Q. Does Writing Strands teach grammar, punctuation and spelling?

A. Yes, but only on a need-to-know basis. The research all shows that abstracted exercises in grammar workbooks do not carry over into application in the production of written work. Children can be expert at underlining nouns and verbs and not use them with precision. They can diagram perfectly and not be able to write an effective sentence. When students need to understand a rule of writing to do an exercise, that is the time they should learn the rule. The grammar needed for translation into a foreign language is another matter.

The research in the training of spelling for the great majority of children shows that memorizing lists of words and testing on those lists employs short-term memory abilities and those exercises do not carry over into use after the tests are taken. The Writing Strands books and the parents' Evaluating Manual show how to avoid the problems of short-term memory limitations.

Q. Does Writing Strands teach just creative writing?

A. Writing Strands is a program designed to teach children how to use their language effectively in creative and expository modes. The upper levels of the series have creative, basic, research and report, argumentative, and explanatory training. The lower levels teach the skills needed by the students to be able to take advantage of the upper levels' exercises.

If students complete the Writing Strands series with competence, they will be ready to write any of the papers assigned at university below graduate level.

Q. Are the books consumable?

A. No, except for the Gentle Steps books.  They are the only ones in which students write. The others are designed so that the students write on their own paper, and they then can be passed on to younger children.

Q. Is Writing Strands a full language arts curriculum?

A. No, but if you use our Reading Strands book and the speech book called Communications and Interpersonal Relationships you will have a full language arts program.  This will give you writing, the interpretation of literature, and personal communication.  That's what language arts is: reading, writing and talking.

Q. Should I use Gentle Steps or Writing Strands?

A. Gentle Steps is designed for students with learning disabilities. It should produce for the students the same skills, but it is a much more structured approach to that training. If a student does not have an identified disability, that child should use the regular series of Writing Strands.

Q. What is Reading Strands?

A. Reading Strands is a one-book manual for parents homeschooling children who are between the ages of four and eighteen. It shows the parents how to discuss literature with their children. It has in the index the techniques of interpretation that allow children to determine meaning for themselves. The text explains each technique and gives transcribed tape recorded examples of homeschooling parents using the techniques with their children. It has 15 pages of examples of the Socratic method of teaching literary concepts to children so that parents don't have to tell their children what to think, they can show them how to think about their literary experiences.  It has thousands of titles listed by age, grade, and reading level.  These books are available in libraries.

Q. Should I use Gentle Steps or Writing Strands?

A. Gentle Steps is designed for students with learning disabilities. It should produce for the students the same skills, but it is a much more structured approach to that training. If a student does not have an identified disability, that child should use the regular series of Writing Strands.

Q. What is Reading Strands?

A. Reading Strands is a one-book manual for parents homeschooling children who are between the ages of four and eighteen. It shows the parents how to discuss literature with their children. It has in the index the techniques of interpretation that allow children to determine meaning for themselves. The text explains each technique and gives transcribed tape recorded examples of homeschooling parents using the techniques with their children. It has 15 pages of examples of the Socratic method of teaching literary concepts to children so that parents don't have to tell their children what to think, they can show them how to think about their literary experiences.  It has thousands of titles listed by age, grade, and reading level.  These books are available in libraries.

Q. How will Writing Strands help my children be better at communication?

A. Writing Strands is designed to help children use their language with precision. The answer to successful communication is the ability to transmit images, ideas, situations, and understandings so that they are clearly understood. Each of the exercises teaches the skills needed to do this.

Q. Are the books directed to the parents or to the children?

A. The voice in the Writing Strands books from level three up speaks to the children on their levels of understanding. The books tell the students everything they need to know to write the exercises. Parents don't have to be trained to teach writing. The books do that directly with the children.  Of course, Gentle Steps I, Writing Strands Level One, and Writing Strands Level Two, Reading Strands and Evaluating Writing are directed to the parents.

Q. How will Writing Strands help my children be better at communication?

A. Writing Strands is designed to help children use their language with precision. The answer to successful communication is the ability to transmit images, ideas, situations, and understandings so that they are clearly understood. Each of the exercises teaches the skills needed to do this.

Q. Are the books directed to the parents or to the children?

A. The voice in the Writing Strands books from level three up speaks to the children on their levels of understanding. The books tell the students everything they need to know to write the exercises. Parents don't have to be trained to teach writing. The books do that directly with the children.  Of course, Gentle Steps I, Writing Strands Level One, and Writing Strands Level Two, Reading Strands and Evaluating Writing are directed to the parents.