Do you combine writing curriculums?

[Michelle T]

Does anyone here use two totally different writing curriculums? How do you schedule them? Maybe a couple days per week for each, or alternating weeks, or some other pattern?

 

I purchased IEW and Jump In! to decide between them, and I really like both. I'm wondering if there is some way to use the two of them, maybe alternating weeks or months.

 

Just wondering if I'm nuts, or if anyone else here does crazy combining of programs.

Michelle T

[Karen in CO]

I haven't used Jump In, but I am using IEW right now. I think that unless your child it older, it would be better to focus on one writing strategy at a time. Work through one for a semester, then work through the other. That would allow you to get the best from each.

[Beth in Central TX]

I'm using 2 components of the CW series this year. We are going CW Homer A and CW Beg Poetry A. We did the first half of Homer, now we are working through all of Beg Poetry, and when we are done with poetry, we will finish Homer. Both programs combined are only 32 weeks long (Homer-20 wks; Beg Poetry-12 wks).

 

Maybe you could do the same? Have IEW as your main writing component, but take a break and work through all or part of Jump In. You may need to modify the programs to fit into a year or plan to work through both over a 2-year period.

[Sue G in PA]

I'm planning to use it next year w/ my dd11. Likes/dislikes? Compatibility with IEW. My plan is to use Jump In w/ IEW's Medieval History Writing Lessons (if we ever get through Ancients!). DD is using Anc. Hist. Based WRiting Lessons now and likes it. I had planned to have her do alternating weeks (depending on how Jump In is set up!). That way, I have her History writing taken care of AND other writing styles as well.

[Verena]

We just started with IiW, but I'm seriously considering also purchasing SWB's new Writing book and using both next year.

Maybe it'll be overkill, we'll see :D

[Michelle T]

I'm planning to use it next year w/ my dd11. Likes/dislikes? Compatibility with IEW. My plan is to use Jump In w/ IEW's Medieval History Writing Lessons (if we ever get through Ancients!). DD is using Anc. Hist. Based WRiting Lessons now and likes it. I had planned to have her do alternating weeks (depending on how Jump In is set up!). That way, I have her History writing taken care of AND other writing styles as well.

 

 

 

I haven't used it yet, I've just flipped through it and read it over. I like the fact that it is written to the child. It gives clear, slow, incremental steps to different types of writing. It's written in an interesting tone, sort of chatty. It does several small writing assignments, then a bigger one. The bigger assignment is clearly laid out, giving a suggested schedule for each day's writing. It also has tons of writing prompts that can be used as a daily warm up, or as a separate writing schedule. There are clear directions to the parent for grading writing.

 

What I DON'T like is the religious content. There are several examples that use abortion as a topic. I feel that's inappropriate in a writing progam for homeschooled middle graders. My 11.5 yo DS doesn't even know what an abortion is, and why should he? I certainly don't intend to introduce the topic to him based on a writing assignment. If I do use Jump In!, I will go through with black pen and cross out anything I find objectionable. There isn't a huge amount of such religious content, but there is more than I would care for (I'm not Christian, the program is from Apologia, so obviously is) and I have no desire to have to explain things that are totally irrelevant to learning how to write a paragraph.

 

Anyway, it is totally different in approach than IEW. I'm not sure if it would be good to use such different programs, or confusing. Oh, I also bought the IEW ancient history lessons. Not sure if I will use them or not, I haven't really looked through the book yet.

Michelle T

[siloam]

Does anyone here use two totally different writing curriculums? How do you schedule them? Maybe a couple days per week for each, or alternating weeks, or some other pattern?

 

I purchased IEW and Jump In! to decide between them, and I really like both. I'm wondering if there is some way to use the two of them, maybe alternating weeks or months.

 

Just wondering if I'm nuts, or if anyone else here does crazy combining of programs.

Michelle T

 

Michelle,

 

I am doing both CW and TOG writing with my oldest. CW is our base, but we often take longer than scheduled to do a week, and my dd loves to write, so we do TOG writing on the side. This also gives her a more traditional, step by step approach to writing where CW is mostly imitation.

 

In other words where CW will show the child a paragraph and have them re-write it, TOG will teach a child what a paragraph is. I didn't want all structure, but I do like having a little more than CW Aesop provides.

 

Heather

 

[Sue G in PA]

I AM a Christian but also find it inappropriate to introduce a topic like abortion to a middle school student! My daughter probable knows what abortion is, but I find it rather inappropriate to have her write a paper on it! Hmmm...perhaps back to the drawing board...Good to know that IEW is so very different as well. Writing...UGH and double UGH...why can't Susan's Middle grade program be out by next year!? Poor thing..I know she's working as fast as she can :)