Educating Leaders - No Conveyor Belt Education Here!
July 31, 2009 - Encourage Writing using Reading Journals
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
Reading journals are a powerful tool to help your students learn.
Journal writing lessons are a great way for children to improve their writing while encouraging their learning through readings. It works for any child, regardless of age. All they need to do is write about what they have read and learned.
Over the past year, my teenagers tracked their literature reading assignments in a reading journal. When we began, they wrote about events happening in the story. As time progressed, they became more engrossed in the task, writing about lessons learned or the actions of the characters in the story. Now, at the end of the year, they are writing informal essays in their reading journals that delve deeply into the story, rather than simply re-telling it.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, “US History Based Writing Lessons - Volume 1.”
This year, my twelve-year-old son is starting his reading journal. Each day, he writes an entry on what he learned. We've found this helpful with Bible readings and devotionals - a great way to reinforce important lessons!
If you have younger children, write their journal entry for them as they narrate it. They can re-write the narrative, using their best handwriting, into their journal on the next day.
I don't think that these journals are teaching tools themselves, but they have helped my children write better. It does, however, help them to retain what they have learned while looking for ways to incorporate those lessons into daily life. I use Teaching Writing: Structure & Style. __________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
Despite all the articles I wrote to teach kids to write, the children often teach me more than I teach them. Thanks to my son, I learned another powerful lesson, one that makes me a better teacher while helping him become a better writer. Here's what happened.
A week ago my son listened to IEW Student Writing DVD for his writing assignment. His lesson was on writing a biographical sketch in a 5-paragraph paper. In the back of my mind I thought it would be great if he wrote about one of the early church fathers. We were studying the end of the Roman civilization and it would help him remember one of them. Besides, he could read one of the books that we did not have time to read in history. Of course, he was not very interested in those men.
As we spoke, I could see the disinterest reflected in his eyes. Once the conversation turned to baseball, his demeanor changed. He had just finished reading a book on baseball player Derek Jeter, and was fascinated, eager to learn more. When I suggested that he write his biography on Jeter instead, my son's eyes lit up with excitement. had to use at least three sources for his biography, only one of which could be from the internet. Before our talk was through, he already had two other possible sources lined up.
We decided that he would write about Derek Jeter, rather than church fathers.
Here’s a video review of one of our writing products,
“Student Writing Intensive.”
Over the past week, he has been hard at work researching Mr. Jeter's life and collecting information. Today's assignment was to narrow the facts down to three, keeping his paper from becoming a full book. From this point, he will work on an effective outline and begin to write.
Believe me, I have a much happier son because he is writing about someone he likes, not someone Mom told him to research. I know his paper will be much better, just because he has an interest in his topic.
Do you let your kids take leadership, and ownership, in their writing topics? If not, why not? Next week, discuss an assignment and then let your kids choose their own topic. They will be so glad you did and you will be glad when you read their finished paper!
__________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
July 28, 2009 - Teaching Writing Skills: (Part III)
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
Teaching children how to write is a challenge. By using the methods we have outlined in this three-part series, you can make this process easier for yourself and your students. Using predictable books to teach writing skills will increase your success. By now, you have completed a simple story outline. Over the next two days, your child will complete this exercise while strengthening his writing skills.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, "US History Based Writing, Volume 2."
Day 2
Gather your outline, some blank paper, and a pen or pencil. Your child can re-tell the story (out loud!) to refresh his memory - let him use the outline to stay on track.
Next, your child will write a sentence for each line of his outline. The sentence does not need to be an exact replica of the original paragraph. In fact, your child may improve on what was originally written. When he finishes each line of the outline, he will have a completed paragraph.
If your child is young, you might let him tell you each sentence while you write it down for him. At this point, you (the teacher or parent) should edit the paragraph for spelling and punctuation. Notice I did not say rewrite the sentences or add words. Let this be your child's writing, not yours.
If you have older students who can edit their own work, have them correct their own spelling and punctuation on day three.
DAY 3
On the final day your child will copy his completed paragraph making any of your changes for spelling and punctuation. Of course, there are places you will see that need improving, but you can teach those concepts in a later lesson. This is an activity to help your students see they can write something on their own. They does not have to worry about "what" to write any more because you will give him a source text from which to start.
