Entries Tagged 'Encouragement' ↓

One year for Mother’s Day, my son Ben wrote me a long, sappy letter dripping with affection and appreciation. I’m sure he figured that if he was sentimental enough, I wouldn’t notice that he didn’t get me a gift.

Know what? He was right!

Sometimes, the best present isn’t wrapped up in a box. It’s the genuine expression of love and appreciation that you tuck into an envelope in the form of a special note or letter.

Not sure who or how? My friend Susan sent me a great link with some ideas. This week, sit down as a family with a box of special stationery, stickers, colored pens, and rubber stamps and write some notes to a few extra-special people in your lives.

Here’s a chance to make writing truly practical. Get started here!

Correct and grade wisely. An arbitrary grade based on feelings (”This feels like a B-”) won’t help your student become a better writer.

Tip 4: Offer helpful and consistent feedback.

1. Use objective checklists to help you pinpoint specific areas to improve.
2. Value your child’s efforts. If you stick her paper in a pile and never respond to it, she won’t bother doing her best because she assumes you don’t care.
3. Your kids want to please you, so praise the things they do well! An approving tone and encouraging words can go a long way toward soothing the sting of a critical comment.

Though we’re not all strong or confident writers, we can’t let that keep us from investing in our children’s writing. Remember: Writing doesn’t teach itself. Our kids need us. Really! And today, more than ever, there are tools at our fingertips to help each of us teach successfully.

(All of the WriteShop products offer tips and checklists to help you edit and grade your students’ work more objectively.)

Also see Writing Tip 1: Set Boundaries, Writing Tip 2: Process vs. Product, Writing Tip 3: Write Often

One week ago today in faraway Nottingham, England, my 23-year-old son turned in a 63-page dissertation. In so doing, he capped off a year of grad school and became a candidate for a master’s degree in philosophical theology.

Why do I share this? Because…

• Your eighth grader can’t spell her way out of a paper bag.
• Your sixth grader keeps wadding up his paper in frustration and hurling it across the room.
• Your kitchen table has become a battleground.
• This very morning, you asked yourself why you even bother homeschooling.
• Most days you just can’t believe your child will actually grow up, mature into a productive adult, and find his place in the world.

Because a dozen years ago, I was in your shoes.

At times, it’s hard to believe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Try as we might, they just don’t seem to get it. We plan out our year, buy curriculum, write lesson plans. We review spelling words again and again. And again. We go over grammar, punctuation, and capitalization. In our weary minds, we think that we might as well whack our heads against a wall for all the good it’s doing.

Stepping Stones

I invite you to take a trip with me as I drift back to September of 1996 when Ben was an 11-year-old sixth grader. Beginning at that point, I’d like to share excerpts from his writing, with each year representing a stepping stone along his journey.

What was the secret to success? Lots and lots of practice, self-editing, parent input, revising, rewriting, and polishing during our homeschooling years, followed by five years of countless essays and papers for college and grad school. No magic wand produced this kind of fruit, but diligence and perseverance in the face of struggle did.

Ben will be the first to tell you he’s still not immune to the frustrations that accompany writing. From time to time he crumples papers, loses focus, procrastinates, and suffers from bouts of writer’s block—we all do! But as you watch his writing mature and improve year by year in content, structure, style, vocabulary, and mechanics, I pray you gather hope and courage to carry on.

Junior High

6th grade: Usualy my room is prity clean, some times I fourget to clean up my messes. My room wold be neater if I put away my toys.

7th grade: I am confident beacouse our leader, Goliath, the campion fighter from Gath, he is over 9 feet tall a fighting man since his youth. He is going to chalange the Israelites again. All right! They are finly sendin some one to fight him. (rough draft)

8th grade: Whipped around the corner with amazing velosity, our car rushes through the icy water. Looking over my dad’s sholder, I can see the tunel entrance up ahead. Surprised and frightened, I suddenly feel the bobsled drop from under me as it swerves dangerously into a secret tunel.

