Entries Tagged 'Homeschooling' ↓

Mariana Ashley joins me today as a guest blogger here at In Our Write Minds. Mariana writes for onlinecolleges.net.

Having homeschooled from age seven until about fifteen, I can say without reservation that the most important thing I gained during my homeschooling years was a love of reading. And I’m convinced that had I not been homeschooled, I would not possess the enthusiasm for reading that I have now.

Here are some tips based on my personal experiences reading at home:

1. Create a book culture at home.

You’ve heard the age-old saying “charity begins at home”? Actually, any life-long habit is always first established among your closest kin—the people you live and learn with every single day. As such, if you want your children to learn to love reading, they will have to see you reading often, too.

If you have a book collection in storage, take everything out and display your books properly. This sends a message that books are valuable and worthwhile! And when children are surrounded by books, you increase the chances that they’ll want to eventually read them.

2. Start by suggesting books based on movies.

I know, I know. The book is always better. But if your child is already familiar with a character or plot after having seen the movie, her interest will be more greatly piqued. This is especially helpful for children who find reading boring or whose attention span is so short they have trouble getting through a book.

3. Make oral reading a tradition in your household.

For many families, story time ends when children reach age five or six; when they don’t have trouble falling asleep anymore; or when other forms of technology begin to entertain them. First, don’t stop reading aloud! That rich bonding time continues to send the message that reading—in all its forms—is held in high esteem in your home. Keeping that oral tradition alive is also important for further developing reading, writing, and comprehension skills.

And don’t forget to include other oral activities. When I was homeschooled, my parents had us memorize poems and short prose pieces, which we’d recite out loud. This is a great tool for helping young children acquire an ear for good writing, and it gives students of all ages a chance to “marinate” in passages of great literature and poetry.

4. Turn it into a game.

Many schools offer reading incentive programs or competitions in which children earn “points” for reading books. You can set up a similar game yourself. For example, my parents assigned points based on book length. Books that were longer or of greater difficulty earned us more points. Whoever had the most points at the end of the month got to spend a day out with mom and dad for pizza and ice cream. Even better, why not set a “points goal” based on age and reading ability? This way, every child who reaches her personal goal can earn the special treat.

Picking up good reading habits can help your child in other ways too. For example, the verbal section on the SAT was so much easier for me because I’d been an avid reader since I was seven. Reading also helps lengthen attention span and generally improves cognitive skills. Reading and writing often go hand-in-hand, and while reading alone won’t turn your kid into the perfect writer, it will surely go far.

Lesson learned: Never underestimate the power of a good book.

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online degrees. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

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I was a hands-on homeschooler. I loved lesson-planning, teaching, and learning alongside my kids. But now and then, and for various reasons, we participated in outside classes.

Often, I was the one who gathered a group of children and taught a four-week art class, a semester of California history, or a year of writing. For several years, we were active in a KONOS co-op. And when my children were in high school, they took an occasional course in biology or chemistry or speech.

True Homeschooling?

I know the value of teaching my children at home. I also appreciate the fresh perspective they gained from experts in various subjects. But I never lost sight of the fact that we were homeschooling, which for the most part meant—and here’s the shocker!—schooling at home.

Don’t get me wrong—co-ops and other classes certainly have their place. But here’s the caveat: They should not become a substitute for teaching one’s own children, nor do they give parents permission to abdicate their role as primary teacher.

Ab·di·cate v. 1.  to relinquish or hand over responsibility.  2. to give up duties.

—Synonyms
1. resign, quit, bail out. 2.  abandon. 3. step down.

Used as a helpful tool, outside courses can be an excellent supplement to your home teaching. However, when one class becomes three, and you’re spending more time in the car than at the schoolroom table, it could be time to question whether you’re actually homeschooling at all.

Falling into the Trap

You are still the primary teacher and the one responsible to oversee the work, so even if your children are taking outside classes, you must know what’s being taught. Believe me, I know it can be a relief to have someone else take over a subject you struggle with, but it’s not the tutor’s or teacher’s job to homeschool your kids; she’s simply in your service.

