1st grade: How much total writing (all subjects)

[Lovedtodeath]

She does one worksheet in math (usually front and back), and two other things, either spelling (six words) and copywork (one or two sentences), or handwriting (two words, one short sentence) and grammar (varies). She was supposed to copy a short letter today (for her grammar, I think it was 4 small sentences) and threw a fit! Is this too much? Not enough? She will be 7 this summer. I want to start WT when she turns 8.

[StephanieF]

I find that sometimes that will be too much and other times it won't-it depends on ds's mood lol!

I have started dictation in spelling time-from the new AAS beehive reader and that is going down well. He also "wrote" a book last week and because he was interested in doing it he wrote a few sentences. He also copied quite a few sentences from his draw right now book but that was in the evening after school so I may use that as a ploy in future-splitting up the hw during the day.

It is my main concern too as ds is unpredictable in how much he will write and I keep pushing it and I think that is all I can do.

I do know that if ds sees 4 sentences he will flag and complain so I would split it up and do something else inbetween-or have something nice to look forward to afterwards!

Stephanie

[mazakaal]

My 1st grader is 6yo. She does one math assignment (usually back and front of one page) and usually only one other bit of writing. She finished her handwriting book, so I make copywork for her on handwriting paper, either a couple of lines of a poem or something from her grammar. She does a lot of other writing in the day on her own. I don't really think you're asking too much if it's 6 words and two small sentences, but 4 sentences seems a bit much to me. Maybe you could split an assignment like that over two days or do some in the morning and some in the afternoon. It probably seems like a lot to someone her age.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thank you!

 

Anyone else? I am afraid of coddling too much in the writing department, as that seems to be a bad pattern that I have seen with other homeschoolers.

[Blessedfamily]

It seems just about the right amount to me, especially if she'll be 7 in a few months. My dd hated handwriting, but as I become more consistent with it, she has come to enjoy it more.

 

I try to get handwriting in through various activities that she enjoys ( like her journal or writing a sentence or two at the bottom of a picture she draws).

Edited May 7, 2009 by Blessedfamily

[sportymom]

My dd, 7, is finishing 1st grade. She does a front/back math page, spelling--she will write a few sentences a day containing each word that I dictate to her. WWE, which requires her to write a couple of sentences a few days a week. FLL requires a little writing a few days a week, too. She finished her handwriting way back, but with all of these grammar writings, I don't feel a need to have her do more right now.

 

Besides math, I'd think she may write 3-4 sentences daily. She doesn't mind. My oldest, though, didn't write much until middle 2nd grade b/c it was just harder for him. Depends on the child.

[daybreaking]

We're using the Rod & Staff Nurture and Bible Reader series, so my 6 year old son does two pages of the reading workbook and two pages of the phonics workbook each day. Usually each of them has about one page that involves writing words or sentences, so that's two pages total. He does one page of his handwriting workbook (either practice writing individual letters or writing several words and an original sentence) or else a sentence or two of copywork. We do the front and back of his math, an additional math blackline practice sheet or two and one page of his spelling workbook (about six written words). Occasionally, the R&S Reader Series has additional activities that encompass using complete sentences to answer a few questions, alphabetizing words, etc. The only thing I adjust is that occasionally I'll let him do some of the Reading Workbook orally, if I feel it won't affect his learning, such as when the words he is to write just involve vocabulary, as opposed to learning to spell them correctly.)

 

I will add that it is important to "know" your child. Right now what we're doing is working really well, but had I tried this last year, my son wouldn't have been ready at all and there would have been many tears. I think there is a difference between not wanting to do work and truly nearing a frustration level. My son independently likes to write page long stories, so if he balks at writing six spelling words, I know he's just trying to get out of work; however, if he was still developing his handwriting skills and I asked him to write a paragraph, I would expect him to be frustrated. HTH

[sagira]

Thank you!

 

Anyone else? I am afraid of coddling too much in the writing department, as that seems to be a bad pattern that I have seen with other homeschoolers.

 

I'm afraid of this too. Want to be on the level without sacrificing high standards and the need for proficiency. Right now I feel ds is writing very little, but I expect him to write more next year.

[Jen in PA]

My first grader is 5, and some days she willingly writes a ton -- other days she complains if I have her do a miniscule amount. She copies her spelling words (12-14) each day, does 1-2 spelling/grammar worksheets, and writes a couple of sentences for science or history (4x per week). I sometimes do the writing in her math book when she is getting frustrated squeezing in the numbers, but she always takes over to set up the work for word problems since she loves those. She's currently going through 6 - 8 math pages each day, and I find that helping out with the writing makes this easier for her since her math skills are ahead of her handwriting abilities (in terms of sizing especially). She also writes a lot of notes to family and friends, and her new favorite is writing "Caius is a dumbbell" on things, so I suppose she's enjoying Detectives in Togas:001_smile:

[Julie of KY]

I think there is a fine line between coddling too much and pushing to past the student's ability and into frustration and hate of writing.

 

My oldest son has hated "writing" specifically anything to do with a pen or pencil. I have pushed in the handwriting department, but I have tried to remove the barrier of writing from some of his other subjects. He does much of his math orally and we have worked on much of his composition by him dictating to me. I know many think I am bending over backwards making things too easy, but now it is all paying off. He has worked on composition by dictating to me and learned how to make a well structured paragraph and has learned grammar/punctuation other ways. We put it all together this year and I had him do his own writing and all of a sudden the first papers he ever wrote himself were better than his peers in a writing class.

 

You do know your child best and you have to determine when you need to push and when you need to back off. It's okay not to do the same as everyone else if you have an understanding of why you are doing it and where you are headed.