High School

9th grade: Waiting in anticipation, my team prepared to enter the secret “catacombs”. Our mission: to find the clues, rescue hostages, and avoid getting caught. Finally the doors opened and our adventure began. One by one we disappeared into the darkness.

10th grade: Each county in each state determines how its citizens will vote. Some systems are not as good as others and allow many errors. For example, the punch card ballot is terribly flawed because a voter has to make sure to punch the holes cleanly. One mistake will result in the disqualification of the entire ballot.

11th grade: Simply, he loved God, and he desperately loved the people that he ministered to. His joy was not found in material possessions, for he had none except a few books. Instead, it was the Bishop’s passion to see a good Catholic find God. (character analysis)

12th grade: Many people believe that all goodness is subjective and relative. This idea is a very subtle tactic because it allows the critic to “play God.” The critic has the power to decide what is good and what is bad, what men ought to like and ought to despise. In the end, he creates his own standards by which to judge not only inanimate objects, but also morality. This is what society has adopted; this is where society has gone astray.

Ben became more inclined toward academics toward the end of high school. Though not all students will continute on to university, that path suited his bent. So once our homeschooling years were behind us, college challenged his writing to new levels. 

College

Freshman: While Clayton’s claims are well articulated and organized, his proposed solution is short-sighted and insufficient. Furthermore, he does not effectively support his primary claims or demonstrate how students will be able to suddenly rise about the relative postmodern ideology that they use to justify cheating. 

Sophomore: During the age of Roman domination, the Caesars ruled most of the populated world with absolute power. Considered living gods, these men each sought to make their place in history. However, all their collective triumphs and achievements would soon be dwarfed through the life and death of a single man. The solitary life of a Jewish rabbi, raised in a backwater town on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, marked the single most significant point in human history: the point when the God of the universe became a part of his own creation in order to redeem it from its own corruption and despair.

Junior: In the realm of political philosophy, questions arise that seek to identify, evaluate, critique, and improve social, civil, and political governance. For what reason do we form commonwealths and civil structures? Why are such unions justified? Indeed, how do those who maintain power within such civil societies legitimize their use of political authority over any other person?

Senior: Wedged between the forces of privatized spiritualism on one hand and secular social activism on the other, the Christian Church finds itself in a time of transition and tension. In a world dominated by geopolitical nation-states, rapidly expanding capitalistic market places, and the global presence of multinational corporations, God has awakened the Church to a new sense of urgency to respond faithfully to its calling to be in the world, but not of it, and to live out its vocation by embodying the presence of Jesus Christ to all the peoples.

Grad School 

Master’s Thesis: Accordingly, the works of mercy are fundamentally relocated outside the bounds of the Christian economy of salvation. As we have seen, for Aquinas the works of mercy are embodiments of virtue that constitute the liturgical life of the body of Christ. Grounded in the infused grace gifted to the church through the Holy Spirit, the works of mercy are irreplaceable performances of the church’s concrete worship of God.

What a picture of encouragement! When I follow Ben’s progress from year to year, I confess that even I’m amazed. It’s a good reminder that what you see today is not necessarily where your son or daughter will be in five or ten years; so much happens in our kids as they grow up! Remember too that not every child is destined to become a scholar, but improve he can (and will)—with practice, tools, and time. 

WriteShop I and II laid the groundwork for us, and can help you establish a strong foundation for your student too. Visit www.writeshop.com and poke around. About WriteShop and Parent Testimonials may be good places to begin.

When I was little, I loved Benjamin Elkin’s story of The Big Jump, in which a young boy finds a stray dog he hopes to keep.

The boy and the pup become fast friends, but unfortunately, in this land only kings are allowed to own dogs. The king, who can spring from the ground to the top of his castle in one leap, promises the boy he may keep the pup if he too can jump to the top of the castle.

Well, the motivated lad goes home to practice but, try as he might, he can only scale two boxes. And then . . . an idea strikes!

