6th grader: Writing program or not???

[playschool]

My 6th grade dd will be using Preparing w/extensions along with her younger brother who will be using Preparing as written. I had planned for her to use all of English 5 this year for 6th grade. My thought was to use English 6 in 7th and 8th grade (spreading English 6 over 2 years). Being that she is is 6th grade, and she struggles in the area of writing, I thought it would be necessary to use a strictly writing curriculum as well. I really liked Meaningful Composition, so I purchased the level 4+ book for her because it provides some remediation in writing which is what she needs. Here is the snag in all of this. After trying to make a schedule, I am realizing that doing both English 5 and MC will just prolong her day and could possibly discourage her in the area she struggles with the most. I know that by 6th grade a child should be using a formal writing program, HOD even recommends one, but should I just hold back and just use English 5 with her or it is absolutely crucial that she begin a writing program now? Any thoughts or recommendations?
(Just a note to clarify. She is capable of writing sentences and paragraphs that are grammatically correct. The areas she specifically struggles with is coherancy within the paragraphs and transitions. Also, occasionally, she will write a sentence that just does not make sense. Writing was one of my weaknesses in school and college as well and has always been an area that requires extra effort for me. I have related to her my struggle in this area and how sometimes we need to reread and rewrite things over until our thoughts come out right. She does not like to take the time to do so.)

[my3sons]

Thanks for sharing about your dd - I think you'll enjoy PHFHG so much, we certainly did last year with our ds. Considering this is a growing year in the subject of writing for your dd, I think R & S 5 has a lot of writing in it, and PHFHG has a fair amount of writing in general in it as well. I think doing the creative writing lessons along with the RLS poetry in PHFHG will be a wonderful way to encourage your dd to being to have a passion for writing. I also think the guided written narration lessons she'll be doing along with the history give such a sound foundation for writing. You can use the daily plans format for guiding written narrations for guiding her written narrations for the extensions. You could focus in on this she does her extension activities (listed at the beginning of the Extension Package part in the Appendix). I think I'd start with all of this first. Then, you could add Igniting Your Writing Volume 1 (if you wanted) partway into the year. These are just a few thoughts - I know Carrie will advise when she gets a chance as well.

In Christ,
Julie

[8arrows]

The great thing is that you have two wonderful writing curriculums. If writing is somewhat of a struggle for her I would just do R & S 5. You could use Meaningful Composition in the summer if you really wanted to.

[water2wine]

We love MC I actually use it via CQLA but it is the same thing. It can easily be slowed down and half speed could be a good thing if you felt like it would bog her down. In fact I think starting at half speed for MC is really a good idea. It takes a bit to find the flow of it for you and your child. If you are on a 4 day week you can just cut your days exactly in half and let it take two weeks instead of one. Works great. So just an alternative on that.

[Carrie]

playschool,

The ladies have given you some wonderful ideas to ponder and any of what they suggested will work. I agree that Rod and Staff 5 is very rigorous and does a great job of teaching both grammar and writing in a step-by-step fashion. When using all of Rod and Staff 5 in one year combined with the creative writing lessons from poetry in Preparing Hearts, and the lessons in writing a written narration for history in Preparing each week, along with daily copywork, notebooking, and answering questions in writing, you wouldn't have to add an additional writing component to Preparing unless you chose to do so.

Often we recommend adding an additional writing component to moms who are using a different grammar program than Rod and Staff or to those who will be using a level of Rod and Staff at half-speed.

Blessings,
Carrie

[playschool]

Thank you ladies now I feel more confident in either going half-speed with both R&S and MC or just using R&S at full speed without MC.

[water2wine]

Often we recommend adding an additional writing component to moms who are using a different grammar program than Rod and Staff or to those who will be using a level of Rod and Staff at half-speed.

And just wanted to clarify in light of what Carrie said. We are one of the families not using R&S for our older children so my kids that use the MC in the form of CQLA are not also doing R&S English. The reason for that are many, none of which has to do with HOD LA but all of which has to do with my kids situations in terms of ages, learning disability and those sorts of things. Anyway I customize their LA. My younger kids are doing HOD more as written in the LA and Math. So I just wanted to make sure that I am not confusing anyone. We have not yet completed the upper guides but I know Carrie has writing well covered and adding MC to something that is complete would really be overload. It is an intense program not just a little extra add on thing.