Meaningful Composition
Our directed-writing composition books, Meaningful Composition, are coming out in grade level formats - and now contain co-op and small group lesson plans!
MC 4+, 6+, and 8+ will be available mid to late August and are updated with the co-op and small group teacher in mind. They contain how to's for small group use, as well as weekly lesson plans delineating in class instruction and homework assignments to be given. Samples of these three books are available Here.
Discounts are available for co-ops and homeschool groups:
- One MC of one level=$32 per book
- 2-5 of one level=$28 per book
- 5-10 of one level=$26 per book
- 10 or more of one level=$24 per book
We were surprised, over the past three years of distribution of CQLA and past six years of distribution of WBLA, to discover that there were moms out there who did not want all of the “extras” in our programs - copying, dictation, comprehension, vocabulary, character tied throughout the student’s daily language arts study, grammar lessons linked to the student’s essay writing, etc. These moms often had a grammar program they were happy with (usually Easy Grammar, which didn’t surprise us since that was one of the programs we modeled the grammar portions of CQLA from) and just wanted composition. They often had already been using a Key Word Outline approach to essay writing but desired a writing curriculum with each step of the writing process laid out for them - from directed paragraph writing in original compositions to passages and outlining lines provided for essays from given materials. Thus, we have excerpted the “writing only” parts of CQLA/WBLA to give you Meaningful Composition.
Meaningful Composition (MC) is a consumable, user-friendly writing curriculum containing grammar/usage applications and revisions via a checklist called the Checklist Challenge. It uses what Training for Triumph calls a “directed writing approach” in which each paragraph and each sentence of each paragraph is “directed” for the student. It tells the student how much to write, what to put in each paragraph, how to find sources, etc., in a step-by-step format. MC is not a writing idea book but rather is a complete writing curriculum with instructions from pre-writing (outlining, early determinants, finding source material, researching, and more) to rough draft writing to revising to final product writing.
Each level (currently Book 4+, Book 6+, and Book 8+ with more coming throughout he spring and summer) contains two levels within it so that more advanced students in each level are expected to write more details and complete more revising items than beginners in each level. Each book also contains helpful appendixes for the teacher and student including Grammar Cards with explanations of all grammar revisions that are expected of the students, editing and revising marks chart, and Checklist Challenge helps.
Meaningful Composition may be used as a stand-alone one semester writing curriculum or may be combined with a grammar-only program (such as Easy Grammar or Jensen’s Grammar) to be used for an entire school year. MC teaches the Key Word Outline approach with all passages and details given, including how to outline longer sentences and what to do with unusual sentence structures (semicolons, quotations, etc.). It also teaches other outlining techniques, such as formal outlines, split paper outlines, 5 W outlines, and more. Finally, a step-by-step writing program that contains grammar application within it!
Meaningful Composition Book 4+
Meaningful Composition Book 4+ (formerly called MC Level A)
This nearly-300 page softcover, spiral-bound book begins with the basics of writing: subjects (nouns and pronouns), verbs, describers, what a sentence contains, and what a paragraph contains. The last two-thirds of Book 4+ teaches thesis statements, paragraph writing, Key Word Outline writing, 5-W outlining, personal essays, descriptive essays, informative essays, and multi-paragraph essays.
This book also includes detailed teaching on how to write a Key Word outline and how to complete a portion of the Checklist Challenge. Book 4+ (like all upcoming elementary level MC books) has a daily lesson format and a student-friendly tone. Designed for students at a 3rd-5th grade writing level, it is the only book in the MC series that contains actual grammar instruction due to the nature of it - teaching how to write a sentence (and what a sentence contains) and how to write a paragraph (and what a paragraph contains) during the first few weeks.
