On Monday night Beth had the opportunity of presenting a workshop on mini-books and lapbooks, types of graphic organizers, to our homeschooling support group.  We were pleased to have such a good turnout and spent a delightful evening with old and new friends.  It was especially enjoyable to see some ‘textbook’ moms learn that hands on projects such as mini-books and lapbooks were not only fun, but also educational!

What is a Graphic Organizer?

For the benefit of those of you who were not present, a graphic organizer is any tool that allows your student to organize his thoughts and record what he’s learned in a visual way.  Examples of common graphic organizers include:

• Charts and Graphs
• Venn Diagrams
• Scrapbooks, Lapbooks and Mini-books
• Library Pockets and Envelopes

We made two different types of mini-books at our workshop – an accordion book and a layered-look book, and we showed  examples of mini-books and lapbooks that had been made by our children as well as some we had made in teaching a Reluctant Writers class a few years ago.

For example, here is a very simple mini-book that can be made by an elementary aged student:

Directions:

1.  Using one single piece of 8 1/2 x 11 inch colored paper, hold the base piece of paper vertically, then fold it in half lengthwise.

2. Out of contrasting paper colors, construct a simple flower clearly showing the petals, leaves, stem and roots, as shown in the picture on the far left.

3. After gluing the flower to the top half of the folded paper, cut through the flower and the top half of the paper, to the fold.  Make three cuts so that the flower, leaves, stem and roots each have their own section.

4. On the inside of the flaps, label each section, as shown.

5.  Write a short description of each flower ‘part’ opposite each label.

What is a Lapbook?

A lapbook is a innovative, visual, creative, kinesthetic, way to organize information.  Examples abound of lapbooks online (and see our resource list at the bottom of this post), but on the right is an example of one my son made a while back about space.  The base is simply made from two file folders glued together.

Directions for making the lapbook:

1.  Take two file folders, laying vertically open on the table in front of you.

2.  One at a time, take the outside edges of each file folder and fold them in towards the center fold.  Crease well, then let them open.

3. Glue together the sides of each folder that are next to each other.  Voila!  That is all there is to it – you can make lapbooks bigger by gluing on more folders or attaching additional flaps inside.

At the left is a photo of the inside of the lapbook.  There is space for vocabulary, illustrations, charts, book reports, clip art and anything else your study included.  The multicolored mini-book is a favorite of ours, the layered-look book.  It allows students to do a fair amount of writing, depending upon the number of pages it contains, but is much less intimidating than that dreaded big, blank sheet of paper because it is divided into many different sections.

Lapbooks are not only fun to make but:

• they are kinesthetic and visual, maximizing other learning modes
• they beg to be shown to others, giving students an automatic and painless review of the material contained in their lapbook, every time they show it to someone else
• they can be used for studying almost any subject and easily may integrate several subjects, maximizing learning
• they are great at enticing reluctant writers because they are divided into many smaller sections
• they can also be used as an assessment tool, especially when assigned with an accompanying rubric outlining what is to be included in the lapbook
• they can be used for all ages, kindergarten through high school

As with all graphic organizers, anytime your elementary student is organizing information, he is building a foundation for learning more advanced writing skills as well as for learning how to take notes.

At every grade level and in every type of curriculum we have,  Epi Kardia curricula uses mini-books, lapbooks and graphic organizers!

Online Resources for Mini- and Lapbooks

Here is a resource list for mini- and lapbook resources including instructions, ideas and even free lapbooks:

• This site has every type of mini book imaginable as well as  free templates!

• This site has guided reading materials and  MANY mini book ideas and resources for elementary ages.

• This is one of our favorite original sites with great instruction and ideas. Check out the blog for this site as well.

• This has an array of lapbook information for all ages. In fact, at The Homeschol Lounge (highly recommended!) you can join a group of homeschooling moms who share lapbook ideas and resources.

And for those of you who want to incorporate notebooking and scrapbooking into your homeschooling (or you like to scrapbook yourself):

• These are resources and other links for educational scrapbooking.

• This is a free software download (full version) to begin digital scrapbooking immediately.

If you read our last post, Six Steps to Start Second Semester, mini- and lapbooks might be just the thing to add some pizazz to your homeschooling this semester.  Even if you use a traditional curriculum, please give your students a chance to do some thing hands on, colorful and creative!  Enjoy!

In His Service,

P.S. If you have a reluctant writer or two at your house, in addition to trying mini-books, you might find our reluctant writer series helpful.  See Reluctant Writers – Part 1 The Early Years, Reluctant Writers – Part 2 The Middle Years and Reluctant Writers – Part 3 High School and Beyond.

It’s here!

