Are you and your kids tired of the same old writing drills?

Do your homeschool bookshelves house more than three types of writing curriculum?

Writing, even if you feel you are quite good at it yourself, can be one of those subjects you find hard to teach in your homeschool.

Why?

Because, we tend to automatically recall and implement techniques from when we were in school.

Think back to all the creative writing assignments, ugh!

I enjoyed using my imagination, but often felt too much pressure when it came time to writing it all down.  Now that I have matured, I recognize that I didn’t dislike writing; I just felt stifled.  Stifled by correct grammar, spelling, and use of literary concepts that felt cold and mechanical.

All the excitement and fun of my story was held hostage to criteria and outlines; and that dreaded red pen.

Yes, we need to learn the mechanics of writing, but I also believe we need to enjoy the process.  Writing is something we all use every single day and it shouldn’t be something we dread doing.

So, how can we make some of those writing curricula work for us?

How can we make writing more exciting for our kids?

We need to get creative and not be weighed down by the curriculum.  We need to explore and read great literature to them.

Consider addressing writing lessons in a personal, fun and/or real way.  Find a way to have your child connect to what they want to write.

Make it Fun!

Any chance I get, I use books and novels to drive home my point about certain literary devices. No pens, no paper; just me, my kids and books!

As and example, the other day we were discussing how we need to think of our readers.  How can we engage them and make them want to read what we write?  How do we hook them?

Instead of pulling out our curriculum, which does discuss and teach this through examples and practice, I decided to change things up. I zipped around our house and pulled a book off every shelf, and added the library books we just brought home.

I read the opening paragraph or two from every book.  We discussed it, I encouraged them to share with me what they really thought, in their own words! They need to know they can express their opinion, so I asked them questions like:

• What do you know so far?

• Does it capture you?

• Can you guess what the book will be about?

• Do you want to read more?

• What intrigues you, what do you want answered?

• Did it take you to another place?

• Could you understand the vocabulary?
  

• How long do you think it will take before you are captivated enough to keep reading?

• Do you like it?

• Did your imagination kick in?

• Which of your senses were engaged?

• etc.

(In case you are wondering, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White won by a landslide!)

Make It Personal!

What stories and books really connect with your kids?  It can be a new novel or something you’ve read before and want to re-visit.  As you read use sticky tabs to mark passages of text to discuss or dissect later.  Ask lots of questions and get a discussion going.

• What do you think about this character?

• Who do you think the hero of the story is?

• Would you have done the same thing?

• Is this person being a good friend?

• Do you see yourself in any of these characters?

• How would you have handled this situation?

• When is it right to … or is it wrong?
  

• Can you picture yourself in this setting?

• What do you think they feel right now?

• Can you think of a situation in real life that could relate?

• Imagine if the author didn’t use these exciting descriptive sentences, would you still like the book?

Make it Real!

Use real writing examples from novels they love and passages that take your breath away or send you off to some far off land.  Talk about why it captures your child’s imagination the way it does.  Use it as copywork and take the time to point out some literary devices the author is using; or highlight the different clauses within that particular paragraph.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had a copywork journal full of  passages from great novels or poems? Not a novel or poem that I love or you love, but one your child loves and identifies with!

This could be a great keepsake as well; all the while teaching them something about good writing practice. By the time they graduate they could have a little portfolio of the novels they read and loved over the years; with passages that meant something to them at that time in their life.

By diving deeper into the novels we read together, it provides us with an opportunity to learn much more about ourselves.  It also helps us to understand what good writing is and what it can become for us. It helps us to discover our writing voices.

Take the opportunity to have fun with words, explore and stretch your imagination!  Help your kids fall in love with writing not because it is part of a curriculum, but because beyond it being an essential skill, it is a beautiful way to communicate. 

Don’t be afraid to use a curriculum, but do be wary of becoming a slave to your writing curriculum.

Take a detour, step outside the box from time to time; push the curriculum aside, and just fall in love with great writers!

