I received the WIR curriculum at no cost and was compensated for my time to review this product. However, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are honest and 100% my own. Affiliate links are included in this post. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
Finding a writing curriculum that is a good fit for your homeschool isn’t always an easy task. For our own homeschool, writing is an area that I’ve struggled to find the right resources for my 9-year-old. We’ve tried a few different things that made me feel like I was just “winging it” and left me wondering if he was learning all that he could and should be.
So, it was honestly a big relief and an answer to prayer when we began to use Apologia’s Writers in Residence program. My son now has an opportunity to learn what it means to think like a writer, organize his thoughts, to use God’s gift of language and be creative, and find joy in the process.
We are pairing it with Readers in Residence for a full and robust language arts curriculum this year but you could certainly use Writers in Residence on it’s own for your child to gain practice and appreciation for writing, along with learning conventions of the English language.
Apologia’s Writers in Residence is a writing-focused homeschool language arts program that gives your child high-interest writing assignments where they will learn:
- sentence structure
- parts of speech
- conventions of the English language for punctuation, capitalization, and usage
- how to create clear, engaging stories and essays readers want to read
Here are seven things I appreciate most about Apologia’s Writers in Residence homeschool language arts curriculum:
The book is all-in-one so you can open and go. The volume contains both the teaching and the work in one place so everything flows together. It is also very well-organized with the ideas, instruction and expectations thoroughly explained so many children will be able to be fairly independent with this curriculum.
2.) Daily schedule
There is a suggested daily schedule included and it is based on a 4-day schedule for 32 weeks which is perfect for many families! Your child may need extra time to complete some of the work or want more of a challenge and can complete more than suggested, but it is still a useful guideline. Plus there are little boxes your child can check off as they complete the work.
3.) Checklists and rubrics
Each module includes a checklist and each large project includes a rubric for the student. I love this! With this information, your child can be 100% certain what they need to complete and how they can earn points for the module or project. The parent awards the points based on effort and/or quality of work and there is a 1-6 point system for this, making it a very easy process for both the child and the parent.
4.) Beautiful book
The book is easy to look at and easy to read! This spiral-bound book has a variety of bright colors and is formatted in a way that makes each page easy to look at and read. There is appropriate color added in, like important words highlighted, that make learning just a little bit easier for kids.
5.) Introduction to the Writing Process
Children don’t have to have any previous knowledge or experience to use this curriculum. It is recommended for grades 4 through 8 and introduces the student to the writing process. So, if a child is just starting out the information and assignments are clear enough that a child who is being introduced to these ideas for the first time will be able to complete them. But they are also challenging enough for the child who has already been introduced to the ideas. Either way, the process is clear and easy to follow.
6.) Provides a biblically-based framework
Children will learn how to communicate effectively in writing through a biblically-based framework. There are various Christian authors highlighted and many things are looked at and questions asked from a biblical perspective.
7.) Answer key
There is an answer key available with examples and answers. Writing assignments can be hard to correct as times so this is one more tool for parents and students. It also provides examples that allow your child to compare what they wrote to the example provided. I found it very helpful to use for reference as I reviewed my son’s work.
I am very excited about the year ahead as my son continues to learn and grow as a reader and a writer. If you are looking for a writing curriculum for your 4th-8th grade child, I definitely recommend checking out Writers in Residence.
Learn More About Apologia’s Writers in Residence
And make sure you download this 100+ page sample and FAQs.
If you are interested in purchasing the Writers in Residence All-In-One Student Text and Workbook you can head over to Apologia.