Epi Kardia’s brand new British Literature course is now available! This seismic 113 page high school curriculum incorporates the best of British Literature, with a special emphasis on the Victorian Age.  The classic works utilized in this curriculum include:

–Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney (epic poetry)

–Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (historical play)

–A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (short story)

–The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (short stories)

–Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (novel)

–Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (novel)

–Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (novel)

–Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (novel)

–The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (play)

–Selected poetry printed in the curriculum appendices.

As well as many of the traditional elements of literature such as theme, characterization, plot, irony, symbolism and poetic style, this course emphasizes excellent essay writing skills, literature analysis and the discovery of the unique characteristics of British writing through the study of exceptional models, allowing British Literature: a Study of British Writers to serve as an excellent precursor to further college level studies.  Written assignments and projects employing non-traditional learning modes engage students and help them encounter these works and their authors, as well as the time period during which they lived.

Features of Epi Kardia’s High School Courses

As is true of all Epi Kardia high school courses:

• Assignments are written directly to students, with special sections and appendices written for the benefit of the teacher.

• Evaluation tips and individual grading rubrics for all major assignments are included, allowing you to have full confidence both in communicating to your student what is expected and in fairly evaluating course work.

• This course may be utilized at either college preparatory or honors level.

We recommend that your student be familiar with the common essays encountered in high school writing before taking this course.  If your student has never taken a high school composition class, we recommend Epi Kardia’s Essay Styles for High School, which may be taken concurrently with this course.

Special Price on all Orders Containing British Lit!

We are so excited about British Literature: a Study of British Writers, we would like to offer you 20% off your ENTIRE order if it includes the purchase of British Literature.  For one week only, from 9/24/09 to 10/1/09, you may take advantage of this special offer when ordering from Epi Kardia’s online catalog. Remember, British Literature has to be included in your purchase.  Note: After you place the order and BEFORE your credit card is charged, we will manually reduce your order by 20%.

Please feel free to share this with anyone you feel would benefit.

Coming soon:  a pre-announcement of two more Epi Kardia literature based high school classes:  American History I (from Early Colonies through the Civil War) and American History II (Immigration through Modern).

In His Service,

The air is warmer and filled with powdery, yellow pollen, the white fluffy blooms of  my neighbor’s Bradford Pears are viewable outside my front window, and the forerunning greenery of daffodils are finally poking through the ground.  Spring is here!  At least, in South Carolina.  If you are from the northern climes, I assure you, it is coming.

I have always loved this time of year, seeing the earth renew itself and reminding me that I am a new creation in Christ — the old  has passed away, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)   And in a few short weeks, Easter will be here!  For Christians, this is one of the most important times of the year.  This is the time we want to teach or remind our children of the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We often attend Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services in our churches, but we also want to take this opportunity in our homes to renew our understanding and appreciation of Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection on our behalf.

Recently I was thrilled to come across an e-book called Holy Week Family Devotions.  It was written by a dear homeschooling sister, Miiko Gibson, a very sweet cyber-friend who loves the Lord and desired to create “something that would capture the essence of the Holy Week”.  She wanted her children to be able to relive some of the last events in the earthly life of Jesus and reflect on how they were applicable to our lives today.  Miiko’s 28 page e-book devotional contains devotions for Holy Week, the seven days leading up to Easter Sunday.  Each day begins with reading scripture, singing an applicable hymn (it helps to have a hymnbook with this if you don’t know the words, but Miiko suggests you sing something else if that is simpler) and a key verse for that day.  That is followed by the short devotional portion, Looking at Jesus, written in simple language easily understood by younger children yet applicable to older ones as well.  Pertinent and engaging, the Looking into our Hearts section contains reflective discussion questions and applications and is followed by a prayer relating to the lesson.  Miiko includes additional notes for older children, as well as a hands on activity for each day’s devotion.  An additional family activity is also included to reinforce the lesson – we know those hands on activities make learning stick, especially for the younger ones.

I loved this devotional and wish it had been around when my children were younger!  Miiko is making Holy Week Family Devotions available for $6.95 and can be purchased on her website.  (Click here to visit Grace Journey Press website). She also has created a board game to go along with this devotion.While you are there, she also has additional free downloads.  I love her Ten Hints for Keeping Your Daughters Heart. Enjoy!

God’s blessings on you and your families this week,

The idea of writing about books is not new –remember those boring book reports (snore!) we had to write? However, writing a book review of a well-loved, exciting book in order to convince someone else to read it is much easier to sell and much more fun to write.  For some students, posting the review on Amazon.com afterward makes it even more enticing!  This lesson is excerpted from the Ancients unit of our Middle School-1 lesson plans but could be adapted for younger or older students:

(Note: for many students, especially younger ones, it is very helpful to talk through the answers to these questions ahead of time. Either the student and/or teacher may take notes for the student to use when actually writing the review.)

