December 26, 2011 through January 6, 2012 mark the Twelve Days of Christmas. Celebrate with us by receiving a gift for the season!

WriteShop is partnering with Homeschooling Today magazine to bring you a special gift on December 31, the Sixth Day of Christmas.

I can’t tell you what the gift is (don’t you love surprises?), but I can tell you that it’s something brand-new, and I promise you’ll be thrilled. Plus, we’re throwing in a terrific WriteShop discount coupon too.

How to Get Your Gifts

Go to www.HomeschoolingToday.com now to sign up on the home page for the Homeschooling Helper e-newsletter to receive our offer on the above date.

Homeschooling Today will send a special discount or gift from a different vendor each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas – that’s 12 different goodies — but only to their readers. Get your new year off right! Sign up now so you don’t miss a single one of these special offers.

And if you’re unfamiliar with the traditions of the Twelve Days of Christmas, check out Marilyn Rockett’s excellent article. It will help you make sense of what “four calling birds,” “six geese a-laying,” and “eight maids a-milking” really mean.

Wishing you the richest blessings of the season,
Kim

Congratulations to the winners of our 1000 fans giveaway!

Three happy moms have each won a $25 gift certificate to the WriteShop store and are excited to go shopping for new writing curriculum!

Our Winners

Comment #41: Lynne!

 Comment #28: Missional Mama!

Comment #9: Sara!

Winners have been notified by email. Congrats again, ladies!

This giveaway is now closed.

Today we reached a milestone: 1000 Facebook fans on our WriteShop page!

In honor of this momentous occasion, we’re going to give away THREE $25 gift certificates to the WriteShop store. Simply leave a comment below telling how you would spend your $25!

Enter to Win a $25 Gift Certificate

• The giveaway will be open until midnight EST Friday November 18, 2011. Winners will be announced Saturday, November 19.
• Share the love! Encourage your friends to *like* our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/writeshop
• You can get up to 3 extra entries by posting on Facebook, blogging, or tweeting a link to the giveaway. You must leave a separate comment for EACH entry (4 entries max per person). Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
• This giveaway is offered to US & international residents.
• This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. “Liking” WriteShop’s Facebook page is not a requirement for entering the drawing.
• IMPORTANT: In order to enter the drawing, you must leave a comment on THIS post. To leave a comment, scroll to the bottom of the post. (If you are reading this via RSS, you will need to visit the actual blog to post a comment.)

Thanks to everyone who entered to win a complete WriteShop Junior Book D curriculum package!

The winner is . . .

Comment #9: Jennifer!

Congratulations, Jennifer! You are the first official owner of WriteShop Junior Book D. How sweet is that? Check your email for info about claiming your prize.

For those who didn’t win, make sure you join our mailing list for WriteShop News, as that is the ONLY way you can get a FREE Time-Saver Pack ($13.95 value) with your purchase of Book D. 

Subscribe to WriteShop News

Sign up right away! The preorder email is going out on Saturday, October 29.

~Kim

The long, long, L-O-N-G wait is almost over. Yes! WriteShop Junior Book D is at the printer, and we’ll begin taking preorders in just a few days. But before that happens, we want to do a fun giveaway and give you a chance to share the excitement.

A Peek at WriteShop Junior

Author Nancy I. Sanders has done it again! After creating the amazing WriteShop Primary series, Nancy has now written WriteShop Junior for upper-elementary students.

First in the series, Book D eases your 3rd-5th graders into writing. It exposes children to genre, fiction and nonfiction writing, and journal writing, and introduces exciting new brainstorming and editing tools that truly motivate young writers!

“To say that my sons were reluctant writers would be an understatement… [but] they progressed from ‘once upon a time, the end,’ to completing stories with a beginning, middle, and end.” –Rolayne, IN

“Book D was so easy to teach, I couldn’t possibly fail! The lessons were concise and fun, which made my reluctant writer start to come out of his shell. His writing skills have come a long way—and so have mine.” –Kelley, SD

Start with Book D if your child has not yet grasped punctuation or grammar skills and still needs help planning, organizing, and adding details to a story. (More reluctant 3rd graders should probably start with WriteShop Primary Book C.)

WriteShop Junior Components

1. Book D Teacher’s Guide (Required)

Easy-to-use lesson plans help you lead and guide your kiddos through the steps of the writing process.

