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Mary G
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| Posted: Jan 27 2009 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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Has anyone used Susan Wise Bauer's new Writing with Ease?
I borrowed it from the library but I think I'm going to buy it as it covers writing and narration in such an easy, level-appropriate way. It covers pre-school, 1-4th grade writing, with scripted, weekly lesson plans.
There are also individual workbooks for the first 2 levels: Level 1, Level 2 with plans to have middle and high school levels soon.
I like the way SWBauer writes ... she makes sense to me and I think this can be very workable. What say y'all?
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MaryG
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Kristie 4
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I have it in my cart at the library and am just waiting. I tend to not like her writing style (the whole driveness of the Well Trained Mind I think put me off) but I really, really enjoyed reading the excerpt from Writing with Ease on the different stages of a writer. They were concise and not overloaded.
Looking forward to any more feedback...
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Mare
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 9:22am | IP Logged
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Hi Mary and Kristie,
I'm a SWB fan. I've been using her First Language Lessons(FLL) for the last four years. We started with her Writing with Ease (WWE) books in the fall. I like how she simplifies things that I would make difficult. 
Prior to WWE, I gave my girls copywork and dictation that I thought they could handle. They were not happy. They kept up with it but they were dragging their feet along the way.
I bought WWE. I liked what I read and realized that I was expecting too much from my girls. I was not planning on purchasing the workbooks but I decided that for the sake of my time and my sanity, it was best if I did.
It was worth the investment for me. Everything is right there. I don't have to go looking for passages. My girls don't drag their feet doing the work. The lessons are short and sweet and to the point. I don't think we spend more than 5 - 10 minutes doing the work.  Before, it was more like 30 minutes. 
My oldest is in fourth grade and there isn't a workbook available this year.  I find it is harder for me to keep up with the narration and dictation and copywork on a weekly basis in comparison to her sisters. I have to do all the planning where as the workbook has it done for me. We do cover some of it in the FLL but she isn't doing as much as I would like her to do.
I plan on using this program next year.
HTH,
Mare
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Mary G
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 12:02pm | IP Logged
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Mare wrote:
Prior to WWE, I gave my girls copywork and dictation that I thought they could handle. They were not happy. They kept up with it but they were dragging their feet along the way.
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Exactly what I was doing too! Sessions would sometimes dissolve into tears or I'd just give up and not do any!
Mare wrote:
It was worth the investment for me. Everything is right there. I don't have to go looking for passages. My girls don't drag their feet doing the work. The lessons are short and sweet and to the point. I don't think we spend more than 5 - 10 minutes doing the work. Before, it was more like 30 minutes. |
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That's what I liked when I got it from the library. It's in my Amazon cart waiting to be purchased ... until then I'll start implementing using the library's copy. I also like that it goes from pre-K thru 4th grade (but she also gives tips if you have a struggling student that doesn't fall into the "right" grade level).
Yep, it did! THANKS!
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MaryG
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Mare
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 12:14pm | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
| [QUOTE=Mare] It was worth the investment for me. Everything is right there. I don't have to go looking for passages. My girls don't drag their feet doing the work. The lessons are short and sweet and to the point. I don't think we spend more than 5 - 10 minutes doing the work. Before, it was more like 30 minutes. |
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That's what I liked when I got it from the library. It's in my Amazon cart waiting to be purchased ... until then I'll start implementing using the library's copy. I also like that it goes from pre-K thru 4th grade (but she also gives tips if you have a struggling student that doesn't fall into the "right" grade level).
[quote=Mare]
Mary,
I just want to clarify that the hardcover of WWE gives just an example to be used for one week. Then for the next nine weeks, you need to come up with your own passages. When you get to Week 11, there will be an example to use that week. Weeks 12-19 or so is left up to you to find examples.
The WWE workbook has all the work done for you. The front half of the book is for the teacher. It includes the passages to read to the children. The second half of the book is listed by week. It is for the child to write his copywork, narration, etc.
Mare
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teachingmyown
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I have it but haven't started it with ds 11. We are using First Language Lessons 3, though, and I love it! I have never enjoyed doing a scripted program before, but I think she did a great job making it simple and effective. It also keeps me accountable which I had trouble with when the kids were doing workbooks on their own.
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JuliaT
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Mary, I am using it and I really like it. It is very simple but it offers a good foundation for writing skills.
I am using Level 1 with my ds (8.) I am not using the workbooks as I am trying to be frugal. I think this is a case where you need to decide what you need to be more frugal with: money or time. It takes time to find the passages and I am always second guessing myself on whether I am choosing good passages or not. I think for next year I will get the workbooks just to save time and my sanity.
Blessings
Julia
mom of 3 (9,8,6)
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SaraP
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| Posted: Feb 23 2009 at 12:10pm | IP Logged
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I like SWB also and have been looking at both First Language Lessons and Writing With Ease and I am having trouble figuring out how (if) they fit together.
Are they complimentary curricula or are they variations of the same material or is one meant to use FLL first and then move on to WWE?
