Writing Program: Institute for Excellence in Writing

I have discovered a fantastic writing course for teaching style and structure.  We have been using it for most of the year.  It is through Institute for Excellence in Writing. I can honestly say I have never been so excited about writing...Like ever! Oh and did I mention that Kui actually has a smile on her face when I even mention writing? I mean the groans and faces she would make. Sheesh!

Here is the website with the information on the program.  This is actually a seminar with 8 or 9 lecture DVDs. Let me tell you...I was very worried when I started the first DVD. It sounded like a snorefest, but Mr. Pudewa is quite entertaining. Very funny in fact. (Sorry the picture is terrible!)

This is the little board Kui uses for her checklist. I told her that she would soon have too many to fit on that board, but she insists on using it! Live and learn.  Oh and pick your battles.

I gave her a binder to help keep her stories, rough drafts, and final drafts together.  I even put fancy little dividers with tabs.  She was very excited.

This is one of the types of books you can use. I chose U.S. History so that she is actually learning something while she is writing. Hey, to be honest, I am learning all over again.  I sometimes wonder how I even graduated!

 

We also have this one which incorporates funny stories like tall tales, fables, etc.

Just another example of something to use where the child learns as she writes.  This has stories incorporating some form of Geography.

 

We had an old bulletin board lying around so I used this to put her current rules and reminders.  I will switch them out to match the units we are working on.  This is such a helpful tool.  I have it right above the table where she does her work.  Then she can see it when she is doing other subjects as well, or just simply daydreaming!  Maybe it will slowly absorb and now that Bubs is reading, he even looks at it.  Btw...I will be starting him on Unit I soon.

Grammar boxes!!

 

WHAT. WAS. I. THINKING.  Man oh man are these things time consuming to put together.  I will admit that they are well worth it, but take a lot of time.  I ended up going for the less expensive route and making my own "boxes".  I was not willing to shell out the $$ for these at Montessori Outlet.  I actually went to Walmart and bought fishing tackle boxes and then used felt to color code them to match the cards.  See below.

 

 I then printed the cards from Montessori Print Shop.  I labeled each card according to the correct grammar box, laminated, and cut the cards out.  I do have to mention that it was worth the investment for a paper cutter after boxes and boxes of laminated sheets needed to be cut.  (I wish I knew my friend, Rachel, who offered to do cutting for me back when I made these.  It would have saved me a lot of time!)

 

Sample of the preposition grammar box with all of the cards in it. 

There are 8 grammar boxes for the child to get through, ideally before the age of 8.  They include article (noun is mixed in this one),  adjective, verb, preposition, adverb, pronoun, conjunction, and interjection.  Kui is on the second to last one so I'm hoping she will make it to the last one before the year is over.  We started over with the first one at the beginning of the year for a refresher.  It turns out though that it was more new information than an actual review for her!  I'm glad I didn't rush her.  She has been diligently working through them.  She has actually caught on to the color coding system and uses that to "cheat" when she is finding her grammar symbols. 

 

The grammar symbols are color coded to the cards for each part of speech.  For example, the red circle is for verb.  The child can think of it as a ball which is always moving and the verb in a sentence is for the action.  The boxes also include command cards along with experiments for the child to use and learn examples of words for a particular part of speech.  They are actually pretty cool and we have a lot of fun doing them.

The idea behind the boxes is for the child to read the large card which has two sentences.  The child finds each word, according to the part of the speech, and places it in the correct order in the sentence.  Then the child does what the sentence says.  ("Stack the small cube on top of the large cube.")  This sentence has a variety of parts of speech including adjectives and a preposition.  Then the second sentence will have a few words that are different that the child has to switch out.  When the child does the physical action of the card, it helps them to remember the different parts of speech easier. 

 

Sample sentence written out with the individual cards with grammar symbols on the top.