1.  The first paragraph should be an introductory paragraph, including the title of the book and the author’s name. This should be followed by a few overview sentences stating why another student would want to read the book.  (i.e., It was one of the most exciting stories…/…had one of my favorite characters/…had an inspirational ending/…was about my favorite subject or period of history, etc.)

2. The next paragraph should tell what the story is about and include the main conflict, or problem, of the story.  (An example from the book Hittite Warrior: A young Hittite, Uriah, makes a promise on his father’s death bed and has to travel alone to foreign lands in search of a man named Sisera, whom Uriah hopes will take him in.)

3.  In the following paragraph, your student should tell about his favorite parts of the book. A few incidents will be enough–caution him about writing down too many parts or going into too much detail here.

4.  The last paragraph should include the main message of the book and should restate what the book meant to him or what he learned from reading it. Your student may want to add one final statement about why someone else would want to read this book.

Additional points:

For more ideas about teaching writing, review our Reluctant Writer series.

Happy Writing!

Dana

Last week, Patti, of South Carolina, won the 40th anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird in our Christmas Book Give Away! Thanks for commenting, Patti, and congratulations! This week, Beth looks at creative reading gift ideas for children of all ages! If you have a gift idea related to reading, please comment and let our other readers know about it. Just click on the link below and submit your comment at the end of the blog.

By commenting on this blog and joining our mailing list (from the right sidebar or on our website) you’ll automatically be entered in our Christmas Book Give Away. This week, we’ll draw a winner for Prayers for Homeschool Moms by Michelle Howe. It’s an awesome book to help you start the new year encouraged by the prayers and stories of fellow homeschool parents! 

 Remembering the reason for the season, in Christ,

Dana

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My son, John Paul, and I both woke up so excited this morning. He slept in, which was a real treat for him and I had several hours to myself, which was amazing for me. It’s the first day of our Christmas holiday! No school demands! What a blessing! As much as we really do love home schooling, when breaks arrive, we’re both always appreciative. With that in mind, it seemed like the perfect time for a blog about fun reading gift ideas.

I have always been thrilled about opening a book as a gift. However, although both of my children are avid readers, a book is rarely the first item on their wish lists. For many home school children, constantly exposed to great books throughout the year, a book gift may seem a little mundane. However, the gift of reading can often be paired with other gifts or presented in a whole new light, adding joy to an otherwise ordinary gift. Check out the following ideas for some creative "packaging" to stimulate the brain and bring some Christmas cheer.

 For the Very Young

 Bedtime Book Basket – Combine a few bedtime books; a new doll, stuffed animal, pillow or blanket with which to sleep; a nightlight; and brand new pajamas in a simple crate or basket. Your child can keep the basket beside his bed providing a fun ritual for bedtime. Put on his pj’s, select a book and snuggle up with Mom and Dad in preparation for sweet dreams. Some recommended bedtime books:

Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (my daughter, Ally’s, favorite as a toddler)

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton – this book comes in a fun lap size for a very reasonable price!

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young by Martha Alexander – an endearing first book of poetry.

All of God’s Creatures – Pair up a Noah’s Ark set with an awesome animal book. Both Play Mobile and Fisher Price make adorable Noah’s Ark sets, but for an even softer version, try the SS Noah Soft Sculpture Playset by Pockets of Learning. Not only are the characters soft and cuddly, they also can be easily stored and carried around without injury! While there are a multitude of animal books out there for youngsters, one that covers a lot of ground and can even alternate as a learning tool is My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy. Simple rhymes and clear photographs make this an ideal attention getter for younger children.

Ages 4-8

Transportation – Start with a large vehicle, like a dump truck, and use it to hold fun, classic transportation books such as:

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton – this Caldecott winning book also comes with a CD making it perfect for taking along on holiday travels.

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. There is also a game that compliments this book.

It’s All About Love! – some sweet books together with a giant floor puzzle say I love you at the holidays.

Because I Love You by Max Lucado – a precious story illustrating God’s love for us.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney – a simple story of love. You can also get the floor puzzle!

Ages 9-12

Culinary Craziness – This is the perfect age to really build interest in the culinary arts. Begin with a large mixing bowl and fill it with basic cooking gear, an apron, recipe cards, a grocery store gift card (how fun would it be to shop for your own recipes?) and an age appropriate cookbook (be sure to get spiral bound as they lay flat). Either of the following cookbooks would be ideal:

New Junior Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens – if you have a diabetic in the family, this book even includes diabetic exchanges!

Cooking Rocks by Rachael Ray – fun and appealing, these 30 minutes meals are designed to be created by kids. She does a wonderful job of teaching basic cooking techniques in the process.

Teens

Ready, Set, Shoot! – pair up a beginning digital photography book with a reasonably priced digital camera and extra memory card. One book that will take your teen through the basics and beyond of digital photography is Digital Photography for Teens by Marc Campbell. I was impressed with the details and the fact that the author didn’t water anything down for teens while creating a book that would hold their interest.

