How much writing do you require from your 5th and 7th grader?

[Gamom3]

How much do you require your kids to write and how long does it take them?

 

I just talked with the kids about their writing and how we need to really focus on it, making it a priority.

 

I want them to writing in other subjects...I am not one that can pull things out of their subjects or come up with different topics.

 

 

Thoughts???

[dragons in the flower bed]

I taught fifth grade last year, requiring him to work on a composition for English daily for about forty-five minutes, plus do a written narration in history and science each once a week.

 

I should add, though, that this child writes easily and often, creating epic Pokemon stories on message board forums.

[Rhondabee]

Mine are currently in 5th and 8th, and my basic general guideline is that they write *something* each day. That might be Rod & Staff, history, science, or literature. The 5th grader has to write either an outline or a well-structured paragraph. (Well, that is the *goal*, anyway.) The 8th grader varies somewhat. A science lab write-up might be only two paragraphs, but history could be anything from a very long paragraph to two pages! I think last year (7th), I tried to have him write about a page.

 

More important than the length (to me) is that the writing is logically structured and answers the question that was asked. However, as a basic guide for length, I use the length of the writing assignments in Rod & Staff. As those move from one paragraph to two/three paragraphs, cross-curricular writing length seems to naturally increase even without my being a bear about it.

 

I would guess my 5th grader takes about 15-20 minutes to write a paragraph (this includes agonizing about what to say!). My 8th grader says it takes him about 15-20 minutes to write a page, and I guess I have to trust him. I am usually very involved in helping my 5th grader sort through what to include, the most logical order, and how to best say things; but my 8th grader is very independent in writing now. (And, no, this was not always this case!!!!)

 

I also (Very Uncreatively) recycle the Rod & Staff writing lessons to cross-curricular assignments. For awhile, my 5th grader has had to write either "a paragraph in the order of time" or "a paragraph in the order of importance". This week, we covered taking notes and turning them into an outline, so I'll be trying to find a subject that's briefly covered in both the Kingfisher and SOTW so that we can "take notes" from both, and then synthesize those notes into a single outline and then write a paragraph. (I bet we end up not writing the paragraph every time -that's alot of work done already!)

 

Frankly, I doubt I have had them writing every. single. day. this year. It's not been our best year, but they are still making progress. Just start wherever they are, and move forward a little bit every day.

 

Best wishes!

[inashoe]

How much do you require your kids to write and how long does it take them?

 

I just talked with the kids about their writing and how we need to really focus on it, making it a priority.

 

I want them to writing in other subjects...I am not one that can pull things out of their subjects or come up with different topics.

 

 

Thoughts???

 

In middle school your goal is to teach the student how to compose a well written paragraph. Just asking the child to write everyday isn't going to teach him that.

 

You need to break this down into simple steps.

Your first step is outlining.

Outlining is taught in R&S grammar 5. If you don't do this program, 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.

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.

 

Now continue with the Outlining book where it now uses the outline to rewrite the original article, but using the student's outline.

So on day one you do 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.

Edited January 23, 2009 by inashoe