Repeat this simple activity several times. Your students will become more skilled in outlining and rewriting paragraphs. Choose paragraphs from several sources, depending on your child's interests and studies.
This is a wonderful way to teach your students how to write! __________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
July 28, 2009 - How to Motivate Your Students to Write
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
The most common complaint I hear from parents has to do with their child's approach to writing. It's quite normal for children to resist writing assignments. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way. By providing your child with a clear purpose for their writing lessons, you will boost their motivation and encourage them to do their best work. Through the process of writing format through publishing, my kids do better work, and are happier about it, too!
A few years ago, all three of my children wrote books which are now available for purchase. My son worked for an entire year studying about the jungle and choosing just the right animal or plant to include in his ABC Jungle Book. After making these choices, he wrote a paragraph about each one, using a writing stylistic checklist.
You must be realistic and know that he did not write or research every day for the past year. He took breaks from this project which was completed at the beginning of June.
He was highly motivated for a couple of reasons. First, he chose the topic of jungles himself so he was quite interested in the topic from the beginning. Secondly, the idea of making money from his writing project and publishing a book was exciting. This project gave him a purpose for writing. Not every writing project will end in a money-making project, but each writing assignment should have a purpose.
Of course, most writing assignments aren't done for monetary gain. There are other motivators besides money. For example, you can encourage your child to write letters to friends and relatives; write a story or poem to enter in a contest; write a news article for the family newsletter; relate a funny story on something that happened to them - practically any clear purpose can make writing assignments more enjoyable and effective.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, “Medieval History Based Writing.”
Once your child has a purpose for writing, he needs to put his ideas down on paper in a thoughtful, cohesive manner. There are many writing programs on the market, but best source I have found to teach your child "how" to write is Excellence in Writing. This course deals with the "hows" of writing instead of "what" to write about.
You can give your child(ren) a great reason for writing when you use the process of writing format through publishing. Try to integrate writing into any subject you are studying with your child. Writing should never be treated as a separate topic, since it is a valuable skill that transcends the subject material. By encouraging your child to write on a range of topics, he (or she!) will understand the purpose that writing has in all aspects of life.
__________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
July 27, 2009 - How Will You Teach Writing? Part 3
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
Teaching children how to write is a challenge. By using the methods we have outlined in this three-part series, you can make this process easier for yourself and your students. Using predictable books to teach writing skills will increase your success. By now, you have completed a simple story outline. Over the next two days, your child will complete this exercise while strengthening his writing skills.
Day 2
To begin, gather some blank paper, a pen or pencil, and the outline which you completed in part two. Encourage your child to tell the story again, using the outline to keep them on track.
For each line of the outline, have your child write a new sentence based on the keywords he chose. Remember, we are not trying to teach your child to recite the story verbatim. Your child will use his own words to retell the story, often making the tale even more interesting. Continue until you have a new sentence for each line of the outline.
If your children are very young, you may want to write the sentences as they dictate them. Once this is complete, check each sentence to make sure that spelling and punctuation are correct. Do not change the words or rewrite the sentences - let it be your child's writing, in his own voice.
Older students who are capable of editing their own work for spelling and punctuation should do so on day three.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, "US History Based Writing, Volume 2."
DAY 3
This is the final day for this lesson. Have your child copy out his completed paragraph or story, in his own words. Make sure that younger children incorporate spelling and punctuation changes; older children can make these changes on their own. Don't be surprised if you see areas which need improvement - that is perfectly natural, and those concepts can be added in a later lesson. Your child won't have to worry about selecting a topic, since he will be provided with a story or paragraph to start with.
You can repeat this activity as often as necessary. With practice, your child will improve his skills in outlining and writing. You can perform this exercise using paragraphs or stories from a wide range of interests - dinosaurs, fairy tales, even subjects they are learning about in class.
This is a great method to teach writing to your students! __________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
July 27, 2009 - Teaching Writing Skills: (Part III)
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
It's not always easy to teach kids how to write. The methods in this three-part series can simplify the process for both you and your students. As a writing teacher, you will have the greatest success by using predictable books to teach writing. Once you have outlined a simple story as shown in part two, follow these guidelines to complete the exercise.
Day 2
Gather your outline, some blank paper, and a pen or pencil. Your child can re-tell the story (out loud!) to refresh his memory - let him use the outline to stay on track.
