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| Writing Tales By Amy Hastings Olsen |
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Teach your child in the classical style and have fun at the
same time with Writing Tales! Based on the first level of
the ancient progymnasmata writing exercises used by the
Greeks, Writing Tales teaches grammar level students
how to write by studying and re-writing classic tales and
fables. Extremely user-friendly, the Teacher's Guides
include day-to-day lesson plans for homeschoolers as well
as lesson plans for co-operatives. The Student Workbooks
take your child through in-depth studies of 15 different
fables and fairy tales, and guide them through the process
of re-writing each story in their own words. Because of the
nature of the classical approach and the thorough study
and analysis done of each story, plenty of practice is
included in grammar, copywork, spelling, and vocabulary,
making Writing Tales a fully comprehensive writing
curriculum.
Writing Tales Level One is recommended for third or
fourth graders, while Level Two is appropriate for fourth
or fifth graders. However, if your older child has not done
a great deal of writing, they will still get a lot of benefit
from Level Two.
Writing Tales was born out of the author's experience
teaching a writing class to 3rd and 4th grade students in a
classical co-operative. A desire to teach writing from the
classical approach led to a need to make the subject more
accessible and enjoyable, and a curriculum was born.
The curriculum for both levels is built on a 30 lesson
structure. One story is studied for two lessons; each
lesson is about one week long. In the first lesson, the
story is introduced. The structure of the story is studied
- who wrote it? Who are the main characters? What is
their problem and how do they resolve it? The student
practices copywork using a passage of the story, and
defines vocabulary words from the story. A specific
grammar concept is learned using examples from the
story. In Level Two, the student practices outlining the
story, and finding synonyms for certain words. Finally, the
student re-writes the story in his own words.
In the second lesson, the student practices spelling with
words that were mis-spelled in her first written story.
More grammar practice is included. Finally, instructions
are given for re-writing the story a second time. It is
here that a small deviation from the strict classical
approach is included, and bears some explanation.
The strict classical approach to writing calls for a strict
re-telling of the original fable or fairy tale by the student
and nothing else. It is in this way, by re-telling a
well-written story, that the student learns how to craft
words into well-written sentences and well-told plots. But
it was the author's experience that the student did not
find much enjoyment in this process. When the student
was encouraged to add small details of his own to his final
story, the student took much more pride in the finished
product! Therefore, in the second re-telling of the story,
the student is instructed to write the story again and add
minor details of his own design, details that will not change
the basic plot of the story, but details that will make the
story the student's own, nonetheless. For example,
sometimes they are encouraged to give names to the
characters (frequently Aesop's characters do not have
names). They may be encouraged to branch out and add a
scene or two (Why was a certain character found to be in a
certain situation, for example? What led him or her to be
there?). When this minor change to the writing process
was added, the difference in the students' excitement
about their writing projects was tremendous.
Along the way, plenty of games are included to make the
study of grammar and writing fun! The Teacher's Guide is
written with ease of teaching in mind; the Appendix has
almost everything needed right at hand.
At the end of the 30 lessons, the student that finishes
Writing Tales will have a treasure chest of fifteen
well-written fables and fairy tales of their very own.
same time with Writing Tales! Based on the first level of
the ancient progymnasmata writing exercises used by the
Greeks, Writing Tales teaches grammar level students
how to write by studying and re-writing classic tales and
fables. Extremely user-friendly, the Teacher's Guides
include day-to-day lesson plans for homeschoolers as well
as lesson plans for co-operatives. The Student Workbooks
take your child through in-depth studies of 15 different
fables and fairy tales, and guide them through the process
of re-writing each story in their own words. Because of the
nature of the classical approach and the thorough study
and analysis done of each story, plenty of practice is
included in grammar, copywork, spelling, and vocabulary,
making Writing Tales a fully comprehensive writing
curriculum.
Writing Tales Level One is recommended for third or
fourth graders, while Level Two is appropriate for fourth
or fifth graders. However, if your older child has not done
a great deal of writing, they will still get a lot of benefit
from Level Two.
Writing Tales was born out of the author's experience
teaching a writing class to 3rd and 4th grade students in a
classical co-operative. A desire to teach writing from the
classical approach led to a need to make the subject more
accessible and enjoyable, and a curriculum was born.
The curriculum for both levels is built on a 30 lesson
structure. One story is studied for two lessons; each
lesson is about one week long. In the first lesson, the
story is introduced. The structure of the story is studied
- who wrote it? Who are the main characters? What is
their problem and how do they resolve it? The student
practices copywork using a passage of the story, and
defines vocabulary words from the story. A specific
grammar concept is learned using examples from the
story. In Level Two, the student practices outlining the
story, and finding synonyms for certain words. Finally, the
student re-writes the story in his own words.
In the second lesson, the student practices spelling with
words that were mis-spelled in her first written story.
More grammar practice is included. Finally, instructions
are given for re-writing the story a second time. It is
here that a small deviation from the strict classical
approach is included, and bears some explanation.
The strict classical approach to writing calls for a strict
re-telling of the original fable or fairy tale by the student
and nothing else. It is in this way, by re-telling a
well-written story, that the student learns how to craft
words into well-written sentences and well-told plots. But
it was the author's experience that the student did not
find much enjoyment in this process. When the student
was encouraged to add small details of his own to his final
story, the student took much more pride in the finished
product! Therefore, in the second re-telling of the story,
the student is instructed to write the story again and add
minor details of his own design, details that will not change
the basic plot of the story, but details that will make the
story the student's own, nonetheless. For example,
sometimes they are encouraged to give names to the
characters (frequently Aesop's characters do not have
names). They may be encouraged to branch out and add a
scene or two (Why was a certain character found to be in a
certain situation, for example? What led him or her to be
there?). When this minor change to the writing process
was added, the difference in the students' excitement
about their writing projects was tremendous.
Along the way, plenty of games are included to make the
study of grammar and writing fun! The Teacher's Guide is
written with ease of teaching in mind; the Appendix has
almost everything needed right at hand.
At the end of the 30 lessons, the student that finishes
Writing Tales will have a treasure chest of fifteen
well-written fables and fairy tales of their very own.
See Level One Sample Pages
HERE
HERE
See Level Two Sample Pages
HERE
HERE
| Consumable, Spiral Bound Workbook $19.95 |
| 318 page Teacher's Guide $24.95 |
| Consumable, Spiral Bound Workbook $24.95 |
| 472 page Teacher's Guide $32.95 |