Returning to the palace, he finally does succeed in jumping to the top. How on earth does he accomplish this? Well, the king has never told him he must do it in a single bound! So the clever boy takes it one…step…at…a…time!

Delighted by the boy’s “out of the box” approach, the king awards him the coveted dog.

Writing is a lot like this. Our kids want to make The Big Jump, leaping from blank paper to final draft in one stride. But when they realize that their target is more reachable by taking smaller steps, they begin to believe they can do it. And in the end, they achieve a worthy goal: a polished composition they’re proud to share with others.

. . . . . 

Do you struggle with teaching, editing, and grading your teen’s writing? Are you looking for ways to integrate the steps of the writing process into your lesson plans? Perhaps WriteShop is the answer. Visit www.writeshop.com and poke around. About WriteShop and Parent Testimonials may be good places to begin.

To most parents, the process of editing and evaluating your student’s compositions does seem like an overwhelming, subjective effort. It’s usually pretty easy to spot spelling and grammar mistakes and other problems with mechanics. But grading for content and style is another thing altogether!

Have you ever said anything like this?

• I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong.
• I’d say this essay feels like a B+.
• I love the story, but I don’t exactly know why. It just…sounds good.
• I hate grading. I’m always afraid I’ll either be too easy or too hard on my child.
• I never know what I’m supposed to be looking for.

Christy’s Story 

I have a junior high boy who hated writing because he (and I) felt it was so subjective. WriteShop…breaks it into objective little pieces with skills to practice, examples for visual learning, and student checklists so a reluctant writer has a clear path to follow. It takes the guesswork out!

For the parent, there [are] Teacher Writing Checklists to make specific, encouraging comments to help the student revise his work. The best part is the objective scoring of each component.

My son went from being a C writer to an A writer in just one year! I thought he would never be a straight A student all because of the problems in writing. Well, he is…this year thanks to WriteShop.

Finding Answers

WriteShop can help 

Happily, as Christy and others have discovered, the process is easier and more objective than you think! Knowing what to look for and having clear expectations can take the anxiety out of this task. Since beginning writers often make the same kinds of mistakes, the Teacher’s Manual for WriteShop I and II addresses these common areas. In the tabbed sections of the Teacher’s Manual you will find: 

• A step-by-step guide through the writing and editing process.
• Instructions for using the Student and Teacher Writing Skills Checklists.
• Pages of positive comments to encourage your young writer
• A section that helps you identify and correct problems specific to each WriteShop lesson.
• A section highlighting the most common problems of mechanics.
• Edited samples of student paragraphs to serve as models (this section also contains lessons designed to help you practice and develop confidence in editing).

Learning to edit a composition is a process for both you and your student. WriteShop’s comprehensive Student and Teacher Writing Skills Checklists take the intimidation and guesswork out of editing. Because your teens know what is expected, they also respond more positively to suggestions for improvement.

Good news

The more you edit and revise, the easier it will become for you. Familiarity produces recognition. You’ll quickly become adept at spotting repeated words, “to be” words, and misplaced modifiers. Soon they’ll just jump out at you. But in the beginning, you’ll need to search for these mistakes.

It’s actually more objective than you think—especially when you have WriteShop’s detailed checklists to help you look for specific things, including:

• Topic and closing sentences
• Over-used or repeated words
• Vague or weak words
• Passive writing
• Use of sentence variety
• Correct use of the lesson’s content and style requirements, such as including all the elements of a narrative or using emotion words
• Avoidance of run-on or incomplete sentences

And here’s a bit of encouragement for you: Even if you only address half of these, your student’s writing is bound to improve! So don’t worry about doing it “perfectly.” Just begin offering concrete suggestions and you will see improvement right away.

