Entries Tagged 'Kim's blog' ↓
August 27th, 2010 — Encouragement, Kim's blog, Reluctant Writers, Stumbling Blocks to Writing
At homeschool conferences, one of my favorite workshop presentations is Ten Stumbling Blocks to Writing. I love sharing practical ways parents can help their children overcome the obstacles that stand between them and the blank page—including laziness, perfectionism, and lack of motivation.
HomeschoolBlogger.com has been presenting a great lineup of FREE online classes this summer, the last of which is “Ten Stumbling Blocks.” Not only will you hear the audio, but if you’re a visual learner, you’ll also enjoy watching examples and demonstrations on a helpful, colorful PowerPoint.
Class Details
Workshop: Ten Stumbling Blocks to Writing
Presenter: Kim Kautzer, WriteShop
Date: Tuesday, August 31
Time: 2 PM EDT/1 PM CDT/noon MDT/11 AM PDT
Cost: FREE
To Register: HomeschoolBlogger Free Classes
Webinar Description: “I hate writing!” Is this the cheerful response you get when you give your kids an assignment? Then you’ll want to find out ten common stumbling blocks to writing and discover what students need in order to overcome their anxiety, fear, or lack of confidence. Learn how the steps of the writing process can actually motivate your most reluctant children, and gain tips and tools for encouraging their success.
For more information: http://homeschoolblogger.com/webinar/ten-stumbling-blocks-to-writing/
July 12th, 2010 — College Prep, Encouragement, High School, Kim's blog
A Success Story
I love hearing from students who have found success in school and life. Recently, I received an announcement in the mail from one of my former WriteShop I students (also a homeschool grad), who graduated summa cum laude from Gordon College.
Along with the announcement, Kaeli included a copy of an essay she had written for a grad school application—an essay limited to just 300 words. The irony of this little requirement didn’t escape either of us, for brevity was never her forte, and was in fact the very fly in her WriteShop ointment.
Back in our WriteShop days, restricting this enthusiastic writer to a single five- to seven-word paragraph was practically the same as torture. More than once she pleaded for eight sentences. More than once she made a passionate case for those extra adjectives. Much to her dismay, I always stood my ground.
Not that it’s a crime to write a ten-sentence paragraph or use a string of four perfect adjectives. Rather, it was all about a skill we were trying to develop in our young writers: conciseness.
Teaching conciseness is a foreign concept for many of you—you’re just happy to see a complete sentence materialize on your child’s paper! But we discovered that the same limits on paragraph length allowed parents to teach one simple WriteShop lesson to both struggling and eager writers.
The result? The reluctant child sees a doable goal (“I only have to write five sentences”), and the enthusiastic student learns to hone her writing and avoid rabbit trails and unnecessary verbiage.
Kaeli fit the latter profile. Bursting with ideas, she wanted to say it all. But her year in WriteShop taught her instead how to say it best.
Where Are They Now?
It was good to hear from Kaeli. From time to time I think of my former students and wonder, “Where are they now?” Deb and I haven’t taught a class in several years, but it’s really rewarding to see how successful many of these homeschoolers have become:
- Pastors and missionaries
- Military men and women
- College graduates in a wide variety of majors including journalism, English, sociology, criminal justice, Middle Eastern studies, photography, communications, art, music, and theater
- MA and PhD candidates in English, economics, political science, philosophy, psychology, and theology
In most cases, it’s been eight or more years since I’ve edited their fledgling writing attempts. But I’ve also read some of their recent writing. And what I see now reflects what I saw in my own son as the post-WriteShop years passed: maturity, knowledge, wisdom, growth. They express themselves in different ways, but they have all moved well beyond those WriteShop days.
Laying a Foundation
Some of you are just beginning your journey. You can’t even begin to imagine that one day your child will write an articulate, coherent thought. Others of you have taught WriteShop to several children who are now young adults succeeding in college and the workplace.
We “veterans” have learned that WriteShop served as a launching place, a training ground for instilling the basics of writing, including concreteness, conciseness, clarity, and sentence variety—skills that many incoming college freshmen lack.
Take heart. You’re teaching your children that writing is more than random thoughts tossed onto paper. You’re helping them learn to use important tools that lay a foundation for future writing—writing that will take shape and mature as their knowledge, life experiences, vocabulary, and thinking skills develop.
My girls were intuitive writers, easy to guide and easy to teach. But I didn’t have much faith that my reluctant 12-year-old son (the WriteShop guinea pig) would be able to write. Our journey was hard, and we experienced more than our share of frustration. But diligence paid off. He’s now a 25-year-old PhD candidate whose writing has actually become his work.
Your child may not become a scholar . . . and that’s okay. But good writing skills will take him far in the workplace and in life. So stay the course, and be encouraged that a great deal can—and will—happen between now and adulthood.
June 30th, 2010 — Bad Signage Humor, Kim's blog, Wordless Wednesday
Here is another gem for you! Enjoy!
. . . . .
Stop by every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesday for a peek into the world of spelling, punctuation, or grammar gone wrong!
March 22nd, 2010 — Kim's blog
If you’re a regular reader here at In Our Write Minds, you may wonder why I’m not posting as regularly as I normally do. I thought I’d give you a little peek into the goings-on around here so you’ll understand.
It’s crazy mode at my house for the next few weeks as we prepare to host a wedding reception for our son and his new bride.
Because their wedding took place in England last summer, very few friends and family on this side of the pond were able to attend, so we’re looking forward to our California celebration.
We’re also excited to spend some time with the two of them—a true luxury, now that we’re an ocean apart. We have a wonderful—albeit full—couple of weeks ahead of us!
I’m finding it hard to squeeze in much writing time, between baking dozens and dozens of cookies, planning all the details for the party, and preparing to speak at a homeschool convention on April 10. If time permits, I’ll do my best to post a few articles between now and the reception. Otherwise, at least you’ll know what’s become of me.
Thanks for understanding!
~Kim
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!
