Wordsmith
A friendly, flexible writing curriculum that helps middle schoolers grow from sentence builders to confident storytellers.
$30.50
Quantity:
Consumable
In a Curriculum Kit
Multiple Grades
Nonreligious
2026 Seventh-Grade Curriculum Kit
Wordsmith Student and Teacher
Writing is one of those subjects where students are often expected to know what to do before anyone has actually shown them how. Wordsmith is designed to teach the process step by step.Designed for middle-grade students, this writing program teaches writing in small, manageable pieces—starting with words and sentences before moving into paragraphs, stories, descriptions, dialogue, and point of view. Lessons begin with short grammar refreshers and quickly move into using those skills. Students work with stronger verbs, clearer sentences, better descriptions, and more organized writing rather than simply learning rules in isolation.
The program emphasizes structure. Students learn how to build sentences that say what they mean, revise weak writing, proofread their work, and gradually turn simple ideas into longer pieces.
The Student Book is divided into three sections:
- Part One: Word Games Students review parts of speech and strengthen vocabulary through short, practical activities.
- Part Two: Building Stronger Sentences Lessons focus on writing clearer, more effective sentences and connecting ideas more naturally.
- Part Three: Now We’re Writing!
The Teacher Guide provides teaching suggestions, full answer keys, and support for evaluating student work without leaving parents guessing.
This is not a program built solely on creativity. It gives students a framework for writing so they spend less time wondering how to begin and more time improving what they create.
How to Use Wordsmith
- Start by opening the Teacher Guide and choosing a pace that fits your student. The suggested schedule covers a full year, but many families prefer to move more slowly.
- Pay attention to how your student responds. If writing starts to feel heavy, stretching the program across two years is completely reasonable. Many families simply continue Wordsmith and skip purchasing another writing curriculum the following year.
- Work through the lessons in order. The program is designed to build gradually, moving from words and sentences into longer pieces as skills develop.
- Focus on steady improvement rather than perfect assignments. Some lessons move quickly, while others take more practice.
- Keep completed work. Looking back at earlier sentences and assignments often makes progress easier to notice—for both you and your student.
Pages: Student Book: 119, Teacher Book: 47
Publisher: Common Sense Press, 2016
Faith-Based: No
View a sample of the Wordsmith Teacher's Guide.
review by My Life on a Taffy Pull
"This program wasn’t a good fit for my budding authoress Strawberry. She loves to write, but felt that this book was too easy. I guess that’s not a bad problem to have. It didn’t hold her attention or challenge her enough. One good thing about all of the books that Timberdoodle sells in this same series is the cost. They are low-cost books! So the risk is minimal if you want to try them out."
Read the Full Review
review by For One Another
"We have only used this book for 2 weeks now, but I've got to admit that I do like it. The biggest plus so far is that I don't get the rolled eyes and groans when it's time to pull out Wordsmith, like I did with last year's writing curriculum I chose. When I asked my 14 year old daughter what she thought of it, her response was: 'Way better than last year, for sure. AND I'm having fun with the thesaurus'."
Read the Full Reviewreview by Eclectic Montage
"The approach is simple, but effective. As a short course, I think it does provide the foundation for getting a young writer on the path to understanding that writing is more than just putting words on paper. There is an approach, there are rules, and being able to apply those effectively are the key to success. If you have never had your child really sit down and walk through how to construct sentences, paragraphs, and finally a full essay, then I can easily recommend this program. Writing cannot be taken for granted – it must be taught."
Read the Full ReviewFind answers to the most frequently asked questions about this product below:
Wordsmith is recommended for students in 7th to 9th grade.
No.
- June 27, 2024
Liked
Heather J.
This book helped my child with her writing. I like that it gives examples to help.
- September 7, 2022
Writing Program
dedra m.
The child portion of this writing curriculum is really good! I haven't loved the teacher's version of it, but it gets the job done. The student portion does a great job clearly teaching, showing examples, and giving guidance. I'm happy with it.
