From the same company that sent me Story Builders comes the newest in what will be a three-book series, Write Shop Primary Book A. http://www.writeshop.com/
This book is used for children in grades K-3 to lead them into writing through crafts, activities, and picture books. It is a gently approach that is easy to implement and has several schedules to use to accommodate each child's skill level.
We never got to use this book. I was sent the down loadable version and for some reason, it got lost in my email when the company first sent it to me. By the time I realized my review was due, contacted the company about the lost email, got a new email, and got it finally downloaded, here we are at the end of the year. My younger son (grade 3) is finally writing well, and I believe this program would be too easy for him. Had we gotten this product during the first semester when he was struggling so with writing, I am sure we could have used it with success. Somewhere along the way his writing, just like his reading did the previous year, after many struggles, suddenly just clicked. One of those homeschool mysteries I'll never understand. :)
My youngest daughter is only four, but she is already writing/copying words well and expresses a strong interest in reading and writing. I had thought about putting it off but since the activities in this book are so simple I may try the book on her come fall. Or even over the summer. Just introduce it as a fun thing to do on those hot, humid TN afternoons.
As with the few other products we were unable to use, I will still report as much as I can on it here and of course, follow up with updates as we go through the program.
My set came with PDF versions of both the teacher and student books. The cost for each printed book is between $26.95-$29.95 plus a small cost of around $5 for the student activity set. E-books are a few dollars less, running about $25.
The first section of the teacher guide tells the parent how to work with multiple ages, set up the schedule, and get supplies ready. Looks like to me that most supplies would be available at an office supply or teacher store, or in your own home already, and that setting up a writing center would be easy.
This book is used for children in grades K-3 to lead them into writing through crafts, activities, and picture books. It is a gently approach that is easy to implement and has several schedules to use to accommodate each child's skill level.
We never got to use this book. I was sent the down loadable version and for some reason, it got lost in my email when the company first sent it to me. By the time I realized my review was due, contacted the company about the lost email, got a new email, and got it finally downloaded, here we are at the end of the year. My younger son (grade 3) is finally writing well, and I believe this program would be too easy for him. Had we gotten this product during the first semester when he was struggling so with writing, I am sure we could have used it with success. Somewhere along the way his writing, just like his reading did the previous year, after many struggles, suddenly just clicked. One of those homeschool mysteries I'll never understand. :)
My youngest daughter is only four, but she is already writing/copying words well and expresses a strong interest in reading and writing. I had thought about putting it off but since the activities in this book are so simple I may try the book on her come fall. Or even over the summer. Just introduce it as a fun thing to do on those hot, humid TN afternoons.
As with the few other products we were unable to use, I will still report as much as I can on it here and of course, follow up with updates as we go through the program.
My set came with PDF versions of both the teacher and student books. The cost for each printed book is between $26.95-$29.95 plus a small cost of around $5 for the student activity set. E-books are a few dollars less, running about $25.
The first section of the teacher guide tells the parent how to work with multiple ages, set up the schedule, and get supplies ready. Looks like to me that most supplies would be available at an office supply or teacher store, or in your own home already, and that setting up a writing center would be easy.
Depending on the chosen work schedule and child's abilities, it can take between one-three years to work through all three books. You'll have around 160 pages of lessons to complete in book A.
Every lesson will teach your child a new skill and lessons are theme-based (animals, trains, rhymes, etc). But even the themes are flexible to accommodate other studies you may be doing. An example of this is taking the Write Shop lesson on bugs and easily adapting it to your study of birds instead. You make a bird house rather than a bug house, hold a nature walk looking for birds rather than insects, etc. I like this because I can see how Write Shop could work with our current unit study program. I also like that quite a few of the picture books it calls for go right along with our Five in a Row curriculum.
Each lesson is split into 8 activity sets. These activity sets will always contain the same elements (as in Activity set 1 will always be a guided writing activity). I also like this because once I begin using the program, we will kind of get into a routine and there will be no surprises for mom!
There are worksheets included to reinforce concepts, evaluation sheets in case your state requires a grade, additional activities for the child who is hungry for more, and my favorite...little projects that allow your child to publish her finished writing.
Overall, I think this will be an easy addition to our day and will teach writing, creativity, editing and revision, without a headache or hassle. I think it will be perfect to use as a go-along to the programs I have already planned to use next year.
Waiting to try it!
-Lynn
Every lesson will teach your child a new skill and lessons are theme-based (animals, trains, rhymes, etc). But even the themes are flexible to accommodate other studies you may be doing. An example of this is taking the Write Shop lesson on bugs and easily adapting it to your study of birds instead. You make a bird house rather than a bug house, hold a nature walk looking for birds rather than insects, etc. I like this because I can see how Write Shop could work with our current unit study program. I also like that quite a few of the picture books it calls for go right along with our Five in a Row curriculum.
Each lesson is split into 8 activity sets. These activity sets will always contain the same elements (as in Activity set 1 will always be a guided writing activity). I also like this because once I begin using the program, we will kind of get into a routine and there will be no surprises for mom!
There are worksheets included to reinforce concepts, evaluation sheets in case your state requires a grade, additional activities for the child who is hungry for more, and my favorite...little projects that allow your child to publish her finished writing.
Overall, I think this will be an easy addition to our day and will teach writing, creativity, editing and revision, without a headache or hassle. I think it will be perfect to use as a go-along to the programs I have already planned to use next year.
Waiting to try it!
-Lynn
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