Writing Strands - Combining Days

by Michelle

Writing Strand Sample - Level 3

HELP - I just read your review on Writing Strands and we are using Writing Strands 3 this school year.

I am completely confused on how to breakdown each day of assignment when the author combines days as in "Day One and Two". Example would be on pg. 6 of WS3.

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How to Combine Days in Writing Strands
by: Marianne

Hi Michelle,

Thanks for the question.

The way we used Writing Strands was to follow the ideas and the way the text divided up the writing lesson.

It is very specific as to how to break down a writing lesson and this is very helpful.

Although I don't have the book you referred to - an example is something like this:

SKILL: Description.

It may take you four days to learn to:
1. Organize what you will describe
2. Describe in sentences what a friend looks like
3. Have your parent read your paper with you
4. Rewrite the parts you and your parent feel can be improved

I believe that when they write, "Day Two and Three" - they mean that this part of the writing lesson may be spread out over 2 days.
In the above example - this is the task for
Days Two and Three:

Once you have a list of characteristics you can write about, you’ll have to introduce your
friend to your reader. We’ll call this part of your paper the introduction.

Then they describe the process and what is required at the end of Days 2-3:

"1. Put your name in the top right corner of the page.
2. Put a title on the first line. It might be: My Friend. (Notice the capital letters and that
there are no quotation marks. This is because it is your title.)
3. Skip the first line after the title
4. Write your introduction (Do not skip any other lines.)
5. Write the description of your friend using the lists you have created."

In a sense Writing Strands have presented a writing task to complete and you may decide that it is too much to do in one day. Perhaps your child could work solidly on the task for 20 minutes on the first day and then they continue with the writing task on the next day.

If they complete it all the writing in one day, the following day, they could re-read it, improve the vocabulary, proof-read it etc on the next day.

We usually worked within a time limit - so that our children would keep their attention on the task and not get distracted. (Charlotte Mason - short lessons)

This works well with Writing Strands as you can pace yourself and divide up a task over a few days rather than doing it on one day.

I hope that helps.

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