Homeschool Review Crew - Silverdale Press Persuasive Writing and Classical Rhetoric Practicing The Habits of Great Writers

I was thrilled to get a chance to review Persuasive Writing & Classical Rhetoric: Practicing the Habits of Great Writers from Silverdale Press LLC intended for students ages 14 to 18.

Other members of the Review Crew got to review White House Holidays Unit Studies intended for ages 5-18 and given the option of an elementary or a junior/senior high school study. These Unit Studies are designed to include 3 to 5 lessons, with each lesson intended to be done in a day. There are activities geared toward K-6 as well as activities geared toward grades 7-12.  The unit studies include:

Labor Day - 3 lessons
Veterans Day - 3 lessons
Thanksgiving - 5 lessons
Christmas - 4 lessons with 6 activities per lesson
MLK - 5 lessons
Valentine's Day - 5 lessons
While others were reviewing these unit studies, I got to review a complete comprehensive curriculum on the Persuasive Writing & Classical Rhetoric: Practicing the Habits of Great Writers.

What is the Persuasive Writing & Classical Rhetoric: Practicing the Habits of Great Writers from Silverdale Press LLC?

This is intended for high school level and is a full 36-week curriculum. Students are expected to spend four days per week using it, but there are also instructions on how to use it all 5 days each week. The definition of what rhetoric is, used in this course, describes:

Rhetoric is skillful and artistic communication that aims to persuade an audience

I received this curriculum that comes in 4 parts PDF downloads:

Rhetoric Lesson Book - 235 pages
Rhetoric Reader - 111 pages
Rhetoric Workbook - 202 pages
Rhetoric Answer Book - 65 pages

The idea behind the curriculum is that:

• Writers Write
• Writers Read
• Writers Think

Start with the Lesson Book. The Lesson Book is your guide to the entire program. It will list when to go to the Workbook and when to use the Reader. Either the student or the parent/teacher can then use the Answer Book to check the work, though a lot of the writing has answers that will vary.

Each lesson is set up in the same manner that walks students through reading, thinking, and writing as well as providing pro tips from the writers of the curriculum throughout. The reading passages are in the Rhetoric Reader, and the workbook exercises are in the Rhetoric Workbook. When the students have completed the full 36 weeks, they will have written essays each week as well as completed a final essay. There is a grading rubric included to help the parent/teacher comment and grade the writing.

The only part I had to print were the workbook pages, and honestly I probably could have done these onscreen with the PDF fill-in-the-blank tools. But, I chose to print them.

The reader include excerpts like this:

The course covers excerpts of writings/speeches from:

• Patrick Henry
• John F. Kennedy
• Winston Churchill
• Wendell Berry
• Ida M. Tarbell
• John Locke
• Daniel Webster
• Alexander Hamilton
• Ronald Reagan
• Thomas Paine
• Augustine
• Thomas Clarkson
• William Wilberforce
• Jane Austin
• Dorothy Sayers
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Abraham Lincoln
• Rachel Carson
• Antonin Scalia
• William Strunk and E. B. White
• Henry Watson Fowler and Francis George Fowler
• Sarah Josepha Hale
• Benjamin Franklin
• Eleanor Roosevelt

The last few lessons cover what real writers do, such as pitching your work to an editor and moving beyond rejection.

How Did We Use It?

When I saw this was coming up for review, I knew I had at least one daughter for whom this would fit within their level, but honestly, I was most interested in it for me. I write online, and I am always hungry for refreshers. So, when I got it, I had a choice to make as to who would use it and decided before sharing it with my high schooler, I would dive into it myself.

What Did We Think?

I found this curriculum to be nothing short of amazing! It is extremely comprehensive, including everything you need. It is complete and very easy to follow. I was very impressed at how much thought and work went into putting this curriculum together.

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Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

Homeschool Review Crew - English On A Roll Multi-Sensory Color-Coded Language Arts

I have a very hands-on learner who has plenty of Language Arts learning gaps and is terrified of writing paragraphs, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review the English Grammar Teaching Method from English on a Roll. It is rare to find a language program that is hands-on and uses the multisensory pathways to the brain of:

Visual

Auditory

Kinesthetic/Tactile

English on a Roll is unique and an effective teaching tool that has research behind it based on the principles of Multisensory Structured Language (MSL).

I received a paperback Instructor's Manual Book that contains 37 lessons and workbook pages that can be copied to be used with more than one student and 1 cube set that consists of a seal-tight plastic container of word/letter dice that can be used with up to 6 students.

What is English on a Roll?

