It's easier for students to learn language skills when they have a purpose for doing so. This course uses writing a novel as the context for applying all writing skills in a dedicated project. This consumable workbook breaks the process into thirteen manageable steps, each with three sections. In the first section of the lesson you work with your child on the new concept being taught. Then a short practice exercise is assigned for the student to complete on his or her own. Finally, the student is instructed to apply the concept to his own developing novel, which will be kept in a separate notebook. At each step the parent checks the student's work before going on to the next lesson. It might be necessary to devise extra practice lessons from some other source for students who have not mastered a particular lesson. The more time you can devote to “coaching” your child's writing, the more he will benefit from this book.
This program covers grammar and proper word usage and can be counted as a full year of English for grades 5-12. For the younger students, you might wish to continue a separate spelling program. Note that students will need to work in a word processing program on a computer. The complete course includes a student worktext and a teacher's guide with answer keys.
Reviewed by Valerie Thorpe
