Now that the older two girls have finished the IEW Writing program I am trying to remember to assign writing projects throughout the month. One week it might be an assignment from their IEW History book, another week some sort of creative "report" about a book they read on their own.
The last week of the month they write about a saint. I encourage the children to choose someone in whom they are genuinely interested, so the saint's feast day does not have to fall during the month. In 4th and 5th grades I do encourage those studying American history to choose a saint they have been reading about.
My 3rd grader wrote about St. Blaise after reading the little blue book: A Story of St. Blaise. He "forgot" to illustrate it, so I'll have to post a photo of his report later.
My 4th grader chose Fr. Marquette since she recently read Fr. Marquette and the Great Rivers.
I check their spelling, and add words to their personal spelling list (every fifth lesson in the Phonetic Zoo). I also check their cursive and usually have to assign some letters to practice (in this case, capital I, F, and J).
My 6th grader, who has blossomed into a daring girl, and shows interest in zoology and survival skills, chose St. Francis. I really liked the "before" outfit she drew for him.
