How I Teach Writing Skills | Does Your Homeschool NEED a Writing Curriculum?

[@SevenInAll]

Stick around to the end to see a surprise cameo. And let me know if you heard someone calling "Mama, Mama!" in the background of the video. lol! In this video, I'm sharing my process for teaching writing skills at the middle and high school level--when students have moved past the basic mechanics of writing, but haven't yet mastered the craft of composing essays and other forms of writing. Open the description for links to the resources I like to use.

[@faithfullyinfertile]

I thought I was hearing one of the boys! That was too cute at the end. All of my 2yo’s have resisted their naps at 2 but I wouldn’t give up and they all went back to solid napping again. 🤪 No one naps anymore (my baby is 5) but we still have mandatory daily rest time!

[@JoyfulNoiseLearning]

Oh my goodness, this was a WONDERFUL breakdown for how to teach writing!! You have given me more peace and confidence to train my kids in this. I REALLY enjoy writing myself, but trying to guide others in that process is tough to figure out. I have just expected them to be intuitive and “figure it out”, but that has not helped. I’m ready to really GUIDE THEM and walk step by step. I also love that you encourage us to throw out perfectionism, and not worry about them writing according to a formula, but challenging them to think and improve. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@SevenInAll]

Thanks, Ashley, that means a lot! Many kids don't necessarily grasp writing "intuitively" (while others do!). Perfectionism is zero help when it comes to building good writing skills, that's for sure! Walking through the process with them, again and again until they grow in confidence, can be such a powerful tool!

[@logosrhemalego]

Relationship over perfectionism….taking the journey together until the student’s confidence builds up. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

[@theselittlesprouts]

I was told recently from a friend who is a language arts teacher for middle school and high school turned homeschool mom, that writing will develop with grammar instruction over time as well as voice and creativity from reading good books and practicing creative writing. I think for my daughter, the structure may come later, I’m not stressing about getting it down right now. I think when she is more mature and can grasp concepts better, is when writing will develop for her. She is the most creative kid I know, so for now I’m having her practice that side of things along with grammar instruction. Maybe she won’t be an amazing writer and that’s ok too, every kid has their unique talents. I value your view and approach to this because you are so knowledgeable, thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@SevenInAll]

Oh yes--this video is targeted at middle-high school writing, when the "skilled writing" can really begin to develop. In the early years, it's just building up to being able to write a sentence, and then figuring out how to put sentences together to make a paragraph...and understanding a little bit about creative writing and the arc of a story. Kids need to grow up a little before they can really begin to grasp the many skills that come together in skilled writing. That's totally natural!

[@theselittlesprouts]

@@SevenInAll I agree! My daughter is going to be in 6th grade next year, so not far off from that middle school mark, but I’ve realized this year it’s ok if she is slower at learning the writing process, she will get there in time. It may take her through high school to really “get it” and that’s ok. ☺️

[@SevenInAll]

@@theselittlesprouts It takes time! I think high school is when it really all starts to 'click' for many kids.

[@jessicajones611]

Love this comment! Totally agree, this is how I believe good writing starts x

[@HomeschoolwithJen]

Teachers Pay Teachers also is one of my favorite resources for targeted lessons in writing. This video was definitely helpful. Thank you!

[@SevenInAll]

I'm glad it was helpful! We definitely can't underestimate how helpful a simple targeted lesson plan can be!

[@ghandigidget]

Hi Rachel! Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this video! You (and your mom) have been such a blessing! Thank you for your videos. ❤ I have been struggling with writing and have tried and tired of the box curriculums for various reasons. I have a 5th grade daughter who has loved to write stories for the last 2 years She loves to and can just sit and creatively write for hours. However, she hates curriculums because its restrictive and repetitive. She even wrote 4 or 5 chapers of "Life of Fred" 2 years ago. They were so good and mimicked Stan"s style to a tea. I emailed them to the author and he replied. He was highly impressed with them especially at her age. It touched his heart because he doesn't see the impact of his work in the kids like he used to as a teacher. He allso stated that she has a bright writing future ahead of her. My 7th grader can write too but he's not as strong as his sister in desire or abilitiy to write. He is stronger with mechanics and spelling. I ❤ THIS "method" because it's more organic and natural. I enjoy writing and going to implement this next week. QUESTION : I just bought a used copy of Writers Inc on Amazon. However, I got a 1996 edition; didnt pay close enough attention in your video to the cover. Do you know if its worth to spend another $7 or so for the edition you show in your video? I dont know if the differences matter. I cant find any where online to compare the editions at least where the table of contents is concerned. What do you think?