There are probably dozens of ideas out there for incorporating books and other items to make fun Christmas gifts, but my time is running out. I need to get started on my own Christmas shopping! In the meantime, let me know about your ideas that combine reading and other activities to make awesome gifts. Just click on the link below and enter our next Christmas Book Give Away by leaving your creative ideas as a comment. If you are already a member of our mailing list, you could win Prayers for Homeschool Moms by Michelle Howe just for commenting!

 Enjoy your Christmas holidays!

In Him,

Beth

What do you do when a your child has a bad attitude about doing his schoolwork, his chores, or anything else you’ve asked him to do?  I confess, my initial reaction is not usually pleasant, although I am working on that.  Of course, it has be the child’s problem, right? After all, I am the mature one…

Actually, over the years I have learned that the most profitable thing to do first is examine is my own attitude and expectations. Am I giving this child enough help and attention, or am I more focused on other tasks I want to accomplish during school time? Am I short-tempered or critical because I’m in a hurry or unhappy about being “interrupted, again?” Do I have too many other activities and commitments to be able to focus on my children and their education? (Ouch!) If this makes you wince, pray for yourself and your child(ren), and ask God to give you insight and wisdom into this situation. Believe me, He will do it.

Secondly, talk with your child about his attitude, and really listen to what he says. Is she hungry? Tired? Lonely? Overwhelmed? Sometimes there is a physical or psychological reason that can easily be dealt with by a snack and/or a little focused attention. If it involves more than that, at least you will convey to your child that he is more important to you than the completion of his grammar lesson.

Thirdly, determine if this is a character issue.  If it is, it’s critical to identify and take steps to remedy the problem.  God’s Word is very clear on the issues of anger and rebellion, and I believe the heart condition of a child is more important than his math facts. Teach scripture and train in righteousness.  Have him memorize pertinent verses and hold him, your other children, and yourself, to a standard of kind and cheerful speech.  Teach and reteach that “obedience” is the following: when you give an instruction, a child looks you in the eye and says “Yes, ma’am,” (I’m living in South Carolina) or “Yes, Mom,” and then immediately begins the task.

As well, this is a prudent time to get the principal involved. Whether Dad helps with academics or not, it’s critical for him to be aware, involved, and supportive of your goals and struggles with each of your students.Your children need to know they will answer to Dad for a poor attitude or negligent work.  One of the systems  we’ve had in place in our home during the ’younger years’ to facilitate communication is a weekly “Presentation Night.” Children have the opportunity to share what they’ve learned that week and present reports, and Dad has a chance to praise and encourage, as well as peruse any test papers and ask about any substandard work.

Lastly, use positive motivation and incentive.  Try to catch your student doing something positive, such as working quietly, completing an assignment independently or quickly, speaking kindly, or having a helpful attitude with a sibling.  When those occasions occur, we generally make do with a warm hug and verbal recognition, but you may want to take it to the next level.  A system of tally marks or stickers per incidence with a “store” of small items, where those tallies can be redeemed at the end of the week, may work well with your child.

With realistic expectations, a calm, organized and attentive mom, consistent training and good modeling, you should be able to see improvement in your child’s attitude. And if you are anything like me, you might even grow a bit in the process.

Still learning,

Don’t Panic!

I often use that phrase when talking to parents about their high school students, particularly when the subject of writing is involved.  High school brings about a whole new type of anxiety.  The clock seems to tick faster and many times, the student seems to be much less concerned about getting an education than the parent.  Let me reiterate…don’t panic!  You are not in control, but that’s okay…God is!

My daughter was not a reluctant writer in high school.  She was a major overachiever and while writing was not a love for her as it is for me, she wanted to please her parents and God.  Academics came easily in most cases and when something was challenging, she had serious self motivation. Little did I know that my son would be the opposite.  He has a wonderful imagination and sometimes even a good attitude, but he simply doesn’t like transferring ideas from his head to paper.  It is time consuming.  It is frustrating.  It is not fun.  It is, to put it simply, outright hard.  So, what’s a parent or teacher to do?

9 Key Points to Teaching Older Reluctant Writers

To begin with, read Part 2 of this Reluctant Writers series.  There are many ideas in that article that apply to high schoolers as well: limiting assignments, using high interest topics, and communicating clearly and often.  But high school writers are not middle school writers and they need to be treated differently in some ways.

1.  Self-editing – This skill is vital for high school students to acquire, even reluctant writers.  As with all difficult areas, begin small.  Have your student only edit for capitalization the first go around.  With every assignment, add something new to look for including punctuation, sentence structure, spelling, etc.  For Epi Kardia users, there is a self-editing tool that you can adapt and use.  It is on the Tools CD or in the Epi Kardia Parent’s Manual tools section. Begin with self-editing smaller assignments and move on to longer ones as your student begins to build confidence.