Next, your child will write a sentence for each line of his outline. The sentence does not need to be an exact replica of the original paragraph. In fact, your child may improve on what was originally written. When he finishes each line of the outline, he will have a completed paragraph.
If your child is young, you might let him tell you each sentence while you write it down for him. At this point, you (the teacher or parent) should edit the paragraph for spelling and punctuation. Notice I did not say rewrite the sentences or add words. Let this be your child's writing, not yours.
If your students are older and can edit for spelling/punctuation, let them do this on Day 3.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, "US History Based Writing, Volume 2."
DAY 3
On the final day your child will copy his completed paragraph making any of your changes for spelling and punctuation. Of course, there are places you will see that need improving, but you can teach those concepts in a later lesson. This is an activity to help your students see they can write something on their own. They does not have to worry about "what" to write any more because you will give him a source text from which to start.
Repeat this simple activity several times. Your students will become more skilled in outlining and rewriting paragraphs. Choose paragraphs from several sources, depending on your child's interests and studies.
This is a great method to teach writing to your students!
__________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
In my last article I described a unique approach to teaching writing. It follows the guidelines set out by Andrew Pudewa in IEW's Teaching Writing: Structure & Style. This program spends most of it's time teaching students writing skills such as "how to write" instead of brainstorming "what to write about".
Using that model, let me share free writing lessons online that you can use with your own children this week (or the first week of school). If your older children struggle with writing, this is a great place to start. Begin by choosing a story they enjoy. This is one way of using predictable books to teach writing.
DAY 1 In order to help your children with "what" to write, you should copy a simple, one-page story, perhaps Aesop's Fables. Read the story aloud with your child. After reading the story, write an outline/structure so you can do a key word outline with your child. The structure should look something like this.
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
You will notice that there are no letters, only numbers, on this structure. There is an excellent reason for this -- children find a numbered outline easier to follow than one that includes letters. Make sure that you have a number for each sentence in the story.
Go back to the story, and re-read the first sentence. Ask your child to choose three key words from the sentence. These words will help him to put the story in his own words, which happens later in this exercise. Underline or circle these words, and then write them beside the "I". Make sure you write them in order.
From there, read the second sentence and choose another three key words. Write those words beside 1. If your child only has a word or two, that's fine - just make sure that there are no more than three words. Your child must decide for himself which words to choose. We are not trying to force your child to remember every little detail, just the highlights so he can re-write the sentences later.
Here’s a video review of one of our writing products, “ History Based Writing Lessons.
After you have your outline completed, put away the original source. Have your child use the outline and tell back to you the paragraph. Children have a much easier time verbalizing what they have read rather than writing it down. You just finished half of the writing lesson.
With older students, be sure to have them re-tell the paragraph to you. This may seem childish to you, but it is imperative to help with older kids' thought pattern as he writes tomorrow.
Join us for the part three, which includes more free writing lessons online. Using the outline you created today, you will take the next step - teaching your children to write a story in their own words.
__________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
When we decided to homeschool our children, we did not buy a writing curriculum. As a fifth-grade teacher with six years experience, I knew how to create a writing curriculum. Most of the homeschool writing activities I saw were like the writing curriculum in the public school system. These programs taught students what to write, not how to write.
Well, that was until I discovered Andrew Pudewa's Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). IEW had a flagship product, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style, that intrigued me. Mr. Pudewa did not spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas for students to write. Instead he spent the bulk of his curriculum on "how to write". This was a new concept to me because the biggest problem my students had, like all other students, was what to write about.
Andrew Pudewa's approach to writing is completely different. Rather than have students decide on the topic, he tells them what to write about. Using his lesson plans for writing process, students learn a variety of "structures". These structures consist of outlines for various types of writings - essays, letters, and more. Students choose an appropriate outline depending on what kind of writing they are doing and the reasons for writing.
Teaching Writing goes beyond structure, teaching students how to develop their writing "style"; thus, the program name Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. Mr. Pudewa teaches students how to develop and vary their writing style. Students use strong action words and effective adjectives to create powerful sentences. Once students learn how to dress up their sentences, they learn various methods to open their sentences.
Here is a review of one of our writing products, "Windows To The World".
In my next article (part 2), I will share a simple activity you can use with your own children this week (or the first week of school). If your older students struggle with writing, this is a great place to start.
