Write with the Best vol1 vs. 2

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amysconfections
Posts: 247
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:37 pm
Location: AL

Write with the Best vol1 vs. 2

Post by amysconfections » Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:15 am

Is there a big difference between the two volumes? My second son started WWTB vol 1 this year and we didn't like it at all. I ended up subbing a IEW book I had. My oldest is supposed to use WWTB vol 2 next year. But without seeing it Im not sure since I really didn't like vol 1. My oldest did not do vol 1 because he skipped CTC. He has done IEW and the creative writing. IEW was my fav so far. It just clicks with me and I see the point of it. I also understand why Carrie has chosen different writing programs to give the students a wide background in writing instead of getting stuck on one method.
So, back to my question. Is volume 2 so different that it's worth trying? Right now if I don't use it I have decided on Essentials in writing program.
Amy
T-18 Masters degree Cyber Security WGU
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Heart of Dakota user since 2007.

mothermayi?
Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2014 8:17 pm

Re: Write with the Best vol1 vs. 2

Post by mothermayi? » Tue Mar 03, 2015 11:08 am

Bumping this up. I am interested in learning more about volume 2 as well. Hopefully someone that used both will chime in soon :) .
~Began HOD Oct. 28, 2013
DS13 (7th) HOD RTR, MUS, DITHR 6/7/8
DS11 (5th) HOD CTC, Singapore & LOF, DITHR 4/5
DD6.5 (1st) MFW 1, Miquon Math, LOF
DD4.5 (PreK4) MFW K

Nealewill
Posts: 1611
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 5:08 pm
Location: Cincinnati, OH

Re: Write with the Best vol1 vs. 2

Post by Nealewill » Tue Mar 03, 2015 1:26 pm

They actually cover different topics and different writing activities but are similar in format and nature. I haven't done WWTB 2 yet but I have looked at samples. On the website, you can see the different samples if you click on the links provided.
Daneale

DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R

Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Write with the Best vol1 vs. 2

Post by my3sons » Tue Mar 03, 2015 7:46 pm

I enjoyed both of the volumes and found them to really stretch our dc's writing abilities. They are more challenging, as they involve using classic literature excerpts as the basis for writing assignments. To compare the two, here is the descriptions Nealewill mentioned...

Write with the Best: Modeling Writing After Great Works of World Literature, Volume 1 - By: Jill J. Dixon
Write with the Best: Volume I - Modeling Writing After Great Works of World Literature
Author: Jill Dixon, M.Ed.
Bibliographic Data: 3-hole punched pages within a 3 ring binder

In Write with the Best, literary passages from respected and well-loved authors are used to teach students how to write. Creative activities break the writing into manageable chunks and help students identify what makes a literary work "great". Students are encouraged to make writing more vivid, and the student ultimately produces writing that models the genre of the literary passage. Guidelines for evaluating and grading writing, suggestions for adapting the curriculum for different learning styles, and student proofreading and writing guides are also valuable parts of the program. Each daily lesson takes only 15-45 minutes, is addressed to the student and can be used with all children in a family at the same time. The program includes all needed excerpts from all of the literature that it models so that teachers are not required to purchase additional material. This curriculum is a genuine, incremental (step-by-step) program which requires minimal teacher involvement towards the goal of mastery of creative writing. Hearts for Him Through Time: Creation to Christ will schedule lessons from this guide twice weekly. For grades 3 -12, but best suited for grades 4-8. (View a pdf of part of the guide here)

Nine different genres are covered:
* Describing an Object from Jules Verne - a Place from Charles Dickens - a Character from Daniel Defoe
* Dialogue from Kenneth Grahame
* The Short Story from O. Henry
* Fables from Aesop
* Friendly Letters from Robert Louis Stevenson
* Poetry - Rhyming Verse from William Wordsworth
* The Ballad or Narrative Poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Write With the Best: Modeling Writing after Great Authors of World Literature, Vol. 2
List Price – $29.99
Author – Jill Dixon
Bibliographic Data – 140 pages

Description:
Good writers are made by reading good writing. This curriculum features excerpts from works of great literature, as students practice actual skills rather than abstract rules of writing. Grammar is focused upon within the context of writing as students follow in the footsteps of literary giants. This is part of a two-book series (Volume 1 was used in Creation to Christ).

Creative activities break the writing into manageable chunks and help students identify what makes a literary work "great". Students are encouraged to make writing more vivid and ultimately produce writing that models the genre of the literary passage. Guidelines for evaluating and grading writing, suggestions for adapting the curriculum for different learning styles, and student proofreading and writing guides are also valuable parts of the program. Each daily lesson takes only 20-30 minutes, is addressed to the student, and includes step-by-step guidance. The program includes all needed excerpts from the literature that it models so that teachers are not required to purchase additional material.

This curriculum is a genuine, incremental (step-by-step) program which requires minimal teacher involvement towards the goal of mastery of higher-level forms of writing. Missions to Modern Marvels schedules lessons from this guide twice weekly. For grades 6 -12 (but best suited for grades 7 on up in our opinion). View a pdf of part of the guide here.

Topics covered include:
Taking Notes
Writing Outlines
Writing Summaries
Persuasive Essays
Expository Essays
Literary Critiques
Book Reviews
Newspaper Articles
Speeches
Note: We omit units 1 and 2 (free verse poetry and business letter) due to these topics being well-covered in Rod and Staff English. We also omit unit 8 (dramatic monologue) to keep the area of writing in balance, as a full level of Rod and Staff English is scheduled too, which also includes instruction in writing.


My friend who enrolled her dc in public high school due to her husband's poor health said that she felt WWTB Vol. 1 and 2 helped her children excel in composition/English. In fact, knowing she was going to be enrolling her dc in high school, one of the things she did to fully prepare them was to work through WWTB Vol. 2 right before putting them in school. Having done WWTB 1, she felt doing WWTB 2 would be the best possible preparation.

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

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