If you want more ideas on how to have discussions or ways to engage your learners with process questions check out “How I Teach Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool”

Want to know what great books we have been Reading? Here is some of our Reading List.

This post is part of a “How to Teach Without a Curriculum”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below to find other “How to Teach Without a Curriculum” posts:

Critical Thinking in Our Homeschool

Critical Thinking is an essential part of learning.  In order for us to be resilient and successful in life we need to be able to gather facts, process through them, know if we require any more information or help, and then make a decision to move forward.

Learning how to “Think it Through” helps us in all areas of life:

• Academics

• Relationships

• Business

Not to mention all the other little bits of life which happen in between the above three areas.  It is because of this I try my best to implement as much Critical Learning into our day as possible.  Although you do want to be careful not to overdo it, sometimes it is worth disguising it into the natural rhythm of your day v.s. always trying to make  a point of  “thinking it through” with your children.

This is a big topic, so I am going to give you a basic peek into what critical thinking is as well as how go about teaching it everyday in our home.

Critical Thinking…What is It?

Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, partially true, or false. Critical Thinking is a process that leads to skills that can be learned, mastered and used. Critical Thinking is a tool by which one can come about reasoned conclusions based on a reasoned process. This process incorporates passion and creativity, but guides it with discipline, practicality and common sense. It can be traced in the West to ancient Greece with its Socratic method and in the East to ancient India with the Buddhist kalama sutta and abhidharma literature. Critical thinking is an important component of education, politics, business, and science.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

When we learn critical thinking, we are learning to think about things more skillfully as well as always reaching for a higher quality of thought.  Once we develop our own questions to dig deeper into a subject we can then develop and support our own conclusions.

How I Teach Critical Thinking

I ask my kids lots of questions, good process questions; some of these are in very obvious ways and sometimes it is as natural as a basic conversation.

If you are new to this concept of teaching/parenting you will have to make a conscious effort to implement some of these process questions.  After a while you will find it will start to flow as a natural teaching method.

What are Process Questions?

Process questions are questions you can ask which will:

• Focus Attention

• Force Comparison

• Seek Clarification

• Invite Further Inquiry

• Seek Reason or Explanation

Now that you see what process questions are think of the academic subjects we learn/teach.

1.  All subjects and conversations we have require us to also know how to give focused attention.

2. What subjects do you think require us to compare data? How can we then clarify that data?

3. Can you dig deeper into said data and come up with some more questions about it?

4. Now that you have dug deeper and thought about more questions and answers, what conclusion have you come to?

Breaking Critical Thinking Down in our Homeschool

You can use critical thinking in every subject area, here are some examples of questions I ask my kids while teaching certain subjects.

Math:

• Do you notice a pattern here? (Focus)

• When have you used addition other than in your Math book? (Further Inquiry and Real Life application)

• Tell me how you did that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Spelling:

• What other words do you know which have a “tion” ending (Further Inquiry)

• What does that ‘e’ do at the end of the word? (Seek Clarification)

• Do you notice there are letters you cannot hear when you say this word? (Focus)

Science:

• How can we find out the mass? (Further Inquiry)

• How is _____different/same as _______ (Comparison)

• What is your evidence? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

Reading Comprehension/Family Read-a-Louds

• Look at this picture, what do you think the story is about? (Focus)

• What do you think “Johnny” will do to help his friend? (Further Inquiry)

• Why do you think that? (Seek Reason/Explanation)

As you can see with some of the process questions I ask, you really can include elements of critical thinking in all that you do, don’t forget to incorporate it into your Art and Music study as well.  In fact, we often ask these types of questions in the conversations we are having with each other and don’t always recognize it as a lesson in critical thinking.

What Else Can You Use?

Every once in a while the kids and I pull out these “Mind Benders” books from Critical Thinking Co.

We get out some scrap paper, pencil and eraser and get started on solving some of these mind benders.  They can be lots of fun, but also gives us as parents a chance to guide our children through a problem.

