Entries Tagged 'Kim's blog' ↓
March 11th, 2010 — Conventions, Kim's blog
Like the idea of attending a homeschool convention?
Hate the thought of paying high registration fees, incurring travel expenses, and figuring out child care while you’re gone?
Then you’ll love the Schoolhouse Expo!
Schoolhouse Expo 2010
Whether you live internationally, rurally, or attend a local convention offered to your community, you won’t want to miss The Schoolhouse Expo.
Convenient. Sponsored by The Old Schoolhouse magazine, and featuring a stellar lineup of speakers, the Schoolhouse Expo offers all the perks of a homeschool conference—but without the hassle—including:
- Popular keynote speakers like Susan Wise Bauer, Diana Waring, and Todd Wilson
- Vendor booths
- Freebies
- Door prizes
- And so much more!
Flexible. Unable to listen to all the sessions live? The Schoolhouse Expo lets you choose! All sessions will be recorded. Plan to attend some sessions live, and then listen to any or all workshop audios at your convenience—all year long.
Practical. The Schoolhouse Expo will help your home and homeschool run more smoothly with suggestions, encouragement, and practical, how-to information. You’ll enjoy the fresh ideas, camaraderie, and affirmation that homeschooling works—all from a solid, Christian perspective.
Join WriteShop at the Expo
Attend Kim’s workshop. As one of the featured speakers, I’m excited to share tips and ideas on Growing Your Child’s Writing Vocabulary. The live session will include a Q and A time.- Visit WriteShop’s virtual vendor booth.
- Chance to win a WriteShop door prize: a $50 gift certificate
Early Bird Registration
Register early. Get some special perks—and a $5 discount if you register by March 31, 2010. Regularly $24.99, attendance is only $19.99. Take advantage of this limited-time offer by registering now—and I’ll see you at the Schoolhouse Expo!
February 27th, 2010 — Announcements, Kim's blog
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
~Mark Twain
Words Matter Week Is Coming!
A whole week devoted to the written word . . . and I’m excited!
I confess that I’m a word geek. From playing word games like Scrabble, Boggle, and crossword puzzles to highlighting a passage of breathtaking prose, I have a thing for words (though if you’ve visited my blog more than once, you’ve probably figured that out).
The more I read and write, the more conscious I become of the power of words. Words really do matter.
Yep. Words matter.
And that’s why I’m looking forward to celebrating National Words Matter Week. Sponsored by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE), this event focuses on the importance of words, particularly the written word.
How To Participate
Anyone with an interest in words and writing will enjoy participating in Words Matter Week, including educators, bloggers, writers, libraries, and homeschoolers nationwide. There are many creative ways to get involved. Here are just a few:
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In Our Write Minds: Check my blog every day during Words Matter Week for vocabulary-building and word game ideas, activities for parents and kids, helpful links, a contest or two—and some thoughts on why words matter.
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Words Matter Week: Ideas that encourage participation from homeschoolers, schools, bloggers, libraries, churches, bookstores, and more.
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So I hope you’ll join me next week as we have some fun together exploring why words matter!
February 16th, 2010 — Grammar & Spelling, Just for Fun, Kim's blog
26 Golden Rules for Writing Well
- Don’t abbrev.
- Check to see if you any words out.
- Be carefully to use adjectives and adverbs correct.
- About sentence fragments.
- When dangling, don’t use participles.
- Don’t use no double negatives.
- Each pronoun agrees with their antecedent.
- Just between you and I, case is important.
- Join clauses good, like a conjunction should.
- Don’t use commas, that aren’t necessary.
- Its important to use apostrophe’s right.
- It’s better not to unnecessarily split an infinitive.
- Never leave a transitive verb just lay there without an object.
- Only Proper Nouns should be capitalized. also a sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop
- Use hyphens in compound-words, not just in any two-word phrase.
- In letters compositions reports and things like that we use commas to keep a string of items apart.
- Watch out for irregular verbs that have creeped into our language.
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- Avoid unnecessary redundancy.
- A writer mustn’t shift your point of view.
- Don’t write a run-on sentence you’ve got to punctuate it.
- A preposition isn’t a good thing to end a sentence with.
- Avoid cliches like the plague.
- 1 final thing is to never start a sentence with a number.
