More so than any other subject, writing seems to be the area in which we have struggled the most to find a curriculum that fits us best. Last year, I stumbled upon Writing Strands. We used Writing Strands: Beginning 1 last year and have been given the opportunity to review Writing Strands: Beginning 2.

About us: My student is at the top end of the age range suggested - 7th grade. Last year, prior to purchasing Beginning 1, I had her take the placement test. Although we could have comfortably started our journey with Writings Strands in the Intermediate level, we opted to start at the beginning - primarily for the literary analysis aspect.

Writings Strands alternates writing and reading lessons weekly.

What we love about Writings Strands: Beginning 2:

The approach is gentle. Writing is often a confidence game. Taking a simple, yet thorough, approach from the start allows the student to shore up basic skills while building confidence in his/her writing ability.

The lessons are kept short and sweet. Unless you have an avid writer on your hands (lucky you!), nothing induces the moan and groan like a writing lesson. The short lessons help keep a less-than-enthusiastic writer from being overwhelmed and shutting down.

Each writing lesson ends with a Progress Report to be completed by the student. Self-analysis is critical in ultimately learning to proofread larger works later.

The reading lessons cover basic skills for literary analysis. These skills are practiced using a passage from the Bible and then practiced again using literature chosen by the parent. The reading lessons provide an excellent opportunity for Biblical discussions between student and parent.

What you should know:

The Teacher's Guide is imperative. It is a PDF download available through Master Books.

If you're looking for an open-and-go with little work on the part of the teacher and answers provided, this will not be a good fit for you. This curriculum is a bit open-ended and allows for a good deal of freedom and creativity for both student and teacher/parent.

You may need a supplemental grammar curriculum. This course does not teach syntax or grammar concepts. This course develops writing skill.

The course places an emphasis on creative writing and narration.

Overall, we have been quite happy with Writing Strands. It is an excellent fit for a young writer that enjoys creativity and story-telling. As always, I enjoy the strong Biblical approach taken by Master Books. This is a truly Christian curriculum - not curriculum with Bible verses sprinkled throughout. I definitely recommend this curriculum for the parent/teacher that likes to dive in with his/her student. It makes for wonderful discussion - particularly during the reading lessons.

I am so happy Master Books has made this wonderful writing curriculum easier to use. My favorite feature is that it combines the great writing lessons with reading. It has the student read and analyze scripture as well as a book assigned by the parent. It is so flexible. I have wanted a writing/reading curriculum like this for years and now it, it's here!

The daily schedule is great and so very helpful. I love how the writing lessons start with building one sentence then throughout the year you cover paragraphs, and descriptive stories and more. It does it in a way that does not overwhelm with easy to follow instructions. Plus, the instructions are written in a light and conversational manner.

My 5th grader used this course and before he started, he hated writing. He was stuck in the "I can't do it" mindset, but with Writing Strands, he found himself to be capable! He no longer cringes at the thought of having to write a paragraph. Now, he can bust out several paragraphs! Amazing!

For the reading portions, I love how it has the reader examine passages from the Bible. It discusses plot, setting and asks the student what you can learn from the given passage as well as with an assigned book. It's so versatile. I do suggest to get the Teaching Companion book. It gives guidance on vocabulary, spelling, literary concepts and other teaching tips.

We are new to Writing Strands this year, and my daughter is thriving with Writing Strands Beginning 2. I starts really gently, and my daughter loves the humor sprinkled in the instructions on the worksheets. I had looked into Writing Strands in past years and was leery of how much parent time was involved. However, the new Masterbooks edition guides students and makes me feel more confident. I am also loving that I can choose books at my daughter's level and interests for the literature component. We are so grateful for this curriculum.

Note: If you are looking for an all-inclusive language arts curriculum, this is just writing and literature. We pair it with a free online grammar program for grammar instruction to complete our language arts plan for the year.

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this curriculum in order to review it from Masterbooks. However, I had already purchased a physical copy of it and was loving it! :-)

I received Writing stands to review, but know I am very excited for my children to use this program. It give a clear weekly schedule which makes life much easier for me. There are times for them to work independently as well as times that we will work together. There is a page for the teacher and a separate page for child to write down things that they come across in the work each day that they need continued work on through out the year, I also, loved that bible and literature are both incorporated. This series teaches everything from spelling words to narration to writing a great story. You can make it harder by the level of reading material you choose for your child to use. I am so excited to start using this curriculum with my children.

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I have been using this with my fourth grader, but I feel like it could easily be used with older children. She very much enjoys that the lessons alternate between reading and writing lessons. It really does help the curriculum from becoming stagnant or boring. It is fairly easy to use as a self-directed program but could be used as with assistance as well. My daughter's writing has drastically improved since using this program. It covers a large amount of information but isn't overwhelming in its approach. The instruction and guidance are clear and easy to understand. There is an expectation of basic grammar knowledge going into the course, but it definitely builds on and gives practical applications for grammar practice. It has a suggested schedule included, which is incredibly useful for planning out your lessons and school year. Overall, we are very pleased with this curriculum and will likely continue to the next level when we have completed this one.