__________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck encourages homeschool moms and classroom teachers with writing lessons. Go get her free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily today.
August 6, 2008 - Use Reading Journal Every Day to Encourage Writing
Why should you use reading journals with your students?
Personally, I believe reading journals are an excellent way to have your students interact with their readings and improve their writing at the same time. Whether your kids are six or sixteen they can write about what they read and begin their journal writing programs.
My teenagers kept a reading journal this past year. It specifically dealt with their literature reading assignment. At the beginning of the year, they wrote about the events that occurred in the story. As the year passed, they began writing more about the characters or the lessons they were learning from the story. By the end of the year this was an informal essay, going beyond simply recapping what they read.
My son is twelve and I plan to start the year with a journal entry at the end of each day. This will tell me what he "really learned" that day. He has made journal entries for specific readings, similar to narrations. We have used journals especially with his Bible readings. He writes a paragraph about what he read in his morning devotions and I believe this helps reinforce what he reads.
When my children were younger, they would narrate aloud what they read earlier that day. I would write it down for them. The following day, my kids would copy the narration in their best handwriting. Young children can have journal writing instruction as they enter copywork into their journals.
Journals help my kids write on a daily basis, but I don't think it teaches writing. I use Teaching Writing: Structure & Style to make a longer assignment that gives my kids the opportunity to write to a final draft form.
To recap, we have two types of writings: informal journal entries about what they are reading and formal writing assignments where they learn how to improve their writing. Sometimes we will use a journal entry and turn it into a polished final draft.
August 1, 2008 - Choosing a Topic to Teach Writing
Lately, I've written a number of articles to help you teach kids, whether you're teaching in a school or home-schooling your own children. Recently, I was reminded yet again of the importance of allowing children the freedom to choose their own assignments. Thanks to my son, I learned a valuable lesson to make me a more effective teacher, while turning him into a more powerful writer.
Last week, my son was listening to his IEW Student Writing DVD. His lesson was on writing a biographical sketch, outlining someone's life in five short paragraphs. Well, I already knew the perfect subjects - perhaps writing on an early father of the church would help his recent lessons on Roman civilization to sink in more deeply. As an added bonus, he could delve more deeply into some of the books which we hadn't time to read in history. I thought it was a perfect topic - he wasn't convinced.
As we spoke, I could see the disinterest reflected in his eyes. Once the conversation turned to baseball, his demeanor changed. He had just finished reading a book on baseball player Derek Jeter, and was fascinated, eager to learn more. When I suggested that he write his biography on Jeter instead, my son's eyes lit up with excitement. had to use at least three sources for his biography, only one of which could be from the internet. Before our talk was through, he already had two other possible sources lined up.
We decided that he would write about Derek Jeter, rather than church fathers.
Over the past week, he has studiously collected information on Derek Jeter for his paper. Today, we narrowed his topics down to only three, keeping him from being overwhelmed. Over the next week, he will create an outline and begin writing.
I am impressed at how much happier he is with this assignment. All it took was the freedom to choose his own topic, rather than being told what to write. Because he is so interested in his topic, I know that he will do a better job and learn more in the process.
Wherever possible, let your kids choose topics which interest them. They will take ownership of their work, and be more motivated to boot. Try it soon - simply talk with your kids to find a topic which interests them, and then let them choose. They'll love the chance to follow their passions, leading to better papers which will be a joy to read.
When you give your children a writing assignment, do they complain and whine about it? I had the same problem, until I discovered something last summer which made all the difference - when my children had a purpose for their writing, they were more willing to complete the assignments. Along the way, my kids learned the process of writing format through publishing.
All three of my children are published authors. For example, my son wrote an ABC jungle book at the age of 8. It took him a full year studying the jungle and its animals to choose the best plants and animals for his book. He then wrote a paragraph for each letter, referring to the Excellence in Writing style checklist to make sure his writing was of professional quality.
Given his age, it was unrealistic to force him to work on his book every day. It was an ongoing project that he worked on regularly, and completed at the beginning of June. However, he remained motivated through the entire year, an amazing feat for one so young.
There were a couple of reasons for his motivation, which ultimately led to a successful book launch. To start, he was fascinated by the jungle and its creatures, so he was researching something that was already interesting to him. It rarely felt like work! He was also thrilled at the thought of becoming a published author, earning money by writing and publishing his own book. Having a purpose for writing is the key to motivation.