As a homeschooler, your mantra should always be: I am the parent. I am the primary teacher. But when someone else is instructing your children and assigning homework, projects, or tests, it’s easy to kick back and think: 

• Ahhhh…I finally get a break. It’s OK to enjoy the time they’re in class, but you’re still the primary teacher.
• That’s one less subject for me to teach. Someone else may be presenting the material and giving assignments, but you’re still the primary teacher.
• Julie learns better from other people. Some kids do take direction better from others, but don’t excuse your kids. If they won’t listen to you, it’s not an academic concern, but a character issue. Take the opportunity to work on obedience, respect, teachability, or cooperation. Remember: You’re still the parent AND the primary teacher.
• Johnny needs to learn to take responsibility for his own assignments. This is true. But whether he succeeds or fails, he must do it under your supervision. You can set schedules and oversee his work, but if he waits till the last minute to write a paper for his class, it doesn’t mean you need to stay up with him till 2 a.m. to finish it. If he gets a poor grade, let it be because you allowed the consequence, not because you were clueless that he was behind. After all, you’re still the parent and the primary teacher.

Availing Yourself of Opportunities

Again, there is nothing wrong with outside classes, so once you accept and embrace your role as primary teacher, you can begin to look around at the many opportunities that exist, including:

• Homeschool co-ops and classes that teach literature, science, writing, etc.
• Private tutoring or lessons in art, music, carpentry, etc.
• Online courses for homeschoolers such as Torrey Academy.
• Community college for age 16+.

Putting your children into outside classes can stretch and enrich them, especially when the subject matter is completely foreign to you. Outsourcing:

• Is ideal when you know you’re weak in a subject.
• Provides opportunity for group interaction, such as a drama workshop or a speech and debate class.
• Helps students learn to take instruction from others.

But when choosing an outside course for one or more of your kids, it’s also wise to remember that it shouldn’t become:

• A substitute for homeschooling.
• An excuse to get your kids out of the house (or your hair).
• A purely social experience.
• The answer to your insecurities about homeschooling.

Keys to Successful Outsourcing

Having made the decision to enroll a student in an outside class, how can you make it work with homeschooling?

• Meet the teacher and stay in touch. (You’d be appalled at how many parents NEVER ONCE stepped into my home to meet me face-to-face during an entire year of teaching their kids.)
• Study the syllabus to understand course expectations.
• Become familiar with requirements and assignments.
• Plug assigned reading, writing, and studying into your master homeschool lesson plan book.
• Go over weekly assignment sheets and other materials the teacher sends home.
• Discuss assignments with your children.
• Supervise their writing or other work and help as needed.
• Give feedback.

As with any curriculum you employ in your homeschooling, outside courses are simply tools you work with to enrich and strengthen your children’s academic foundation. Used judiciously, they can expose kids to new experiences and challenge them academically. But remembering that you’re the parent and primary teacher-–and taking appropriate responsibility as such—will ensure that you’re still on top of things, even if someone else is teaching.

Copyright 2011 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved. 

You’re in good company if you think teaching writing is downright painful. Many homeschooling moms feel completely inadequate and unequipped for the task. As a matter of fact, if I were to take a poll, most of you would probably say you’d rather have a root canal.

Sometime we dream about how nice it would be just to plunk a workbook down if front of our kids and watch clear, engaging, organized stories and essays take shape before our very eyes. But in reality, writing needs to be taught.

Yes, a handful of us have children who will figure it out all on their own, but most children need modeling, teaching, and feedback in order to learn and improve as writers.

Beyond your own self-doubt, you may be struggling to help your kids overcome issues like writer’s block, laziness, perfectionism, or other hurdles that prevent progress. Most students want to scribble out a paper and call it done. Then they want you to rave over it! But at the first sign of a suggestion from you, watch out—here comes the meltdown!

