Writing With Ease
Susan Wise Bauer's four-level elementary writing program built on narration, copywork and dictation. Short scripted lessons, four days a week for 36 weeks per level, build listening, summarizing and sentence skills before original composition.
What is Writing With Ease?
Writing With Ease is a four-level elementary writing program by Susan Wise Bauer, co-author of The Well-Trained Mind, published by Well-Trained Mind Press. It rests on a simple idea. Before children can write well on their own, they need to hold ideas in their heads and get correct sentences onto paper. So the program skips "write a story about..." prompts in the early years. Instead it trains three classical skills: narration (retelling), copywork (copying model sentences) and dictation (writing a sentence as it is read aloud).
How it works
Each level runs 36 weeks, four days a week. Lessons are short and fully scripted. A typical week:
- Day 1: the parent reads a passage from a classic book, asks the scripted questions, and the child narrates while the parent writes it down.
- Day 2: the child copies a model sentence, or writes it from dictation in later levels.
- Days 3–4: a second passage and more copywork or dictation.
- Optional day 5 in revised Levels 1–3: a creative writing exercise.
The parent leads every lesson, but there is no prep. Open the book and read.
What it covers
| Level | Grade | Big step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Oral narration and copywork |
| 2 | 2 | Dictation begins; summarizing the main point |
| 3 | 3 | Independent reading and written narrations |
| 4 | 4 | Longer passages and multi-sentence dictation |
Writing With Skill continues the series for grades 5–8. Writing With Ease does not teach grammar, spelling or phonics in depth.
Who it's best for
Writing With Ease fits classical families, budget-conscious families and parents who want a calm, predictable routine. It works well alongside First Language Lessons, which comes from the same publisher. Skip it if your child struggles with handwriting, since everything is written by hand. Skip it too if you want games and variety. WriteShop is much more hands-on.
Pricing at a glance
It is one of the least expensive writing programs available. As of October 2026, the publisher listed Complete Level 1 at about $27 to $33, depending on paperback or PDF and on sales. Extra student pages for siblings cost less. PDFs are sold only by the publisher.
Can a scholarship or ESA pay for it?
Writing curriculum is a common allowable expense in education savings account programs, but each program decides. Start at scholarships and ESAs by state, or see Arizona's ESA and Florida scholarships. Save Writing With Ease to your Edulist wishlist, and you can apply once to the programs that fit.
How it compares
- IEW also uses models and imitation, through key-word outlines and video lessons. It starts around grade 3.
- Brave Writer uses copywork and dictation too, in a looser, literature-rich style.
- Essentials in Writing is video-taught and includes grammar.
- Shurley English is a grammar-first alternative.
Find more writing curriculum, elementary writing programs and classical homeschool curriculum.
Who Writing With Ease is for (and who it isn’t)
Best for
- Classical and Charlotte Mason-leaning families
- Parents who want scripted lessons with zero prep
- Kids who need to build listening and summarizing skills
- Families on a budget
Look elsewhere if
- Children with handwriting struggles, since all work is by hand
- Families who want grammar, spelling and writing in one book
- Kids who need lots of variety or games
- Parents looking for an independent program
Writing With Ease pros and cons
Pros
- Inexpensive: one book covers a full year at Levels 1 and 2
- Fully scripted, so no prep is needed
- Uses quality literature passages
- Builds a clear path from narration to dictation to written summaries
- Continues into Writing With Skill for grades 5–8
Cons
- Not a complete language arts program; grammar is only incidental
- Narration is guided by set questions, which can feel like quizzing
- Level 4 dictations are hard for kids who are not strong auditory learners
- Routine can feel repetitive week to week
- Parent must be present for nearly every lesson
What’s included
- Four levels for grades 1–4, 36 weeks each
- Scripted four-day lessons using narration, copywork and dictation
- Optional fifth-day creative writing lesson in revised Levels 1–3
- Reading passages from classic children's literature and nonfiction
- End-of-level evaluations to check readiness
- Print or publisher-only PDF editions
Writing With Ease levels
| Level | Grades | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Grade 1 | The parent reads aloud and asks questions; the child narrates one thing they remember, which the parent writes. Copywork in complete sentences. |
| Level 2 | Grade 2 | Dictation begins, with punctuation tips first. The child summarizes the main events or picks out key details. |
| Level 3 | Grade 3 | The child reads passages alone, begins writing their own narrations, and takes dictation that sometimes uses their own words. |
| Level 4 | Grade 4 | Longer readings and multi-sentence dictations, with passages repeated only three times. |
How much does Writing With Ease cost?
Revised Levels 1 and 2 are single complete books with instructor lessons and student pages. Revised Level 3 is split into an Instructor Guide and Student Workbook. Level 4 is a single workbook. As of October 2026, the publisher listed Complete Level 1 at $27.16–$33.11 depending on format and sale pricing, and extra Level 1 Student Pages for siblings at $13.56–$16.11.
Free trial: No free trial. Free sample pages are available from the publisher.
Prices from the provider, checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site.
Future opening updates
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View wishlistWhat parents say
A summary of public parent feedback we read on forums, app stores and review sites. It is not a set of Edulist family reviews.
Reviewers like how Writing With Ease breaks writing into small pieces and how little prep it needs. Common complaints are repetition, the need for a separate grammar program, and tedious copywork for kids who struggle with handwriting.
Common praise
- Breaks copywork, dictation and narration into small steps
- No prep and very affordable
- Builds reading comprehension and memory
Common complaints
- Can feel redundant and boring
- Copywork overlaps with a separate penmanship program
- Hard for kids who struggle to write by hand
Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com · writing with ease · goodreads.com · 2079241.Writing with Ease · homeschoolpicks.com · writing with ease review
Writing With Ease family reviews
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Writing With Ease FAQs
Who wrote Writing With Ease?
Susan Wise Bauer, co-author of The Well-Trained Mind. It was first published in 2008 by Peace Hill Press, now Well-Trained Mind Press.
What grades is Writing With Ease for?
Levels 1–4 line up with grades 1–4. Older students who need to strengthen basic skills can start at a lower level, and the Four-Year Guide helps place them.
Is Writing With Ease Christian?
Cathy Duffy rates it secular but Christian friendly. A few passages come from classics such as Pilgrim's Progress, but the lessons are not religious instruction.
Do I need the revised edition?
New buyers will get the revised edition, which adds an optional fifth-day creative writing lesson in Levels 1–3. Revised student pages do not work with the original edition, so keep editions matched.
Does Writing With Ease teach grammar?
Only incidentally, mostly punctuation and capitalization before dictation. Plan on a separate grammar program; Cathy Duffy suggests First Language Lessons, from the same publisher.
What comes after Writing With Ease?
Writing With Skill, also by Susan Wise Bauer, continues the series for grades 5–8. It picks up where Level 4 leaves off.
Can ESA or scholarship money pay for Writing With Ease?
Often, as curriculum, though each program decides. Save it to your Edulist wishlist and check your state's scholarship page before you buy.
Sources and last checked
Checked 2026-10-13 against these sources:
- welltrainedmind.com · writing with ease
- welltrainedmind.com · wwe1rev 2
- welltrainedmind.com · wwesp1rev
- welltrainedmind.com · writing
- cathyduffyreviews.com · writing with ease
- susanwisebauer.com · writing with ease strong fundamentals
- goodreads.com · 2079241.Writing with Ease
- homeschoolpicks.com · writing with ease review
- thecurriculumchoice.com · why we love writing with ease review