How to Teach Mind Benders:

1. Use process questions

2. Give your child time to think, don’t rush

3. Have them support their train of thought

4. Mistakes happen, ask more questions to get back on track

5. Have fun

Like anything new, the first time you try something it isn’t always going to work or go according to plan.  Give yourself and your children time to adapt to critical thinking exercises.

End on the Positive

I also like to end anything we tackle on a positive note.  Whenever you hit a wall, do not let yourselves stop there.  Turn it around and go over 1 item you know your child will be confident in.  If it is Math, go back and do an exercise they will get correct, let them execute that, end on the positive and then close the book.  You now know where your child will need further instruction  the next day, but both you and the child end at a spot of success!

I am always reading and learning about ways to develop good thinking skills, so this post is just and example of  How I Teach Critical Thinking based on the information I have learned so far in my journey.  We have had some great conversations and I always look forward to listening to my kids point of view on a subject.

So go ahead and start to ask more questions!

After all, when we ask someone a question it shows we have faith in them and that we respect them enough to listen!

This post is part of a “How I Teach”  link up at iHomeschool Network

Click on the picture below to find other “How I Teach” posts:

“How I Teach” – a link up with iHomeschoolNetwork.com

Homeschool Summer Reading

Summer time, time to:

• unwind

• relax

• be adventurous

• play

• dream

• discover

What better way to check off everything on the above list than to open up a great book!

We are often sitting outside reading our books, getting lost in adventures of the future, days gone past, antics of the animal world or silly stories just for fun.

No matter what book we choose to read, the 1 thing we love to do is gather around for our family read-a-loud time, and in the summer, we take it outdoors!

Family Outdoor Read-A-Loud Essentials

1. A great book (check out what is on our reading list).

2. A blanket to sit on.

3. Sunscreen, Hats, Bug Spray.

4. Pitcher of fresh water with lemon slices, or a homemade batch of Lemonade.

5. Snacks, my kids enjoy fruits slices and some homemade goodies.

6. Bubbles, or sand toys if you have a sandbox.  This allows kids to also keep busy as I read, if they really feel the need to move around

7. An easy supper on the menu. Something in the slowcooker or something you can have pre-made like cold salads etc. Then you can loose yourselves in the adventures of your book for the whole afternoon!

8. A great discussion! There is nothing we like better to than to sit and talk about the story we are reading.

9. Room to act out what was read.  Let the kids run around the yard to “play” out their interpretation of the story.

10. A clear agenda for Mom or Dad.  Don’t let your usual “to do list” nag at you…enjoy your reading time with your kids!

G.K. Chesterton Quote

Our Reading List at the moment:

(Could you help me out? At the bottom of this post I have a question for you!)

What is on your Reading List? 

Notice I don’t have a book for myself!

What would you recommend for my summer reading? (Moms need a good book too!)

Things roll along smoothly for a while and then the dips come…then the loooong climb back up to the top only to find you dive down once again; but this time with more momentum and speed.  There are many reasons for this, and one might argue “that’s life”, which can be true; another reason is, you could just be stuck in a rut.  You know what you are doing isn’t working but still plug along making the same old “mistakes”.

Remember, there is no one size fits all when it comes to homeschooling, and my mistakes might be what actually works for you.  These are just some ideas to help you keep an open mind and to not be afraid to change things up if need be.

10 Things You Can Quit:

1. Quit mimicking what doesn’t even work in the first place!   Schools are an outdated institution that were basically developed to form perfect soldiers and then later adapted to develop obedient workers for the industrial revolution where freedom to think and explore are squelched.  Don’t add more barriers to learning than you have to; please quit thinking you must fit your home school into that old outdated mold!

