WriteShop Junior Level D Teacher's Guide

Upper elementary ages (8-11 years) would begin with Level D if they need to learn to identify and use proper grammar and punctuation, how to choose strong words, brainstorming before writing, writing a paragraph, writing research-based articles, or self-editing and revising their own work. This level could be stretched into grades 6-7 for a child with learning struggles (although the worksheets may seem childish). Children who are comfortable with basic sentence structure and have learned basic paragraph skills would begin with Level E.

Topics covered include grammar and punctuation; narrowing topic; brainstorming; sentence structure, basic paragraph; using emotion and five senses; choosing strong words; self-editing and revising; and creative publishing. Writing topics include humor, adventure, science fiction, mystery, poetry/haiku, folktales, historical fiction, personal narrative and expository writing.

WriteShop® Junior continues the same incremental, step-by-step successful approach of the WriteShop® program. It is designed for parents and children to use in close conjunction, teaching children to write fiction, non-fiction, poems, short reports through the use of games, graphic organizers and self editing tools. These levels also have handy scheduling options to choose from, so you can determine whether a 3-week lesson/ 30-week plan or a 2 week per lesson/ 20-week plan will fit better into your schooling.

The flexible nature and focus on skills make selecting the best starting point straightforward. The author recommends choosing the level that fits best with the child's thinking skills and not his grammar, writing, or spelling skills. Key concepts are taught in all levels so children will not feel like they have "missed" something. Upper elementary ages (8-11 years) would begin with Level D if they need to learn to identify and use proper grammar and punctuation, how to choose strong words, brainstorming before writing, writing a paragraph, writing research-based articles, or self-editing and revising their own work. This level could be stretched into grades 6-7 for a child with learning struggles (although the worksheets may seem childish). Children who are comfortable with basic sentence structure and have learned basic paragraph skills would begin with Level E. At this level, five paragraph writing is introduced about 2/3 of the way through. Level E is designed for the 4th-5th grader or reluctant 6th grader. Targeting the 5th-6th grader (or reluctant 7th), Level F is recommended for children fluent in basic paragraph skills. Five paragraph writing is taught (or reviewed) about 2/3 of the way through. This level can also be a good fit for a 12-13 year old who needs more time to work on foundational writing skills like narrowing the topic, using graphic organizers, improving sentence length, developing characters, setting, plot, using dialogue or writing five paragraph compositions and research reports. Children comfortable with these skills are ready for the Writeshop® writing program. See below for more information on content at each level.

The Teacher's Guide contains the schedules; materials and supplies lists; teaching tips for hands-on projects and the writing skills used throughout the book; the body of each lesson and instructions for all activities. The student's Activity Pack includes worksheets for use with each lesson along with the Fold-N-Go Grammar Pack. The Fold-N-Go Grammar Pack contains colorful papers that can be assembled to form 10 portable grammar and writing flipbooks which can be mounted inside a file folder. The updated versions of the Fold-N-Go Grammar Packs are bound in a softcover book with black and white perforated pages. If you'd prefer not to invest time making your own, the Time- Saver Pack includes ready-made materials (like spinners and game cards) described in the Teachers Guide. Permission is granted for copying worksheet and Fold-N-Go pages for single-family use. Zach/Deanne

WriteShop programs have a reputation for building confident writers through an incremental approach. The first WriteShop programs were written for middle school and high school students, and we have been pleased to see that the series has grown "down" to reach the youngest writers as well. The three branches of the program include the original WriteShop (Books 1 and 2), WriteShop Junior and WriteShop Primary. All levels of the program are well-structured, easy to use and give the parent all of the tools to teach writing well.