Wordsmith Student
A low-pressure writing workbook that helps middle schoolers gain confidence and skill—one small step at a time.
Quantity:
Consumable
In a Curriculum Kit
Multiple Grades
Nonreligious
2026 Seventh-Grade Curriculum Kit
Wordsmith Student
For young people who want to improve their writing skills, step-by-step instructions are provided that will help any writer improve his techniques. The introduction provides a brief review of grammar followed by instruction on building stronger sentences, exercises in descriptive and narrative writing, creating dialogue, story writing, and writing from a particular point of view. Plus, practice the essential skills of every good writer, proofreading and revising.
About the Wordsmith Series
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the slew of creative writing programs available for homeschoolers? As a curriculum provider, we have seen more writing programs than any sensible parent would ever want to see, and candidly, after a while, they all look pretty much the same. So what stood out about the Wordsmith line?
No Slick Promises
To start with, the engaging exercises and doable assignments are pertinent for reinforcing the systematic process of thinking, organizing, writing, evaluating, and re-writing that is critical to any creative writing program. But ultimately, at the very core of the Wordsmith program is the honest reality presented by the author, Janie B. Cheaney, a regular columnist for World Magazine, that while her books will not always produce an enthusiastic and prolific writer, the Wordsmith series, the actual skills of creative writing can be acquired by anyone. So if you need a language arts program that addresses creative writing in more depth, the Wordsmith series is the most effective, painless approach we have seen.
A Teacher’s Guide for this course is available separately.
How to Use Wordsmith
(Psst… This how-to assumes you've got both the student book and teacher's guide for the smoothest experience!)
Step 1: Start Smart
Open the teacher's guide and admire that beautifully laid-out 36-week plan. It's designed to walk your student through a full year of writing without panic attacks or literary meltdowns.
Step 2: Watch the Pace
If your student starts dragging his feet by week two, don't force it. Seriously. This is a solid, skill-building program—spreading it over two years is totally legitimate (and kind of genius). Just drop next year's writing curriculum and keep cruising with Wordsmith. Fewer breakdowns, same great results.
Step 3: Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Each week includes just enough instruction, practice, and a dash of creativity to nudge your child forward without overwhelming him. Some weeks may feel easy, others might stretch those writing muscles—trust the process.
Step 4: Celebrate the Wins
Finished a strong sentence? Managed to revise without grumbling? That's a win. Wordsmith builds real skills—and confidence—one doable chunk at a time. Stick with it, adjust the pace if needed, and enjoy watching your reluctant writer start to own the page.
Author: Janie B. Cheaney
Pages: 119
Publisher: Common Sense Press, 2016
Faith-Based: No
View a sample lesson of Wordsmith Student Book
Awards and Endorsements:2012 Cathy Duffy's 101 Top Picks
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.
Customers earn Doodle Dollars for reviewing products they've purchased, and some promotions add an entry in a prize drawing. Rewards never depend on the rating given.
- September 11, 2020
Fun!
Bryson
As a student, I enjoyed this book! It's very interesting and organized well.
- September 3, 2020
love it
Kim E.
I am loving that it is teaching better writing skills. It also gives a variety of learning options to choose from so you can make it as easy or as hard as you'd like.
- July 31, 2020
Not very interesting
Lauren
This book just looks boring. It’s not appealing to my son. It looks like it was typed on a type writer. It needs some illustrations, just something to make my son want to pick this book up.
- July 15, 2020
Good Purchase
Angel S.
I have been looking for a writing curriculum that will foster my child's natural creative writing ability and this seems like it will be the perfect fit.
- October 24, 2011
Does the job, Not so interesting
Virginia M.
Wordsmith Student teaches important writing fundamentals, is well-organized, and comes at a great price. We did not use the teacher's guide, and I do not think it is necessary. Although we have been satisfied, we keep leaving it and forgetting to do it. Perhaps this is the nature of composition books? If you purchase it, I recommend scheduling it for use during a single school year, and altering some of the compositions so your student can write about things he is learning in other subject areas.
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