Not all writing assignments lead to a money-making opportunity - there are many other ways to introduce purpose into your child's writing. Experiment, and look for new reasons to write. Perhaps your child can write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper on a preferred topic; enter a poem or story in a writing contest; share news in a letter with family or friends; or write a story about an incident in their life. Be creative, and find new reasons for your children to write - they will approach their writing with a fresh outlook and increased enthusiasm.
Once you have given your child a purposeful writing assignment, help them to first put their ideas onto paper, and arrange those ideas in a cohesive, logical order. There's a program on the market which, in my opinion (as a mother and former teacher) is the best. Check out Teaching Writing: Structure & Style, which excels in teaching your children how to write effectively for a range of reasons - letters, essays, stories, and more.
You can give your child(ren) a great reason for writing when you use the process of writing format through publishing. Try to integrate writing into any subject you are studying with your child. Writing should never be treated as a separate topic, since it is a valuable skill that transcends the subject material. By encouraging your child to write on a range of topics, he (or she!) will understand the purpose that writing has in all aspects of life.
July 22, 2008 - How Will You Teach Writing? (part 3)
Writing is often a difficult subject to teach kids, but using this method can simplify it for you and your students. using predictable books to teach writing also simplifies your efforts as a writing teacher. After you outline a simple story, follow the guidelines below.
DAY 2
Get your outline and a blank sheet of paper. If your child needs to refresh himself on the content, have him retell the story aloud. He can use the outline to help him.
Next, your child will write a sentence for each line of his outline. The sentence does not need to be an exact replica of the original paragraph. In fact, your child may improve on what was originally written. When he finishes each line of the outline, he will have a completed paragraph.
If your child is young, you might let him tell you each sentence while you write it down for him. At this point, you (the teacher or parent) should edit the paragraph for spelling and punctuation. Notice I did not say rewrite the sentences or add words. Let this be your child's writing, not yours.
If your students are older and can edit for spelling/punctuation, let them do this on Day 3.
DAY 3
On the final day your child will copy his completed paragraph making any of your changes for spelling and punctuation. Of course, there are places you will see that need improving, but you can teach those concepts in a later lesson. This is an activity to help your students see they can write something on their own. They doesn't have to worry about "what" to write any more because you will give him a source text from which to start.
You can repeat this simple activity until your students are able to outline and re-write paragraphs on their own. You can use paragraphs from a variety of content areas such as knights & castles, animals, solar system, fairy tales or any subject you are studying with your students.
Isn't that easy??? And you thought writing was difficult to teach!
July 17, 2008 - How Will You Teach Writing? (part 2)
In my last article I described a unique approach to teaching writing. It follows the guidelines set out by Andrew Pudewa in IEW's Teaching Writing: Structure & Style. This program spends most of it's time teaching students "how to write" instead of brainstorming "what to write about".
Using that model, let me share free writing lessons online that you can use with your own children this week (or the first week of school). If your older children struggle with writing, this is a great place to start. Begin by choosing a story they enjoy. This is one way of using predictable books to teach writing.
DAY 1
In order to help your children with "what" to write, you should copy a simple, one-page story, perhaps Aesop’s Fables. Read the story aloud with your child. After reading the story, write an outline/structure so you can do a key word outline with your child. The structure should look something like this.
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
If you are an outline perfectionist, you might have a heart attack since there are no letters on my outline. The only person that will have a hard time with no letters is you. Children have no problem using an outline that has just numbers. In fact, they will find it easier to work with. There should a number for each sentence in the story.
Re-read the first sentence and have your child offer three key words from that sentence that will help him remember what is written. Underline or circle those words in the copy of the story as he tells them to you. Once he has chosen three words, write them in order on I.
Then, move to the second sentence and underline three key words for that sentence. Write them on 1. Continue until you have three words for each sentence. You may have less than three words, but not more. This forces your child to learn how to make a decision. Besides, he does not need to remember every detail in each sentence to learn how to re-write this story in his own words.
After you have your outline completed, put away the original source. Have your child use the outline and tell back to you the paragraph. Children have a much easier time verbalizing what they have read rather than writing it down. You just finished half of the writing lesson.