HOW IT ALL BEGAN:
Linda Hopkins Koran is the creator of the English on a Roll program. She came up with the idea and began teaching English as a Second Language ESL.She had a challenge in accomplishing her task of teaching these students because not only did her students not speak English, but she did not speak their native language either. So, she got creative and designed the first set of English on a Roll cubes using wooden blocks and paint and was delighted to see the response.

Since this time, English on a Roll has been used to help numerous students from five year olds learning to read through adults, some with special needs like dyslexia or autism.

Linda believes that:

"Languages are like intricate puzzles"

The idea is to create an environment for success and cut back on mistakes commonly made when learning the English language. To do this, the cubes representat the main parts of speech in color coding. The student can easily see the word choices based on color and makes it so that it is less overwhelming.

The colors are used in groups:

Pronouns - Blue
Question Words - Green
Nouns, Articles, and Prepositions - Dark Blue
Verbs - Red
Adverbs - Orange
Adjectives - Purple
Punctuation - Black
2 Blank Cubes with labels

The lessons include verbal repeating, game play and worksheets.

BOTTOM LINE:

The program helps students of any level and age, recommended for ages 5 and older, to gain mastery of English grammar and syntax. Students literally build sentences as they roll and turn the dice. The main successful elements to the program are:

• Game-like element making it fun!
• Multi-sensory learning
• Encourages practice which is the key to mastery

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Check out the Demo Video on the English on a Roll page by clicking on the picture below:

The set I received includes 40 cubes (38 engraved with color-coded related word groups and 2 blank cubes with labels for limitless vocabulary customization) and one 142-page instructor manual that includes teaching tips, lessons, games and reproducible materials with the permission to copy for use in your home or classroom and can be used with more than one student.

   

The book is written with the idea of it being used in a classroom or group setting of up to six children per cube set, but it's super easy to adapt for one-on-one homeschooling or to use with more than one child.

How Did We Use It?

Though the program is designed to work well with a classroom setting or with students in groups of up to six per cube box, it was just my 10-year-old and I who used this which worked really well for the most part. Some of the game play had to be adapted but nothing that was overly difficult to adapt.

I was happy to discover a typed note explaining that the easiest way to remove the dice from the container is to keep the box sealed, flip it over, and then open. I tried it, and it was so easy that way.

The instructor's manual was laid out so nicely. The lessons are easy to follow and most lessons include Prep - Notes and Vocabulary - Teaching Tips - Teach The Concepts - Conversation/Game Play - Written Exercises Instructions and Reproducible Worksheet.

The book contains a Cube Guide and then explains what English on a Roll is and how it works before diving into the lessons. There are 37 lessons:

1. Subject Pronouns
2. Be Verb
3. Consonant Start Nouns and the A Article
4. Making Statements with Be
5. Yes/No Questions with Be
6. Answering Yes/No Questions with Be
7. Article A and An with Nouns
8. Regular, Irregular, and Noncount Nouns
9. Noun/Pronoun Relationships
10. Who and What Questions to Be
11. This/That/These/Those
12. Adjectives and Adjective Phrases
13. Adjective Phrases with A or An
14. Adjectives with Be Statements
15. Subject Pronouns, Possessives Adjectives, and Nouns
16. Possessive Adjectives, Be Statements, Whose Questions
17. Prepositions of Location and Prepositional Phrases
18. Questions of Location with Where
19. Verb Tense Concepts
20. Simple Present (Every day) of Be, Statements, and Contractions
21. Present Progressive (Right Now) Statements
22. Present Progressive (Right Now)Questions and Answers
23. Simple Future (Tomorrow) Statements with Will
24. Simple Future (Tomorrow) Questions with When
25. Simple Present Tense (Every Day) of Have
26. Have, Be, and Possessive Adjectives
27. Simple Present, Do Verg, Yes/No Questions and Answers
28. Simple Present, Questions and Answers with Do and Have
29. Simple Present (Every Day), Regular Verbs
30. Simple Present (Every Day), Regular Verbs, Questions and Answers
31. Simple Past (Yesterday), Positive and Negative Statements with Be
32. Simple Past (Yesterday), Questions and Answers with Be
33. Simple Past (Yesterday) Regular Verbs
34. Simple Past (Yesterday) Have and Do Verbs
35. Simple Past (Yesterday) Yes/No Questions and Answers
36. Simple Past Questions and Answers with Have
37. Review: Simple Present, Past, Future and Present Progressive

 

 

The teaching book example shows a black and white simple drawing of a tree, but my little artist insisted that it be drawn with color and that the AM ARE and IS were turned into red apples on the tree. So, that's how we did ours!

What Did We Think?

