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How Much Writing?
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Hi There,
I have felt the Lord really calling us to simplify our homeschooling more and allow more room for self directed learning, though we are still very much a CM friendly homeschool. But I’m really praying over what we do and trying to discern how much of it is contrived.
One area I have trouble with is writing. In the past I have used the Queen’s Language Lesson books (after PLL and ILL). These have worked fine, though I don’t think the kids are REALLY learning. It’s more busywork for them. They don’t mind it. But I’m wondering at what age should I be requiring more formal writing? My children’s ages are 13, 11, 11, and 5. Of course, I’m more concerned with the older 3 children.
I’ve looked at different writing programs like IEW and it seems great, but way out of our budget. I also don’t know that I would have the time to treat writing as it’s own subject (part of my desire to simplify). I have Bravewriter Writer’s Jungle and though I love alot about it, I had a hard time trying to flesh it out into our homeschooling. I also have Story Starters and keep meaning to use this but some of the stories have just not inspired my 11 yr old twin boys.
They will be working on handwriting this coming year as theirs is atrocious. I may be using Spelling Wisdom again with them for that. They also write and illustrate a written narration for history each day, which focuses more on summarizing the facts. They do enjoy this.
I read about families that never required formal writing from their children but just lived a life that inspired writing from their children and I would love to have that but have no clue how to get it. When do you expect formal writing (like essays and reports) and how much? Or is it even necessary?
Help!
Blessings,
Betty
Hi Betty,
I’m sure those with a lot more experience will reply, but I wanted to mention a writing program I’ve had my son working through. It’s called “Write With the Best”, and it uses great literature to teach all kinds of writing. It’s very compatable with a gentle CM approach imo, but gives the direction and focus I was looking for, while not being stressful at all. I really like it, and more importantly my son really likes it. It’s written to the student for the most part(with some input/checking by mom), so it does encourage self-directed learning. I use this along with Queen’s Language Lessons, and it’s been a great match for us.
I will be adding Spelling Wisdom this fall, and am excited about that!
I, too, have been working on simplifying our homeschool, so I know where you’re coming from. 🙂
Dawn
Wow! I wasn’t looking for a separate writing program but this looks great! I might have to rethink that! I was hoping to get away from even needing a curriculum. I feel like I have a curriculum for everything–I wish I was more streamlined.
I’m wondering what others are doing with writing in their middle and older children?
Thanks for the input!
Betty
I completely know how you feel! My kids are also doing Queen’s and they love it, but I felt I wanted more also. I too have Write with the Best although we haven’t started it yet. I just found it cheap and thought I might use it down the road.
Let me tell you that as far as writing goes, Spelling Wisdom dictations win hands-down for improving my kids’ writing. Prepared dictation just seems to make all these willy nilly components stick together. By the end of the second book the kids are studying whole pages of material. If things keep going as they are I would guess that my children’s writing will continue to improve each month right along with it.
Maybe this is just me, but I don’t like to require too much writing for kids that still have spelling problems. It just creates too many opportunities to lock in incorrect spellings. My kids write a lot of narrations, but they are short enough that I can forsee trouble spots. At this point I am aiming for Write with the Best 1 and 2 over 7th and 8th grade following at least three years of steady dictation.
I’m taking a look at Write with the Best and it looks like what I may go with. I am also going to continue Spelling Wisdom.
I wish I could see more self-directed and self-motivated learning going on in my home. I read of a family where this happened when they made the only requirement be for the children to do some meaningful writing every day without pushing a curriculum. That sounds a little scary to me.
Anybody have experience with this?
Self-directed and self-motivated learning sounds heavenly!! I know that’s our goal, but what I hear from a couple of ours is “Can you just give me my assignments so I can be done?” I must be missing something here. I agree…it sounds scary to only require meaningful writing and leave the rest to them. I really don’t think ours would choose to seek out information on their own. So how do we get them to this point? I love learning and they see this, but yet somehow they’re not so inspired.
I too would like to hear from those that have experience with this.
You know it just occurred to me that I don’t know what CM did about composition or formal writing? What did she require?
Was it just written narrations? I guess that’s a report in a sense? How can I make that work for us?
Any thoughts?
The way I understand, the formal essay is saved for the last couple of years in high school with grammar being taught formally the few years preceeding that. And that written narrations are simply a retelling in their own words of what they’ve read; and without much correction regarding grammar except for holding them accountable for what they’ve already learned. I’m certainly no expert (yet 😀 ) and am open to correction if my understanding is faulty!
I think Charlotte relied on much reading to be the natural teacher of grammar and composition in the early and middle years. If I could just inspire mine to read living books and great literature VOLUNTARILY then I’d feel better. Any ideas to inspire intrinsic motivation?? I absolutely love books and reading, so naturally they see the example here but it doesn’t seem to make much difference. Or perhaps I’m being impatient for that seed to sprout…
As I understand it, once students are comfortable with written narrations you can start working on fine-tuning their writing. Here are some details that I’ve found so far.
For students in grades 1-3 (approx), “composition” is almost entirely oral.
For students in grades 4-6,
Children in this Form have a wider range of reading, a more fertile field of thought, and more delightful subjects for composition. They write their little essays themselves, and as for the accuracy of their knowledge and justice of their expression, why, ‘still the wonder grows.’ . . . But let me again say there must be no attempt to teach composition (Vol. 6, p. 192).
For students in approx. grades 7-9,
“composition” is an inevitable consequence of a free yet exact use of books and requires no special attention until the pupil is old enough to take of his own accord a critical interest in the use of words (Vol. 6, p. 193).
For students in approx. grades 10-12,
some definite teaching in the art of composition is advisable, but not too much, lest the young scholars be saddled with a stilted style which may encumber them for life. Perhaps the method of a University tutor is the best that can be adopted; that is, a point or two might be taken up in a given composition and suggestions or corrections made with little talk. Having been brought up so far upon stylists the pupils are almost certain to have formed a good style; because they have been thrown into the society of many great minds, they will not make a servile copy of any one but will shape an individual style out of the wealth of material they possess; and because they have matter in abundance and of the best they will not write mere verbiage (Vol. 6, pp. 193, 194).
That whole section of Volume 6 is quite helpful, starting on page 190. It gives some great examples of what kinds of things you could ask for a narration on.
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