2.  Modeling – Whether you realize it or not, your high school student is watching you closely.  I didn’t realize this until my daughter was at college and we talked about it.  Make sure that your high schooler sees you writing, even if it’s just email.  Let him or her “catch” you reading your email aloud back to yourself so that you can edit it.  For boys, it is even more important for them to see Dad or male siblings doing this.  Boys often develop an attitude that academics, and especially writing, are “girl” things.  You probably self-edit without even thinking about it.  I rarely send an email without reading it aloud.  It is not uncommon for my child to walk in and find me talking to the computer. Okay…sometimes it’s frustration! However, it’s often me reading my writing aloud.

3.  Ask your high schooler for help – I know this sounds odd, particularly for a reluctant writer. However, when a student perceives himself as needed, it builds confidence.  You may ask your student to help out by reading a short assignment from a younger sibling or even something you have written yourself.  Obviously, you don’t want to ask him to do something that is beyond his ability at the time, so be sure to work through basic self-editing skills prior to making such a request.

Why all of this focus on editing?  Students who can edit their own work feel better about themselves and build confidence.  Editing is a different skill than writing and it is not uncommon for a reluctant writer, at this level, to understand how writing should look without being excited about doing it himself.  As well, the more editing practice that occurs the better the writing skills later.

4.  Essay writing – the basic essay styles (expository, narrative, persuasive, comparison/contrast and descriptive) are vital for high school students to master.

• Work on the styles one by one moving from simplest in form (expository, narrative and descriptive) to more difficult (persuasive and comparison/contrast).  Most students like certain styles over others which is natural.  Be as encouraging as possible when your student finds a style that fits his personality and consider even adding an additional assignment to fit that style.  It will build confidence.  Allow more time for the styles that do not appeal to your student.
• Before beginning any essay writing, read through examples of essays in that style to help your student have a very clear understanding of the format.  Reassure your student that there will be multiple draft opportunities to get it right.
• Outlining is essential for every student (different outline types are discussed in the Epi Kardia Parent’s Manual) and mastering this skill will provide structure and again, build confidence in a reluctant writer’s ability to get the assignment completed.
• Consider writing an essay together.  While this may feel like pulling teeth, it is well worth the effort.  It will also remind you of how challenging it can be to complete such assignment, insuring future compassion from you! 
• Vary essay lengths. Many schools push the 5 paragraph essay and yet, most colleges prefer a student with a more varied writing style.  Encourage your student to write shorter and longer essays.  You may even want to start with a mini-essay of only three paragraphs.  Descriptive essays are good candidates for this writing assignment.
• Be patient.  Yes, the clock is ticking, but four years of high school can include a wide variety of experiences.  Also remember that your student will grow and mature more in those four years so every problem need not be tackled in the freshman year.

5.  Practical writing skills allow a high school student to practice writing without the pressure of a graded assignment.  Thank you notes, emailing correspondence (yes, you can say that no emails will be sent to relatives without being edited first), writing a resume, even writing a description for selling an item on Ebay or in the newspaper can be valuable experience.

6.  Tie writing into what your student loves.  If your student has a strong interest in music, have him write song lyrics.  If he loves to read, relate assignments to his free time reading rather than books from his literature class.  I once discovered that a writing student of mine, who perceived himself as a non-writer, could write technical material explaining the complex workings of a paintball gun like a pro.  He soon realized that he was definitely a writer and could continue on to other things, but his love for paint ball brought out skills he didn’t realize he had.  Sometimes removing the focus from the writing itself and putting it on the highly interesting subject can be all it takes for a student to get the job done.

7.  Research papers are a fact of high school life.  The great thing about a research paper is that it can be broken down into smaller components and worked on a little at a time.  See the Epi Kardia Parent’s Manual for more information about how to teach a research paper assignment.  Most students take a semester to write a paper, but for a reluctant writer, consider taking up to one school year.  There are no rules about how long it should take, but a college bound high school student should have at least two research papers under his belt by graduation.  For reluctant writers, the topic will make all of the difference.  With the first experience, most definitely allow the student to select the topic.  You may want him to give you a list of possibilities and you narrow it down, but it should be topic of interest.  Keep the first research paper shorter (6-10 pages) for a reluctant writer.  Even a shorter paper will seem overwhelming.  Communicate clearly about how there will be significant time and the work will be broken up with smaller deadlines throughout the year, then stick with those deadlines as much as possible.  If there is an issue keeping the deadline, don’t let it be a result of your neglect (not having something graded on time, not getting your student to the library, etc.).  Nothing is more discouraging to a student than being told that his work is so important but perceiving by your actions or lack of action that the work is not.  Grade each segment of the process because there is less pressure with multiple grades than one major grade.