This creates tremendous frustration for the parent because you can’t seem to figure out how to make this whole writing thing work. Your kid is a mess, and you feel like a failure.

Isolate the Source

Kid Issues

• Does your child complain that he can’t think of what to write about?
• Does he dawdle?
• Does he have learning challenges that may require special attention?
• Is he unwilling to take correction or accept feedback?

Mom Issues 

• Do you feel overwhelmed?
• Are you trying to teach many children at different levels?
• Are you disorganized and flying by the seat of your pants?
• Are you unpredictable in your editing and grading?

Alone or in combination, these factors can contribute to incredible stress, irritation, and discouragement.

Make Simple Changes

You can take small steps toward reducing the level of frustration in your home. These ideas work wonders with all types of learners:

1. Keep writing assignments short and specific.
2. Use brainstorming worksheets and graphic organizers to help your child think his ideas through before he begins to write.
3. Break the assignment into bite-sized chunks, giving mini deadlines along the way.
4. Choose writing materials that are flexible enough to use with several children at once.
5. Have a plan: Know what you want to teach and when, and then schedule writing into your week. 
6. Use objective, lesson-specific editing and grading tools to help you evaluate your children’s writing fairly.

Small successes will begin to usher frustration right out the door, leaving encouragement and accomplishment in its wake!

Copyright 2010 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

Grading and commenting on your kids’ writing is one of the most valuable elements of writing instruction. But it also gives the most grief to parents, who often feel underqualified to identify and evaluate written strengths and weaknesses.

Seeds of Doubt

A host of “ins” and “uns” seems to attack parents when it comes to writing, making us doubt our ability to edit and grade objectively. With regard to teaching or evaluating writing, do you ever use any of these words to describe yourself?

• Insecure
• Uncertain
• Incompetent
• Unsure
• Inadequate
• Unequipped

Many of us wear these monikers like millstones around our necks, allowing the weight of our insecurities to immobilize us. At worst, teaching and grading writing don’t happen at all, or at best we’re sporadic, leaving Mom feeling guilty and our children awash in frustration.

It’s not that we don’t think it’s important to give our children input. But don’t we all have excuses?

• I’m afraid I’ll be too hard on my child.
• I don’t know how to grade a paper—there’s too much guesswork.
• What do I know about writing? I’m just a math-science person. 

And heaven forbid Mom should set aside her worries and actually make a comment. The smallest hint of suggestion from you and the drama begins. 

• But I like it this way!
• You’re always so critical.
• You never like anything I write!

Myths about parent editing

As a parent, perhaps you simply don’t know how to give objective input. So either you don’t give feedback at all—and therefore see no improvement—or you offer suggestions that make your child feel picked on or rejected. To help you renew your perspective, let’s look at three myths about parent editing.

Myth #1 – Editing and grading writing are too subjective.

• Fact: Learning to edit is a process for both student and parent.
• Fact: Many aspects of a composition CAN be evaluated objectively.

Myth #2 – It’s too difficult to edit and grade writing.

• Fact: The more you edit and revise, the easier it will become.
• Fact: Familiarity produces recognition—you will catch on!
• Fact: There are tools (rubrics and checklists) to help you.
• Fact: You don’t have to find every mistake. Even addressing just a few errors can help your child’s writing begin to change course.

Myth #3 – Editing and grading writing is for professionals.

• Fact: Many parents cannot find mistakes in their children’s writing—but you can improve your skills! If you feel weak in a particular area such as grammar or spelling, take a “crash course” to refresh yourself. Buy a second student workbook and study the subject alongside your kids.  Or, consider a resource like The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation to help you brush up on key rules.
• Fact: You CAN learn to edit and grade. Programs like WriteShop and WriteShop Primary are good examples of homeschooling products that guide and direct parents through the writing and editing process.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll not only gain tips and tools to make editing and grading easier for you, you’ll also learn ways to help your children participate in the process through self-editing and revising.