When I first saw what the program was about, it intrigued me and I was interested to see how it worked, though I honestly thought that my daughter would have already developed English language skills that are beyond what she would be able to learn with the program. Still, I wanted to give it a try because my daughter is going into the 5th grade, but somehow her Language Arts studies have been all over the place with my changing curriculum many times to fit her needs. She has a good mastery of the English language, reads at a high level, but somehow has developed learning gaps in key components of vocabulary over the years and dis absolutely petrified to write anything more than simple sentences.

When the kit arrived, my daughter noticed it immediately and asked about it, so I took the time to sit down with her and figure out what it was all about. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the program was enjoyable, and was not as far under her grade level as I had anticipated. If anything, it is a great way to reinforce her previously shaky knowledge of English to hopefully make her a more confident writer, reader, and speaker. I will even admit that I may have even learned a thing or two in the process, and I write for a living so this is always a perk for me to get excited about words.

Some of the parts of the program we thoroughly enjoyed were how the cubes color coded the words. Somehow, my daughter and I both think in color. So, grouping the parts of speech by color is BRIlLIANT! I really loved how these groupings make it so easy to build and structure a sentence properly without being overwhelmed at the thousands of words to choose from otherwise. Lastly, the game play made us actually do more in a day than originally intended. She wasn't satisfied with just one lesson, she wanted to keep doing it.

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TOS Review - Apologia Writers in Residence

Even though I am a professional writer and I managed to successfully teach the basics of grammar, I somehow have missed the opportunity of teaching my older two children the process of writing well, so I was excited to get a chance to review Writers in Residence from Apologia Educational Ministries to use with my youngest child.

What is Writers in Residence from Apologia Educational Ministries?

This is an All-in-One language arts program that focuses on writing while teaching the basics of grammar and is intended for students in Fourth Grade and higher. It is written by Debra Bell and is biblical-based. I received a physical worktext designed to be used by one student and the Teacher Key, both a glossy paperback with the worktext bound with a large plastic spiral which made it easy to turn pages back while working. As the student works through the book, he or she creates a Writer's Portfolio which is a wonderful keepsake.




Each Module begins with an interview with a different Christian author, including:

Bill Myers McGee and Me
Amy Green Amarias Adventures
Irene Howat Lightkeepers series
Jason Lethcoe director, animator, and storyboard artist for The Little Mermaid, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and others
Amy Parker Thank You, God, for Mommy and Thank You, God for Daddy and 19 other books
Phil Vischer of VeggieTales

The Volume 1 - Apprentice book uses repeating elements throughout, such as:

• Unit Introduction
• Rubric at the end of each module
• Writer's questions
• Sneak Peaks
• Assignments
• Expert Models
• Student samples
• Writer's toolbox
• Graphic organizers
• The Sandbox where students experiment with writing ideas, much like playing in a sandbox
• Vocabulary
• Word sleuth
• The Writer's Workshop
• Review your progress
• Unit Review
• Mastery Test
• Final Review
• Apprentice Log

And covers concepts of:

I Remember, I Imagine, I Investigate, I Think, I Remember, and I Imagine.



The book comes ready to use, out of the box, without a lot of teacher preparation time. The first several pages contain helpful information as to how to use the book, though. So, it does help to familiarize yourself with the teaching style concepts and schedules before sitting down with the student to do the work.



The writers in Residence worktext is set up in modules and includes schedules that include using the book 4 days per week and uses a rubric to make evaluating your child's work easy to offer feedback to your student.

How Did We Use It?

I sat down with my 9-year-old, and we got busy. The very first thing we encountered was a biography about the author who wrote McGee and Me. It was very interesting, and we were hooked. We then moved into the lessons which I walked her through. Everything in the student worktext is very easy to follow, but have never been accustomed to using a rubric, so this was new to me.

I love the big spiral binding on the student work text, because it makes it very easy to turn the page and work. I also appreciate that the Answer Key is just that - an Answer Key - and not a word-for-word instruction manual. I love that this is completely teachable by using the worktext alone with the Answer Key as reassurance that your student is on the right track.

What Did We Think?

First of all, I don't think there is a book yet that Apologia has published that hasn't completely blown us away with delight. This one was no exception. My daughter is very reluctant to write. Somehow, the thought terrifies her as she goes numb and sits silently afraid to pick up her pencil for fear of getting it wrong. This program has helped her feel more comfortable and natural about expressing her thoughts. I really love how it introduces the use of a thesaurus fairly early on and also has some activities that are action based. My daughter really thrives on learning when she's moving, so even though it was not in the majority of the lessons, it was a nice break from the writing to see some action included. We also really enjoyed the short biographies of Christian authors.

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Visit on Facebook, Twitter @apologiaworld , Pinterest, and Instagram.

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