8.  Considered writing projects or paired writing. Often high school students will contribute more and gain more confidence if they are not alone in their endeavors.  Discuss this with your student prior to making any decisions.  If your student is adamant about not wanting to write with another student, don’t push it.  In my experience, however, most students feel less pressure when more than one person is involved.

9.  Look into writing courses.  This may seem odd for a student who is already insecure about his abilities, but again, I have found through teaching high school writing courses that male students, in particular, respond better in a structured, class setting.  They often work harder because they do not want to appear incapable in front of their peers.  It is essential to interview the instructor if you have a truly reluctant writer.  Reluctant writers tend to achieve more with teachers who have a sense of humor and are encouraging, without allowing the student to deviate from the course.  Grace and understanding when a student is struggling balanced with accountability is not always easy to find in an instructor, but definitely not impossible.  Talking with other parents and students about instructors is typically wise.  Just remember that every parent is not looking for the same qualities in a teacher, so be sure to decide what is most important to you before making a decision.

Teaching a high school student is truly a sacrificial act for many parents.  When that student is a reluctant writer, the jewels on the crown increase exponentially!  Just remember that this is only aspect of your student and that you both will make it through with prayer, patience and time.  Feel free to email us through Epi Kardia (info@epikardia.com ) if you have any specific relucant writer questions or situations. God bless and know that the fruit of your labor will not go unnoticed!

If you missed the first two posts in the series, please check out Reluctant Writers – Part 1 The Early Years and Reluctant Writers – Part 2 The Middle Years.

Reluctant writers often become more reluctant after elementary school.  Due to other physical and emotional changes, academics, in general, can be challenging at this age.  Writing, especially with the idea of editing and rewriting, brings on its own anxiety.  Amazingly enough, it is possible to get through these years productively with a reluctant writer.  Creative assignments, encouraging teaching, prayer and patience all come in handy!

Beginning a written assignment can be the most difficult step.

1.  Discuss the assignment thoroughly and explain not only what must be done but also what is expected.  Often students fear academic work because there isn’t enough direction or because the expectations seem too high.  Discussing the process of completing the written assignment can be helpful.  For example, you might tell your student that he will be writing a short report about a famous American.  Often, teachers and parents stop at this point thinking they have provided enough necessary information.  For a reluctant writer, immediate questions come to mind: What is a report exactly?  What does “short” mean?  About which famous American am I supposed to write?  Anxiety builds as the student imagines the difficulties related to the written work. Continued explanation and discussion including the following could help relieve some of that stress as well as teach the process of writing:

a. Length of the assignment, written or typed including formatting details (font size, spacing, etc.)

b. Date(s) due – for long assignments have due dates for different steps and drafts.  Remember to keep the date reasonable but not so far out that the student can procrastinate.

c. Brainstorm possible topics with your student.   Many students express concerns about having to select their own topics, especially at this age.

d. Discuss where to find Research materials and be sure that your student has sufficient access.

e. Prepare your student for editing and rewriting but don’t dwell on it.  Rewriting is typically the most difficult phase for a middle school reluctant writer because they believe that once written, the assignment is complete.  Early preparation can prevent later disputes.

2. Keep initial assignments short and break up longer assignments.  More extensive work can be broken into smaller assignments such as outlining, research and note taking (this can be broken down by resource if general note taking is too overwhelming), writing the introduction, writing the body of the paper (can be broken down by paragraphs or outline topics), writing the conclusion, drafts (2 or more, as appropriate), and the final draft.  For more information about the steps or process of writing, including evaluation, see the Epi Kardia Parent’s Manual.

3. Stay on top of your student’s progress.  Be encouraging as you correct along the way.  Reluctant writers need to know that they are being evaluated regularly or they lose momentum.  When correcting, be as gentle as possible and always point out something that the student did well.

4. Focus on one or two areas for correction.  With each draft, decide what you will be most concerned about and let the student know.  Areas of concern could be:  content of writing, sentence structure, paragraph development, grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. If you note every mistake, especially on the initial draft, your student may become overly discouraged.

5. Let your student keyboard rather than write manually.  Keyboarding is typically faster and is definitely easier when making changes to drafts.  Professional writers use keyboards, so why not students? The only exception to this will be examined in the next installment concerning high school and SAT essays.

6. For middle and high school students, let them use grammar and spell check.  Such tools reinforce correct spelling and usage despite concerns that they allow students to be lazy.  That is not typically true.

Creative assignments are also beneficial when working with reluctant writers.  Consider using some of the following:

· Journaling: daily journal writing instills the habit of writing, which is a beneficial life long skill.

· Letters: thank you notes and invitations. A pen pal can easily meet this need!

· Responding to fine art, music, poetry and movies

·      Lapbooks: offers shorter writing assignments that can be compiled into one larger assignment when complete.

· Alternate story endings: have your student rewrite the ending to a story or book you have read.

