From the Desk of WriteShop

MAY is National Bike Month. Get creative wheels turning with these bicycle-themed writing prompts. Let’s roll!

1. Century of Progress

The Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio before they invented the first airplane. Write about three differences between traveling by bicycle and traveling by airplane.

2. Jolly Holiday

Imagine your favorite place to ride a bicycle. Is it a dirt bike course in a mountain desert, a breezy boardwalk at the beach, or your own neighborhood streets and parks? Describe this place using strong nouns and vivid adjectives.

3. Your Opinion, Please

Do you believe that wearing a helmet while riding a bike should be required by law? Why or why not?

4. Life is a Highway

Did you know that cyclists must follow the same traffic laws as vehicle drivers? When riding a bicycle, you must ride in the direction of traffic, signal before changing lanes, and yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Write about three things that would make busy streets and highways safer for cyclists.

5. Ride for a Cause

Many people participate in bike rides that support a charity or cause. If you were to plan a charity bicycling event, what organization would you want to support with the funds you raise? Why is this organization important to you? Where would you hold the event?

Be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays!

Photo by Emilio Labrador, courtesy of Creative Commons.

In the next two weeks WriteShop will be exhibiting at a couple more homeschool conventions: Teach Them Diligently in Nashville, TN, and NCHE  in Winston-Salem, NC.

Teach Them Diligently, Nashville – May16-18

Kyra will be our friendly rep at the Teach Them Diligently conference in Nashville this month. With over 10 years of WriteShop experience, Kyra loves to answer your writing questions and explain WriteShop products to you.

NCHE- North Carolinians for Home Education, Winson-Salem – May 22-25

Kyra and Debbie will be greeting you at our booth in North Carolina! These knowledgeable ladies look forward to answering your questions, showing you WriteShop materials, and helping you choose the best level for your children’s and teen’s writing needs.

At BOTH homeschool conventions you can:

• See our full line of WriteShop products
• Purchase WriteShop materials.
• Learn how you can teach a WriteShop co-op class in your area.
• Receive much-needed encouragement about teaching writing.

Whichever homeschool conventions you attend, it’s a great time to stop by our booth to ask questions. Come see what’s new or browse through WriteShop books in person. Visit the convention sites for workshop schedules, exhibit hall hours, and directions to the conferences. We look forward to seeing you there!

THIS week, May 13-19, is Children’s Book Week. It’s the perfect time to revisit old favorites, and perhaps to add a few new titles to your family library. Of course, with new books pouring off the press every year, it can be hard to sort through all the rubbish. How’s a parent to find the rare jewels of children’s literature?

C. S. Lewis, creator of Chronicles of Narnia, left this wise advice:

“I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story. The good ones last…. It certainly is my opinion that a book worth reading only in childhood is not worth reading even then.” (Of Other Worlds)

Let’s Celebrate Children’s Book Week

Young, developing minds and blossoming hearts need nourishment through stories of enduring quality. Reading material should be more than just “age-appropriate.” Are your children’s books filled with noble characters, strong vocabulary, and beautiful artwork? As a homeschool graduate, I’m grateful my parents filled their home with books their children and grandchildren will return to again and again.

If you want to introduce your children to some classic titles, these book lists are an excellent place for inspiration. Happy reading!

Newbery Winners

Since 1922, the annual John Newbery Medal has honored American authors for their distinguished contributions to children’s literature. The winner’s circle includes Lois Lowry (The Giver, Number the Stars), Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), Scott O’Dell (Island of the Blue Dolphins), and Hugh Lofting (The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle).

Take a moment to read the complete list of Newbery Medal winners.

Caldecott Winners

Beginning in 1938, the Randolph Caldecott Medal has been awarded to an illustrator for the preceding year’s “most distinguished American picture book for children.” It’s been said that teachers love the Newbery Medal books, but children love the Caldecott winners! I still remember my childish delight at Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. At Christmastime, nothing could parallel the magic of my mother’s voice and Chris Van Allsburg’s paintings as we read aloud from The Polar Express.

See if you recognize some of your family favorites in this list of Caldecott Medal winners.