We’ll start next week with tips for Editing and Evaluating Writing: Grades K-3. 

I also know that parents tend to panic more as junior high and high school draw near. So if you have older kids, you’ll be happy to know I’ve got you covered as well. Stay tuned!

Copyright 2010 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng

“Summertime … and the livin’ is easy.”

When George Gershwin penned those memorable lyrics, he pictured warm, languid days, fish jumping so high they fairly begged to be caught, and plump bolls of cotton bursting like popcorn in rich brown fields.

He never gave a thought to the homeschooling mother of five whose 2-year-old keeps standing in the toilet and whose dog just plowed through the newly repaired screen door. The only thing jumping at her house is the frog the 8-year-old let loose in his bedroom. There’s a month of schoolwork left but only a week in which to do it, because Mom has finally announced, “I don’t care what the teacher’s guide says—on June 14, we’re DONE.” She’s looking for a break, and summertime shimmers on the horizon like an alluring mirage.

Even if you homeschool year-round, everybody’s happy when Mom declares time off. Whether just for a week or till the September leaves start turning, a well-deserved vacation gives everyone a chance to regroup, at least for a little while.

As you cut up the first ripe watermelon of summer and look forward to a bit of a breather, do enjoy that juicy— albeit temporary—slice of paradise. It won’t be long before the chanting of the summer mantra begins: “Mom, there’s nothing to do!” So when boredom rears its lazy head and tempers rise along with the thermometer, it’s wise to have a strategy to keep the kids happy and maintain harmony in your home.

Mom Time

It’s easy to plan away the summer, filling the days with activities for your restless kids. Just remember: If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Grammar issues aside, there’s a mountain of truth in those seven words. Refill your own empty cup so you have plenty to pour over your family when school starts up again.

Read a book. Who has time to read for pleasure during the year? Don’t let summer slip away without a satisfying novel under your belt. Stretch a hammock between two shady trees some lazy afternoon and indulge in a selection from your “I’ll read it someday” list. And just in case it should cross your mind, curriculum does not count!

Ask your husband or a trusted friend to occupy the children so you can go for a walk, work uninterrupted on a project, or take a needed nap. Or get away for a little while. Don’t even think about getting the dog groomed or dropping off the dry cleaning. I’m talking about refreshment! Bible in tow, enjoy a quiet time at the park. Browse a nearby book or fabric store. Window shop. Meet your sister for coffee.

For many women, a 30-minute retreat to the tub can multiply into hours of patient parenting later on. Grab a bath pillow, some fragrant salts, a glass of iced tea, and a favorite magazine or devotional and get lost among the bubbles. Whatever you do, don’t forget to post a “Do Not Disturb Under Penalty of Death” sign.

Ignore the notes the kids slip under the door.

And those little peanut butter- covered fingers wiggling under the crack? Ignore them too.

Outings and Activities

Why not turn your house into a cool refuge by playing board games or listening to books on tape as you sprawl out on the living room floor with the fan blowing? Set aside Wednesday afternoons for renting videos and whipping up chocolate milkshakes. Chairs, card tables, and sheets make a great fort. Build your fortress and enjoy a picnic under the dining room table.

Exercise is another great way to fill time productively. Kick a soccer ball around the yard, or hop on bikes or roller blades. Sign everyone up for a sports workshop or swimming lessons. Explore a nearby creek or hiking trail or simply traipse around the neighborhood.

Homeschool moms are pros at sniffing out good field trips … but why limit them to the school year? Fit in some outings to the zoo, beach, or city. Take in a children’s museum or look into special summer programs at other venues, such as a farm, botanical garden, or space center. Contact your fire or police department to arrange a tour. Don’t plan to go out every day, but do budget time for occasional treks to the library, movies, community pool, or pizza place.

Keeping Cool

How do you maintain your cool when the temperature takes an upswing? At home, pull out the hose and beat the heat by dousing your brood with a surprise squirt. Keep in mind that kids have long memories, so you probably shouldn’t turn your back on them anytime soon, if you get my drift.

