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.

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.

Here’s a video review of some of our writing products,
“Excellence In Literature: British and American.”

This has worked so well that we are now introducing it to my twelve-year-old son. At the end of each day, he will write journal entries on what he really learned each day. This has been especially helpful with Bible readings. By writing a paragraph on his morning devotions, we will be able to reinforce what he learns.

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 copy work 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.
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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 in writing narrative. Sign up for her free mini-course about high school writing today.

Using Great Topics to Teach Writing

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 writing teacher while helping him become a better writer. Here's what happened.

Last week, my son's lesson was writing a biographical sketch in five paragraphs. We had recently been studying the Roman Empire, and I hoped that he would write on one of the church's founding fathers - not only would this reinforce those lessons, but he would also have the chance to delve more deeply into books which we had not had time to read earlier. Despite my excitement, I could see he was less than eager.

He was clearly not interested in the topic which I found so fascinating. Once we talked about baseball, that all changed. He had been reading about the life of Derek Jeter, and wanted to learn more. When I suggested that he write his biography on Jeter, his whole attitude changed - suddenly, he could not wait to get started! He already knew of three sources for more information, and could not wait to get started.

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.”

This week he found interesting and important information about Jeter. Today we narrowed his paper to three topics about Derek Jeter. Next week, he will outline his paper and begin writing.

He is much happier and more enthusiastic about his assignment, since he is writing about a topic that interests him. This keeps him motivated, and his writing is most effective when he has the freedom to choose a topic. He'll learn more, and retain more, this way.

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.

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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 helps homeschool moms and classroom teachers with writing strategies. Grab her free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/ today.

How to Encourage Kids to Love Writing

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 lessons. 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 written assignments, 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!

I have three children, and each are published authors despite their tender ages. When he was eight, my son wrote a jungle book to teach younger children their ABCs. He painstakingly researched each plant and animal in the jungle for a full year before he was ready to complete his Jungle ABC book. Using a writing style checklist (part of the Excellence in Writing program) helped him to write an effective paragraph for each plant and animal he chose.

Here’s a video review of some of our writing products,
“Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons.”

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.

Here's how we kept our son motivated, saving us from nagging and arguing. First, we assigned him a writing topic that was interesting to him. He's been fascinated by jungle plants and animals for years, and was happy to keep reading and learning more. Second, he was excited at the thought of writing his own book, one that he could sell to earn money for his efforts. Because he had a reason for writing, he remained motivated to complete the project.

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 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.

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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 enjoys helping homeschool moms and classroom teachers with writing process. Go grab Kerry's free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/ today.

What's Your Method for Teaching Writing Skills? (Part III)

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
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.

Using the outline, have your child write a new sentence for each line. It is important to stress that the new sentence does not have to be exactly the same as the original. Don't be surprised to find that your child has even made the story better! Once each line is complete, your child will have a full paragraph.

Very young children may dictate each sentence as you write. At this point, you should check the paragraph for proper punctuation and spelling. Do not add or subtract words or rewrite the sentences - this is not your writing, it is your child's writing.

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 one of our writing products, “US History Based Writing - Volume 1."

Day 3
On the last day of this lesson, have your child re-write the completed paragraph or story. Make sure that the new copy has been corrected for punctuation and spelling - older children can do this themselves, while younger children may need some help. Don't expect your child to be great writers overnight. You will find areas which need improvement, and you can incorporate these concepts into later lessons. Best of all, your child won't waste time hunting for a topic; they can put all their efforts into learning the skills needed to become an effective writer.

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.

You will be amazed at this great method for teaching your students writing.

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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 enjoys encouraging homeschool moms and teachers with elementary school writing. Get Kerry’s free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/ right now.

How Will You Teach Writing? (Part 2)

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 "how to write" instead of brainstorming "what to write about".

There are a number of free writing lessons online that follow Mr. Pudewa's program. You can start any time - today, the first week of school, over summer vacation. This is a great way to help older children who struggle with writing skills. To begin, find a short story that your child enjoys. For best results, your students should be using predictable books to teach writing.

Day 1 In order to help the child decide what to write, find a simple story that is around one page in length. Aesop's fables are perfect, though you may choose anything you like. Begin by reading the story out loud with your child. From there, develop an outline/structure to help outline key words in the story. Your structure will look similar to 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.

Here’s a video review of one of our writing products, “History Based Writing Lessons.

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.

Continue in this fashion until the outline is complete, and then put away the original story. Now let your child tell you what each paragraph was about, using the written outline as a guide. It is easier for children to say it out loud, rather than writing it all down. Congratulations! You have completed the first half of this writing lesson!

Whatever the age of your children, make sure that they tell you the story again, paragraph by paragraph. It may seem childish, especially for older children, but it is an important part of the thought process.

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.

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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 middle school writing. Go grab Kerry’s free mini-course on Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com/ today.

What's Your Method for Teaching Writing Skills? Part I

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 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 lessons were like my public school writing curriculum, teaching students "what to write".

I was firmly convinced that this was the best approach to teaching writing, at least until I discovered the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). Its founder, Andrew Pudewa, has created a fascinating product called Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. His program does not focus on helping students develop ideas to write about. Instead, he focuses on teaching students how to write. This seemed contrary to all my training - my students, like all others, were most concerned about finding a topic to write about.

Here's a review of one of our writing products, "Windows To The World".

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.

Once a structure is defined, the program teaches students how to develop their own "style". By selecting strong verbs and adverbs, descriptive adjectives, and various clauses, students learn to dress up their writing and experiment with their writing style. They learn effective ways of opening and closing a sentence for maximum impact.

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.

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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 skills. Go get her free mini-course about Teaching Writing Easily at http://www.howtoteachwriting.com today.