... is in the Eating"
We received these gems from parents and want to pass them on to you! Happy reading! We believe it's well worth your time, and hopefully, your family can benefit from the rewards of "eating the pudding", too!
I just wanted to send a quick email. I ordered your Write with the Best Volume 1 several years ago. At the time I bought it, it didn't seem to work very well with us (or rather, I didn't think it was enough). I set it aside and used a more pricey curriculum that took a lot more time. I used that for six months and then switched again to a different curriculum. Nothing seemed to work. One day I was cleaning out my school room and came across your program again. One thing I always liked about it was that it was short and sweet and kept the attention of my children. Somehow I just thought they needed more, but "more" meant sitting for long periods watching a guy ramble on about writing models and adjectives. That just wasn't working for us at all!
I must also tell you I have a reluctant writer, so during this time I had attended conferences and searched websites trying to find something for her that would work. She also has Aspergers, ADD, and a learning disability. She is two grade levels behind in most subjects and I've learned to be OK with this--to let her learn at her own pace. So over the past year or so, I've paid attention to how she learns best. I didn't push writing when she was feeling overwhelmed by it. So when I came across my previous purchased curriculum, I decided to give it another go. It was short. It had good models for writing. And best of all, I didn't have to bang my head against a wall to prep for it. Now two of my girls are almost finished with it (grades 6 and 9). And both of them really love it! My oldest has begun to write stories about her favorite comic book characters. When I saw her doing this, it brought me near to tears! She never once showed an interest in writing--in her entire life but now she's writing 100 page stories about her comic book characters. And, she's learned to try something new and actually love it. Awesome!
Last week she finished up a poem about her dog and I just couldn't believe it. This from a girl who didn't get rhyming at all. But after working with her in your program, she's getting it for the first time.
I decided to order the second volume because my oldest told me we needed to. She loves it that much. I asked her if she wanted to use something else..."no way!" she likes this and doesn't want to change. I will definitely be using this program with all three of my children and then passing it on to my nieces and nephews who also are being homeschooled. Thank you so much for looking out for the special needs kids! I will recommend this program over and over...great job!
Michelle Buck
Woodbury, MN
The following parental note, attached to an assessment finding, is from a mom whose child had poor writing skills prior to taking Mrs. Dixon's class. After attending her class for remedial work, the student entered the public school system. Later, he was tested by that system in order to determine qualification for graduation. Below the note are some of the conclusions about the student's skill taken from the "Georgia High School Graduation Test for Writing".
Dear Jill,
Kudos to you! Is this the same kid we knew a few years ago?
I nearly fell over, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Thanks for all your work and encouragement.
Love, Donna Winters
The "Georgia High School Graduation Test for Writing" findings:
Content and Organization: The paper contained a clear controlling idea established and developed through generally relevant supporting ideas. Supporting ideas were generally presented in a logical order with enough support for the writer's position to be considered complete.
Style: The paper established a sense of the writer's individuality. Word choice was engaging and precise, conveying an awareness of the dictionary meaning of words. Sentence structure was varied. The tone was appropriate for the topic and purpose and sustained through most of the paper. The paper demonstrated a clear awareness of the intended audience.
Conventions of Written Language: The paper demonstrated a full, consistent command of usage and mechanics. The paper demonstrated the writer's ability to use a variety of the conventions appropriate for written Standard American English.
Sentence Formation: The paper contained consistently clear, complete sentences with correct end punctuation. The various elements within the sentences were joined correctly, and the ideas within sentences were connected properly. Competence in both subordination and coordination of ideas was demonstrated through a variety of strategies.