Classics for the Christian Homeschool Family

The twenty-five moms who compiled this list are the first to admit some of your favorite books may be missing, and not all of their recommendations will suit your family. This is an extensive list, but don’t be overwhelmed. The books are broken up by grade level and divided into sections such as “Anthologies and Poetry,” “Holiday Books,” “Picture Books,” and “Literature.”

Enjoy making your next library wish list from the 1000 Good Books List and celebrate Children’s Book Week all year long!

WRITING WARM-UPS are always a good idea, even more so at this cherished time of year. These Mother’s Day writing prompts will draw your family together and set pens and pencils in motion!

Descriptive Mother’s Day Writing Prompts

1. Do you notice any similarities between your mother and your grandmother? Describe the personality traits, character qualities, or physical attributes they share.

2. Describe a piece of jewelry that your mother always wears. What makes this piece of jewelry so special to her?

3. Describe a talent, interest, or hobby that makes your mother different from every other mom you know.

4. Think of your mother’s voice when she sings a special song or shares a favorite verse with you. Write three similes for her voice at these times. Is it as soft as a summer wind or as musical as choir of bells?

5. Describe your mother’s decorating style. Use your best adjectives, and include the senses of sight, smell, and touch.

6. Write a color poem to describe your mother. Choose a color, and write three or four similes comparing your mother to things of that color, such as: 

“My Mother Is Yellow”

My mother’s face is as bright as the mid-day sun.

She holds her head high, like a bold sunflower.

Her heart is as cheerful as a field of yellow daisies.

My mother is a treasure, like shiny nuggets of gold.

Other Mother’s Day Writing Prompts

1. Does your mother have a nickname for you? Where did she get that name?

2. Is there a story behind your mother’s name? Ask her why she received her first and middle names. Does she have a nickname?

3. What do you think a perfect day for your mother would be like? Write about one thing you could do to help make that wonderful, imaginary day become a reality.

4. What do you think it means to have a beautiful heart?

Be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays!

Photo © Karah Fredricks. Used by permission.

IT’S that time of year again, when your student hands you the writing assignment he supposedly worked on for the past month. Visions of triumph swirl through your head—this will be the crowning writing project of the school year, the showpiece for grandparents’ open house night. Yet now, as you stare down at the jumbled sentences, you see only a disorganized, cluttered mess.

This may seem like the perfect time for a homeschooling mama to panic or retreat. But before you do either, take heart! Your kids have a bunch of words and bright ideas to share with the world. They probably just need a little more guidance and instruction. Arm yourselves against the Cluttered Writing Monster, and let the battle begin!

Cluttered Writing Problem #1: Too Many Topics

Imagine that your 10-year-old’s book summary includes a paragraph like this:

The ship captain was a mean man. He never smiled. Every morning, the captain ate his hot breakfast in his cabin on the ship. The captain’s teeth were crooked. The food always tasted bad on the ship, because the cook was a runaway blacksmith. The cabin boy was the one who always brought the captain’s breakfast. The cabin boy liked to look at the maps in the captain’s cabin. The walls smelled musty, but the maps smelled like faraway places. The cabin boy didn’t want to run away.

Often, students think a “summary” means writing down as many facts as they can remember. But as you know, a one- to three-page summary should focus on a few important topics, not a boatload of trivia. If you want to stop cluttered writing in its tracks, help your child organize his thoughts out loud. Here’s one way to do this:

You: Who is the main character?

Child: The cabin boy.

You: What are four of the most important qualities about this character?

Child: He’s obedient, he loves exploring, he makes friends with everyone on the ship, and he keeps his promises.

You: Where does the story take place?

Child: On the ship.

You: Can you describe the ship in a few sentences?

Child: It has three masts, but one falls down and gets repaired. It has a captain’s cabin full of maps for distant islands. It has a galley full of smelly food and funny music from the cook’s harmonica. The ship was designed to sail quickly and to carry light loads.

