Writing With Ease / Writing With Skill
Well-Trained Mind Press · Susan Wise Bauer · Grades 1-8
Classical homeschoolers wanting gentle narration/dictation/copywork bridge to composition (WWE); middle/high school students needing rigorous expository writing prep with rubrics and self-evaluation (WWS); families already in Well-Trained Mind / Story of the World ecosystem
$20-38/level
Overview
Writing With Ease (WWE) and its upper-grade continuation Writing With Skill (WWS) form Susan Wise Bauer's classical writing sequence. Built on the principle that children should master narration and dictation before being asked to compose original work. WWE covers grades 1-4 through copywork and oral summaries of high-quality literature; WWS introduces formal composition through ancient rhetorical models. Recommended by classical educators across the spectrum. The sequence is strict; jumping in midstream is difficult because each level builds on the last.
Strengths
- •Coherent principled methodology rooted in classical rhetoric
- •WWE is low-pressure with almost no parent prep
- •WWS includes all source material (no library runs)
- •rubrics allow student self-evaluation reducing parent grading burden
- •reusable across children
- •used successfully with 5+ children across a decade
Limitations
- •WWE is slow. Children who finish a full year still write very little original prose
- •both programs are expository-only (no creative writing)
- •some narration passages contain spoilers for books children haven't read
- •dictation jumps in WWE Level 2 can frustrate
- •dry tone is recurring complaint especially for WWE
Best fit for
Classical homeschoolers wanting gentle narration/dictation/copywork bridge to composition (WWE); middle/high school students needing rigorous expository writing prep with rubrics and self-evaluation (WWS); families already in Well-Trained Mind / Story of the World ecosystem
What's in the line
7 separate products in this brand. Pick the right one for your child's age and stage.
Elementary (WWE)
The honest read
WWE and WWS are the clearest expression of classical trivium applied to writing. Common WWE complaint: dry, slow, produces very little actual writing for time invested. WWS earns stronger reviews: rigorous, produces real expository skills, prepares for college composition. Community has effectively re-graded WWS upward. Most start in 6th/7th grade rather than publisher-recommended 5th.
Get Writing With Ease / Writing With Skill
Classical homeschoolers wanting gentle narration/dictation/copywork bridge to composition (WWE); middle/high school students needing rigorous expository writing prep with rubrics and self-evaluation (WWS); families already in Well-Trained Mind / Story of the World ecosystem
SHOPRelated in Language Arts
Writing With Ease / Writing With Skill
$20-38/level