Your student’s role

But it’s not all up to you! Your student plays a big role. Asking the following questions of your student’s composition will address his or her two biggest stumbling blocks to success:

• Did my student follow the assignment’s specific directions? She will avoid countless problems later on by doing exactly what the lesson requires. 
• Did she correctly use her Writing Skills Checklist, including using colored pencils on the “sloppy copy” (rough draft) to underline and circle as the checklist directs? Students who diligently use their checklists to find errors and make changes, and who earnestly look for ways to improve their compositions, will be more successful writers than those who sit back and let you do all the editing for them.

WriteShop I and WriteShop II have a proven track record! Using the program will help prepare your teens for advanced high school and college writing. But don’t take my word for it! Christy and Dottie have said it better than I ever could.

Dottie’s Story

When I placed two of my daughters in WriteShop I, I had no idea how greatly it would impact them. My youngest daughter took WriteShop in 7th grade. Now in 9th grade, with little other formal writing instruction, she is still applying the techniques she learned two years ago.

Her older sister did WriteShop I in jr. high also. She is now in college and was asked by her composition teacher to work in the English lab helping other students with their writing. I attribute this honor largely to the skills she learned in WriteShop I many years ago.

. . . . .

Do you struggle with teaching, editing, and grading your teen’s writing? Are you looking for ways to make the process more objective? Perhaps WriteShop is the answer. Visit www.writeshop.com and poke around. About WriteShop and Parent Testimonials may be good places to begin.

persevere.

plan.

strategize.

focus.

breathe.

write.

Let go: forgive.

relax.

all this failing . . .

. . . take a nap.

—mary anne radmacher

We’ve all been in that stress-filled, stretched-out place where, having tried everything we know to do, we still come up empty. It boils down to this: Sometimes we’re just tired. And if we can accept that, and remember that the resting place brings refreshment to body and spirit, we can also accept that maybe it’s time to stop striving for a bit and simply . . . take a nap.

“For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”

  Psalm 127:2 NASB

. . . . .

Photo from Stock.Xchng

Poem used by permission.

maryanneradmacher.com 
maryanneradmacher.net

Life is fragile. Loss runs deep.

An email this morning from my son-in-law’s sister reminded me of this as she reflected on what would have been her little boy’s first birthday.

Stillborn, Brayden entered this world a year ago today. His short life has deeply impacted Sarah and her husband along with countless others who have grieved with them this past year. And though the Lord blessed them with another son just a month ago, they still feel Brayden’s death keenly.

Sarah asked family and friends to send her an email with a message she and Johnny could attach to the balloons they planned to release at Brayden’s resting place. This is what came into my mind as soon as my fingers touched the keyboard:

B orn lifeless, yet we
R emember you as if you have
A lways been here with us.
Y our name brings both sadness and
D elight, and today we bless your memory.
E ach day grows easier, yet we will
N ever, ever forget you.

Fabulous poetry? Not really. Meaningful? Without a doubt.

Writing can be whimsical, funny, serious. It can take up pages and pages or just a line or two. The written word can inspire, encourage, or pay tribute. Think of the meaningful sentiments on those especially touching greeting cards. Sometimes all that’s needed is a simple little phrase that expresses a heartful of thoughts.

So don’t let your mind hold you hostage with lies that you dont have anything important to say. You do. Don’t believe for a moment that anything worth writing must be long or profound. This morning, Sarah’s note of thanks reminded me that my few humble words could bring healing and life.

Perhaps you have a few words to share with someone. A simple acrostic poem might be all you need to express your appreciation, love, sympathy, or congratulations.

Give it a try, you and your children . . . and please come back to leave a comment sharing your poem or other sentiment. 

–Kim

In Part 1 of Learning Disabilities and Writing, I broadly defined three particular learning challenges: ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, specifically identifying how each affects a student’s writing.

Well, it’s one thing to put your finger on the problem, but quite another to find a working solution! We often get the question, “Does WriteShop work for children with learning disabilities?” For many older students with ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, WriteShop does seem to be an excellent fit.

