Just Write

I'm often asked what I use for writing in our homeschool.  I was asked again quite recently so I thought I'd share my reply here.

I’m embarrassed to say that nothing (ie: curriculum) has really stuck like ink in our household. The only staples I can say have stuck (quite literally) to my refrigerator door, my table tops, my windows, and even our television set are papers.  Tons.  Woods.  Acres of paper.  Writing curricula stacks my bookshelves as I'm sure it does yours. And there it sits.  The paper distributed throughout my house is, without a doubt the most used curriculum of all and its flies...literally and liberally and literarily. 

Still my older two write well enough.  The only areas we haven't covered well are critical essays, the kinds that persuade and debate, and I'm quite sure my oldest son has forgotten anything I went over with him about footnotes and endnotes and the like, but I hardly think this will prove to be a stumbling mark in his life's work.  My daughter does a good job at writing but most of that credit goes to a superb English teacher she had a couple years ago and a wonderful French mentor she's had her senior year of French V (she's had nine years of French study).  Perhaps she inherited a stray writing gene.  People seem to think so, but I see that gene more in my ten-year-old daughter than in my seventeen-year-old daughter. My oldest daughter learns mostly from rote and formulas. I'm comfortable that she'll figure it out as she goes along.

Overall, I don't concern myself overtly with teaching writing to my children.  I honestly believe that some people can write and it comes quite naturally to them, and other people do all the things that writers cannot do.  :)

I also believe that everyone can be taught to write, and to write well.  And I believe there is a simple...extremely simple...tool to teaching one how to write.  I will tell you how right here and now and save you future reading, if you like.  The tool is reading.  Simply...reading...lots of reading.

That's it.  You can stop reading now if you want.  Or continue...

I can't speak for each child or your child, but I can share what I've deciphered with my own children.

My middle child is going to ninth grade and I really need to work hard with him on his writing skills in high school.  He has trouble expressing himself and I’m still not sure what I’ll use.  I need to research that.  For junior high grammar we’ve used Lingua Mater and Exercises in English which can be ordered through Seton.  Periodically, I've asked my son to write an essay about something that has recently happened, something I know he's interested in, or a book report.  These writing assignments don't hold much water, but they teach him about deadlines and discipline and following instructions.  I've used a suggestion MacBeth Derham shared with me years ago and have my older children do copywork straight out of our National Geographic magazines.  That's a plume in our writing cap.

My ten-year-old writes stories and music and endless lists and neighborhood newspapers on a daily basis.  I cannot stop this child from writing.  We have been using Stories with a View successfully. It’s gentle and doesn’t take up too much of her "personal" writing time.  She likes to do/write her own thing and doesn’t care for assigned things.  That’s where an unschooling approach comes in.  As long as she’s writing, I’m happy and she’s productive.  I prefer to see an interest and a desire built than worry about correct grammar and "critical essays" at this age.  Still, Stories with a View teaches her about disciplined writing time...in a gentle way...because even grown writers must learn at some point that there are points in life when you must "sit and write" even when you don't feel like it.  And I like the notebook she keeps her assignments in.  It's a nice keepsake and some of her thoughts are quite comical.

I noticed that she spells and writes very well for not having had any "formal" training/teaching.  I can not take credit for that either. She reads...a lot.  That's the library card to good writing.

I will always believe the best teaching tools for writing are reading, reading, reading, reading, reading, reading, and more reading.  Copywork does not hurt at all but teaches correct punctuation. 

For copywork we used Seton’s fourth grade handwriting last year and this year because it has great copywork and lovely artwork.  Laura Berquist’s Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, which we also use, offers copywork help that affords my family the flexibility we enjoy.

In the early years, we've used Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl. And, lo and behold, my youngest will have a new book this coming year.  I was at the bookstore yesterday and came across Jessie Wise’s book First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind.  Can I just say “EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!”  I bought it on the spot and will use it next year with my first grade student. We'll probably start this summer because it's so gentle and seems like such fun.

Simply Grammar by Karen Andreola is another good grammar starter.  Very gentle for moms and beginners. 

We have also used the Language of God workbooks from Catholic Heritage Curriculum.

