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  1. Sheri
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Excellent Resource!
    May 19, 2016
    Sheri
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This program is extremely comprehensive. So much so, we've taken two years to use this one book for 5th and 6th grades. If you have a gifted writer, or someone who loves writing, you can do this in one year. For your average or reluctant writer, you can easily make this last two years. This is an independent writing program which removes the parent/teacher as the "critical eye" and requires the student to use a rubric to complete their work. I can't imagine doing the program without the teacher's guide. The teacher's guide has scripts to follow and requires no preparation on your part. I've compared it to other popular programs, even classical programs and none have been as thorough or comprehensive as this one. You will need to have some basic grammar knowledge for some of the exercises, like objects of the preposition and direct objects. For example, the author teaches how to change passive verbs into active, and vice versa, by modifying parts of speech. This program incorporates a lot of reading (literature, scientific and historical writings), but nothing that is overwhelming. If your student loves to read, this program is an excellent fit. We plan on using the next two levels.
  2. Kathy
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Writing with Skill Instructor Text Level 1
    June 20, 2018
    Kathy
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Writing with Skill Instructor Text Level 1 is authored by Susan Wise Bauer. She is the co-author of "The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home." Writing with Skill Level 1 is a companion to Bauer's text "Writing with Ease: Strong Fundamentals." Please see my review of "Writing with Ease: Strong Fundamentals" for a comprehensive overview of the curriculum.

    Writing with Skill Instructor Text Level 1 is comprised of the following components:

    Introduction

    Overview

    Part 1: Basic Skills

    Week 1: Narrative Summaries

    Week 2: One-Level Outlines

    Week 3: Using a Thesaurus

    Part 2: Building Blocks for Composition

    Week 4: Chronological Narrative of a Past Event

    Week 5: Chronological Narrative of a Scientific Discovery

    Week 6: Chronological Narrative of a Past Event

    Week 7: Chronological Narrative of a Scientific Discovery

    Week 8: Description of a Place

    Week 9: Description of a Place

    Week 10: Description of a Place

    Week 11: Combining Chronological Narrative of a Past Event

    Week 12: Scientific Description

    Week 13: Scientific Description

    Week 14: Scientific Description

    Week 15: Combining Chronological Narrative of a Scientific Discovery and Scientific Description

    Part III: Sentence Skills

    Week 16: Description of a Person

    Week 17: Description of a Person

    Week 18: Using a Metaphor to Organize a Character Description

    Week 19: Biographical Sketch

    Week 20: Biographical Sketch

    Week 21: Sequence: Natural Process

    Week 22: Sequence Natural Process

    Part IV: Beginning Literary Criticism: Prose

    Week 23: Hero/Villain, Protagonist/Antagonist

    Week 24: Hero/Villain, Protagonist/Antagonist

    Week 25: Supporting Characters

    Week 26: Idea Stories

    Part V: Research

    Week 27: Outlining

    Week 28: Documentation

    Week 29: Writing from Notes: Chronological Narrative of a Past Event, Description of a Person,

    Description of a Place

    Week 30: Writing from Notes: Sequence: Natural Process, Scientific Description

    Week 31: Writing from Notes: Biographical Sketch, Description of a Person

    Part VI: Beginning Literary Criticism: Poetry

    Week 32: Sound

    Week 33: Meter

    Week 34: Narrative

    Part VII: Final Project

    Week 35: Finding and Researching Your Topic

    Week 36: Writing Your Final Composition

    Appendix I: Topi

    Appendix II: Weekly Rubrics

    Appendix III: Literary Terms

    Appendix IV: Sentence Variety Chart

    Appendix V: General Rubrics

    First and foremost, of all the writing curriculums I have perused as a homeschooling parent, the Writing with Ease: Strong Fundamentals series is superlative. The purpose of the curriculum is to prepare students for advanced work in rhetoric and composition. In theory, the curriculum is student directed, but in reality it is teacher directed. The length of time for each lesson will vary based upon the student's as well as the parent's writing skills. As a gentle reminder, the purpose of curriculum is to serve the student and teaching parent. The author states the following in the curriculum introduction: You should feel free to adapt the assignments and pace to fit your student.

    Before attempting Writing with Skill Level 1, I would highly recommend the following language arts sequence from the Well Trained Mind Press:

    First Language Lessons Grades 1-4

    Writing with Ease Grades 5-8

    Writing with Skill Grades 9-12

    Overall, we have been pleased with Ms. Bauer's logical approach to writing instruction. Our child has transformed from being a reluctant writer into a confident writer.

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