Ques re: Spelling Wisdom and General LA

Spelling wisdom is for prepared dictation and naturally includes spelling and grammar.  Typically prepared dictation begins around age 10.

If you think about it, copywork and reading naturally include spelling as your child sees, copies, and reads correctly spelled words.  They also include grammar if the child is copying or reading material that is well written.  Composition IS narration.  When you say composition I suspect you mean written composition, right?  Oral narration is the first step of preparing for written composition.  A child needs to learn to organize their thoughts in their head, hold those ideas, and then share them – orally first, and then in written form later when they have mastered the basics of handwriting (so they can think about what they want to say instead of how to form each letter with their hand).  Basically, oral narration allows a child to do all the mental work of composition (choosing what to say, how to say it, what order to say it, etc) without the frustration of worrying about how to form letters or how to spell words.  In the mean time, copywork is giving a child the practice at handwriting (letter formation) that they need to become fluent at handwriting.  Once handwriting (letter formation) is second nature they can begin written narration (composition on paper).  BUT they keep oral narration as a large portion of their composition, gradually increasing the number and length of their written narrations as they are ready and able.

Yes, I begin my kids with written narration (1 per week) around age 10, usually 4th grade.

You could even skip spelling wisdom totally for now and use sentences/passages from books you are reading for copywork.  For example, a paragraph from your history read aloud.  The key would be that you only ask them to do 1 sentence or about 5 minutes of work tops on copywork in a day.  The passage may take several days – and that’s okay.  You don’t want them rushing through it, you want their best effort.  Let them know ahead that you don’t expect them to do it in one sitting, it is for the whole week.  OR only give them part of the passage each day.  You could use a poem for copywork, a song, a scripture, anything.  Jokes, riddles…