I prefer these gentle guides in the younger years because I do not believe writing should be taught with tears and frustration.  I believe the child should be read to, presented books to read on their own, and these gentle grammar supplements help to reinforce and guide a child in their punctuation and spelling for more regimented and disciplined work during the high school years.I have also used Voyages in English with my older ones and I really like these textbooks. I like the way they offer the grammar in the first section and composition in the second section.  I like the endless writing enrichment ideas they offer.  I like the seasonal dictation of the text.  But, at the end of the school year, they are still "just textbooks".  I have VIE from grade 4-8 and they happen to be textbooks that (while I see good possibilities in them), tend to sit on our bookshelf while we read, while we write, and while we do copywork.  They are a good text, especially for those of us who know that, in reality, our child will be exposed to selective, mandatory testing at some point, I just don't see them as necessary and my children suspect they are contrived labor.  VIE are too closely intertwined with my own grammar experience from school and I can't say that was a stellar experience.  That being said, I do plan to pull down VIE 5th grade for my daughter next year.  I want to fine-tune and tighten her writing skills.  We'll see if VIE helps.  If it frustrates her or I see her not writing on her own as much, we'll shelf the text again. 

My son just turned fifteen and I feel this is the time to get regimented and disciplined.  My ten-year-old, on the other hand, brings her papers for me to read and I'll gently point out misspellings and improper grammar.  Very gently.  And I kind of smile at her like it's our little secret and say, "Just so you'll know next time."  She doesn't get flustered or anything but smiles back and corrects it willingly.  There's no pressure, no red marks, no failing grades, no upset mommy, and no crying child.  Just a smile.  And the writing happily continues. Ten-year-olds are just finding their writing "voice" and it should be pleasurable and painless.

Another successful thing we came across this week was Bare Books.  My daughter's friend had one and Chelsea begged and pleaded for her own. I willingly ordered a few copies.  They are extremely cheap.  All it is is a “bare” book.  Totally blank.  The child designs her own cover and the pages are completely blank.  They write their own book and feel they have created and published it.  It’s totally cool.

You could say I prefer to encourage writing versus teaching it.  It's so much easier that way.

So my suggestions are simple:

(Required Supplies)

• Books!!! Let them read.  Allow them to select their own private reading and give them some assigned reading each day.
• Paper!!!  Have your child narrate.  Type the narration and have child illustrate it. Or...have child take pictures with a camera then write a story to go with the pictures.  Form some kind of keepsake journal to hold your child's writing in.  Your child will appreciate this in years to come.
• More Paper!!!  Choose some type of copywork for them to do routinely through the school year.  It can be from a handwriting workbook, a favorite magazine, copying from the book they are currently reading, copying from their favorite book, Scripture verses, or self-generated copy sheets off the Internet.
• Pencils, Pens, Crayons, Markers, Gel Pens, Paint, Erasers!!!   Let your child write whatever she/he wishes:  grocery lists, songs, jokes, recipes, comic scripts, sport reports, etc. and illustrate abundantly.

(Elective Supplies to help mom feel better):

(Early Years)

• Simply Grammar by Karen Andreola
• First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise
• Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl
• Voyages in English
• Stories with a View
• Seton's handwriting workbooks
• CHC's Language of God workbooks
• Exercises in English
• Bare Books

(Older students)

• Lingua Mater
• Copywork from famous speeches or scholarly publications
• The Writer's Jungle by Julie Bogart

I'm often asked what I use for writing in our homeschool.  I was asked again quite recently so I thought I'd share my reply here.

I’m embarrassed to say that nothing (ie: curriculum) has really stuck like ink in our household. The only staples I can say have stuck (quite literally) to my refrigerator door, my table tops, my windows, and even our television set are papers.  Tons.  Woods.  Acres of paper.  Writing curricula stacks my bookshelves as I'm sure it does yours. And there it sits.  The paper distributed throughout my house is, without a doubt the most used curriculum of all and its flies...literally and liberally and literarily. 