2. Book D Activity Pack (Required)

This clever and convenient 2-pack* contains both the Student Worksheet Pack and the Level 1 Fold-N-Go™ Grammar Pack.

*Student Worksheet Pack: Activity pages your child will need to complete portions of each lesson. These worksheets introduce your child to writing skills such as brainstorming and self-editing.

“My son is enjoying the process, having fun, and looking forward to doing the activities each day. That’s a giant step for him!” – Teresa, WA

*Fold-N-Go™ Grammar Pack: Fun reference tools with simple exercises that introduce or review grammar rules and essential writing skills. Printed on brightly colored paper, pages are assembled inside a file folder to form 10 large flipbooks, one for each lesson in each WriteShop Junior book.

“Fold-N-Gos have been a wonderful opportunity to review and learn grammar concepts. If that weren’t enough, they’re fun and something my daughter looks forward to. I love that!” –Heidi, NY

3. Time-Saver Pack (Optional)

For parents and teachers who appreciate shortcuts, the Time-Saver Pack includes a number of sturdy, ready-made props for activities featured throughout Book D, such as game cards and spinners. If you prefer to make your own, you’ll find instructions for each activity in the Teacher’s Guide.

“Thank you so much for designing the cards and spinners. The less time I have to spend in prep, the more time we have for learning!” –Sandy, Texas

Enter the Giveaway!

We want to give one lucky winner a complete WriteShop Junior Book D curriculum package. Simply leave a comment below telling why you (or your children!) need Book D.

Details

• The giveaway will be open until midnight EST Thursday October 27, 2011. Winner will be announced Friday October 28.
• Share the love! You can get up to 3 extra entries by posting on Facebook, blogging, or tweeting a link to the giveaway. You must leave a separate comment for EACH entry (4 entries max per person). Winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
• This giveaway is offered to US & Canada residents only.
• This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
• IMPORTANT: In order to enter the drawing, you must leave a comment on THIS post. To leave a comment, scroll to the bottom of the post. (If you are reading this via RSS, you will need to visit the actual blog to post a comment.)

Pre-order Book D and Get a FREE Gift!

Later this week, we will send a newsletter announcing pre-orders for Book D. WriteShop News subscribers who pre-order through the link in the email will receive a valuable BONUS item: the Book D Time-Saver Pack ($13.95 value)! Not a subscriber yet? Sign up for our newsletter here.

Learn more about Book D

It’s a Party . . . and You’re Invited!

Maggie Hogan and Bright Ideas Press are hosting a HUGE party—and you’re invited! Have you attended a FaceBook party yet? I’ll be one of the guest “speakers” sharing tips for teaching reluctant writers.

Here’s the scoop: Go to Facebook and *like* Bright Ideas Press (BIP). Then, come to the party this afternoon at the BIP page and get ready to share, learn, and win prizes—literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of prizes!

Plus, there will be “speakers” available to answer your questions on different topics. Meet Kim Kautzer of WriteShop (that’s me!), Felice Gerwitz of Media Angels, Sharra Badgley of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, and Dari Mullins from Illuminations.

What: Bright Ideas Press Facebook Party
Date: Mon. June 27
Time: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. EDT
Place: Bright Ideas Press Facebook page

Throughout the evening you’ll have opportunities to win great products from Heart of the Matter Online, WriteShop, Media Angels, Raising Real Men, The Old Schoolhouse, My Audio School, Trivium Pursuit, Knowledge Box Central, and of course Bright Ideas Press! (And everyone who stops by gets a FREE Literature Study Guide and a free Family Bible Study on Ruth!) The two grand prizes include TWO free copies of WonderMaps and Illuminations!

Introducing Tip Talk Time

One of the cool things about this FB Party is a chance to learn, connect, and get your questions answered! Each of the three scheduled speakers has a specific 15-minute time slot, and you get a chance to “ask the experts” your questions! This is how “Tip Talks” will work:

1. The speaker will post a tip.
2. She’ll then allow for comments and questions under her post.
3. She’ll answer as many questions as she can, and then . . .
4. She’ll move on to post a brand-new tip.
5. Rinse and Repeat.

