WWE 3: What books are you using?

[HollyBee]

It looks like I'm going to start WWE with my kids in January, after some much-needed time off. DS8 (2nd grade) will start with level 1, so I'm planning on getting the workbook. DD10 (4th grade) looks to be ready for level 3. I don't want to wait for the level 3 workbook to be published, so it looks like I'm going to be working from the text.

So here's the question: In the absence of the workbook, what books are you using for level 3 to do the weeks that aren't detailed in the textbook? :bigear:


Thanks!
Holly

[Mallory]

I started both of my boys in WWE 1, and my 9yo is zooming right on. I was hoping that he might make it in level 2 until 3 comes out, but I am not sure he needs to be "held back" in that way.

So, I have been thinking about how to do level three. So far this has been one of the easiest writing programs we have used, and I don't want to lose that.

I think if I were going to start level three tomorrow I would have him do the same selection for narration that my 7yo is doing in WWE, BUT do using the level 3 skills.

He would read the passage (or even read it to his brother), he would summarize in three brief sentances, instead of picking out one thing, and I would dictate the summary for him to write down. Then we would dictate the sentances, instead of doing copy work.

There are 5 weeks already done in the text for level 3 so if you have that, you only need 31 more. I would throw out the 5 weeks from level 1 that would be hardest to adapt. We also own several of the books used in level 1 so for those weeks I might pick out longer passages from our books, using the same selection already scheduled in WWE 1. I might also pick out different dictation selections, from the passage, following the guidelined in the text.

The weekly pattern of 1 even seems to make more sense, because the dictation selections are supposed to be passages they haven't seen before, so if you did it the day before the narration, then you could use a sentance from that passage, and not have to find another selection ;)

Those are my thoughts, maybe they will help you!

[Sheila in OK]

Hey, that's a great idea Mallory! I may do something like that myself. :)

[HollyBee]

Thanks Mallory! That does help.

ETA: Another question--do you think it matters if the kids have already read the selection?


Holly

[Mallory]

These are my thoughts about if they have read the selection or not.

Many of the selections in WWE 1 we are familiar with, we might have seen the movie, or I read the book to them, ect. Occasionally there is something we really know (the bed in summer poem is one we have memorized). Either way we do the book as written, I don't feel that my kids have huge advatage with selections we are only familiar with, and the one day that we knew the poem, it was a good break. I mean even on things like standardized tests you sometimes get lucky and really know what the questions are about!

I think there is a difference between doing a dictation on something they read three months ago vs. something they read yesterday. If it was in the past, I wouldn't worry that they are "cheating" because they have seen it before, but if they had just seen it yesterday, then I might feel (depending on the kid) that they were able to slide by today because that passage is fresh in thier mind. Like above, if we had happened to study it or read it just a few days ago anyway, it would just be a bonus! (Besides in my experience these lessons are some of the most fun.)

So no, most of the time I don't think it matters if they have read a few to several of the selections. If there are only one or two they haven't then you might try something else.