Product Description

In Writing with Ease, Susan Wise Bauer (author of The Well-Trained Mind) lays out an alternative plan for teaching writing, one that combines the best elements of old-fashioned writing instruction with innovative new educational methods. Young students who learn to write well need one-on-one instruction—something which your child's classroom may not offer. In The Complete Writer series, Susan Wise Bauer turns every parent into a writing teacher. No experience is needed. Drawing on her fifteen years of experience in teaching writing, Susan lays out a carefully-designed sequence of steps that will teach every student to put words on paper with ease and grace. This alternative plan for teaching writing combines the best elements of old-fashioned writing instruction with innovative new educational methods—and explains why so many writing programs fail.

Designed for elementary-aged writers and for older students who still struggle, Writing With Ease builds a sturdy foundation of basic skills for grades 1–4 (or levels 1–4 for the older student who needs more work) all in the same book. Diagnostic tests within the book will help the parent to determine where the child needs to start and which workbook the child will need. You can use the text by itself as a guide, then choose your own copywork and dictation; or you can buy the workbooks (available separately), which do all the work for you. Each workbooks will cover one grade. This Instructor Text covers grades 1-4 in 144 lessons, 4 explanatory chapters, and 4 appendices.

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If you already use first language lessons, skip this        Rating:

I already use first language lessons for the well trained mind and I think this is overkill beside this program.

Not in love with this book as much as other folks are        Rating:

This book lays out a four-year program for teaching writing to elementary children. Other reviews spell out the strong points of this book and Ms. Bauer's approach to teaching writing. I agree with her approach, which follows that of Charlotte Mason -- using good literature as a stepping stone to teaching narration and copywork skills.

However, a few things bothered me, so I thought I'd mention them.
There is a section concerning the parent saying sentences with and without contractions to their child, "Listen to yourself; whenever you use a contraction, repeat the sentence again without the contraction." The next paragraph is titled "Talking as You Work" and gives a sample monologue the parent might say while completing work about the house. Every sentence uses contractions yet none of them uses a non-contraction, which the previous paragraph assured us was important. Is it important or isn't it?

Year Two: "Watch him as he writes; if he begins to make a mistake in form or spelling, stop him and tell him the correct answer. Never let him write incorrectly; the point of the exercise is to reinforce correct mental pictures of written language.
If the student asks you how to spell a word, tell him; this is not a spelling exercise."

To me, this is another example of "do I or don't I?" correct his spelling? Don't let him spell incorrectly! Don't give him the correct spelling if he asks for it! What is a parent to do?

There are a selection of workbooks designed to accompany this book, one workbook for each year (each workbook costs approximately the same as Writing With Ease). The workbook appears to have the same script, the same reading paragraphs, the same instructions, only with the addition of lined paper for the student to write on.

I do think this book will help me teach my sons to write. The (to me) inconsistencies are not enough to warrant ignoring this book. I'll be referring to it more than once as we go through the elementary years.

Excellent        Rating:

The book is a great reference for anyone contemplating homeschooling or just beginning. It is filled with great tips and advise.

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