Still my older two write well enough.  The only areas we haven't covered well are critical essays, the kinds that persuade and debate, and I'm quite sure my oldest son has forgotten anything I went over with him about footnotes and endnotes and the like, but I hardly think this will prove to be a stumbling mark in his life's work.  My daughter does a good job at writing but most of that credit goes to a superb English teacher she had a couple years ago and a wonderful French mentor she's had her senior year of French V (she's had nine years of French study).  Perhaps she inherited a stray writing gene.  People seem to think so, but I see that gene more in my ten-year-old daughter than in my seventeen-year-old daughter. My oldest daughter learns mostly from rote and formulas. I'm comfortable that she'll figure it out as she goes along.

Overall, I don't concern myself overtly with teaching writing to my children.  I honestly believe that some people can write and it comes quite naturally to them, and other people do all the things that writers cannot do.  :)

I also believe that everyone can be taught to write, and to write well.  And I believe there is a simple...extremely simple...tool to teaching one how to write.  I will tell you how right here and now and save you future reading, if you like.  The tool is reading.  Simply...reading...lots of reading.

That's it.  You can stop reading now if you want.  Or continue...

I can't speak for each child or your child, but I can share what I've deciphered with my own children.

My middle child is going to ninth grade and I really need to work hard with him on his writing skills in high school.  He has trouble expressing himself and I’m still not sure what I’ll use.  I need to research that.  For junior high grammar we’ve used Lingua Mater and Exercises in English which can be ordered through Seton.  Periodically, I've asked my son to write an essay about something that has recently happened, something I know he's interested in, or a book report.  These writing assignments don't hold much water, but they teach him about deadlines and discipline and following instructions.  I've used a suggestion MacBeth Derham shared with me years ago and have my older children do copywork straight out of our National Geographic magazines.  That's a plume in our writing cap.

My ten-year-old writes stories and music and endless lists and neighborhood newspapers on a daily basis.  I cannot stop this child from writing.  We have been using Stories with a View successfully. It’s gentle and doesn’t take up too much of her "personal" writing time.  She likes to do/write her own thing and doesn’t care for assigned things.  That’s where an unschooling approach comes in.  As long as she’s writing, I’m happy and she’s productive.  I prefer to see an interest and a desire built than worry about correct grammar and "critical essays" at this age.  Still, Stories with a View teaches her about disciplined writing time...in a gentle way...because even grown writers must learn at some point that there are points in life when you must "sit and write" even when you don't feel like it.  And I like the notebook she keeps her assignments in.  It's a nice keepsake and some of her thoughts are quite comical.

I noticed that she spells and writes very well for not having had any "formal" training/teaching.  I can not take credit for that either. She reads...a lot.  That's the library card to good writing.

I will always believe the best teaching tools for writing are reading, reading, reading, reading, reading, reading, and more reading.  Copywork does not hurt at all but teaches correct punctuation. 

For copywork we used Seton’s fourth grade handwriting last year and this year because it has great copywork and lovely artwork.  Laura Berquist’s Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, which we also use, offers copywork help that affords my family the flexibility we enjoy.

In the early years, we've used Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl. And, lo and behold, my youngest will have a new book this coming year.  I was at the bookstore yesterday and came across Jessie Wise’s book First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind.  Can I just say “EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!”  I bought it on the spot and will use it next year with my first grade student. We'll probably start this summer because it's so gentle and seems like such fun.

Simply Grammar by Karen Andreola is another good grammar starter.  Very gentle for moms and beginners. 

We have also used the Language of God workbooks from Catholic Heritage Curriculum.

I prefer these gentle guides in the younger years because I do not believe writing should be taught with tears and frustration.  I believe the child should be read to, presented books to read on their own, and these gentle grammar supplements help to reinforce and guide a child in their punctuation and spelling for more regimented and disciplined work during the high school years.I have also used Voyages in English with my older ones and I really like these textbooks. I like the way they offer the grammar in the first section and composition in the second section.  I like the endless writing enrichment ideas they offer.  I like the seasonal dictation of the text.  But, at the end of the school year, they are still "just textbooks".  I have VIE from grade 4-8 and they happen to be textbooks that (while I see good possibilities in them), tend to sit on our bookshelf while we read, while we write, and while we do copywork.  They are a good text, especially for those of us who know that, in reality, our child will be exposed to selective, mandatory testing at some point, I just don't see them as necessary and my children suspect they are contrived labor.  VIE are too closely intertwined with my own grammar experience from school and I can't say that was a stellar experience.  That being said, I do plan to pull down VIE 5th grade for my daughter next year.  I want to fine-tune and tighten her writing skills.  We'll see if VIE helps.  If it frustrates her or I see her not writing on her own as much, we'll shelf the text again. 