You can bring a bit of winter to a sweltering summer day by visiting an indoor ice rink. For a cheaper chill-and-thrill, buy a couple of ten-pound blocks of ice and head to a grassy slope for some “ice blocking.” Simply set a towel atop the ice block, hop on, and whoosh! Off you go—sledding in summer!

And when you’re melting in the shade, there’s nothing like a frosty refresher to soothe irritable dispositions. Stir up a chilled pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade or treat everyone to frozen delights from the ice cream man. Even better, make smoothies, homemade ice cream, or floats. 

(Next week, I’ll post Part 2 of this article, Summertime: No Excuse for Chaos, which will include some fun summer writing activities.)

Copyright  © 2006 Kim Kautzer
Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Summer 2006. Used with permission.

This morning I presented a jam-packed workshop at the Schoolhouse Expo, a virtual homeschool conference sponsored by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. The hour whizzed by as I shared tons of ideas for ways to creatively introduce and expand your children’s writing vocabulary. Here are just a handful of suggestions from today’s session.

Be a Writing Role Model 

You’ve heard that if you want your children to become readers, they need to see you reading. Likewise, to raise writers, you must make sure they see you writing. When your child writes, think about stopping to write as well.

• Draw attention to your writing. Point out times that you use writing to communicate with others.
• Talk about writing opportunities. Explain the purpose for each kind of writing and the target audience, handwriting vs. computer, etc.
• Let your child see you prepare for a Bible study, keep a prayer journal, or take notes during church.
• Have your child help you write letters, even such routine ones as ordering items from an advertisement or writing a letter of praise or complaint to a company. This helps the child to see firsthand that writing is important to adults and truly useful.
• Take time to write in your journals together.

Assign Copywork

Copywork has so many benefits, including providing students with excellent writing models. You can use various copywork passages as opportunities to look up unfamiliar words, which is a great way to naturally expand your children’s vocabulary.

You can purchase resources specifically intended for the purpose of copying. Or simply encourage copying Bible verses, hymns, favorite poems, passages of literature, or famous quotations.

Suggest Making Lists

Making lists is an effective writing tool for all ages. Most children like to create lists anyway, but writing out lists—from the mundane to the meaningful—also helps them become more organized. Taken a step further, when list-making is used as a brainstorming tool, it can even help students plan the elements of an essay or story. And it also helps build context-specific vocabulary.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Show them how you keep a calendar, make grocery lists, write daily to-do lists, add to an ongoing list of projects, etc. Then your kids can make their own lists of schoolwork, dates for soccer practice and games, family birthdays, etc.
• They can inventory furniture in a room or items in a junk drawer, jewelry box, or medicine cabinet. Talk about different ways to name common objects.
• Likewise, they might make lists of their various personal possessions such as baseball cards, stuffed animals, shoes, or CDs. Collections, such as seashells or Matchbox cars, often have specific or specialized names. Learning these helps contribute to vocabulary growth.
• Another suggestion is to create word lists: Your child can begin a list with a word that describes a texture such as rough or slippery, or a character quality such as gentle, brave, or faithful. Then have him use a thesaurus to look up synonyms for that word to expand the list.

. . . . .

If you missed it, you can still get an Expo to Go ticket that will give you access to all the MP3 audios beginning May 31, 2010. It’s been a wonderful event, and I highly encourage you to grab a ticket so that you can take advantage of the encouragement and ideas that each outstanding speaker has offered. At $19.95, it’s an outstanding deal! Just click the Expo to Go image to the right. >>>

My homeschooling days are well behind me, but I still gleaned so much from the excellent sessions. Hope you take advantage of “Expo to Go”!

Photo courtesy of StockXchg.

It’s 2010!

And now that your Christmas decorations have (we hope) come down, it’s time to shake off the winter blues and get your homeschool into gear again. Does that excite you, or does it make you want to dive under the covers?