TIP TALKS Schedule

5:30 PM EDT
Speaker: Kim Kautzer (WriteShop) – www.writeshop.com
Title: Tips for Teaching a Reluctant Writer

Kim will share some practical ideas to help your struggling student find more joy and success in writing. Learn how to inspire confidence, strengthen skills, and add a bit of fun to writing time!

6:15 PM EDT
Speaker: Felice Gerwitz – www.mediaangels.com
Title: Parent-Child Relationships with Your Homeschoolers

Most homeschoolers wear many hats…mommy, teacher, and disciplinarian. We love our kids, and they love us, but sometimes relationships in such close proximity can cause havoc within our homes! Felice is a long-time homeschool mom to five very different children. Join her for a session of Q and A about kids, how to engage them, and how to have lasting relationships.

7:00 PM EDT
Speaker: Dari Mullins – http://illuminations.brightideaspress.com
Title: Answering Your Questions about Illuminations

If you use (or are considering using) The Mystery of History or All American History, you might be interested in Illuminations. Illuminations includes dozens of fabulous literature study guides and much, much more to go with these two history series–including WriteShop!

FYI – even if a particular TIP TALK is not for you, there will be plenty of other partying going on simultaneously! Buckle up – this will be FAST!

To attend the party, simply “like” the Bright Ideas Press FB page. See you there!

Children are asked to write a story based on the poem “Little Words of Kindness“ and submit their story for judging by March 31, 2011. You can find the contest rules and prizes here. WriteShop has donated one of the first-place prizes: a StoryBuilder of the winner’s choice!

Spring brings out the poet in me. I’m so rejuvinated by the deepening green of our lawn, the cheer of birdsong, and the cascade of fuchsia bougainvilleas along the garden walls that I can’t help but toss out lovely words like blossom, bloom, and bud.

Every day, clumps of feathery alyssum grow rounder as they fill in the bare patches of earth. Thanks to April showers, March’s seed is giving way to tender blades of new grass. And my perennial coreopsis is shamelessly showing off in the front flower bed.

Are you reveling in spring too? Have you been buying new garden gloves and seedlings? Planting vegetables and flowers? Eyeing a new fountain or bench for your yard? Are you savoring the sights, sounds, and smells of spring? Are words like garden, ladybug, and hollyhock rolling around on your tongue?

Then you’ve got the bug—and you’ll want to know about Horticulture Magazine’s Garden Verse Poetry Awards and a chance to win up to $250!

Poems about Spring

For inspiration, check out these websites and savor some spring poetry.

• Poems children will love
• More spring poems

Enter the Poetry Contest

Enter here. The deadline has been extended to May 3,  2010 so you have a whole week  to write a garden-themed poem. There’s no age limit, so why not make this a family activity? Linger over our Spring Word Bank for even more ideas and motivation.

Above all, enjoy the journey.

NOTE: The tickets are almost sold out! If they’re gone by the time of the drawing, you will still win. Though you’ll miss the live sessions, your ticket will give you access to all the seminar recordings, freebies, and other convention goodies for an ENTIRE YEAR.

Here’s how you can enter to win a free ticket ($24.99value):

• Leave a comment below = 1 entry
• Tweet about the giveaway= 1 entry (my Twitter link: http://twitter.com/writeshop )
• Create a link to the giveaway on your Facebook profile = 1 entry
• If you tweet or FB it, let me know in the comments below. [Edited: Max of 3 comments per person (one comment, one tweet, one FB).]

I’ll draw the winners’ names on Thursday, April 22. Will you be one of them?

Let all your friends know about this giveaway so they can have a chance to attend this wonderful online convention. (And pssst . . . I’m one of the featured speakers!)

. . . . .

Are you a WriteShop Facebook fan yet? Here you go: www.facebook.com/writeshop

First Place

We have our winners in last week’s haiku contest! I used random.org to select the first place winner, Cullen. Here’s his haiku poem:

The grasses are green
dew is sparkling here and there
earth’s morning beauties. 

Second Place

Second place goes to Andrew K., age 9, who wrote my personal favorite and won a World of Animals StoryBuilders card deck. Here’s his haiku about a yellow jacket:

buzz-black, yellow bug
in garden flying, eating
stinging all the worms

It was a tough choice because there were some very clever and well-written entries. But in the end, Andrew’s won out because he:

1. Followed the format.
2. Avoided “to be” words.
3. Made every word count.
4. Picked a nature theme.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Keep up with your haiku!