Writing Tales... when to work it in with FLL & WWE?

[Lovedtodeath]

What age and grade do you think it is best for? How does it go (or where does it go) along with/inbetween other LA programs? I plan to use FLL as long as I can... (that's 4 I guess) and WWE plus we will start IEW and AG at some point (I was thinking WT first). Is the grammar knowlege and the writing knowlege unbalanced compared to FLL and WWE? (DC are expected to have more writing skills/ less grammar than FLL and WWE have)

We have officially started 1st grade. We are starting WWE 1 and have already been doing FLL 1 and DD is doing very well. Easy Peasy. The informal stuff we did in K must have worked. (or are these programs meant to be easy peasy at this level anyway?) I looked at the samples and I was thinking about doing WT 1 either between FLL2 and 3 or FLL 3 and 4. So halfway into second grade halfway into 3rd grade maybe. How does that sound? I was under the impression that it is a full year program? I want to use the entire setup, grammar and all and I am afraid that there will be no need for half of it if we do it any later than that... from a look at the samples. DDs only problem with LA work is ADHD and motivation issues. She is doing amazingly well with all LA, and we both love doing it, so speeding up and adding more would be great. I find she knows things that I don't remember teaching her. (We won't talk about math, I will just let you all think she is a whiz at everything. ;))

I was also wondering how much hand holding there is for me. It seems telling her to re-write the story and letting her have a go at it is not enough. Or maybe it will be after we get to a certain level in WWE?

Thanks!

[Julieofsardis]

We have so, so many more choices for curriculum today than they did even 10 years ago. That can be great, but it can also be bad. I think we sometimes feel like we have to use all of the good stuff, because well, it's all just sooo good.

That said, I think you are creating a monster for youself when you try to work extra programs into others.

If I were you and I really wanted to do WT, I would not try to work it into FLL and WWE. I'd either plan to switch at some point or just continue on with what you're doing.

WT would take the place of both FLL and WWE. I think WT 1 is a 3rd or 4th grade program, but that may be just where my child is and you'd want to do something different.

Anyway, you really don't need to do all of both programs -- it's one or the other. Then once you're past that level, you just keep moving forward. I think, to do WT and then back up and try to do the FLL and WWE that you replaced is just redundant.

I hope that makes sense. By the way, I've been very tempted by WT myself and may yet give it a try.

[Lovedtodeath]

Anyway, you really don't need to do all of both programs -- it's one or the other. Then once you're past that level, you just keep moving forward. I think, to do WT and then back up and try to do the FLL and WWE that you replaced is just redundant.

Thank you! I was actually thinking that but didn't get it across. I really need to decide if I want to replace FLL 3 and WWE 3 or FLL 4 and WWE 4. I am worried that she might reach WWE 3 early and not be ready for WT yet. I worry that skipping FLL 3 is not a good idea b/c it introduces diagramming. I am also thinking that if I replace FLL 4 and WWE 4 then I might miss something important b/c WWE 5 sounds like it will be really great. LOL! I guess I don't know what to do if I don't do it all and that is my problem.

I am thinking as I type. I could start WT 1 and 2 right after FLL 2 and WWE 2. If I start AG in 6th grade after WT 1 & 2 then maybe we can do WWE 5 after that, in case it is a really important level. (Using sentence diagramming in order to structure your sentences correctly sounds really important and something I wish I was taught.) I want to do IEW in 6th because we will be doing Ancient History. So how does that sound? :D

[Emmy]

I am doing FLL 3 and WWE 2 with my 8yo right now and I anticipate doing WT1 with him next year. I *think* will simply skip out on FLL and WWE in lieu of WT1 and then the year after that I'll either do FLL4 or maybe I'll just move to whatever is after FLL....I would just pick a year to do WT and put the other programs on hold, that's my plan.

I haven't thought through IEW yet though - I'm not sure where I'm going for writing after WT, possibly it will be IEW but I figure I'll do WT first and then decide.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thanks for sharing your plan Emmy. :)

[Julieofsardis]

What you have laid out sounds doable. Does AG teach diagramming? I can't remember. If so, I think waiting until then would be fine.

[Lovedtodeath]

okay... my plan is to do FLL 1&2 and WWE 1,2,3. Then WT 1 will start in Jan of 3rd grade. FLL3 and FLL4 will come after that even if FLL 4 is in 5th grade. We can push AG back and start it whenever grammar review is needed. 5th grade writing will be WWE 4 or WP LA (we are doing sea & sky and might want to saturate ourselves in it). 6th will be IEW fairy tales (we will start ancient history with WP QAW). 7th will be IEW ancient history (one more year of Ancient History, SOTW). We will do WWE 5 if still needed in 7th or 8th.

After that? I don't know. She is only in first grade after all.:001_huh: :lol:

Thanks Julie. I posted at the same time as you. I can still skip FLL 3 and 4 and just do AG. That's probably a better plan.

[arcara]

I'm actually planning to do WWE 3 and WT 2 with my dd (4th grade) next year. We will not do a grammar program because she's a year ahead in that anyway - she's doing GWG 4 this year. I feel that she needs the extra writing practice to get her geared up for the Logic stage. WWE takes so little time, that I don't foresee having trouble fitting them both in her schedule.

That being said, I haven't actually experienced it in action yet, so we'll just have to see how it will work out :)

[Lovedtodeath]

WWE takes so little time, that I don't foresee having trouble fitting them both in her schedule. :)

I was thinking that too, at some point WWE could go alongside another writing program. I would love to hear how it goes for you doing both.

[Mallory]

But I think that doing WWE 4 after WT would be a step back. It is only dictation and narration. But WT includes more. It still has dictation and narration, but then you are going to take that narration and make it better.

So maybe WT could replace WWE 4- say WWE 1, 2, 3 then WT 1 in 3rd grade, and WT 2 in 4th. Don't go back to WWE 4. Even if you do decide to go to WWE 5 and it is available, I am sure that WT will have prepared her for it. You can also skip right to WT 2 if she is ready for that after WWE.

I think that you are making it more difficult trying to fit in ALL of several differnent programs. Don't fix what isn't broke. If WWE and FLL work, plan on them for 1st- 4th, then do WT if that excites you (even if she only needs level 2, this is a more meaty program than WWE), then IEW.

Our plan is WWE 1-4, then what ever level of WT then CW through highschool.

I also think that grammar doesn't need to be studied in elementary, so we are obviously on different pages there :). But again as long as FLL is working for you, don't switch. AG isn't supposed to be until 6th or 7th anyway, right? If you need something in your plan for after FLL maybe JAG would work.

[Mallory]

I was thinking that too, at some point WWE could go alongside another writing program. I would love to hear how it goes for you doing both.

I wonder what adding WWE to a writing program that already does dictation and narration is?

WWE is wonderful and simple and easy, but there are a couple other programs that expand on it, especially as you get to 3rd and 4th grade. So if you are using WT and already doing narrating and dictating, I would think that WWE would almost be busy work if you did it as written.

If you applied it to other writing lessons, or history or something then that might work.

But again, we might be coming at this from differnt angles, because simplicity is important to us, and using redundant curriculums would not fit my goal of a streamlined day.

[Lovedtodeath]

Thanks Mallory, those thoughts are very helpful. I was actually thinking WWE 5 since the WWE text gives glimpses of something totally different and much needed at that level.

FLL is so gentle and fun and half of it is listening to stories and poems. It is DDs favorite part of hs, other than FIAR. She celebrates when she sees the FLL book come out. I didn't think we needed grammar in the early grades either. I bought it used on a whim and I am so glad that I did.