Apologia’s Writers in Residence – Writing & Language Arts {Review}

Do you have a kid who loves reading and writing? I’m so excited to share my review of a new writing and language arts program! My almost 9-year-old daughter loves to write, so I was excited to try this new writing program, Writers in Residence from Apologia Educational Ministries.

What is Writers in Residence?I was provided the Writers in Residence All-In-One Student Text and Workbook along with the Writers in Residence Answer Key book. Writers in Residence Volume 1 is a 32-week writing program written by Debra Bell. The curriculum is geared toward students in grades 4-8 and includes a spiral bound student text in a workbook format.

I want to make a quick note that in the beginning of the student workbook there are several pages written to the parent (or teacher) about the writing model they use, the writing process, and the teaching philosophy which is used in this curriculum. The Answer Key Book provides an easy way to make sure your child is on target with their assignments and fully grasping the material.

The student workbook is very thick and includes a sturdy laminated cover. The program is divided up into 24 Modules and includes a detailed daily schedule, 6 unique writing assignments, a “Spotlight” on 6 different Christian authors, and it also includes a full language arts component.

To give you a better idea of what this all-encompassing student workbook includes I made a list … this is a glimpse of what your student will be getting out of this curriculum.

Common Nouns
Proper Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Adverbs
Pronouns
Prepositions
Conjunctions
Interjections
Choosing a Topic
Creating an Outline
Students Unique Spelling & Vocabulary List
Major and Minor Characters
Rough Drafts
Final Drafts
Character Trait Chart
Editing Skills
Conclusions
Transitions
Comparing Authors
Different types of authors: biographer, columnist, ghostwriter, playwright, etc.
Topic vs. Opinion
Writing an Autobiography
Superheroes/Imagination
Writer’s Toolbox Strategies
Full Glossary

How did we use it?We used this program 3-4 times a week for the past 5-6 weeks. Although this program is geared towards kids in grades 4-8, I chose to use this with my daughter who is right on the brink of 4th grade. She excels in language arts and reads well above grade level. I felt this was an excellent fit for her. The curriculum includes a daily guide and schedule which breaks the program down into bite size pieces so that while the student is doing a little bit of work almost everyday day – it stays fun and fresh the whole way through.

What do we think?

I have to admit something. Although this is written for kids in the 4th – 8th grade, I truly felt like I was learning right along with my daughter. I simply adore this program. My daughter tells me she wants to be an author when she grows up. I often said the same thing. After using this program for the past month, my passion has been reignited.

One of our favorite parts was the Spotlight on Christian Writers. These are full interviews with famous Christian writers. With authors like Irene Howat and Phil Vischer featured in these sections, it felt as if we could feel their passion and enthusiasm for the craft of writing. I think this is a unique section!

I also love that this a comprehensive language arts program. Your child will be studying and learning the parts of speech, the rules of punctuation and capitalization, and vocabulary all while they become better writers. That is the nature of this program. I think it is important to note that you will not need to supplement this with another language arts.

I could immediately tell, as I flipped through the pages of the workbook, that this was well thought out and well made. The student workbook contains so many good reminders in the beautifully laid out and graphically rich pages. I love the colorful pages leading up to the first lesson – including the Six Traits Writing Model and the Introduction to the Writing Process.

This is written to the student and everything they need is right there in the student workbook. While I worked with my daughter through the workbook (for purposes of this review), I actually feel that a slightly older student could these assignments independently. There is a room in the workbook to write, along with exercises like fill in the blanks, checklists for the writing process, charts to fill in with better verbs and more specific nouns among so many other lessons.

I feel that this curriculum engages students. I know my daughter learned so much from the time we have used it. It is beautifully put together and all the work is done for you. This writing curriculum makes it easy to teach writing to a student who is already curious about writing. I think it might just spark a passion in a kid who isn’t so enthusiastic, too!