Spectrum Writing, Grade 5: Volume 39

I bought a number of workbooks from several series for my children to work with over the summer. DK workbooks (which were inferior in every way and I returned all 4), the Scholastic Success series (which are really intended for in-school supplementation but were okay for use over the summer), and the Spectrum series. The Spectrum series were superior in every way to the other workbooks and I will order from this series again next summer. This writing workbook is the best I've ever seen, and is perfect for a self-directed student. It starts with a section on identifying details from a picture, teaches you to eliminate those that don't belong, and then has you write sentences that describe a picture yourself. Next, you begin learning the writing process (prewrite, draft, edit, finish) and apply that knowledge to several writing types, including creative and persuasive writing. The topics are interesting, and even my kid-who-hates-to-write said "wow" when he opened the workbook and read the fun topics he'd get to write about. I am so pleased with the book that I might have my son complete it during the school year, as there is more than can be completed during the summer months. I find this workbook's writing approach to be far superior to any material I've seen come home from any school course.

My son finally "gets it" as to how to write decent paragraphs after going halfway through this book. ALSO a great way to practice cursive.

We found the Spectrum Writing books to be good summer practice for our kids. We just happen to homeschool, but they would be equally valuable to anyone. The books are organized around different styles (e.g. writing to entertain, descriptive writing, writing to explain, etc.). They are illustrated and have key sections highlighted in color. The pages are perforated and easily removed. There are just enough lessons (typically 40-50) to keep my kids busy throughout the summer. I usually only ask that they do one lesson per day, since I don't want them to hurry through their writing. Also I ask them to write as neatly a possible, with correct punctuation and spelling. Overall, the Spectrum Writing books are a useful compilation of small writing assignments - an area that many kids (mine included) need practice with. Check out a few sample pages (an option by the product), to get a better idea of the lesson difficulty. Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

This is a great skill-building book for learning to write. It has bright colors and appealing graphics.

The Spectrum series has very good information and activities in it. I have used the upper elementary grade books in middle school, and the middle school grade books for high school. The Spectrum series is very good.