With older students, be sure to have them re-tell the paragraph to you. This may seem childish to you, but it is imperative to help with older kids' thought pattern as he writes tomorrow.
In my next article, I will share the rest of these free writing lessons online. You will learn how to use this simple outline to teach your children to write in their own words.
July 12, 2008 - How Will You Teach Writing This Year? (part 1)
When I first started homeschooling, I decided not to buy a Writing Curriculum! Why? Because all the programs I reviewed were activities I could do on my own. I taught fifth grade for six years and most homeschool writing programs were like my public school writing curriculum, teaching students "what to write".
Well, that was until I discovered Andrew Pudewa's Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). IEW had a flagship product, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style, that intrigued me. Mr. Pudewa did not spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas for students to write. Instead he spent the bulk of his curriculum on "how to write". This was a new concept to me because the biggest problem my students had, like all other students, was what to write about.
Andrew's approach to writing solves the "what to write about" problem by simply telling the students what to write about. His program spends more time teaching "structures" or outlines for a variety of writings, offering lesson plans for writing process. Depending on the type of writing and your purpose for writing, you can use different outlines to organize your thoughts.
In addition to teaching structures, Teaching Writing also shows students how to improve their writing "style". Thus, the name of the program is Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. Students learn a variety of ways to vary their writing style. Mr. Pudewa shows students how to dress up their sentences with strong verbs and quality adjectives. Other dress-ups include adverbs and clauses. After mastering the dress ups, students learn how to open their sentences in a variety of methods.
In my next article (part 2), I will share a simple activity you can use with your own children this week (or the first week of school). If your older students struggle with writing, this is a great place to start.
The Old Schoolhouse is having a Short Story
Contest for adults and children. Take a few minutes to see all
the great prizes you can win. You'll notice some from my hubby -
Making Money Online and How to Start Your Own Business.
Then, head over to your desk and start writing...or helping your child write that award-wining short story.
July 20, 2006 - How Will You Teach Writing This Year?
When I first started homeschooling, I decided NOT to buy a Writing
Curriculum! Why? Because all the programs I reviewed were
activities I could do on my own. I
taught fifth grade for six years and most homeschool writing programs were like
my public school writing curriculum, teaching students “what to write”.
Well…that was until I discovered Andrew Pudewa’s Institute
for Excellence in Writing (IEW).IEW had
a flagship product, Teaching Writing:Structure and Style, that intrigued me.He did not spend a lot of time brainstorming ideas for students to
write.Instead he spent the bulk of his
curriculum on “how to write”.This was a
new concept to me because the biggest problem my students had, like all other
students, was what to write about.Andrew’s approach to writing solved this problem by telling the students
what to write about.His program spends
more time teaching “structures” or outlines for a variety of writings.Depending on the type of writing and your
purpose for writing, you will use different outlines to organize your
thoughts.
In addition to teaching structures, Teaching Writing also
shows students how to improve their “style”.Thus, the name of the program is Teaching Writing: Structure and
Style.Students learn a variety of ways
to vary their writing style.Mr. Pudewa
shows students how to dress up their sentences with strong verbs and quality
adjectives.Other dress ups include
adverbs and clauses.After mastering the
dress ups, students learn how to open their sentences in a variety of
methods.
Let me share a simple activity you can use with your own
children this week (or the first week of school).If your older children struggle with writing,
this is a great place to start.Just
choose a story they would enjoy.
DAY 1
In order to help your children with “what” to
write, you should xerox a simple, 1-page story, perhaps Aesop’s Fables.
Read the story with your child. After reading the story, write an
outline/structure so you can do a key word outline with your child. The
structure should look something like this.
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
If you are an outline perfectionist, you might have a heart
attack since there are no letters on my outline. The only person that
will have a hard time with no letters is YOU. Children have no problem using
an outline that has just numbers. In fact, they will find it easier to
work with. There should a number for each sentence in the story.
Re-read the first sentence and have your child offer 3 key
words from that sentence that will help him remember what is written. Underline
or circle those words as he tells them to you. Once he has chosen three
words, write them in order on I. Then, move to the second sentence and
underline three key words for that sentence. Write them on 1.
Continue until you have three words for each sentence. You may have less
than three words, but not more. This forces your child to learn how to
make a decision. Besides, he does not need to remember EVERY detail in
each sentence.