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JuliaT
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Sara, it is my understanding that you use them both together. FLL is for grammar and WWE is for writing (copywork and narration)
Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3(9,8,6)
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dawn2006
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| Posted: Feb 24 2009 at 6:54am | IP Logged
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Kristie 4 wrote:
| I tend to not like her writing style (the whole driveness of the Well Trained Mind I think put me off) ....... Looking forward to any more feedback... |
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Same here!
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MarilynW
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Just wondering..for the Writer's Ease and the First Language Lessons - do the levels coincide with Grade? My questions- for my Grade 5 twins;
- would I start with Writers Ease 1 or 2
- can I do FLL 4
I just like the way everything is laid out - I am more likely to do the narration, dictation etc if it is laid out for me.
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mom3aut1not
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Marilyn,
Generally, the levels are the same as grades unless your child has had little or no formal instruction. For fifth grade students, I would not use WWE1 and probably not WWE2. (By the way, I believe that the workbook for level 3 will be out shortly. WWE4's workbook is due out in January.) Look at samples on peacehillpress.com to see where you should place your child.
As for FLL4, I don't see any reason why you can't do that with your twins.
In Christ,
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Kristie 4
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WWE also has a very different sort of twist on narration- it seems more like developing a 'precis' to me. Not very much like a CM narration in the younger years...
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MicheleQ
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I really like WWE --and I do think it's very CM. I don't know that the narration style is really so different though.
CM expected rather precise narrations --". . . and the child narrates, fluently, copiously, in ordered sequence, with fit and graphic details, with a just choice of words, without verbosity or tautology, so soon as he can speak with ease. -Charlotte Mason - Home Education
as does SWB --"the goal is to teach the student to express herself in complete sentences. ...it is important for the student to begin now to learn how to pick important facts out of a passage rather than simply repeating all of the information." -Susan Wise Bauer - Writing With Ease
There's a lot of similarity there. Remember, narration is point by point rather than word for word. We want them to understand the passage not just be able to parrot it back.
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 8:35pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
Just wondering..for the Writer's Ease and the First Language Lessons - do the levels coincide with Grade? My questions- for my Grade 5 twins;
- would I start with Writers Ease 1 or 2
- can I do FLL 4
I just like the way everything is laid out - I am more likely to do the narration, dictation etc if it is laid out for me. |
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Marilyn,
The levels are roughly equivalent to grades, but SWB says that struggling or reluctant writers may need to start at a lower level.
Basically she says:
if your child can do copywork well, but struggles a bit with one to two sentence dictations, start with Level 2,
if your child struggles with three to four sentence dictation and/or has difficulty with coherent, brief summaries, start with Level 3,
if your (slightly older) child can think of what to write but can't get it on paper, start with Level 4.
There are diagnostic tests in the Writing With Ease text to help you place your student.
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Michele Quigley
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 9:07pm | IP Logged
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Thanks so much Deborah, Michele and others - that is so helpful. I think my boys would be Level 4. Is the Level 4 writing included in the main text - I think the workbook is only out in the fall? I am waiting to pick up the WWE text from the library.
I am trying to figure out whether to use this or IEW - I just feel so tired right now I figured that WWE may be easier and I like to do the CM thing. Usually I write up a schedule with my own choice of copywork, dictation and writing for the year - but am too busy with precious little girl to do this right now...
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SylviaB
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Kristie 4 wrote:
| WWE also has a very different sort of twist on narration- it seems more like developing a 'precis' to me. Not very much like a CM narration in the younger years... |
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Kristie,
Would you mind expanding on the differences for me? I was actually wondering that recently and looking at the differences between classical and CM. SWB seems to use a lot of nattation, dictation and copywork....
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: Aug 05 2009 at 9:17pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
Is the Level 4 writing included in the main text - I think the workbook is only out in the fall? I am waiting to pick up the WWE text from the library.
I am trying to figure out whether to use this or IEW - I just feel so tired right now I figured that WWE may be easier and I like to do the CM thing. Usually I write up a schedule with my own choice of copywork, dictation and writing for the year - but am too busy with precious little girl to do this right now... |
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Marilyn,
Level 4 (year 4 she calls it) is in the text, BUT although it tells you what to do you still have to pick the selections for narration and dictation so it won't really be less work for you in that sense. But I DO think it would be a good guide.
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Erin
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So is the general consensus to buy the workbook as well as Writing with Ease?
I'm a mum who has used dictation fairly regularly for years so you have to convince me here  
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MNMommy
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Erin wrote:
So is the general consensus to buy the workbook as well as Writing with Ease?
I'm a mum who has used dictation fairly regularly for years so you have to convince me here |
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My personal opinion is to just buy the workbook and ILL the text if you want to read it. The instructional part of the text is only about 20 pages. The remainder lays out a skeleton for weekly plans for the four years. You could always preview the text at a conference this spring if you are attending one.
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Jennifer
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4Real Forums : Language Arts Come Alive
Topic: Writing with Ease