- Always check your work for accuracy and completeness.
~Author Unknown
If anyone knows who wrote this, let me know. I’d love to give proper credit.
January 29th, 2010 — Contests & Giveaways, Kim's blog
Win Some Free Goodies from WriteShop
To help Hal and Melanie Young celebrate the release of their new book, Raising Real Men, WriteShop is giving away two fabulous prizes:
- WriteShop Primary book and Activity Set Worksheet Pack of your choice.
- $35 WriteShop gift certificate good for any purchase at the WriteShop store.
To enter the WriteShop Primary drawing, simply leave a comment at Raising Real Men. To be eligible for the $35, you also need to become a Raising Real Men Facebook fan.
Hurry right over, because I’m not sure how much time you have before they close this giveaway!
Give a Little, Get a Lot!
Also, don’t forget that today is the last day of the Estes Family Benefit Sale. You can read my article about it here, or you can just go straight to the sale.
Either way, you won’t want to miss the chance to bless a wonderful family in need while gaining $350+ in homeschooling e-books and MP3s for a small donation of just $39! (This donation also puts you in the running for some great Super Packages valued at up to $849 in tangible products!)
Sale ends January 29 at midnight EST.
Betsy-Tacy Update
My apologies that the second set of Betsy-Tacy reviews (and giveaway info) aren’t up yet. It’s been a crazy couple of days. But hopefully I can get the reviews written over the weekend. Make sure to check back! Meanwhile, don’t miss the reviews of Betsy-Tacy and Betsy-Tacy and Tib.
~Kim
January 28th, 2010 — Conventions, Kim's blog
Three Flavors of Communication
Writing. Speech. Conversation. These “Three Flavors of Communication” provide the theme of the 5th Annual Say What You Mean Convention, which brings you a day packed with learning and laughter.
Sponsored by Art of Eloquence, this annual online convention offers keynote speakers, live workshops, and pre-recorded audios designed to equip you and your children with stronger communication skills. The conference is peppered throughout the day with exciting activities such as contests, giveaways, fun, and fellowship.
Date: Wednesday, February 3
Time: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. PST / 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST
Workshops by Kim Kautzer
I’m excited to share that I’m one of the hosts and speakers again this year. That means you’ll get to hear me present four all-new workshops!
- Writing Skills: More Important Than Ever!
- How to Wrte a Speech
- Speak the Truth in Love
- The Lazy Student: What’s a Mom to Do?
Live Seminars
Most of the live seminars will also be recorded for later, but if you’re listening in live, you can win bonus gifts. Plus, you won’t want to miss the Michael Jr. live interview, which will NOT be recorded at all.
- 8am PST/11am EST – Interview with Christian comedian Michael Jr. on Faith and Humor
- 10am PST/1pm EST – JoJo Tabares of Art of Eloquence “The Three Flavors of Communication: Writing, Speech, and Conversation”
- 12pm PST/3pm EST – Cindy Rushton of Talk-a-Latte ”Building a Passionate, Forever, Happier, and Happier-Ever-After Marriage”
- 2pm PST/5pm EST Joan Rudder-Ward of Girl Nurture “The Heat is On: Techniques to Protect You and Your Daughter from Becoming Culture War Casualties.”
- 4pm PST/7pm EST Kim Kautzer of WriteShop “Writing Skills: More Important than Ever!”
- 6pm PST/9pm EST Prayer Chat
Pre-recorded Audios
Read the descriptions of each talk here. The audios will be available at the Say What You Mean Convention website for one year!
- How to Tailor Your Writing for Effectiveness
- The Lazy Student: What’s a Mom to Do?
- What Good Is a Speech Course If Your Kids Won’t Use It?
- How to Write a Speech
- Conversation: The Most Important Communication
- Speak the Truth in Love
- What Most Apologetics Courses Don’t Teach You
- Talking vs. Communicating
- Listening: THE Most Important Communication Skill
- Humor: A Powerful Communication Tool
- Avoiding, Reducing and Healing Conflicts
- What It Takes to Be a Great Communicator
And More!
January 27th, 2010 — Kim's blog, Reviews
I’ve always been a reader. As a child, nothing made me happier than checking out a new book from the library.
