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Blended Structure & Style in Composition
Having noticed that many students entering university do not know how to write, and seeing how the first grade students at his school were writing better stories than the fourth grade students caused James Webster to take action, resulting in this writing course. Wanting it to be useful for a wide range, the author has divided the course into eight stages. Each new stage builds upon the last, and for that reason he recommends beginning with unit one for all skill levels (primary through university) and working through each of the units in order. Yes, that is a wide range of levels; the author says the grades and units work best in the following way. Units one through three are appropriate for grade one. Grade two students should start with unit one in September and have completed unit five by June. Grade three should do units one through seven and grade four units one through nine in a similar time span. Higher grades complete all of the units, and when teaching this course to high school students, the first five units should be completed in ten weeks. In the higher grades, more time (at least a month per unit for the last half of the book) is recommended.
So what about these eight different stages, what does the author begin with and how does he progress through the writing levels? Unit one starts with the basics of note taking and outlines. Unit two teaches summarizing from notes, skills of limiting in note taking, and adapting note taking and style. Unit three discusses summarizing narrative stories. Unit four focuses on summarizing references. In unit five, students learn writing from a series of pictures. Unit six covers library research reports and stressing the process, using a mini-book series. Unit seven looks at creative writing and in unit eight students reach the "pinnacle" of writing skills - essay writing and university essay writing. Unit nine contains critiques of narrative stories and novels and a final chapter about the writing syllabus. Although this is a book written for a classroom setting, it can be adapted to a homeschool fairly easily. For the younger grades, it is better for the teacher to read through the book, explain ideas and new skills, and assign work. Upper grade students can use the book directly, reading the text for themselves, discussing and working on projects as appropriate. A thorough "how to" resource, this volume teaches practical methods rather than just a philosophy. Examples crowd the pages, so students should always be able to pick up on the skill that is being taught. This is a very thorough course on structure and style and the definitive reference for TWSS teachers and those with advanced students. ~ Zach
Based on specific topics or on events in history, IEW’s theme-based writing lessons (same grade-range levels as the SSS) offer comprehensive, almost scripted instruction. All necessary source texts have been developed for busy parents and teachers like you. An IEW veteran and aficionado myself, I couldn't conceive of anything more complete than what is provided here. All necessary source texts are provided and are reproducible for one parent/one homeschool. Some courses (particularly the Hillsdale College K12-connected courses) provide suggested reading lists. Clear assignments (sometimes differentiated between levels) along with a checklist aid both the student in preparation and the parent in grading. These are also designed to be used by the student to work on throughout the week. Based on specific topics or events in various segments of history, the lessons include grammar exercises, vocabulary development, quizzes, and games for review and reinforcement – along with the writing instruction, of course.
In all lessons, students are encouraged to polish their final draft, perhaps even adding illustrations. At the end of each course the student will have a personal portfolio collection of poems, stories, reports, essays and research papers. Lessons are taught at the beginning of each week allowing the rest of the week for students to complete the assignment which they should be able to do on their own. Teacher preparation is minimal. (Do I hear an emphatic "Yes!"?)
The courses are targeting a progressively more competent student with the assumption that students are working through the courses according to suggested grade levels. Therefore, there is an increasing complexity to the instructions, expectations, and assignments. Accordingly, teachers are encouraged to be flexible with plans. The beginning writer may need to spend more than the suggested week on difficult lessons or omit some of the grammar. Mature students may move more quickly to allow time for additional research writing and/or more creative essay writing.
Many of these courses can be used equally well within a homeschool with several different aged students and all can be used in a co-op/support school setting with more grade-specific groupings of students. It's assumed that parents/teachers have completed or have access to Teaching Writing Structure & Style (TWSS), IEW's seminar for parents and teachers.
Except for Bible Heroes, courses include both a Teacher and a Student Book. Both books are necessary as the course is designed to be interactive between the teacher and student. Teachers should plan to read over the lessons with the students and help as necessary, especially with specific tasks such as outlining and brainstorming. ~ Janice/Ruth
Product Format: | Softcover Book |
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Brand: | Institute for Excellence in Writing |
Grades: | 2-10 |
ISBN: | 9781623410070 |
Length in Inches: | 11 |
Width in Inches: | 9.5 |
Height in Inches: | 1 |
Weight in Pounds: | 1.7 |