After you have your outline completed, put away the original
source. Have your child use the outline and tell back to you the
paragraph. Children have a much easier time telling verbally what they
read than writing it down. You just finished half of the writing lesson.
Older Students:Be sure to have them re-tell the paragraph to you.This will help his thought pattern as he
writes tomorrow.
DAY 2
Pull out the
outline along with a blank sheet of paper. If your child needs to refresh
himself on the content, have him retell the paragraph. Now, your child
will write a sentence for each line of his outline. The sentence does NOT
need to be an exact replica of the original paragraph. In fact, your
child may improve on what was originally written. When he finishes each
line of the outline, he will have a completed paragraph. If your child is
young, you might let him tell you each sentence and you write it down for
him. At this point, you (mom) should edit the paragraph for spelling and
punctuation. Notice I did not say rewrite the sentences or add words.
Let this be your child’s writing, not yours.
Older Students:If your child is older and can edit for spelling/punctuation, let him do
this on Day 3.
DAY 3
On the final day
your child will copy his completed paragraph making any of your changes for
spelling and punctuation. Of course, there are places you will see that
need improving, but you can teach that in a later lesson. This is an
activity to help your child see that he can write something on his own.
He doesn’t have to worry about “what” to write” any more because you will give
him a source text from which to start.
Older Students:Edit for spelling/punctuation.Re-copy in good handwriting.
Isn’t that easy???And you thought writing was difficult to
teach!
If you liked this simple activity and the layout with
assignments for each day, you will want to look at the new Student Writing
Intensive Workbooks.
What are Student Workshop Intensives?
At the beginning of
this article, I explained the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style
program.Not only does IEW have
workshops to teach teachers, they also have workshops to teach students.These are DVDs you can let your students
watch and follow the assignments.Each
Student Writing Intensive (SWI) includes 4 days of student workshops on DVD and
a basic writing notebook to organize the student’s writings and stylistic
charts.
But now, there is MORE!
Homeschool moms
were practically demanding the new lesson plans included in the consumable
Student Writing Workbooks.These
workbooks expand the four days of Mr. Pudewa’s student workshop DVDs into 15
weeks of lesson plans and many, many extra writing assignments.As a busy homeschool mom, you need a plan to
use the best writing program on the market (IEW), so check out the Student Writing
WorkbooksHERE.
These new Student Writing Workbooks will SAVE YOU TIME
so you can teach and guide as your children need you!
I almost forgot…
…when you order IEW products from Curriculum Connection, you
receive FREE shipping.
If you have any questions, post them on the comment
section.Or, share your own writing
source texts.When you post a comment,
you are entered into our contest to win a prize.
Need ideas for encouraging your young writers and
QUICK?
Ready for a FUN way to encourage your most reluctant writer to
write
AND like it...well, become ADDICTED to
writing???
This is a book that you simply CANNOT
miss.
Cindy Rushton, who has become known as THE BINDER QUEEN, uses
Notebooking for EVERYTHING! She will show you how to begin whether your child is
a toddler or the most skeptical high schooler. This book is the most in-depth
resource available to help your children deepen their studies and document
learning all along the way! Of all of Cindy’s books, this one is sure to help
you with any area of study that needs a little life! Don’t miss this one!
Notebooking works well with ALL areas you
study!! Perfect with Charlotte Mason Approach, Unit Studies, Principle
Approach, Classical Education or Leadership Education!!!
BEST OF
ALL!
NOTEBOOKING is NOW revised and expanded! Cindy has spent
the past few months completely revamping this book. Not only does it include
twice as many chapters--with even MORE help for notebooking with your
homeschool students, but it also now includes her complete Workshop Manual
filled with reproducibles, even more articles and help, and now several of her
popular audio workshops!
Ohhh! Even BETTER NEWS!
Our NEWLY REVISED Notebooking Book
includes the following chapters:
Notebooking! Ready to Get Addicted??? Page 17
Confession Time... Page 19
Ready to Evaluate... Page 21
Why Notebook??? Page 23
Where On Earth Do I Begin??? Page 39
Down to the Nitty-Gritty...What Do I Need??? Page 49
What Goes Into a Notebook??? Page 57
Ideas, Ideas, Ideas...There’s Gotta Be ONE For You! Page 59
Hummm...Just In Case Your Need a Bit MORE Help!