OK, that’s not exactly true, for I also loved to read—over and over—the old friends that lined my bookshelf at home. Among those treasured favorites was a well-worn hardback of Betsy-Tacy, the very dearest member of my small collection and a book I’ve read at least a dozen times since I was seven.
Reviews . . . and a Giveaway!
Eventually I read (and loved) all the Betsy-Tacy books, so imagine my joy when the current publisher—Harper Trophy/Harper Perennial Modern Classics—sent me the whole set to review and give away on my blog! I’ve decided to do the review—and the giveaway—in several parts, mainly because I haven’t finished reading the later books in the series, but also because it’s more fun to spread the love!
Today I’ll review the first two books in the early series: Betsy-Tacy and Betsy-Tacy and Tib. In a day or two, I’ll post my review of the third and fourth books: Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. And on Friday, I’ll tell you how you can win the set for your own daughter, niece, granddaughter, or young friend.
About the Early Betsy-Tacy Books
Written autobiographically by Maud Hart Lovelace, and whimsically illustrated by Lois Lensky, the first four Betsy-Tacy books are a recollection of the friendship and simple little escapades of three best pals—Betsy, Tacy, and Tib—during their carefree childhood at the turn of the twentieth century. Though their life 100 years ago doesn’t much resemble ours today, their joys, worries, and adventures remind us that children will always be children. Even with a century between us, I still think these girls are among the most relatable children in literature!
Betsy-Tacy
Want a book that completely captivates your inner child? Never mind your daughter—you’ll want your very own copy of Betsy-Tacy!
How I love this book about the spirited, imaginative Betsy Ray and her best friend Tacy Kelly! When they first meet at Betsy’s fifth birthday party, the two become inseparable. They share all sorts of adventures on their safe little street at the very edge of town: supper picnics on the hill, playing paper dolls, dyeing Easter eggs, and dressing up to “go calling” at the chocolate-colored house with the stained glass window.
Betsy loves to tell stories, and even her make-believe experiences—such as floating on feathers or riding in a buggy pulled by a talking horse—will delight every young girl’s fancy. Experienced through Betsy’s and Tacy’s eyes, the ordinary days of childhood are somehow transformed into a magical place of wonder!
Just as Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books deal with difficult issues in an age-appropriate way, the Betsy books are similarly sprinkled with reminders that a little trouble comes to all of us. For example, the subject of death is gently broached when Betsy, in her childish innocence, finds a touching way to comfort Tacy after the death of her baby sister. And Tacy, one of nine children, finds just the right words to encourage a befuddled Betsy at the “surprise” arrival of a new little Ray bundle.
This sweet book is filled with stories both humorous and tender, making Betsy-Tacy a treat for the heart.
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
When my own daughters began reading the Betsy-Tacy books as young girls, I loved that they could escape into such an untroubled, innocent time and place to join hands with Betsy, Tacy, and their new friend Tib.
As the title suggests, the inseparable duo becomes a trio when good-natured Tib Mueller moves into the chocolate-colored house on Pleasant Street—and the escapades continue!
It was strange that Betsy and Tacy and Tib ever did things which grown-ups thought were naughty, for they tried so hard to be good.
Betsy is usually the ringleader, but Tacy and Tib participate eagerly. Whether cooking up a mess in the kitchen or thinking of ways to remember one another after they’re gone (think “hair” and “scissors”), their antics often manage to land them in a hot water. But when the girls are naughty—and it seems (in this particular book) that they often are—it’s always with the best intentions to do right; they even form a “Christian Kindness Club.” Even so, when Betsy, Tacy, and Tib do act impulsively, they experience conviction, remorse, and contrition, and their parents impose appropriate consequences. I appreciate that!
This book explores friendship, loyalty, and the joy and curiosity that come with being carefree eight-year-olds. Although they do get into occasional mischief, the girls set a positive example of how to behave in a friendship: through thick and thin, they’re faithful to the core; there’s no finger-pointing, quarreling, or envy among them; and they rejoice in each other’s successes. Betsy-Tacy and Tib is a wonderful sequel to Betsy-Tacy.
Note: Betsy-Tacy begins when the girls are five. By the fourth book, Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, they are pre-teens. As Betsy, Tacy, and Tib grow up, the situations, vocabulary, and reading level become slightly more complex with each book. While a five-year-old would enjoy hearing Betsy-Tacy as a read-aloud, she may not show interest in the other three books until she herself is a bit older. But a 10- or 12-year-old is sure to enjoy all four in the early series.
