When to start CW?

[Lana]

Hi, I would like to know what skills my child should have before beginning Classical Writing--Aesop.

thanks,
Lana

[Martha]

Hello Lana,

Here's my list of important "pre-CW Aesop" skills. Each student should:

1. be able to read beginning chapter books such as the Frog and Toad and Amelia Bedelia books independently.

2. be familiar with how to form letters and write them easily, or have learned to type.

3. be comfortable with oral narrations of material they have read as well as material that has been read to them.

4. be accustomed to doing copywork and simple dictation.

I look at the first two as essential. Oral narrations, copywork, and dictation will be a part of Aesop and you can work on them when using it. However, if these skills are new to your child you wil probably find it less frustrating to work on those things for awhile before beginning Aesop.

The best time to begin will depend on your child. Our youngest co-op student last year was a 7 yo. She did very well, but I am certain that my son would not have been ready until he was at least 9.

Martha

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

Hi Lana,

Thank you for visiting our board

Again, Martha has great answers. I concur with everything she said.

In addition to what Martha said I would have some comments surrounding wielding a pencil or learning to type.

It is not a prerequisite for your student that he or she likes to write many sentences with pencil or through typing on the computer. We try to separate the mechanics of writing from the joy of telling a story.

Many young boys in particular will start with narrating a story to mom and mom either types it up on the computer or writes it in pencil for her student. The student then does one or two sentences copybooking of his own story by pencil, or slowly begins to type his first or last sentence of the story on his own.

Most of the moms we have met have found that this process gets most students writing by hand or typing on a key board within the process of a year sufficiently well so that by the time they are into CW Homer, our next book, they are independent in the mechanics of getting their stories down on paper.

One of my students started at age 8, the other two started at age 6 and 7, respectively. My 6 year old who started was a very early reader and the third child, who was always trying to catch up to his siblings.

HTH, ask away if you have more questions,

Lene