Hi Everyone!
I have another Home School Review from Timberdoodle for you today, that I hope will help you become more familiar with all the great resources that are available for us to use in teaching our children.
Wordsmithy is a writing guide and is included as part of Timberdoodle's complete 11th grade curriculum kit. On the Timberdoodle web site, Wordsmithy is listed as being appropriate for ages 12 and up, as well as grades 9 and up. Since my daughter is age 12, I knew we were on the bottom end of this resource, but she does really enjoy writing so I was expecting that she would love it. Unfortunately, it did not turn out to be a favorite of hers.
I--on the other hand--really like it! But I honestly feel my daughter is still a bit too young to really appreciate the resource that it is. I fully plan to hang on to it for a couple more years and THEN bring it out and see if it fits her better.
Wordsmithy is a resource--a guide--a good friend giving advice. It is NOT a "how to" book listing step by step what to do next. It does require a bit more maturity of thought to glean all of the knowledge available in it. I think this was part of why my daughter didn't appreciate it so well--she is just not at the point of loving discussions or sharing thoughts about ideas.
The author of Wordsmithy shares seven main points to becoming a better writer. These are not the typical points that one might expect from a book on writing--you will not find here admonitions to write a strong thesis statement. Instead, the first tip given is for the students to "get out more."
"Know something about the world, and by this I mean the world outside of books. This might require joining the Marines, or working on an oil rig or as a hashslinger at a truck stop in Kentucky. Know what things smell like out there. If everything you write smells like a library, then your prospective audience will be limited to those who like the smell of libraries." Wordsmith-Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson, p. 13.
Within each chapter, after the main point is shared there are sub-points which explain and reveal further what the main point means. For example, the fifth piece of advice for writers is for them to:
"Be at peace with being lousy for a while. Chesterton once said that anything worth doing was worth doing badly. He was right. Only an insufferable egoist expects to be brilliant first time out." Wordsmithy--Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson, p. 81
Then, after this point--one of the sub-points further applies this concept to real life:
"Concert pianists can do what they do because they practiced scales for years. So most of the music that comes from them over the course of their lives gets thrown away in the practice studio. The quality of what you keep will be directly proportional to how much you are willing to throw away. Drills, scales, and exercises should not be something you consider beneath you." Wordsmithy--Hot Tips for the Writing Life by Douglas Wilson, p. 81
Wordsmithy is filled with gems like this. But similar to actual gem stones, you do not find all the value in this small book from simply a passing glance. Here you will find advice to really think about for a while, to try on and see how it fits.
So my final opinion on this unique resource is I think it is fantastic for the high school grades. Timberdoodle including it in their 11th grade Curriculum Kit is spot-on. It would be great for ANY of the high school grades. I do--however--feel that Wordsmithy should perhaps be listed as best for an age a bit higher than the bottom age of 12. Perhaps age 14 or 15 might be a better fit.
I hope you have enjoyed learning more about Wordsmithy! If you are home schooling in the high school grades this year, do give this resource a look. I think you will be glad you did!
~Susan
Disclaimer: I received this product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
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