We have been using writing strands with my 4th grader and he HATES it. What programs do you use? I am looking for something more classical but really if it will get him to write and ENJOY it I would try anything. I am using wordsmith apprentice with my 5th grade dd and she although it works for her, my ds would hate it.
Minthia, is there any particular reason the 4th grader MUST engage in creative writing and like it? My philosophy is that if a kid is born to be a writer, there's not much you can do to stop him, and if he's not born to be a writer, there's not much you can do to make him one. My two favorite English programs, CLE and R&S, tend to focus on practical writing -- like letters, personal narratives, articles, essays, reports, news stories, and so forth -- and they're very "hand-holdy" getting those done. Creative writing in both cases is left up to the teacher. My DGS used to dictate lovely little stories to us, and wrote some down - maybe 3 or 4 sentences with a picture. Then suddenly he hated writing! I'm hoping he'll get back to liking it again eventually, but in the meantime, I'm not going to force him to do stories and poems that are not part of the curriculum, because it's just exhausting for both of us. We have two units left to do of 2nd grade, and each one has one creative writing assignment to do. Then we move on to 3rd, and only paragraphs, letters, etc., not "look at this picture and write about what you see" type of assignments. WHEW! If you are of a different mindset on this question, you may want to look at Jump In, which I believe is written for reluctant writers in middle school.
Lindina- I don't care if he doesn't like creative writing. I ALWAYS struggled with that. However he HATES all types of writing. I have him skip the more creative writing assignments because those are the worst ones to get him to do. However I think he should be able to grasp even the simple concept of practical writing at this age such as: letters, personal narratives, articles, essays, reports, news stories, etc. He doesn't even want to write one word answers in any subject. I was just hoping I could find something that would teach the basics of writing and it would be fun. *sigh* I don't even know if what I am looking for exists out there. eta: I am going to have him tested for dyslexia since it runs in my dh's family and he has multiple signs of having it. That may be the whole problem.
I started using Classical Writing in the last year and have been very pleased with my child's progress. It isn't a creative writing program. We are using NaNoWriMo for that.
I have looked into IEW but it looks confusing. I mean there are so many packages for each level how do you know which one to start with??
My DGS is exactly the same way. He will write one word if possible, maybe two. He acts like writing a complete sentence is sheer torture! (WHAT?? I have to spell it right TOO?? AND write legibly??? :shock You're right, dyslexia (however slight) may be the problem. Might be DGS's problem too. "Don't want" is still "don't want", but could be the reason behind the "don't want". But what if you find out that it is? Will you put him in therapy of some sort? or just change your expectations at home? I'm not sure what I could do differently with DGS.
For IEW you would start with SWI-A. If you are not comfortable with writing yourself you can get the TWSS which would be for you as the teacher to watch. We just watch the student dvd together and I am able to follow along as to how they are teaching. Dd has really liked the program so far (we did SWI-A last year and now we are doing SICC-A)
My 4th grader is using Essentials in Writing 4 this year. So far she likes it. Jury is still out on what I think of it (only because his eyes bug me...it's almost like his eyes are closed because I think the camera angle is too high and he's looking at a classroom of students or something. I hope I can get past that :lol: ). ETA: For a reluctant writer I might suggest Winning with Writing. I don't necessarily care for it, because it seems to go really slow. But if you just want a writing-hater to get some writing in, it might be an option for you.
So I was digging in my huge stash of curriculum and I found Writeshop I. I know nothing about it and I seem to remember picking it up years ago "just because". Does anyone have any experience with it??
I don't have first hand experience with it yet, but I'm very intrigued by a new program out called Cover Story. It's gotten good reviews from what I've read online. I plan on buying it for my reluctant writer. It's geared towards middle school grades.
I don't have any particular suggestions but I do want to say that my dyslexic daughter (13) LOVES to write! A big thing is that I don't critique her writing. The spelling is dreadful, punctuation is horrid, and sometimes her thoughts are choppy. But she is learning what parameters to look at to self edit and we use spell check on the computer for spelling and such. She also hated Writing Strands. She and my 11 year old are using Jump In but that is intended for th-8th grades. We do love Jump In though.
For the reasons you’ve mentioned earlier about really just wanting a program that teaches practical writing, I’m going to suggest looking into the program we use. Zaner-Bloser’s Strategies for Writers has been amazingly successful for teaching the necessary writing skills http://www.zaner-bloser.com/strategies-writers. The program is divided into the types of writing: narrative writing, informative/explanatory (research papers), opinion (editorial, letters), and descriptive. So you really could kind of start working with whichever skill seems to come easiest to your son. I also like that it really encompasses more than just writing; there’s a lot of useful grammar involved which I find to be really valuable. Honestly we just really like the format and look of the workbooks too. They’re fun and really easy to work with. If you check out the website and go to ‘Program Resources’ tab there’s a lot of extra stuff to incorporate. Not to mention how many digital support materials there are. I’ve been trying to use technology in my homeschooling (when appropriate and not over-doing it of course and luckily Zaner-Bloser’s educational technology options are just right). I’ve found that interactive online activities and videos have really engaged my son in the lessons.
We've been using beestar writing program. I like the simple presentation: text has nice simple fonts the pictures and graphs are to the point not distracting. DD enjoys working on the quick questions. Lisa
I am a bravewriter fan. Uses lots of CM/classical ideas like narration, copywork, dictation, nature study, and art appreciation. Google the site; there is a ton of info on the program's philosophy.