· Point of View: write about an event from someone or something else’s point of view. For example, write about King Arthur from the round table’s point of view or rewrite a fable, such as The Lion and the Mouse from the mouse’s point of view.

· Poetry, Psalms, and Riddles: practice writing verse after studying different types.

· Recipe books: this idea offers opportunities for organizing written information, writing directions, and using correct abbreviations. Extra idea: put recipes in your book from each of the different historical time periods.

· Snoring! Boring!: This assignment requires that Mom or Dad write a very boring paragraph first and then the student rewrites the paragraph making it more interesting.

· Family newsletter: send it to family members.  This is sort of a lapbook using desktop publishing.

· Advertisements: this type of writing is an opportune first step to persuasive writing. Initially, you will want to discuss different advertisements and what makes them effective with your student.

Note that the above ideas were taken from the Epi Kardia Parent’s Manual.  See the manual for more ideas!

Communication and discussion with reluctant writers is essential!  Even if they appear to not want to talk through assignments, the rewards will be seen later.  Sometimes it is best to actually allow the student to discuss his ideas and exactly what he is going to write prior to beginning an assignment.  With seriously reluctant writers, you may need to talk him through the writing as he’s doing it.  In such cases, shorter assignments are best until confidence is developed.  Allowing a student to record his thoughs on tape prior to writing can also be useful.

The goal for this age group is preparation for more serious writing of essays and research papers in high school.  A large part of this preparation is developing a taste, if not a love, for writing.  With reluctant writers, the idea that writing isn’t going away and he might as well do what he can with it may be the most you will get.  However, even that is progress!  The reality of having to write daily is difficult for reluctant writers and their teachers.  Yet, that is exactly what needs to be done.  Communicate well, keep assignments shorter until success has been achieved, be encouraging, and provide consistent daily assignments to prevent a relucant middle school writer from becoming a seriously challenging high school student!

If you missed our first post on the subject, check out Reluctant Writers – Part 1 The Early Years and the next post in this series Reluctant Writers – Part 3 High School and Beyond.

Every family seems to have one, or more.  They dread the moment they hear words like writing, paragraph or even sentence!  You wonder if they’ll ever choose to communicate in the written word and knowing how important it is in every aspect of life, you wonder if not writing will cause them to live with you forever.  The Reluctant Writer or in some cases, the obstinate “no way on this planet” writer…how do we break through and convince these students the importance of writing well?

First of all, we need to examine what could be causing students to feel incapable of writing.  The four most common reasons include:

1.  The act of writing is painful or physically uncomfortable – It is essential that we teach our students how to hold a pencil properly, correct paper position and proper letter formation in the early years.  It may seem obvious to some, but students can develop some pretty uncomfortable and messy habits if left to their own devices.  As well, students who do not have proper writing instruction initially will be slower writers resulting in frustration later when their hands can’t keep up with their brains.

2.  Insecurity – Students will often have unexpressed fear of not being able to do the job well or feel unsure that they have the ability to develop ideas needed for writing.  Even when students do express fears, they are often overlooked because parents and teachers think that all kids have these issues on some level. When your child expresses such concerns, be sure to reassure him that while it is not uncommon to feel some anxiety, the best way to get past such feelings is to jump in and write!  Also, make sure your student knows that you will not be overly critical at first and then make every effort not to be critical.  When evaluating your student, especially in those early years, always point out positives before negatives and try not to focus more on negatives than positives.

3. Perfectionism – Students who tend to be perfectionists don’t often enjoy writing because it’s about impossible to get it right the first time around.  They don’t like to see their errors, let alone correct them.  Writing causes uncomfortable feelings as compared to their workbook pages that are orderly and have one correct answer for each problem.  Writing is also very abstract and may seem ambiguous, again leaving room for error that makes a perfectionist squirm.

4. It’s hard work! – It is rare for a child to want to do any job that is difficult.  This is particularly true when you get to the editing and re-writing stages of the process.  Writing can be discouraging for many students because they like to do a job and be done with it.

So, what can be done to prevent at least some of the above issues?   How can we start early and create a writer mentality?  To begin with, from early on focus on proper physical writing skills.  By Kindergarten, students should be focusing on forming letters properly and holding pencils correctly.  Staying on top of these skills and correcting any bad habits that might occur is wise.  In 1st – 3rd grades, forming words and short sentences should be the primary concern.  These skills are best achieved through modeling (you writing and your student modeling after you) and copy work (excerpts pulled from books that exhibit strong writing).

In most cases, you don’t want to push thought based writing prior to 3rd grade.  Unless your student demonstrates an obvious interest and the abilities required to get his thoughts on paper in some organized fashion, this type of writing can be very frustrating for young students.  They often lack the experience and maturity to transfer thoughts to the written word.

