I am looking for a writing/language curriculum for my 6th grade dgs. I was talking with a school teacher at our church and she said that my dgs should be learning to write, ie. paragraphs, research papers, etc. I'm not familiar with any curriculum for this and thought someone has already used one that they really liked. She also recommended reading non-fiction and then doing book reports. HELP!!!!! :roll:
Hey, Grandma! I see nobody else jumped in here to help you! My daughter is just finishing up 6th grade and we used Learning Language Arts Through Literature this year. What I liked about it was that all of the language arts things (reading, enlish, spelling~ very little of that, vocabulary, etc.) is all together in one book. We had used Abeka the year before (aren't you also "coming off of Abeka"?) This was a different, more relaxed approach, but I really liked it. I thought my daughter needed a bit more writing practice, so we also used Wordsmith Apprentice. I liked that alot too. It was done with the premise that you are a newspaper writer and teaches you to write all the different styles. Pretty neat. For this coming year, 7th grade, we will continue with these 2 things, as I haven't really found anything I like better. There are numerous sites on the internet where you can get some "different" book report ideas. My daughter is/has been intimidated with the basic book report format, so we've done some more fun things this year~ such a writing a letter to the author of the book telling him/her why you liked it, or writing a song to a familiar tune but telling about the book. These were ways to "trick" her into writing a summary, and she didn't even know she was doing it, because it was fun! HTH,
Grandma, I have to admit that I'm giving up in this area! Rachael will be 7th grade, and I KNOW she needs to be writing more, but I haven't found anything to help. To me, writing is like talking. You don't "teach" it, you just "do" it, and she DOESN'T!!! So next year I'm planning on enrolling her in a homeschool writing class taught by a retired English teacher. I've heard wonderful things about it, and am looking forward to her taking it. Though I probably shouldn't get my hopes up TOO high......
Heidi & Jackie, thanks for the replies. I must admit, I haven't had much time to read many of the post except late at night and then I'm too tired to even think. I will look into Learning L.A. through Literature and Wordsmith Apprentice. He likes to write, but he needs to know the correct way. I will also check with our h.s. group and see if anyone is going to do a class on writing. I will have a very busy summer and was trying to get this done before summer, but I see I'm getting busy now and it's not ever June. I have a full time job with Child Evangelism Fellowship and we are starting to train young people to go out and teach 5-Day Clubs (back yard Bible Clubs) this summer. I thought I would have the month of May to research this and I see I don't. I guess I'm rambling, but any help with the curriculum is much needed and appreciated. Again, thanks
Well Ohio Grandma I have to agree with Jackie writing is like talking. I put my girls in homeschool writing class with a retired teacher and they loved it. If you could find something like that I think that is your answer. Mine did a 100 degree turn with it. So, if you have a homeschool group look in on it.
Gma, I recently got a catalog from The Learning Tree. In it I marked some things that I want my kids to try for writing also. They have quite a few writing things: "How to Write Book Reports" for grades 2-6 ($18), and "How to Write Essays and Research Papers" with Level A being for grades 5-7, and Level B being for grades 8-10 ($25 each). Both are by Resurrection Resources. Oh, two more by Res. Resources: "Christian Literature and Writing Set". This is for around 9th grade. It comes with a textbook, workbook, answers, grading charts and a daily lesson plan ($45). The other one is Creative Writing (teaches student how to write better sentences and paragraphs with more descriptive words, and teaches how to write a comlete story with character dialog and descriptions of scenery) for grades 4-12 ($12.95). A Konos Connection book called "Write Your Roots" teaches language arts and composition and research (on and off line) skills. etc., etc. It's $39.95 for the book, and $5.95 for the Teacher Guide. Then there are: Writing Step by Step (ungraded, but says for 7-yo through highschool students can learn from it) by Builder Books ($10.95), "The Write Stuff" (for middle grades through highschool) which was specifically written for Homeschool use, by Great Expectations Book Company ($19.99), "Writing Trails with Men of Science" and "Writing Trails with Great Composers" By Logos School Materials. Those may be okay, cuz they'd be fun, but maybe a little too young ($15 each), AND "Learn to Write the Novel Way" by Konos Connection. It says is a Lang. Arts Curric. for grades 5-12. By the end of the course the student will have written an entire novel with excellent style, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. The course can be completed in one year or push it to complete in one semester. Then I see another book called "Research in Increments" by Schoolhouse Publishing. It's for grades 7-12, and is to be used with the Lang. Arts Curric. as a guide. It breaks the writing and research process down into incremental steps. It's from a Christian Perspective. Contains a daily lesson Plan ($12.95). You could probably type these into a search engine and get more details if any of them look interesting. HTH!
My dauough Lit. bughter is just finishing 6th grade. We used Learning Language Arts Through Lit. she was bored with it within a month so we ditched it. I have her writing in her journal DAILY. Some prompted and some free. I don't correct it or even read it. It's just for her to enjoy writing. I pieced together grammar from the teacher aids store and had her choose a topic from one hat and what she was writing from another hat. So she may pick The Mall for a topic and poetry for what she was writing. I got the best results with this tactic. next year we are using BJU wiring and grammar.
Thank you all for the help, I will be checking all of the above out. I do have some time tonight to do that. Again, thanks.
OK oops! Just read that first line...My daughter is just finishing 6th grade...is what I meant to type!
okay up to this year I would not have known that Abeka as some really great books in English. English 9 actually instructs them in writting essays and theises ( sp?) and such. But they have a set with Literature, gramar, vocab &Spelling. Three books with C&S in one book. I believe it is that way for each grade? I had been looking into getting thier dvd thing so the 'dvd teacher' could teach my dd. Well I don't get to go that route either. But what I have learned is I am the one who has failed in this area, I need to MAKE her hand in the essays I ask her to write. Even if I watch her write most of it I need to enforce handing it in. Thats just my two cents worth of Writing Ideas TeacherMom
That's my feelings exactly...it's ME screwing up, not my kids! Which is why I want someone else to do it for now. Maybe if they can help her learn to do it, she'll be better able to do it for me.
We use the ABeka curriculum. I used their books to teach through elementary school and when they reached high school we switch to the DVD's. We use program 1 where they send in their work in order to get a transcript and diploma. ABeka isn't easy or easy to deal with, but what the kids learn is worth the trouble. I questioned my decision to use it until my dd went to college. Her teachers would ask her where she learned to write because most in the class didn't know how. My kids love to read, but hate to write. My other dd had to speak in church so she wrote out what to say so she wouldn't forget when she stood up. An English teacher heard her that day and told her how well written her speech was (she was so scared she read it). Don't think it was easy to get the girls to that point. They had to be pushed and shoved everyday to get to the finish line. While we like to make it fun, it is still hard work for us all. Who really likes to work hard-especially kids? This has been my experience, anyway. Dixiegirl
Thank you all for your help. I spent last evening researching all that was suggested. I will make a final decision soon. You have all been so helpful.
Thanks Dixie Girl, that was a good bit of encoruagement for me at least! What a blessing! I know I have added books work in grammar and phonics in the past , now I am looking for more. I have one old copy of a work book my friend gave me with Critical thinking, it has them read a portion then write paragraphs etc as a summary or opinion on the subject. I think I will use this as well in my dds year plan. But as I said I know I need to make her hand it in, not just toss it in her desk or binder. Other wise I will not teach her the joy of a rewrite! Teacher Mom
A homeschooling mom in my garden forum recommended the "Stack the Deck" series for teaching writing. http://www.stackthedeck.com./system.html It looks really good! ~ Marylyn