My son just turned fifteen and I feel this is the time to get regimented and disciplined.  My ten-year-old, on the other hand, brings her papers for me to read and I'll gently point out misspellings and improper grammar.  Very gently.  And I kind of smile at her like it's our little secret and say, "Just so you'll know next time."  She doesn't get flustered or anything but smiles back and corrects it willingly.  There's no pressure, no red marks, no failing grades, no upset mommy, and no crying child.  Just a smile.  And the writing happily continues. Ten-year-olds are just finding their writing "voice" and it should be pleasurable and painless.

Another successful thing we came across this week was Bare Books.  My daughter's friend had one and Chelsea begged and pleaded for her own. I willingly ordered a few copies.  They are extremely cheap.  All it is is a “bare” book.  Totally blank.  The child designs her own cover and the pages are completely blank.  They write their own book and feel they have created and published it.  It’s totally cool.

You could say I prefer to encourage writing versus teaching it.  It's so much easier that way.

So my suggestions are simple:

(Required Supplies)

• Books!!! Let them read.  Allow them to select their own private reading and give them some assigned reading each day.
• Paper!!!  Have your child narrate.  Type the narration and have child illustrate it. Or...have child take pictures with a camera then write a story to go with the pictures.  Form some kind of keepsake journal to hold your child's writing in.  Your child will appreciate this in years to come.
• More Paper!!!  Choose some type of copywork for them to do routinely through the school year.  It can be from a handwriting workbook, a favorite magazine, copying from the book they are currently reading, copying from their favorite book, Scripture verses, or self-generated copy sheets off the Internet.
• Pencils, Pens, Crayons, Markers, Gel Pens, Paint, Erasers!!!   Let your child write whatever she/he wishes:  grocery lists, songs, jokes, recipes, comic scripts, sport reports, etc. and illustrate abundantly.

(Elective Supplies to help mom feel better):

(Early Years)

• Simply Grammar by Karen Andreola
• First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise
• Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl
• Voyages in English
• Stories with a View
• Seton's handwriting workbooks
• CHC's Language of God workbooks
• Exercises in English
• Bare Books

(Older students)

• Lingua Mater
• Copywork from famous speeches or scholarly publications
• The Writer's Jungle by Julie Bogart

Comments

[Carole in Wales]

Well written, Cay, and I could not agree with you more. I firmly believe that reading and copywork are important keys in writing with a bit of grammar here and there. I have almost all the resources that you have named with the exception of The Writer's Jungle. I will have to check that one out. Thanks so much.

[courtney]

Thanks, Cay! Again your post (and email) made me reflect on what we've done that has brough joy and smiles and it's reading, reading, reading! I can see in my daughter's writing her use of vocabulary sometimes that surprises me. The only thing I can attribute it to is the books we've read. We've done no formal vocabulary lessons. Thanks for another insightful post! I need to print this one and keep it handy!

[Laura]

My favorite grammar is Grammar Island, by M.C. Thompson. It is concise and a pleasure to read. Very little drill, but it is so concise and makes talking about grammar--fun--oddly enough.

All you need is the teacher edition and can read it with the student(s). I can see it easily working with a young child (my seven year-old enjoys it) through sixths as an easy reference.

I look forward to the other Michael Clay Thompson books as well.

Royal fireworks press:
http://www.rfwp.com/series3.htm

Best,
Laura

[Molly]

A couple of questions:
When do you think you should start to expect proper grammar?

With copy work do you choose something different each day, or stick with a particular source?

[Marybeth Whalen]

Loved this post Cay. I too am planning to use FLL1+2 next year with my first grader and FLL3 with my 3rd grader. I am excited also that the WTM folks will also be releasing a new writing curriculum this spring. Will be anxious to check that out! Not because I need it, mind you, but because I have a sickness.