We have found an unexpected advantage to Meaningful Composition 4+: middle school and older students who have had years and years of grammar instruction without writing instruction are using MC 4+ to “remediate” their composition skills. We have had older students complete MC 4+ within a month, and thus, catch their writing skills up to their grammar and spelling skills in short order. This is done easily in MC 4+ because it does not contain “superfluous” grammar and writing items (like direct objects and imagery) - just the bare bones of what a student needs to know to write sentences, paragraphs, and multi-paragraphs and how to revise essays using our Checklist Challenge. (Note: The "plus" books in the MC series (4+, 6+, and 8+ - the books currently available) are helpful for remediation for students up to a few grades above that book in that they have elaborate instructions on Key Word Outlines, Checklist Challenge revising, and other writing skills that students who have not written a lot may have "missed.").
Meaningful Composition Book 4+ Contains:
Basic Parts of Speech~Parts of a Sentence~Sentences vs Subordinate Clauses~Describers~Topic Sentences/Opening Sentences~Thesis Statements~Parts of a Paragraph~Descriptive Paragraph~Informative Paragraph~Personal Paragraph~Five W Outline~Mapping Outline~Introducing Multi-Paragraph Essays~How to Create the Key Word Outline~How to Write From a Key Word Outline~How to Complete the Checklist Challenge~Opening Paragraphs~Closing Paragraphs~PLUS: Strong Remediation for Reluctant Middle School Writers
Free Sample!
Meaningful Composition Book 6+
Meaningful Composition Book 6+ (formerly called MC Level B)
Approximately 260 pages in length, MC Book 6+ contains detailed how to’s for Key Word Outline writing and Checklist Challenge revising. In addition, it has all outlining and writing lessons for a biographical report, instructional essay, informative essay (with comparison closing), comparing/contrasting essay, friendly letter, and several Key Word Outline essays—with passages, directions, and outlining lines provided.
This book introduces researching for factual reports and source citation in a hassle-free way (including citing sources within a report and creating a List of Works Cited). Written in a weekly lesson format, Book 6+ was designed for 6th- 8th level students or older students who have not done much lengthy essay or report writing. (Note: The "plus" books in the MC series (4+, 6+, and 8+ - the books currently available) are helpful for remediation for students up to a few grades above that book in that they have elaborate instructions on Key Word Outlines, Checklist Challenge revising, and other writing skills that students who have not written a lot may have "missed.")
Meaningful Composition Book 6+ Contains:
~How to Create the Key Word Outline~How to Write From a Key Word Outline~How to Complete the Checklist Challenge~Multi-Paragraph Key Word Outline Essays~~Opening Paragraph~Closing Paragraph~Instructional Essay~~Formal Outline~Split Paper Outline~Biographical Report~Research Report~Source Citation~Friendly Letter~Informative Report~Comparing/Contrasting Report~PLUS: Strong Remediation for Reluctant Junior High and High School Writers
Free Sample!
Meaningful Composition Book 8+
Meaningful Composition Book 8+ (formerly called Level C)
This 260 page book contains all outlining and writing instructions for biographical, informative, persuasive, and personal writings. It also includes an original story and a persuasive business letter, besides a few KWO essays. Students in this book will learn extensive source citation skills throughout the informative, biographical, and persuasive writing assignments.
Level C is designed for students in eighth grade or higher and may be counted towards high school composition credit. (Note: The "plus" books in the MC series (4+, 6+, and 8+ - the books currently available) are helpful for remediation for students up to a few grades above that book in that they have elaborate instructions on Key Word Outlines, Checklist Challenge revising, and other writing skills that students who have not written a lot may have "missed.")
Meaningful Composition Book 8+ Contains:
~How to Create a Key Word Outline~How to Write From a Key Word Outline~How to Complete the Checklist Challenge~Avoiding Plagiarism~Multi-Paragraph Key Word Outline Essays~Business Letter~Persuasive Writing~Story Writing~Formal Outline~Biographical Report~Personal Essay~Research Report~Extensive Source Citation~PLUS: Strong Remediation for Reluctant High School Writers
Free Sample!