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I have been using HOD this year with all 3 kids, various guides. DD 11 has done Preparing, and has done great with it. My big concern is writing, as I've addressed in a few previous posts. DD has done great with the writing assignments in Preparing, and usually writes MORE than is required. She is a very clear, cogent writer (although of course needs more training in style, etc.)

I am concerned that she will not receive adequate writing instruction in CTC, in the sense that she could be doing more (she will be considered "6th grade" this fall, and will turn 12 in october). As I look at the placement chart, I think she could definitely handle everything under RTR. If I was just jumping in to HOD now, that might be where I place her. however, I wonder about skipping a guide - i.e., CTC. Is that done? What are the "dangers" or potential problems? Or is it no big deal? The bottom line is - I want her to be challenged enough, and esp. to receive good writing training. To me, writing is one of the most important things kids need to be trained in, and I feel she's a little behind in what she's doing (in the sense that I think she could do more). Any thoughts on this would be helpful. Thanks.

Bump. Hoping to get a reply.

I think Write with the Best that is part of CTC is an excellent writing guide. Very appropriate for a 6th grader. In fact I think the age range is 3rd through 12th grade on it, but I think Carrie considers it to go up to around 8th or 9th grade level. The training you are looking for as far as style is in there. They are modeling off of great writing. They are not producing long pieces of work like the public schools do, but the quality is much better. My ds was in public school through 4th grade and yes they were doing these huge stories, but style was not taught at all. My ds struggled with writing due to this approach. However after doing Preparing and now CTC his writing is so much improved. His last project for Write with the Best was a poem. I read it to my dear friend who taught honors 8th grade English for years. She was very impressed with his poem. She said it was equivalent to what her 8th grade honors students would do. She was amazed at the things like simile's and personification that he put into it. Write with the Best taught him to do that. I tell you this just because my ds was a kid that wasn't writing at even a 3rd grade level before HOD. The written narration is also more challenging in CTC. They no longer answer questions. They have to formulate their narration without that assistance. That was a challenge for my ds at first. I do think CTC is an important guide to help prepare them for the rest of the guides as far as difficulty of the reading which they now do on their own and the independence they gain.

I agree. WWTB is VERY good...and my BA is in English with a focus in technical communications, so I would like to think I know a little about writing. My 11 year old (12 in August) 6th grader completed CTC just a few weeks ago and he produced some amazingly well-written pieces using Write With the Best. The entire focus is on pre-writing and studying the "parts to a whole" approach to writing. The students study excerpts from classic books like "Robin Crusoe" and they learn to use those excellent written "models" to guide their own writing. By comparing their finished work to the excerpts of renowned authors, they can easily see ways to improve their own work.

The best thing about WWTB is that you can go as deep as you want with your requirements on each guided objective. She can write as much or as little as you allow/require or as she desires.

I appreciate the replies. I have never heard of WWTB, so it's helpful to get such positive recommendations, esp. since I (like you) feel writing is so important. I know I've read repeatedly on these boards to trust Carrie's recommendations, and not tweak the program, and that's what I did this year, and it worked fine. but when it comes to writing, as I said, I'm nervous about a program I don't know much about. The recommendations help a lot. I really don't WANT to skip CTC, as I'm sure it will provide plenty of challenge for her - it's just the writing issue. Thanks.

If you were saying that everything seemed young for your dd, then I would say that her initial placement had been off, and perhaps she should move up to RTR. However, as everything seemed to be going well with the exception of your wanting her to be more challenged in writing, I think CTC would work well for her this next year. WWTB will certainly challenge her. It is one of those writing programs that moves all writers along - it was an excellent fit for both my nephew and my ds - who vary greatly from one another in natural creative writing abilities. Here is a link that lets you look inside WWTB and really see what your dd will be doing...
http://www.edudps.com/WRITE-WITH-THE-BEST-Vol-1.pdf

HTH - but I think your dd will learn so much from WWTB and CTC! I wouldn't want her to miss it!

In Christ,
Julie

Julie - thanks for your input. No, I don't think she's too "young" for CTC, based on what I read in the guides and on the placement charts. I think her initial placement was good, as she's loved Preparing and seems to have been challenged, but not overwhelmed by it. I just want her writing instruction to be excellent and challenging enough for a rising 6th grader. So I'll look at that link you posted. I'm leaning towards sticking with CTC and WWTB, based on everyone's input. Thanks.