Encouraging a student to express himself verbally from early on by asking questions and discussing his thoughts on various topics will often lead to stronger writing later.  The ability to organize and present thoughts verbally is a precursor to organizing and presenting thoughts in writing.  Discuss things that happen each day, what he observes and what he thinks about a wide variety of things.  Make thinking and processing a habit for your student by practicing it with him.

Set up situations for your student to experience success.  This is most easily done in young students by providing early writing activities that are enjoyable.  Incorporate “fun” writing projects to work together on such as making greeting cards, writing simple sentences to label illustrations, and creating mini-books and lap books. (Epi Kardia users see your Parent Manual for lap book instructions and unit booklets for lapbook ideas.) Give strong, sincere, positive feedback referring to your student as a writer and point out what he does that makes him a writer.

Discuss the importance of writing and point out situations where writing is necessary.  Look at the relevance of it in real life whether it’s at the doctor’s office or the fact that there isn’t a television show that could be produced without writers. Talk about how written communication leads to wonderful things such as the Bible, poetry, beloved stories, plays, music, computers etc.  Discuss what the world would be like without writing.  How many great experiences would we miss if no one knew how to write?

Model writing for your student. Point out the times when you use writing to communicate more easily.  Draw attention to the many times a day you have to use your writing skills and how difficult life would be if you couldn’t write.

Read, read, read with your student. Oral and shared reading builds a student’s confidence in understanding the written word.  There is a direct correlation on standardized testing between comprehension and writing skills.  Just as reading is incorporated into all subjects, so is writing.

Don’t treat writing like an academic subject. Approach it as a life skill.  Compare writing to exercising your mind just like running or swimming is exercising your body.  Make sure your student understands that writing is skill to used to become a better student in all areas.

As with most things of value in this life, writing begins early and should be practiced often. With the early years, encouragement and success are vital.  A good attitude early on will go a long way!  Don’t be discouraged, however, if you have a writer past the early years already.  Be looking for Reluctant Writers – Part 2  The Middle Years and Reluctant Writers – Part 3 High School and Beyond, which will be published soon.

Wishing your family a wonderful Christmas season!!

Beth

Hi Everyone!

We are thrilled to bring you the first blog post of Epi Kardia Home Education!

We are planning on using this forum to bless and encourage you as you homeschool your children.  We are “in the trenches” with you, but as we have been homeschooling a while now and have both graduated children who are currently attending college successfully, we know we are further down the path than many of you.  We hope to be an encouragement to you as well as offer practical help to aid you in your endeavor to educate your children, both spiritually and academically.

We also would like this to be interactive.  Please feel free to comment on our posts, ask questions, share your joys, your challenges, and what is going on at your house.

Click here to read about your free thank you gifts for joining our mailing list!

Additionally, we write unit study curricula using “real” books that integrate the subjects of history, science, language arts (grammar, spelling, composition, literature, poetry) and fine arts, so we also plan to provide helpful teaching tips, an occasional free form or lesson, new book reviews, and more. We hope you will check back often. If you would like to have new posts ‘delivered to your door’, please join our mailing list.  Read about your free thank you gifts for signing up by checking out this page on the Epi Kardia web site.

A friend recently sent a post said to have been contributed to by English teachers across the country, who sent actual analogies and metaphors used by their students in high school essays. Enjoy by reading them yourself, or, add a little humor to a writing lesson by following these steps:

Part I  Teach or review these definitions:

Simile–a figure of speech comparing two things using the words “like” or “as”.  Example:  My love is like a red, red rose. This is the first line of a poem by Robert Burns, found here:

http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Burns/a_red,_red_rose.htm

Metaphor–a figure of speech comparing two unlike things.  Example:  The name of the Lord is a strong tower. Proverbs 18:10 What does the author want to tell you about the name of the Lord by comparing it to a strong tower?

Analogy–a comparison between two things that are alike in some way.  Example:  Your body can be compared with a car and food to fuel.  What other analogies can you think of (a heart is like a pump, etc.)?

Part II After discussing the definitions, read the following list with your student, and discuss whether each sentence uses a simile, metaphor or analogy.  State which two things are compared in each sentence. (Note:  some of the answers are debatable!) Have fun!

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of th ose boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

9. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

10. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

11. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

12. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

13. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

14. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

15. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

16. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

17. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

18. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

19. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

20. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

21. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

22. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

23. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Part III  Extend the lesson by having your student rewrite a specified number of the sentences, or his own sentences, using better comparisons. Make sure to have him include all three types of comparisons in his sentences.

Ideas for other lessons: research Robert Burns, the poet mentioned in Part I.  Write a short report on his life and poetry. Find other examples of his poetry, and identify similes, metaphors and analogies.

We hope you enjoyed your writing lesson! Let us know how it turned out! Have a blessed day, and come back and visit us soon!

Beth and Dana