If there’s one subject that seems to befuddle homeschoolers more than any other, it’s writing. I hear it during homeschool consultations and casually talking among homeschool friends. Plus, I see questions about it all over the internet. People are often surprised when I tell them I don’t formally teach writing until middle school. Really, I don’t. And here’s…
Voice. It’s in every good piece of writing, but it’s a tad elusive to define and teach. Using picture books to teach voice in writing can help, though, and that’s what you’ll learn here. Writing that connects with readers has a voice. Writing that makes you feel emotion has a voice. When it comes to…
In my last post about teaching narrative writing, I mentioned how the subject of writing tends to be a thorn in the side of many homeschoolers. It doesn’t have to be that way, though! In this little series of posts, I hope to encourage you that teaching writing styles to your middle and high school students…
Living literature isn’t just for reading – it’s also great for teaching writing styles! Serious writing lessons don’t start in our homeschool until middle and high school, but believe it or not, I use picture books quite often to help me teach. Since picture books can be read in one sitting, they are perfect examples…
One of my goals in homeschooling creatively has always been to help kids love writing. Whether students believe it or not, writing is an essential skill that finds its way into real life quite often. Teaching writing with real-life methods is a great way to convince kids of its importance. Not to mention, anytime an…
How do you feel when I ask, “What’s your plan for teaching writing this year?” Does it fill you with so much excitement that you chatter on and on – or do you just look at me with frustrated eyes and groan? The subject of writing seems to give more homeschooling families fits than any…
Why would anyone use picture books to teach expository writing? Because picture books are written by master authors who can teach us clearly through their examples. Not to mention, it doesn’t take long to read through most picture books, so you can share examples and get right to the work of writing. What is expository…
My children don’t typically jump for joy when given a writing assignment. Do yours? I’ve found several ways over the years to take writing from dreaded to enjoyable in our home, though. One of the most beloved of those ideas is writing newsletters. Several years ago, I wrote the monthly newsletter for our church. I…
I {heart} picture books for so many reasons. One giant reason is their ability to teach so many in depth concepts in such non-intimidating ways that students often don’t see fear in the lessons that follow. One such example is writing. I can’t tell you the times I’ve been asked by homeschooling parents to tutor…
(I received this course for free in exchange for an honest review, and I was compensated for my time. This post contains affiliate links.) Don’t Be Afraid of High School Writing I have a secret to share. I hate to teach writing. Yep, really. I like when my children are good writers, but I don’t…
If writing isn’t a natural passion for your child, it can be a subject full of drudgery. Believe me, I know. Up until this year Mahayla has fought me tooth and nail over any sort of writing assignment. This year has been different, though. I believe she’s enjoying writing partly because of maturity, but I’ve made…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Picture Prompts Inspire Writing Here’s a fun way to get your kids to write – and it’s VERY easy! Use homemade picture prompts. Simply cut out interesting pictures from magazines, old calendars, old books, etc. and paste them on card stock. Let your child choose a picture, then write a…
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