Table of Contents
Part I Understanding the Process
Why Writing Programs Fail 3
The Three Stages 7
Writing with Ease (Elementary Grades) 7
How Long Should It Take? 10
Writing with Skill (Middle Grades) 10
One Method for Teaching the Middle Grade Skills 16
Writing with Style (High School) 16
Chart: Several Different Progressions Toward the Rhetoric Years 19
Using This Book 23
Year 1 24
Year 2 24
Year 3 26
Optional: Year 4 27
Where Should I Begin? 29
Part II The Lessons
Preschool and Kindergarten 35
Overview of the Early Years: How to Teach Informally 35
Teaching through Conversation 36
Turning Fragments into Complete Sentences 36
Saying Sentences with and without Contractions 37
Talking as You Work 37
Using Audiobooks to Develop Language Skills 37
Teaching Letter Recognition 38
Beginning Handwriting 38
Teaching Reading 39
Moving on to Year one 40
Year 1 41
Year 1 Weeks 1-3 42
Week 1 42
Day 1 The First Copywork Exercise 42
Day 2 The First Narration Exercise 43
Day 3 Copywork 44
Day 4 Narration Exercise 45
Weeks 2-3 46
Year 1 Weeks 4-10 47
Week 4 47
Day 1 Copywork 47
Day 2 Narration Exercise 47
Day 3 Copywork 49
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Copywork 49
Weeks 5-10 51
Year 1 Weeks 11-19 53
Week 11 53
Day 1 Copywork 53
Day 2 Narration Exercise 53
Day 3 Copywork 55
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Copywork 55
Weeks 12-19 57
Year 1 Weeks 20-27 58
Week 20 58
Day 1 Copywork 58
Day 2 Narration Exercise 58
Day 3 Copywork 60
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Copywork 61
Weeks 21-27 63
Year 1 Weeks 28-35 64
Week 28 64
Day 1 Copywork 64
Day 2 Narration Exercise 64
Day 3 Copywork Exercise 66
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Copywork 67
Weeks 29-35 68
Year 1 Mastery Evaluation, Week 36 70
Day 1 Copywork 70
Day 2 Narration Exercise 70
Day 3 Copywork 72
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Copywork 73
Year 2 77
Year 2 Weeks 1-10 79
Week 1 79
Day 1 Narration Exercise 79
Day 2 Copywork 82
Day 3 The First Dictation Exercise 83
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Dictation 84
Weeks 2-10 86
Year 2 Weeks 11-18 88
Week 11 88
Day 1 Narration Exercise 88
Day 2 Copywork 91
Day 3 Dictation 91
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Dictation 91
Weeks 12-18 94
Year 2 Weeks 19-27 96
Week 19 96
Day 1 Narration Exercise 96
Day 2 Copywork 98
Day 3 Dictation 99
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Dictation 99
Weeks 20-27 102
Year 2 Weeks 28-35 104
Week 28 104
Day 1 Narration Exercise 104
Day 2 Dictation 107
Day 3 Dictation 107
Day 4 Narration Exercise and Dictation 108
Weeks 29-35 110
Year 2 Mastery Evaluation, Week 36 112
Narration Evaluation 112
Dictation Evaluation 115
Year 3 117
Year 3 Weeks 1-10 118
Week 1 118
Day 1 Narration 118
Day 2 Dictation 122
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 123
Day 4 Dictation 128
Weeks 2-10 128
Year 3 Weeks 11-19 130
Week 11 130
Day 1 Narration Exercise 130
Day 2 Dictation 134
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 134
Day 4 Dictation 137
Weeks 12-19 137
Year 3 Weeks 20-27 139
Week 20 139
Day 1 Narration Exercise 139
Day 2 Dictation 143
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 143
Day 4 Dictation 147
Weeks 21-27 147
Year 3 Weeks 28-35 149
Week 28 149
Day 1 Narration Exercise 149
Day 2 Dictation 153
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 153
Day 4 Dictation 157
Weeks 29-35 157
Year 3 Mastery Evaluation, Week 36 159
Narration Evaluation 159
Dictation Evaluation 162
Optional: Year 4 165
Year 4 Weeks 1-10 166
Week 1 166
Day 1 Narration and Dictation 166
Day 2 Dictation 171
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 172
Day 4 Dictation 176
Weeks 2-10 177
Year 4 Weeks 11-19 179
Week 11 179
Day 1 Narration and Dictation 179
Day 2 Dictation 183
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 184
Day 4 Dictation 188
Weeks 12-19 189
Year 4 Weeks 20-27 191
Week 20 191
Day 1 Narration and Dictation 191
Day 2 Dictation 196
Day 3 Narration and Dictation 197
Day 4 Dictation 201
Weeks 21-27 -203
Year 4 Weeks 28-35 205
Week 28 205
Day 1 Narration and Dictation 205
Day 2 Dictation 210
Day 3 Narration Writing 211
Day 4 Dictation 217
Weeks 29-35 217
Year 4 Mastery Evaluation, Week 36 219
Narration Evaluation 219
Dictation Evaluation 227
Appendices
Appendix 1 Troubleshooting 231
Appendix 2 Frequently Asked Questions 237
Appendix 3 Resources 243
Preschool and Kindergarten Resources 243
Beginning Handwriting Programs 243
Phonics Programs 243
Audiobooks 244
Resources for Elementary Students 245
Phonics 245
Audiobooks 245
Spelling Resources 246
Grammar Resources 247
Bibliography of Excerpts 249
