The Complete Writer: Writing With Skill

The curriculum incorporates knowledge-building through literary works spanning science, history, and literature, including excerpts from works like The Story of the World.

Students work with 'public domain works on science or history' and excerpts from Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World, with literary works used as source material for various writing assignments

The curriculum uses appropriately complex texts including classical literature and challenging non-fiction works suitable for middle grade students.

Students work with works like 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' and other literary excerpts, though some are 'public domain works on science or history that would be read for information but not for entertainment'

The curriculum provides extensive teacher support through detailed instructor texts, teaching instructions, suggested answers, and rubrics, though it requires substantial preparation time.

The 'hefty 607 pages' instructor text includes 'teaching instructions,' 'step-by-step' lesson plans, 'scripted' discussions, 'examples of composition work,' and guidance for when students struggle

The program employs explicit, teacher-directed instruction with scripted discussions, detailed lesson plans, and clear expectations for both student and teacher roles.

Lessons are 'laid out in a step-by-step fashion,' discussions are 'often scripted with questions to read plus suggested answers,' and includes detailed teaching instructions in a 607-page instructor text

The curriculum includes explicit vocabulary instruction through thesaurus use and word choice exercises as part of composition development.

Students learn 'word choices and the use of a thesaurus' and 'need a comprehensive thesaurus for use throughout all of the courses'

The curriculum provides highly structured, explicit writing instruction covering multiple genres with detailed rubrics and step-by-step lesson plans.

Teaches 'paragraph construction, topic sentences, note taking, writing narrative summaries, outlines, chronological narratives, descriptions, biographical sketches, literary criticism, and researching' with specific rubrics for each composition form

The curriculum relies primarily on literary excerpts ranging from paragraphs to a few pages, with only occasional longer works like 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' included in appendices.

Review states students 'frequently use literary excerpts as source material' that 'vary from a few paragraphs or stanzas to two or three pages in length' with 'a few lengthier literary works' relegated to appendices

The curriculum emphasizes revision and review through rubric-based assessment, though specific retrieval practice techniques are not clearly described.

Students are asked to 'revise the assignment' when compositions fall short of expectations, and rubrics are used to evaluate student work, but no mention of systematic review or retrieval exercises

This criterion is not applicable as the curriculum targets grades 5-8, beyond the typical phonics instruction age range.

The curriculum is designed for grades 5-8 and focuses on composition skills rather than foundational reading instruction