You’re going to nee to refill your tea or coffee cup, get cozy and sit back for a bit. I’d really like you to get the big picture of what is included in this full writing program –

• The Teacher’s Guide – Print Edition
• WriteShop Junior Activity Pack, Book D – Print Edition
• WriteShop Junior Book D Time-Saver Pack – Print Edition

I received the three books above in print.  Go ahead and click on the links. Product details, photos and detailed descriptions are on each page for each product.  WriteShop really wants you to have a view of what they have to offer.

(elevator music)

Are you back?

Simple to Begin, Zero Prep from the Teacher

I was so excited when this product came to our home. The packaging is just Beautiful.  They use card stock for the Time-Saver Pack Pack and parts of the Activity Pack. The way the printed product is laid out makes it very simple for a teacher to begin with little planning time.  My advice with any curriculum, is to go ahead and take the time to read through the pages, see the whole picture – but if you need to start tomorrow, you can with this program.

Super Easy for the Student

At first glance, my son and I thought that the work was a bit too simple.  When I looked back at the age level – I see that it is for 3-5, 5th if you have a reluctant writer. I have a 5th grade son who LOVES to create stories, letters, poems etc. He used to write us long stories with illustrations when he was younger, but has lost his desire lately.  With the simple story prompts in the first two lessons, he was back into his fun writing once again. We have been using a grammar program since he was in the 3rd grade, so the writing helps of grammar have been mostly review. However, it was great to hear my son say how fun and easy it was, and to feel the accomplishment of him knowing.  If you are just starting out with writing or grammar for your 3-5th grader, this would be an excellent easy starting point for sure!

Wait. Does easy mean we’re not learning?

Does the work need to be difficult to be “quality”?  Does it need to have quantity to be “good”?  Do you need to spend hours each night lesson planning to feel like you are teaching them adequately?  To be honest – a part of me sort of answers yes to these questions. Our writing and grammar programs have been detailed and difficult. They’ve put us through loops, memorization, and overkilled repetitive writing at times.

After doing two units and looking through this program – I see the joy of letting someone like Kim, who has this vast experience and knowledge, come along side our family – and piece by piece incrementally pull out a great writer from my “good” writer. To replace joy in writing from mundane, struggle and frustrating. What would your directed writing time look like if you could wake up on Monday morning, flip to the next lesson page, and engage with your son while he creates a story about interviewing a character he created – A Hairy Mermaid today – while you try not to chew your cereal too loudly?

One thing we have found with Math and Grammar – especially in Oregon, where we need to test for these areas – are the importance of reviewing and creating every day. Learning piece by piece. Keeping it fresh. It is easy to make the seatwork feel rote, boring, and repetitive.  I’m pretty sure you will not be bored with Write Shop. Anything that one can practice every day for 20-30 minutes a day – will become mastered. This product will help you achieve that goal of working with joy in writing every day with an 11 year old son!

Here are a few links for you to look at as well, unless you peeked earlier when I sent you to links of the products I received from The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew:

• Using Write Shop PDF’s on your Mac / PC / iPad
• WriteShop Junior Book D – Complete information for Placement, Table of Contents, and Skills Introduced
• WriteShop  – Download Free Sample Lessons

Purchase Choices for WriteShop D, Printed and eBooks. I 100% believe the extra monies for the print will NOT leave you disappointed! We have a special offer of 15% off any WriteShop Primary and Junior products in the WriteShop store (including e-books) using coupon code CREW15 at checkout. Offer valid through June 15, 2012.

The Bottom Line:

Lets face it.  Most of my readers are Charlotte Mason – Reading Living Books – Narration to Learn types, or a large group of friends that are Serious Classical Conversation Learners. This product might not, at first glance, look like what you are used to, or look like what your friends are using.  But the content is there. It is simply laid out. It makes it easy to work on Writing and Grammar in a fun way every day.  The results in our family has been seen in the building of these skills and production of creative writing. This is a really great resource. I’ve come to really enjoy Kim with working at The Old Schoolhouse and the Teacher’s Toolbox and on Facebook.  I received these products for free for review, but I am 100% able to say what we didn’t like about the product.

We really enjoyed, and will continue to use the Student Worksheet Pack.  I really think the Fold N Go Grammar pack is fantastic, however, it didn’t work for our family, I believe because we are on the edge of a solid 6th and 9th grade level. The tools of the fold and go are solid. We have not needed the Activity Pack yet, but my son is not a “picture to learn” student. My oldest son, Nate, now 14 was, and he would have liked the activities.

You may come and see what the Crew has to say about the products they received, we had a choice of quite a few different levels. Scroll to the bottom of the post and click on the Linky for a list of reviewers!