For this review, I was sent book four of the Writing and Rhetoric series from Classical Academic Press: Book 4: Cheria & Proverb. The introduction to book four of the Writing and Rhetoric program has a note from the author which reads:

"I always loved taking a blank sheet of paper, and transforming it into something magical" . . . and then he acknowledges that many children and adults don't find writing to be magical. I wish I could sit the author of this series down, and shake his hand, and share with him that my one writing phobic child no longer fears being handed that blank piece of paper. Writing has become magical for him, largely because of the gentle, creative, fun methods included in the Writing and Rhetoric series.

By providing my child with a model to work from, and teaching him how to not only read that model, but how to think about it, and roll it around in his mind and look at it with fresh eyes, this program has taught him to write. It has built a foundation for him. He's not lost with a blank piece of paper. He is learning where to go with it.

Teaching this program is also quite easy. The lesson starts with a conversation. You sit down with your student, and you read the lesson introduction together. The tone is conversational and pleasant, and is never terribly heavy. Then, you'll have your child tell it back- summarize the story, or the cheria, or the proverb in their own words. You'll discuss it, and make sure your child understands the terms used. On the first day or two of the lesson, your child may not write at all. They just soak up the story, discuss it, and let it sink in. The next time you sit down to work on writing, you'll put pen to paper. You'll practice dictation (where your student writes what you say), and play with sentences. You may change their structure, make them longer, or shorter, or manipulate them in some other way. This program goes into grammar and construction in a very natural way, with principles being taught as your child writes.

By the time they reach book four, your child will be writing longer selections, including paragraphs and the beginnings of a well-structured essay. Finally, they'll practice speaking their work out loud, which is fabulous, because you want your child to be well spoken as well as well written.

I highly suggest you give Writing and Rhetoric a try with your students. I have been using this program since it first hit the shelves, and I plan on sticking with it throughout my child's education. This program is easy to follow, my children love it, and I know I am teaching them to not just tolerate writing, but to really love the process and appreciate a well-written story. Don't miss this curriculum!

-Product review by Heather Aliano, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June, 2016