The January Blahs 

Sometimes, it can be tough for homeschooling families to get back into gear in January. Mom feels burned out. The kids lack motivation. Foul weather doesn’t help much either and can often lead to cabin fever and a general sense of “blah.”
 
As a veteran homeschooler myself, I really want you to succeed—and not just to survive, but to thrive—which is why I love passing on great resources as they cross my path. My friend Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest offers two fantastic homeschool classes—Homeschooling ABCs and Upper Level Homeschool—which are sure to jumpstart your homeschooling endeavors in the new year.

Signing up for either course means lots of free bonus gifts valued at up to $275, including a January-only BOGO (buy one, get one) so you and a friend can take the class together! Here’s a brief look at each class:

Class #1: Homeschooling ABCs

Homeschooling from A to Z. Whether you’re brand-new to homeschooling or have been at it for a dozen years, this excellent 26-week class will encourage you along the journey of teaching your children. If you feel overwhelmed, unmotivated, or discouraged, this class will provide focus, direction, and encouragement,.

This is absolutely a MUST TAKE class for all homeschoolers – new or seasoned! I cannot recommend it enough! I have been homeschooling for a decade, and last year lost all enthusiasm for homeschooling. I was prepared “to ship them all off to school!” Your class has helped me to refocus my goals, remember why I wanted to homeschool, and get out of the rut we were plodding through!  –LeeAnn, homeschooling mom

It’s only $10 a month for 6 months—an amazing value! To sign up or learn more about the course, check out Homeschooling ABCs.

Class #2: Upper Level Homeschool

Homeschooling Your High Schooler. Are you daunted by the idea of homeschooling through high school? Upper Level Homeschool is an online course specifically designed for homeschooling parents of middle- and high-school students. Don’t let self-doubt or lack of knowledge rob you and your teen of these very exciting years! All you need are a few basic “how-to’s” and your high schooler can be well on his way to academic success and a very bright future.

Writing is one of those areas that can intimidate the bravest of parents, so Terri invited me to contribute the course material for Tackling the Timed Essay. Drawing from the timed-essay lesson in WriteShop II and my workshop, “Teaching the Timed Essay,” I’ve put together a syllabus for you that’s jam-packed with tips for teaching timed writing, including preparing for the essay portion of the SAT college entrance exam.

And there’s so much more to this excellent 13-week course! To sign up for the class or learn more about it, check out Upper Level Homeschool. At just $15 per month for 3 months, it’s the best money you can spend to gain peace of mind about teaching your kids through high school.

Don’t forget that each of these great courses comes with fabulous bonus gifts such as forms, checklists, maps, lesson planners, and more! Check out each class to see the different bonus gifts offered.

To encourage creativity and good habits for a budding writer, why not set up a comfortable, low-cost writing center where your young child can work?

Whether you homeschool at the kitchen table or set aside a separate writing area in your home or school classroom, make it as inviting and inspiring as possible. Providing a place that is quiet and organized will help spark the imagination and foster a love for the written word. Here are some practical ways you can build either a portable or permanent writing center.

Storage Suggestions

First, consider how much room you have. Are you homeschooling in tight quarters, or do you have a school room at your disposal?  

Portable Writing Center

A portable writing center is perfect when space is limited. You can store writing supplies in a:

• Large backpack with pockets
• Cleaning supply caddy
• Large plastic box with a lid

Semi-permanent or Permanent Writing Center

Having a designated school room or area in your home lends itself to more permanent storage solutions, such as:

• Over-the-door pocket shoe organizer
• Bookshelf
• Stacking letter trays for paper
• Storage cupboards, tubs, bins, or baskets

Equipping Your Writing Center

Next, gather your writing supplies and store them in or near your chosen writing center. Before buying anything new, look to see what supplies are already lying around the house. It’s a good idea to keep these supplies separate so they’re always handy at writing time.

Alphabet charts posted at eye level to serve as penmanship models.