Young writers can easily get bogged down with too many ideas. A simple conversation with your child can quickly narrow down the main character, setting, and supporting sentence ideas. Don’t forget to make notes together on a white board or notebook paper. Soon, your child will be able to take a sword to his own papers, cutting right to the point.

Cluttered Writing Problem #2: Too Many Words

Does your teenage daughter use flowery, pretentious writing, also known as purple prose? Consider this overdone paragraph:

Like a brood of vipers, Natalie’s ebony locks hung thickly on her hunched, crooked shoulders like the awful blackness of night. With shifty eyes and a sneaky manner, she furtively glanced at the dark, foreboding, overgrown forest behind her. Oh! How desperately she longed and dreamed and schemed for the day when she and she alone would vanquish the evil queen’s army and defeat every last law-abiding soldier who stood between her and the sweet taste of retribution and victory.

Though such writing would thrill a young Anne of Green Gables, teen writers—especially girls—may need to learn that bigger words and longer sentences don’t make them look smarter. Finding the one right word, and using it wisely, is the mark of a true wordsmith. Help your student cut down the towering monster of wordiness with the sword of concise writing.

What’s Next?

Many factors can contribute to cluttered writing. In addition to disorganization and wordiness, spelling, grammar, and handwriting mistakes may be the problems that plague a child’s papers. Some of these will require intensive one-on-one training, while others may diminish over time.

If paragraph organization, word choice, or sentence style are among your children’s foes, look no further! WriteShop offers a host of writing curriculum for different grade levels. As you reevaluate your homeschool writing materials, you may want to consider one of these programs next year to help your kids tame the Cluttered Writing Monster!

I’m guest blogging over at Home Educating Family, offering some Mother’s Day writing activities. Join me?

Whether it’s delivering breakfast in bed or creating a handmade card, your children’s hearts are filled up with you, their mama—and on your special day, they can’t wait to present you with their sweet offerings.

Many children, especially younger ones, are eager to bless you on Mother’s Day with something they’ve created themselves, but let’s be honest. Without guidance and direction, it probably won’t happen.

Take advantage of the days leading up to this celebratory Sunday. Why not set out a box of paper, writing tools, and craft supplies and encourage your children to write or create something special for you? They can fashion a crafty gift, write a sentimental letter or poem, or design a pretty card. No matter what they come up with, you’ll be one grateful and happy mom . . .

Read the complete article here and share these Mother’s Day writing activities with your family. Hope they take the bait and shower you with loving words and handmade cards on your special day!

For additional ideas, see last year’s Mother’s Day Writing Activities.

We can’t wait to “see” what you come up with using this printable writing prompt!

Click the image above to download the prompt. If you would like to share this prompt with others, link to this post. Do not link directly to the PDF file. Feel free to print this PDF file for your own personal use. Please do not sell or host these files anywhere else.

Here’s a link to April’s printable writing prompt, and be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays!

In the next two weeks WriteShop will be exhibiting at two homeschool conventions: Teach Them Diligently in Spartanburg, SC, and the Homeschool Book Fair in Arlington, TX.

Teach Them Diligently, Spartanburg – May 2-4

If you live near Spartanburg, SC, you’ll want to attend Teach Them Diligently at the Spartanburg Expo Center. Kyra will happily help you at at our booth. In addition she’ll be sharing her writing expertise through two workshops:

• Building Dynamic Essays in Middle and High School
• Secrets to Making Writing Fun!

Homeschool Book Fair - May 10-11

Kim Kautzer will help and encourage you at the Homeschool Book Fair in Arlington, TX.  She’s looking forward to answering your writing questions, showing you WriteShop products, and helping you choose the best level for your child’s writing needs. Visit the convention site for a workshop schedule, exhibit hall hours, and driving directions.

At BOTH conventions you can:

• See our full line of WriteShop products
• Purchase WriteShop materials.
• Learn how you can teach a WriteShop co-op class in your area.
• Receive much-needed encouragement about teaching writing.

Whichever homeschool convention you attend, it’s a great time to stop by our booth to ask questions. Come see what’s new or browse through WriteShop books in person. Visit the convention sites for workshop schedules, exhibit hall hours, and directions to the conferences. We look forward to seeing you there!