2. Quit expecting you need to home school from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.  You have the freedom to do and incorporate what works for your family. By working more one on one with your children you can accomplish quite a lot in 15 minutes. Allocate 15 to 20 minutes for each subject, anymore than that you will start to overload them. (High school could be an exception to this.)  Take a look at how they learn, the material they are trying to learn and their tolerance for a given topic.  (Recently I had one child only do 2 math questions per day, and expected perfection. This worked wonderfully! He quit his “self-blocking” about this particular math operation and realized on his own he could understand it and execute it with confidence.)  Be flexible when it comes to this as well, you don’t want to stop something that is going great just because the 15 minutes is up.  As well, your older children may require more time to work through high school level material, take the time to understand what works best for your child. 

3. Quit requiring that they do page after page in workbooks.  I know quite a few homeschoolers who do not use workbooks at all, or some who just use Math workbooks.  Don’t be afraid to set you and your children free from boring workbooks. If they don’t work for you, quit using them.  Be creative, technology is here waiting for you, so jump in and use it!

4. Quit boring Spelling lists.  I’m not telling you to throw spelling out the window, but there are so many fun creative ways to do spelling! Everything from using computer apps to getting out the letter tiles.  I use a workbook from time to time to get suitable words and other times we use words from whatever we may be reading.  A favourite for my kids is to have a list on hand and use letter tiles to make their own crossword puzzle! Words are wonderful, quit making it boring!

5.  Quit Reading Comprehension Questions.  The written out, long drawn out questions…..Boring!  Talk about sucking the life out of a great novel!  Have a great discussion instead.  Give your children an opportunity to form their own thoughts about what they read.  You can guide them, but be careful as to not to lead them to what you think it is about.  This is such a great way to get them to think about thinking.  Forming an opinion and owning it is a skill that will carry them through life.  If you feel the need to have them write something, why not get them to write one awesome paragraph to summarize a chapter. If you have teens, they can then collect and put together those paragraphs and work on forming an essay!  Don’t over complicate it.  Let them fall in love with books!  Loving books and novels will carry them further than the 15 written out questions for each chapter.

6. Quit boxing your children into grade levels.    Let go of grade levels and instead grab onto passion.  Kids are very passionate, get in and get your hands dirty with them.  My husband has explained higher levels of Physics to the kids because they were eating it up.  Never stop explaining because they are only in grade 3 and that is all that is required.  When the door of opportunity is wide open don’t be foolish and close it.

7. Quit thinking that for kids to be learning they must be sitting.  We have two big work tables put together so projects can be spread out and puzzles can be on the go.  I allow the kids to spread out, and move around.  We also will often have music playing in the background.  Music enhances your brain power; it’s a proven “Brain Fact”.  Embrace the fact that everyone learns differently and experiment to see what works best for each of your children.

8. Quit lecturing.  You can go on and on hoping that what you are “teaching” is sinking in, or you can choose to be a mediator and facilitator of information.  When you mediate with your children you are doing them more favours.  They are learning to think about thinking, are becoming more independent and owning what they learn. This, in turn, will enhance their retention for what they are learning.  Bridging new information to something real and tangible for them will increase reciprocity.  I dare you to do this!

9. Quit being so busy.  Quit being so busy looking like you are doing school for the sake of the doubters that you in fact end up missing out on amazing wide open door opportunities and moments.  Those are the moments your children will remember. These moments will keep them moving forward, fanning the flame, and quenching their thirst for knowledge.

10. Quit thinking homeschooling involves necessary boring work.  Our English word “school” derived from the Latin word “schola” which means “leisure devoted to learning”.  I challenge you to think about that, have you embraced that meaning or have you allowed modern day institutional type of schooling creep in.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to learning, which is why I wrote this post.  I want to challenge you to be brave enough to step out of your comfort zone of what you think learning, teaching and homeschooling is.

Homeschooling “Mistakes”

We all make mistakes, and we can all learn from them as well as from one another. Don’t wallow in a wrong turn, but empower yourself to pick up and move on.

Take action and embrace what works for your family!

Share with with me 1 adjustment you will make in your homeschool.