More to come . . .
Stay tuned! I’ll post my review of Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill and Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown in a day or two. And then I’ll tell you about the giveaway!
January 22nd, 2010 — Kim's blog
3 Truths about Homeschoolers
As a 15-year homeschooling veteran, I’ve discovered three truths about most homeschoolers:
- We love a bargain, especially on curriculum!
- We’re a passionate bunch.
- We watch out for and care for each other.
Now you have a chance to prove just how true this is! Let me explain.
A Special Family
Some of you may be familiar with the wonderful homeschooling company, Hands and Hearts. The owners, Jeff and Kate Estes, create fabulous hands-on history kits you can use to supplement your history studies.
Not one of us is immune to life’s trials, but the Estes family has experienced more than their share. I cannot tell you how much I admire their deeply rooted faith. If you’ve had a chance to follow Kate’s blog, you know that in the midst of their darkest hours, their faith and peace has been a tremendous inspiration.
These past several years have produced a string of exceptional trials for this family:
- Last spring, their Hands and Hearts business was stopped temporarily by unreasonable CPSIA regulations,creating tremendous hardship as the company’s profitability took a nosedive.
Their little 3-year-old Noah suffers with mitochondrial disease. Ultimately, this rare disease will claim his life. He is hospitalized frequently—and often suddenly—leaving Kate to drop everything to rush him to the hospital.- Jeff has been out of work for many months. He has been unable to land another job that gives him the flexibility to care for their other seven children while Kate is at the hospital with Noah many miles away. Their savings has been exhausted and they are close to losing their home.
A Chance to Give . . . and Receive!
When their fellow Christian publishers heard what was going on, we all jumped in to try to help. Check out this incredible way you can bless the Estes family and get nearly 10X your donation back in gifts from homeschool publishers you know and trust, including:
I’m putting out a call to action! Can you help this dear family? If so, by making a small donation of only $39, you’ll receive over $350 worth of fantastic products .
Not only that, if you donate $39 or more, your name also goes into a drawing for several Super Prize Packages. There are two Grand Prizes valued at over $849 each, and three First Prizes, valued at over $100 each. Among the prizes is a WriteShop package worth over $100!
So please:
- Show your passion!
- Help another homeschooling family!
- And land a bargain for yourself in the process!
If you would like to receive a fantastic assortment of homeschool goodies while helping Jeff and Kate, please click here. Even if you’re not a homeschooler and you would just like to make a donation without taking the products, you’re welcome to do that as well. The sale continues through January 30.
Edited: The benefit sale has ended, but if you’d still like to make a donation, please click here and find the PayPal button.
Thanks for taking the time to read about this very difficult situation. And whether or not you are able to donate, would you please remember to pray for this dear family?
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory.” Ephesians 3:20-21
With deepest appreciation,
Kim
December 28th, 2009 — Kim's blog
I hope you’ve been enjoying our series on 10 Stumbling Blocks to Writing. Are you starting to identify the hurdles that may be standing between your child and the blank page? If so, I pray you’re also finding hope!
Because of the Christmas-to-New-Year’s holiday, I’m taking the week off from article writing. But if you check back Monday (Jan. 4), the next post in the series will be ready for you.
Win a $25 Gift Certificate
Meanwhile, you can visit (or revisit!) Stumbling Blocks 1-8. Don’t forget that leaving a comment at any Stumbling Blocks article enters you into a drawing for a $25 WriteShop gift certificate. You can earn up to eleven chances in the drawing by commenting on all eleven articles. There’s still time to comment on any previous post, starting here!
- Lack of confidence
- Lack of skills and tools
- Lack of motivation
- Limited writing vocabulary
- Perfectionism and self-criticism
- Laziness
- Procrastination
- Worry about parental criticism
Happy writing,
Kim
December 25th, 2009 — Kim's blog
As our family celebrates the birth of Christ, we extend our warmest holiday wishes to each of you. May this season be one of joy in your hearts, and may 2010 be merry and bright in every way!
Happy writing,
Kim
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.”
–Isaiah 9:6
December 24th, 2009 — Kim's blog
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Photo public domain. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech via pingnews.