[sagira]

My first grader is 5, and some days she willingly writes a ton -- other days she complains if I have her do a miniscule amount. She copies her spelling words (12-14) each day, does 1-2 spelling/grammar worksheets, and writes a couple of sentences for science or history (4x per week). I sometimes do the writing in her math book when she is getting frustrated squeezing in the numbers, but she always takes over to set up the work for word problems since she loves those. She's currently going through 6 - 8 math pages each day, and I find that helping out with the writing makes this easier for her since her math skills are ahead of her handwriting abilities (in terms of sizing especially). She also writes a lot of notes to family and friends, and her new favorite is writing "Caius is a dumbbell" on things, so I suppose she's enjoying Detectives in Togas:001_smile:

 

Holy guacamole! Your dd must love writing :) My ds is five (will be six in September) and working on K stuff and is filling in two pages of math (front and back), copies one word for copywork, fills in one page for his Phonics, writes his name maybe three times, and sometimes he'll write a note in a card or write a few words for our science notebooks :blink: :001_unsure:

 

Then again, I wasn't even going to do a formal K program and wait until I get to first grade. He'll definitely be writing more in 1st. Julie is right, it depends on the child and how much you know they can handle and how to challenge them.

Edited May 7, 2009 by sagira

[Karen sn]

She does one worksheet in math (usually front and back), and two other things, either spelling (six words) and copywork (one or two sentences), or handwriting (two words, one short sentence) and grammar (varies). She was supposed to copy a short letter today (for her grammar, I think it was 4 small sentences) and threw a fit! Is this too much? Not enough? She will be 7 this summer. I want to start WT when she turns 8.

 

Copy work is boring.

I'd have her write a little letter to a friend and actually mail it.

Even 7 is little.

 

And when dd writes letters to her friends, I bite my tongue.

I do not make the spelling corrections that I am dying to have her fix.

Or I may point them out and we talk about them, but she can leave her letter alone. She doesn't want to write sometimes if she feels it has to be "perfect." We get plenty of spelling errors from her pen pal (10yo). So, I let it go. BUT I correct every spelling error in our official kitchen table school.

 

I once heard a guy on NPR say that sometimes you just have to let them write creatively and read it for what it CONTAINS. If they ask you to make corrections, then do it. He was an English professor of some distinguished university. He said the best paper he ever read was written by a woman who had many errors.

 

Now - of course I am a grammar freak and so dd will not have all those kinds of errors. But the point is - it's ok to let them just write.

 

This got long.

[Karen sn]

Thank you!

 

Anyone else? I am afraid of coddling too much in the writing department, as that seems to be a bad pattern that I have seen with other homeschoolers.

 

Coddle when young.

Go slow.

In a few years, hit it hard.

I think we'll start Grammar and Writing in the fall.

[JudoMom]

My ds6 (7 next month) does:

 

Math (1 worksheet & a 25 problem fact sheet)

Word Problem

Time & Money Worksheet

Grammar Lesson (varies--he writes anywhere from 2-3 words to 2-3 sentences)

Copywork (1 sentence)

Cursive page (his choice--he begged to learn)

a page in his Spelling Workbook (or a Spelling Test)

Science Worksheet

1 page from Building Thinking Skills (it can be anything from marking the right answer to writing sentences to describe things)

 

He's never balked at writing, though. This amount of writing would've sent ds8 into tears, but ds6 has always enjoyed writing (when he was 3 he'd sit around with a notebook and fill up pages with numbers and letters).

[FO4UR]

I think the important thing is to take her from where she is comfy and push just a bit each day - not enough to frustrate, but just enough to "feel the burn."

 

My ds turned 6 in Jan - so technically he is still Kindy if we are comparing to ps. He practices individual letters and/or phonograms daily. If he makes one perfect letter, he can move on to the next - so he generally does one copy of about 6-8 letters. He does either spelling (10 words at a time) or copying a sentence. (On days he writes spelling words, we make sentences orally...on days he writes sentences, we do spelling with magnets) He does 2-4 pages in math daily.

 

It's my goal to work him up to the point of being comfy with WWE and FLL by the fall.

[Lovedtodeath]

I started using the Scott Foresman writing books that are free for grammar review, and she was loving them. I think the writing is more in line with PS standards. Her grammar is advanced, thanks to FLL, so I placed her in second grade in those. I think I was pushing too much.

 

Sometimes she gets really flustered with timed drill in math b/c she can't write the numbers fast enough, so I have her dictate about half of her math work.

 

When she has a handwrtiting page instead of other writing, she is much happier b/c it is easier.

 

Seeing what you all had to say really helps me to get an idea of how to balance this.

 

Thank you!

[RootAnn]

My oldest (7) hates writing with a pencil/paper. She does very little of her own writing outside of math and spelling. She dictates to me much of what we do outside those two subjects. We will be doing WWE & GWG this summer in short chunks (like whatever we can get done of a lesson of WWE in 15 minutes, for example).

 

My #2 child (almost 6) loves to write and will spend hours with pencil and paper, writing (cursive or copying printed words) and drawing. If I don't force it (and make her hate it), I see her as being one who will do much of her own writing by next year at this time (when she will be around the same age your DD is at now).

 

I think it depends on the child & you know your child best. I agree you don't want to "coddle" but you don't want to make them abhor it, either. Gently push. Challenge them sometimes. Break the work up when you really want them to do it. Definitely make sure the handwriting work is neat (or as neat as their "good" effort can make it) and they can write fluently (eventually) so it doesn't trip them up when they do want to get their point across.

 

Good luck!