Pretty in Pink Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I've had it in the closet for a year now but have yet to implement Writing Aids. For some reason it intimidates me. I'm trying to firm up choices for next year's curriculum and I need to settle on writing. So, what do you honestly thing of WA? I'm also considering Writing Strands, though we dabbled in it for a few weeks once and didn't care much for it. If you use A Beka "God's Gift of Language," R&S English, or another similar program with both grammar and writing chapters, do you do a seperate writing program? Do you just use these programs for their grammar component? Do you just use this program and call it a day, no other formal writing curriculum? I have Winston Grammar and was considering starting it now and finishing up by summer's end, before beginning with any of these programs. Should I just save the WG and use it next year alongside WA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 R&S English 6 and IEW Ancient History Based Writing Lessons. We do most of the composition assignments in R&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inashoe Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 We use R&S and the Outlining book from Remedia. In middle school your goal is to teach the student how to compose a well written paragraph, with less emphasis on creative, and more emphasis on clearly laid out paragraphs. The first step is to teach outlining. Outlining is taught in R&S English 5. If you need more practice and/or instruction then WTM recommends Outlining from Remedia - I have used this and can recommend it as a simple easy way to teach outlining. Once you have worked through about half of the Outlining book, then move onto applying this to either History or Science, not fiction as it follows different rules. Have the child read an article, initially about 3 or so paragraphs long. And then help him outline the article. Do it together initially, so that he gets the hang of it. Just do outlines for a while until the child is comfortable with this. Then continue with the Outlining book, next it teaches how to use the student's outline to rewrite the original article. So, on day one he does the outline. Next day, put away the original article, and using his outline, rewrite the original article. Your student's version can have a different length, be his own words, or the same as the original - it doesn't matter - it is his composition, let him make it his own. Give him plenty of practice in this throughout middle school. He will need and use it often in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I regret purchasing it, because it just doesn't have enough guidance for me or my dd, and requires me to pull together the stuff I need. I don't have the bandwidth for that. My dd felt completely lost, so I abandoned it after only a week. It was clear that it wasn't working out for us. I'll hang on to it as a resource, and it might suit us later when dd's more confident in her writing skills, but for now it's not working. I just switched to IEW (SWI-A and Ancient History Theme Based Lessons) this week. Keeping my fingers crossed that I've found the magic bullet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 I regret purchasing it, because it just doesn't have enough guidance for me or my dd, and requires me to pull together the stuff I need. Yes! This is how I feel too. I hate that it is just sitting in the closet unused but I just don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cami in UT Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 R&S English 6 and IEW Ancient History Based Writing Lessons. We do most of the composition assignments in R&S. :iagree: This is what we do except we don't do the composition assignments, I wanted too but it was too much for ds10 at the beginning of the year. I think he could handle it now but we haven't been doing it and it would be a fight (that isn't that important) to start now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemy9kids Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) "I regret purchasing it, because it just doesn't have enough guidance for me or my dd, and requires me to pull together the stuff I need. " Ditto I am now trying to find that "magic bullet" for next year....I think it is stressing me out!!! Edited April 17, 2009 by quiverfull Trying to figure out how to quote someone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kangato3 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I've been using WA with my dc, but will probably go to something else next year. While WA teaches the basic format for different genres, it didn't provide enough guidance on writing well. I don't have that natural knack to guide them in this area. For my ds (6th grade next year), I'm considering Jump In. Louise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 writing aids, would you consider selling it? I have been trying to buy this used for quite some time. Whenever it is posted FS someone always seems to beat me to it. I have had a post on WTB board, but have not received any responses. So, if any of you decide to sell, send me a PM or e mail. Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Well, I can't help with all your choices, but I have always used the Abeka series you mention. At lower grade levels with my younger son, I used R&S. I have done some of the writing assignments from them, but I have also always used other things for writing, too. I used WS all the way through with my older son and am starting it with the younger one (a more reluctant writer) next year. The tone of it was never my favorite, but my older son was fine with it and seemed to do well with it, so I let him run with it. We'll see how it works for my younger son soon enough, LOL.... Sorry, but I've never used WG or WA, or even looked at them or known anyone else who has used them, so I can't speak to those programs at all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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