Hey! What On EARTH is Copywork??? Page 103
Cute Notebook Themes Using Your Copywork! Page 113
So...Just WHAT IS Narration? Page 117
Soooo, What If??? Page 123
Slow and Steady! Understanding the Process of Learning Page 133
Some Quotes From Long Ago About Notebooking Page 139
Tips for the Stressed Out Mom! Page 143
Some Great Resources to Help Build Those Notebooks! Page 149
Need Forms for Your
Notebooks??? Look Into These Resources! Page 165 ALL Chapters
completely revamped and expanded! Ready to addict YOU and YOUR FAMILY to
notebooking!
AND...That is NOT ALL!
We also
include the entire COMPANION CD with this E-Book! OVER 300 pages filled with the
following:
Workshop handouts from Cindy's WorkshopsArticles!
Notebooking! SURE To Addict You Too!
My Shopping List! Language Arts The EASY Way! Ideas for Mommy Copywork!
Even MORE Notebooking Help! Printable Notebook Pages to Help You Get Started! Copywork to Get You Started (On MONDAY MORNING!)!
Samples from the Rushton Kids's Notebooks!
PLUS! 250 sample pages from student notebooks brought to our workshops!
June 18, 2006 - Homeschool Encouragment from Andrew Kern
A few weekends ago I spent some time
visiting with Andrew Kern, author of Lost Tools of Writing….what an
encouragement and inspiration. Andrew reminds me to take a step back and look at
the big picture of homeschooling, instead of getting caught up in the details
(not that details aren’t important, just over emphasized). I just finished
listening to one of his workshops on Developing Wisdom through Writing. Once
again, I am renewed in my focus with my children to be wisdom and virtue.
That’s what God calls us to instill in our
children.
I am in the process of reviewing his
curriculum so I can discuss it at CHEA in California. I hope to set up a webpage of my
review, once I finish. I’ll post it here when I finish.
I copied some questions that were submitted to me last week. I hope these help some of you.
About how
much time a week/day do your students spend writing?
My kids
are 13, 16, 18 and they write each day. Sometime they write on a formal writing
project and other times they are writing in their reading journal, copybook or
commonplace book. They usually spend 15-30 minutes/day writing. The older ones
may spend more time. When they were younger, they spent about 15 minutes/day
writing.
How much
time did it take you at the beginning to work with them on IEW? I realize this
is one of my weaker areas and don’t mind spending the time to get us up to
speed; I just need to know how to set up our schedule if we decide to use it.
Right now I allow 1-1½ hours for a language arts block each day for my
4th grader. (This includes grammar, spelling and
writing.)
We all
spent more time together when we first started IEW so we could learn the
process. It probably took about 4-5 months for the kids to learn the process and
work independently. Even before that time, they had some assignments where they
could work on their own. The biggest skills they had to learn include key word
outlines, writing a rough draft from an outline, what the dress-ups are and how
to do them, editing their piece. If you spend 30 minutes a day on writing, you
should be fine.
Do your
children write every day? YES
At what
age would you start using IEW? (I have a five year old who has walked around
with a pencil since she was about 18 months and she is constantly writing. She
has my husband’s very quick mind, and is already reading on a
2nd/3rd grade level.)
My
youngest began around 7 years old. We wrote an outline together (I did the
writing). He dictated a sentence for each part of the outline (I typed his
sentences). We printed the paragraph and we edited it together, adding
dress-ups. We followed this pattern until he was 8 or 9 years old. Then, he
started writing his own rough drafts. At this younger age, we did not do a
formal writing assignment each day. We alternated with copy work and
dictation.
Would I be
able to teach both of the girls simultaneously and just expect more from my 9
year old?
Your five
year old might listen and do what she could. Until she is old enough to read
fairly well, I wouldn’t worry about these types of writing assignments. I would
have her copying words and sentences from good books she is reading or you are
reading to her. I don’t encourage writing assignments until a child is reading
and spelling on their own, usually around 7 or 8 years old. I would gear your
writing assignments to your 9yo and let your 5 yo “catch” what she can from the
discussions.
A place to interact about teaching our kids without following the conveyor belt model of the government schools. Think outside the box and provide a leadership education for your children.
Other musings are included on a regular basis :-)