April is nearly over, but our celebration of National Card and Letter Writing month is still going strong. This week, why not help your children write time capsule letters? Then, let them enjoy the fun of hiding their time capsule in your yard or neighborhood!

A time capsule is like buried treasure for someone in the future. Imagine that 200 years from now an archaeologist is digging through the ruins of your neighborhood. The items and letters in your time capsule will give him valuable clues about what life was like in the twenty-first century.

Items for Your Time Capsule

Enthusiastic children may want the choice to make their own time capsules. But if your family decides to work together on one time capsule, each child should still write his own letter.

First, find a strong, sealed container for each time capsule. A coffee can or cookie tin would be an excellent choice. Next, gather items to fill the container, such as:

• Family photo
• Favorite recipe
• Handmade item crafted by the child, friend, or relative
• Favorite poem (do you have an extra copy from Poem in Your Pocket Day?)
• Business cards from local restaurants, stores, dentists, doctors, etc.
• Ticket stubs from an amusement park, movie, concert, or play
• Cover of a current magazine showing political, social, sports, or health news OR entertainment, fashion, or decorating trends

Write Your Time Capsule Letter

A time capsule letter should highlight the habits and language of everyday life. What vocabulary words have your children learned lately? Ask them to use these in their letters.

What would your child want a new friend to know about your house, family, weekend activities, and schooldays? A few topics should be more than enough for a three-paragraph letter.

Topic Ideas

If your child experiences writer’s block, use the items in the time capsule to prompt paragraph topics:

1. Write about photography. Describe the camera, phone, or tablet your family uses to take pictures. Do you print photos at home or at a store? Does your family Christmas picture go in a frame or photo album? Do you share it with friends through email, social networks, or Christmas cards?

2. Write about food. Describe a new food that each member of your family has tried in last year. Did they like it or not? What is your funniest memory at the dinner table? What is your favorite memory in the kitchen?

3. Write about do-it-yourself projects. What have Mom and Dad been doing around the house, yard, or garage lately? What is your favorite thing to make? (A tower made of Legos? An original song for your instrument? A bike ramp? A pencil drawing?)

4. Write about transportation. How does your family get around town? How do your parents pay for services when they run errands (cash, checks, credit cards, debit cards, gift cards)?

Ending the Time Capsule Letters

Finally, ask your children to end their time capsule letters by answering two very important questions. Someday, their own children or grandchildren may be the “archaeologists” who open the time capsule. The answers to these questions will be treasured for years to come.

What is one thing you wish you had known or understood five years ago?

What is one thing you hope to learn about, discover, or experience in the next five years?

Now that your time capsule is finished, hide or bury it for someone to find in the future. You might:

• Tuck it away in a corner of your basement or attic
• Bury it between the shrubs in your backyard planter
• Place it high in the rafters of your garage

What did your children write about in their time capsule letters? Leave a comment to share your time capsule adventure!

Daniella Dautrich is a WriteShop alumna and a graduate of Hillsdale College. She and her husband fill their home with books on writing, literature, and computer science. Daniella blogs at www.waterlilywriter.wordpress.com.

Photo by Erik Hersman, courtesy of Creative Commons.

Do your kids go crazy for cats? These aren’t your typical about-my-cat journal prompts, so tempt them to pick up their pens and pencils and have some fun!

1. A Perfect Storm

What would happen if it really rained cats and dogs?

2. Wait for It…

Use your imagination to write about what a cat is thinking as she quietly sits and watches a bird.

3. Close Encounter

You wake up in your tent on day eleven of an African safari. Stepping outside, you suddenly come face to face with a noble lion. What thoughts rush through your mind, and how do you react?

4. Splat! Went the Cat

Draw a comic strip about a feisty feline using only pictures and onomatopoeia — “sound words” such as buzz, whack, knock, thump, meow, splash, and boom.

5. Friends Welcome?

Do you think someone should keep pet cats if family members or friends are allergic? Explain your opinion.

Be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays!

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, courtesy of Creative Commons.