Chart tablet or newsprint pad for writing out your child’s dictated stories.

• Chart paper: Primary chart pads come lined or unlined. You can also find them spiral-bound for easy turning. If you have an easel, you can hang your tablet.
• Newsprint pads can be clipped to an easel or laid flat on a desk or tabletop.

Reference tools like a children’s dictionary, electronic speller, or children’s thesaurus.

Tools for brainstorming and writing

• Crayons, markers, pencils
• Grade-level lined paper
• Plain white computer paper
• Correction tape

Tools for publishing final drafts

• Glue, glue sticks, tape
• Rubber stamps, stickers
• Scissors, stapler, hole punch, yarn scraps
• Solid-color construction or scrapbooking paper
• Old magazines, calendars, and catalogs to cut and paste

Desk or tabletop workspace (kept clutter-free to aid concentration)

 .  .  .  .  .

Creating a writing center is just one of the many ways WriteShop Primary seeks to nurture a love of writing in primary-age children. Once all your supplies have been collected and put away, you and your child can enjoy a creative workspace that’s quiet, comfy, well equipped, and organized! 

Storage cube photo by Ben Ostrowsky. Used by permission.

Sigh. Once again, it’s “writing time” at your house.

During the past hour, your reluctant writer’s paper has become riddled with scribbles and smears. And e-v-e-r-y time he erases with frustrated vigor, a tiny hole appears in the middle of that gray smudge. As the hole grows larger, his mind freezes up and closes in. Then the laments begin:

• What do I write about?
• Where do I start?
• How long does it have to be?
• I’ll never think of something.
• “I HATE WRITING!”

There’s so much frustration behind those blinked-back tears. And you know what? It’s not just kids who experience it—YOU struggle too.

Why Is It So Hard to Teach Writing?

Teaching writing is one of the biggest hurdles homeschooling families face. First, parents can feel insecure, inadequate, and under-equipped. For many of you, teaching writing ranks right up there with a trip to the dentist. Although we know the importance of passing on this skill to our students, so many excuses stand in our way!

• How can I teach if I never really learned to write?
• I don’t write—I’m just a math-science person.
• What if I don’t know how to grade a paper?
• Writing comes easily to me—but I don’t have clue how to teach my kids.

Second, children are often paralyzed by writer’s block, fear, and perfectionism. Most students want to write a paper once and declare it done. They hope we’ll rave over it and accept it as a finished product. The smallest hint of suggestion from Mom sets off howls of protest: Why can’t I leave it this way? You never like anything I write!

Blank paper, reluctant child, and insecure parent—combine these three ingredients together and I pretty much guarantee that your hopes for teaching writing will fail.

Let’s face it. It’s easy to keep pushing writing to the back burner with intentions of getting to it “someday.” And for many, “someday” has come and gone, and now you have:

• a high schooler who can’t write;
• a panicked mom burdened by guilt;
• and the infernal blank page that taunts you both.

10 Stumbling Blocks to Writing 

We need to 1) recognize some of the most common stumbling blocks that stand in the way of your child’s success, and 2) determine how your writing program can help. Take heart! These stumbling blocks are neither so heavy that they can’t be moved, nor so tall that they can’t be scaled.

Here are the ten stumbling blocks we’ll be looking at:

1. Lack of confidence
2. Lack of skills and tools
3. Lack of motivation
4. Limited writing vocabulary
5. Perfectionism and self-criticism
6. Laziness
7. Procrastination
8. Worry about criticism from mom or dad
9. Wondering what’s the point
10. Learning difficulties that interfere with the writing process

Over the next few months, I’ll talk about each of these in greater detail and give you some ideas of how to help your student overcome them. Most of my suggestions will be aimed at older students (5th or 6th grade through high school). Still, parents of younger children will find tips and suggestions that you can apply now. By doing so, you can begin to ward off some of these problems early on, setting your children up for greater writing success in the future.

Come back next week as we take a look at the first of these ten stumbling blocks and talk about ways you can help your student overcome each one in order to become a stronger writer.

