing inspiration. But, when one is only using their math & grammar, that leaves very little in which to write about. ;)

 

Thanks for your post. I always enjoy corresponding with you. :D

 

Blessings,

[PeterPan]

Melissa, what you're saying about the writing assignments in BJU makes sense. I didn't realize you were doing that on top of WT2! That is a lot of work, even alternating. I was thinking, do you think he's old enough that he could go from WT2 into Homer for Older Beginners?

 

My assessor was telling me about the need to help her develop skills of completing a project in stages. At this age, seems like it's going to require more hand-holding than I have to give. Guess I was hoping it would magically happen or get better later, that ability to chunk a project into stages and do it. Oh well, it obviously isn't worrying me or seeming very appropriate, or I'd do something about it. That's all to say that I sympathize with you on the writing 7 lessons. I see why they're doing it, but I can see why it would flop too. :)

 

You're going to like the skills he covers toward the end of WT2. That's terrific that he's doing so well with it! He really might be able to go into the Older Beginners course though, just something to consider.