“WriteShop’s lessons tend to work well for many types of learning-disabled children because of their explicit instructions and requirements.” – Nancy, learning specialist

Below I’d like to share ways that WriteShop can help students who learn with difficulty. Bear in mind that WriteShop I and II are written for 6th grade and above. But the following tips may help you overcome writing hurdles no matter what writing program you choose. 

Struggling learners benefit from specific instruction

• WriteShop instructions are written directly to the student in an orderly, step-by-step fashion. They not only include writing ideas and clear directions, but many lessons also tell the student what NOT to write about or include in the composition. Furthermore, the Teacher’s Manual includes tips for the parent so that you can anticipate the most common kinds of errors your child might make.
• Students do better when they can use graphic organizers such as mind-maps (clustering), charts, lists, or diagrams to help them outline and plan their work. WriteShop lessons provide many such opportunities for students to brainstorm and prepare for writing assignments.
• Students who are easily distracted or who spell poorly benefit from word banks. WriteShop’s comprehensive, topical word lists help students make better vocabulary choices because new words (and their spellings) are readily available..
• Checklists are vital to the struggling learner. It’s important for him to be able to mark his progress. WriteShop provides a lesson-specific Writing Skills Checklist for every writing assignment to help the student with his self-editing. A visually-overwhelmed student can use a plain sheet of paper to help him track each line of the checklist.

Struggling learners need reinforcement and repetition.

• WriteShop lessons build on previously-learned skills.
• Checklists help students apply these skills regularly.

Struggling learners benefit from alternative methods.

• The physical act of writing may be too challenging. Instead of making your student write by hand, allow her to dictate to you while you write or type. Usually a student will use more complex vocabulary and sentence structure when speaking, but if asked to write the same information, she will often choose shorter words and sentences. Allowing her to dictate to you helps ease her stress about writing.
• Perhaps she can edit and revise the draft you write and can recopy her own revision.
• Or allow her to use the computer, including the spell check function.

Struggling learners do better with strict parameters.

• They flounder when assignments are open-ended.
• WriteShop gives specific requirements for each lesson, from brainstorming to writing. Students always know what they need to do.
• WriteShop also restricts the number of paragraphs (usually just one) and paragraph length (at first 5-7 sentences but never more than 10 sentences in WriteShop I).

Struggling learners need bite-sized assignments.

• WriteShop’s lesson schedules spread out assignments to allow for paragraphs to rest between drafts.
• Assignments begin with prewriting activities and brainstorming exercises that narrow and focus in on the topic.
• Lesson instructions are written in a step-by-step manner.

Dyslexic/dysgraphic learners benefit from projects that build writing skills.

• Have them write letters, keep a diary, and make projects that use writing but are not writing-intensive, such as posters, mobiles, brochures, and cartoons.
• WriteShop’s Teacher’s Manual has a wonderful supplemental appendix that is filled with ideas you can use with students of all ages.

Parent Testimonial

          “Our son is a junior in high school, and writing has always been rather a nightmare for him. He has ADHD and getting thoughts and words on paper is a difficult and long, drawn-out process for him. BUT your curriculum so quickly gave him the tools to help him to put descriptive, concrete thoughts on paper that I am truly amazed at what he can write after only Lesson 4. I know of at least one other home schooling family that has a son with special learning needs, and they rave about your writing program as well.” –Laurie, NY

To learn more, visit writeshop.com or download a sample lesson from WriteShop I.

Part 1: The Problem

My son is a brain. What can I say? He’s in England right now finishing up his master’s degree in philosophical theology. I can’t read most of his papers, but not because they’re illegible. His vocabulary simply surpassed mine years ago.

He was a smart child, too, assembling complicated Lego creations with the skill of a trained artisan and the patience of Job. And he was a verbal little guy who could spin stories around the campfire that kept us glued to our logs!

