what could I use to add some writing to WWE2 (and general thougts about WWE)?

[Penelope]

I want to believe that WWE is enough. We are finishing up with level 1 with my first grader and will start level 2 with our new school year this summer.

 

But a part of me just, I don't know....worries. That if he had to go to regular private school (something that might have to happen at some point for reasons I can't go into) he would not know what to do.

 

I like the WWE philosophy, and yet... in my own experience, I wrote well enough by the high school level, AP'ed out of freshman English, took upper level English classes in college outside of my major, and only did a couple of years of grammar in Jr. high with no narration, copywork, etc. I think that the way I learned writing was closer to the SL way, so I know that WWE and grammar every single year is not the only way to build a strong writing foundation.

 

I look at the writing in SL LA and it is soooo different from WWE! I DON'T want to do two different LA programs. But could I use SL for ideas for other kinds of writing? I don't just mean writing stories, but, for example, write a newspaper article about something in his history reading, or write a (very short) book report. Even back when I was in school, I remember writing a lot more than what is in WWE in 2nd-3rd grade. I was thinking we could do an assignment maybe every two weeks?

 

Are there any other resources that would provide a supplement like this? I saw Just Write by EPS publishing; has anyone tried that?

 

You're welcome to tell me that I'm worrying needlessly, or alternatively, that I'm not the only one who has this nagging fear. Or if there are those who have had their children go through a WTM approach to writing through 8th grade with great results, I'd love to hear that, too! :)

Edited April 5, 2009 by Penelope

[Tree House Academy]

The WONDERFUl thing about writing is that you can assign him to write about anything. Anything at all. It doesn't have to be "taught" persay. Once a week, do some creative writing by asking him to write a story about "what happens next" in a book he is reading or "write a short story about your favorite person/place/thing." I was like you...I learned to write by writing and it just came naturally.

 

That said, I am using WWE. LOL I like the gentle approach and while I don't think it makes them think "creatively" necessarily in level 1, I do think that it works on getting things "right." It gives them practice retelling details in a story and writing sentences correctly. This is important for my 4th grader who is a struggling writer. I find it beneficial for my younger son as well. :) And it takes what? 5 minutes a day??? At least that is what it takes my older son.

[dragons in the flower bed]

No, I understand. I hear a lot of encouragement to parents of K-4th graders to just do narration, dictation and copywork. I also see that the number one regret homeschooling parents of high schoolers relate is the lack of writing their children have done. So yes, I worry.

 

There are free writing prompts for each grade level available on the internet (here are some) and they provide a good supplement, IMO. Those and a handbook like Write Source would be all you needed to get kids writing -- actually composing works -- every week.

 

Or you could require your children to freewrite/journal or do real life projects on a regular basis. If my children go more than a month without writing anything at all I start noodging a bit. I have two natural writers and one who has to be occasionally prompted to do a book review or something.

[Mallory]

I am a person who always did fine in writing, in college and high school, but I HATED it! Especially creative writing, and classes that had required journal entries, YUCK! I dreaded these.

 

I can see how copywork and dictation are building up the actual getting things on paper, and narration is building up being able to create proper sentances. And these together are leading up to report kinds of writing.

 

As narrations and dictations increase, being able to compare characters, or write research papers is going to grow out of being able to narrate a passage.

 

Quite frankly, the only time creative writing has to be done in life is if you want to- you don't need it to get a grant, or a business loan, or send a letter to your congressman, or complain to a company, or report to your boss. And really the only time it is needed in school is in creative writing classes- not in business class, or physics, or math.

 

That said- not struggling with forcing creative writing on my children leaves them time to really be creative. Time to tell me stories, or make up dialog for their pretend games, or dream about thier future, or for us to discuss what animal we'd like to be.

[iammommy]

We are using Just Write 2 and I love it. It's gentle, yet you are given the opportunity for some more substantial creative writing. My ds is a 4th grade reluctant writer, and has made significant gains with Just Write. We're going to combine it with WWE 2 next year. I think they are a nice match.

 

Nan

[siloam]

I want to believe that WWE is enough. We are finishing up with level 1 with my first grader and will start level 2 with our new school year this summer.

 

But a part of me just, I don't know....worries. That if he had to go to regular private school (something that might have to happen at some point for reasons I can't go into) he would not know what to do.

 

I like the WWE philosophy, and yet... in my own experience, I wrote well enough by the high school level, AP'ed out of freshman English, took upper level English classes in college outside of my major, and only did a couple of years of grammar in Jr. high with no narration, copywork, etc. I think that the way I learned writing was closer to the SL way, so I know that WWE and grammar every single year is not the only way to build a strong writing foundation.

 

I look at the writing in SL LA and it is soooo different from WWE! I DON'T want to do two different LA programs. But could I use SL for ideas for other kinds of writing? I don't just mean writing stories, but, for example, write a newspaper article about something in his history reading, or write a (very short) book report. Even back when I was in school, I remember writing a lot more than what is in WWE in 2nd-3rd grade. I was thinking we could do an assignment maybe every two weeks?

 

Are there any other resources that would provide a supplement like this? I saw Just Write by EPS publishing; has anyone tried that?

 

You're welcome to tell me that I'm worrying needlessly, or alternatively, that I'm not the only one who has this nagging fear. Or if there are those who have had their children go through a WTM approach to writing through 8th grade with great results, I'd love to hear that, too! :)

 

Penelope,

 

While SL writing does look fun (I can admit that) doing it is a whole different animal. The first assignment in 1st grade LA is, "Describe a piece of dirt."

 

Ok

 

So I got some dirt put it in a container and set it in front of dd and asked her to describe it. It is brown. That was her whole description. Ok, so I ask her how it smells. Like dirt. (Ugh!) I basically spoon fed her some ideas. Then I ask her how it feels. Like dirt. (Grrrr!) Again I have to lead her through answers, asking her question after question and I write out all her answers. Then I repeat her answers back to her and ask her to put them into sentences. We ended up with something like. The dirt is dark brown. It feels cold and lumpy. it smells musty and gross. I don't like dirt.

 

That was sooooooooooooo much work for such poor writing.

 

While what WWE does isn't flashy it is working on base skills, and is developmentally appropriate. Creative writing is more of a logic age skill, I say leave it till then.

 

Heather