Please share your thoughts: What’s your child’s biggest stumbling block?

(Leaving a comment at any “Stumbling Blocks” article enters you into our January drawing for a $25 WriteShop gift certificate. Increase your chances of winning by commenting here and again at each of the 10 upcoming articles, beginning with Stumbling Block #1 – Lack of Confidence.)

2009 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

Narration is a wonderful tool for coaxing stories, descriptions, and letters from a young writer, especially a more reluctant one. Previously (Tip #1), I talked about using a tape recorder to encourage verbal storytelling. Sometimes, though, a child is still not ready or eager to tell entire stories. That’s OK! Just break it down into smaller pieces. Ask your child to describe what she can readily observe without the pressure of turning it into a published piece. 

Let’s describe!

Take a closer look. Begin to prepare your child for a lifetime of observation. Start by helping her describe familiar objects and foods. The key? Ask lots of questions about:

• Color, shape, and size
• Texture (how it looks and how it feels to the touch)
• Sound
• Smell
• For a food, also add questions about its taste and feel when eaten

Suppose you’re enjoying cinnamon rolls for breakfast. As your child eats her treat, keep a pad and pen nearby and write down her observations. Ask her questions to prompt her. ”Tell me some words to describe your cinnamon roll. What color is the bun? Is it soft and squishy or dry and stale? What smells and flavors do you notice? Take a bite and tell me how it tastes and feels. Does the roll have frosting? Is it a hard glaze or is it soft and creamy? Any raisins or nuts? What textures do they add?”

Describe a person. Suggest that your youngster describe family members, friends, and pets. If she tells you that Grandpa has gray hair, ask, “Is it gray, or is it closer to silver or white?” Have her tell you about his hair length and texture, too. Next, ask her to tell you about his face, eyes, and smile. What about his clothes? His personality? His posture? With younger children, it helps to describe people and pets they can observe firsthand. But a photo also works well to draw responses.

Study your world. It’s so much fun to describe a place with a young child. Even now, as I type with the window open, I can see grass, trees, bushes, and flowers; mountains topped in low clouds; my neighbors’ houses and cars; and fences, rocks, and telephone poles. In addition, I can hear birds chirping, a dog barking, a car horn honking, a lawn mower humming in the distance. Since it rained recently, the air has a fresh, sweet smell.

If you’re doing this exercise with your child, wander out into the front or back yard so he can touch the roughness of tree bark, the smooth finish of the car in the driveway, the prickle of a thorny plant, and the moist, dewy lawn. Let him crush leaves to release their scent, smell flowers, and observe insects and birds.

In the city, sit on a bench and pay attention to traffic sounds, horns, voices, and other city noises. Look at the buildings. Are they old? New? Made of brick? Concrete? Glass? Do any of the buildings have interesting features? Do you see traffic signals or road signs? Trees or flowers? How about shops, stores, or other businesses? What’s in the windows?

Next, people-watch! You’ll see old and young, tall and short, serious and smiling. Are they walking or hurrying? Talking on cell phones? Alone or with a friend? What colors are they wearing? Are they carrying packages, bags, brief cases, or purses? Wearing backpacks? What kinds of shoes can you see?

Finally, notice the smells. Is that garlic wafting from an Italian restaurant? Do you smell fresh bread from the bakery on the corner? How about fumes from the bus that just pulled away from the curb? The whiff of someone’s perfume as she rushes past?

As your child makes observations, write down what she says in a small spiral notebook.

No composition required

Make this a fun learning experience for your child as you give her a chance to become a keen observer of her expanding world. Sure, there will be times when you’ll want her to develop her observations into a paragraph or story. But for now, focus more on the process of gathering and writing down ideas. The value comes from teaching your child that she really does have a great deal to say about different topics!

Visit Walking Therein to visit this week’s Carnival of Homeschooling (the 150th edition, BTW)!

City photo by Kim Kautzer