We were grateful for those glimpses into his bright young mind because academically, that boy struggled at every turn. He had an ear for literature and knew all sorts of historical facts and details. But the three Rs eluded him. He finally learned to read (sort of) at age 7, but couldn’t manage chapter books till he was 11 or 12. And writing? Forget it! His hand and shoulders tensed and cramped as he gripped his pencil in a stranglehold.

Illegible handwriting. Horrible spelling. Letters and words that ran together like ink in the rain. And an overall aversion to anything having to do with pencil and paper.

Although Ben wasn’t diagnosed with a specific learning disability, he did have a kinesthetic deficit that created learning challenges and caused him to exhibit symptoms of dysgraphia.

I’m no expert in the area of special needs, but let me give a brief overview of three common learning difficulties, including dysgraphia, that can affect the writing process.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity and can lead to a variety of academic problems. The ADHD writer’s symptoms often include:

• disorganization
• lack of focus and general distractability
• difficulty paying attention to detail
• making careless errors
• having trouble finishing assignments
• avoiding writing projects that require the student to stay mentally focused

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that can produce its own set of writing difficulties. The dysgraphic writer’s symptoms include:

• poor or illegible handwriting
• holding his pencil in a death grip
• avoiding writing at all cost
• using the shortest words instead of the best words
• strong oral/verbal skills but difficulty communicating ideas in writing
• problems forming letters
• poor word and line spacing

Dyslexia

Dyslexia, though a reading disorder, can affect the learning process in writing and spelling as well. Dyslexic students usually show a big gap between their ability to tell you something and their ability to write it down. In addition, the dyslexic student’s symptoms can include:

• avoiding writing whenever possible
• laborious, often illegible handwriting
• problems with sentence structure
• long run-on sentences
• incomplete sentences
• poor spelling
• poor word and line spacing
• difficulty proofreading his own work (or appearing careless) because he can’t see his errors.

No doubt about it, writing is a tough subject for most of us to teach. But if our kids have been diagnosed with a learning disability, the challenge is magnified. I want to encourage you that there’s hope for teaching your own learning-challenged child.

Though I tried to teach Ben to write using the conventional methods that worked with his sisters, something just wasn’t clicking. Bursting with ideas, he couldn’t manage to transfer his thoughts to paper.

So how did that boy make the leap from struggling student to academic A-list? Honestly, I can’t pin it on any one thing. Rather, a number of factors contributed to his turnaround, including the teachings of the late Dr. Raymond Moore, high school involvement in homeschool speech and debate, and WriteShop.

What worked for us may not work for you, though I’m sure you already know that. Still, there are some universal principles that might help you over the hurdle. I encourage you to check back next Monday for Part 2 in our series on Learning Disabilities and Writing. I promise to share all sorts of tips and solutions for helping your struggling writer.

Copyright © 2008 Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

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June Sale - StoryBuilders!

Woohoo! It’s an Introductory Special! During June, you can get WriteShop’s newest World of Animals StoryBuilders for 50% off! Normally $7.95, the set is yours for only $3.99.

To take advantage of the discount, order here and use Coupon Code ANIMAL6 at checkout.

And there’s no tax or shipping–you can download your StoryBuilders immediately . . . and then let the fun begin!

In this fast-paced world, kids are bombarded daily with the idea that life is lived on the run: Drive-thru fast food, instant messages, and microwave mac ‘n’ cheese come to mind. Certainly, most of us can run to the store for a last-minute “anything.” Why grow your own veggies when you can pick up instant produce at the market?

Even writing, so recently epitomized by text messaging and email, has fallen prey to the tyranny of the immediate. Gone are the days, so it seems, when we mailed handwritten letters to one another. No one wants to wait for the postman anymore, let alone a tomato.

Though there’s a time and place for slap-dash communication, our kids need to learn that most writing—good writing—is coaxed into bloom through time and care. Lovingly tending his flowers and vegetables, the patient gardener understands this. The metaphor of the garden speaks clearly to writing. Let’s see what lessons we can learn. Continue reading →