[@SevenInAll]

Oh, I'm so glad that this more natural approach 'clicks.' From someone else who does not love the restrictiveness of the big-name writing curriculums. I have another video, I shared recently on my community tab, talking about my approach to giving constructive feedback on papers and helping students who already write well to improve and challenge themselves. I also don't know specifically the differences from one edition to the next--my best guess is that the main updates might be in reference to internet sources (which probably weren't used as much by students in 1996) or possibly citation formatting (every once in a while the 'rules' of MLA, APA, Chicago, etc style are updated, and then guides are updated to reflect those). I wouldn't worry too much about that, because the changes are typically small, not really noticeable outside of actual professional editing or college-level writing, and because it's easy enough to look up specifics of the most current edition of each style online if it really becomes necessary.

[@ghandigidget]

Thank you kindly for your quick response.

[@brittanyolga]

My high school English teacher gifted me Writer’s Inc and I will be using it with my 10 year old daughter when she gets older. We are trying IEW this upcoming school year really for me because I need the help teaching writing 😆. I know this will be an area in my homeschool I know I will definitely outsource in some way.

[@SevenInAll]

Writer's INC is such a helpful book! A lot of useful info packed into one small volume! I hope IEW works great for you, I know that it has for so many families. Knowing which subjects you're most comfortable with, and which subjects you want to outsource, is so important as a homeschool parent! :)

[@amandamendoza4181]

Thank you for this! I felt like I was the only homeschool mom not using IEW or writer’s workshop type curriculum. The Writers INC book you use is an awesome resource and they have one similar for 4-5 graders called Writers Express by k12 thoughtful learning. I will be using this with my 5th grader next year. Along with another Language Arts Curriculum to create a customized learning experience and start building my son’s writing skills.

[@SevenInAll]

You are definitely not alone! A well-written writer's guide is an incredibly helpful resource and many kids can learn how to write well without the heavily structured writing curriculums.

[@amandamendoza4181]

@@SevenInAll I appreciate you!😊

[@simplycece]

Wow, I used writers inc in high school too. I totally forgot that book existed but apparently that front cover image has been engrained in my mind forever 😂.

[@SevenInAll]

hahaha! It's been a staple in English classes for a long time, I think!

[@JoyfulNoiseLearning]

I have loved all your latest videos, Rachel! Thank you for this 🥰🥰 Didn’t know you have a book about a cactus! 😄😁😆🙌🏼

[@SevenInAll]

Thank you so much, Ashley!

[@JenniferGarcia-qr3ur]

Rachel, Thanks for your recommendations!!!

[@SevenInAll]

Thanks! Glad that they are helpful!

[@TheChan7]

This was awesome and encouraging. Thanks for sharing.

[@SevenInAll]

You are so welcome!

[@FirmandoPangandaran]

Beautiful Sharing My Dear Friends

[@Ahomeontheprairies]

Thank you for sharing this! I am ordering the writers inc book for reference here:) Do you have any recommendation for a 'list' of what types of writing to include at different grade levels by chance? I am working on pulling more writing assignments i tk our content areas, but also am unsure if i'm missing something important. Thanks again!

[@SevenInAll]

Hmmm...I'm sorry, I don't have a comprehensive list to point you to. Mainly, I try to pay attention to different major forms of writing: narrative (fiction and non-fiction), persuasive, expository, descriptive...as well as practical applications of writing: resumes, application letters, etc. By upper-middle school and high school I do want to regularly include longer-form research papers in content-based subjects areas (i.e. history, current issues, science) that follow the traditional approach of asking a research question, proposing a thesis, and developing evidence-based arguments to support the thesis. Literary analysis is another good form to include! I can see why you would want a list, there's quite a variety! Writer's INC does include chapters on specific techniques and organization for different major types of writing assignments, so those chapters will be good to draw from for ideas on different types of writing.

[@Ahomeontheprairies]

@SevenInAll what you have written here gives me a good overview to start by too. I have ordered the book so will utilize the topics there also! Perhaps hitting every specific genre isn't as important as the techniques practice and writing a variety.

[@homeschoolteenswithjenny]

Super helpful! Thank you!

[@SevenInAll]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sarahmora5207]

This is great information! I hope when we get to creative writing and writing in general, that I don't put my children in a box. 😬

[@heatherwiltshire0182]

What do you reccomend in the early years (third grade) to build successful writers?

[@SevenInAll]

In the very early years of elementary, many kids don't yet have the foundational skills needed to sit down and write a paragraph or a page (some do!). Foundational skills needed in the early years are: 1) hand strength and dexterity, so to the extent that writing several sentences or a paragraph or more are not too difficult/tiring for their hand. -- This is why dictation, or the practice of the child orally telling a parent what they want to write while the parent physically writes it, is a very helpful practice in the early years. 2) Basic fundamentals of handwriting/spelling/punctuation. It takes kids a few years to get enough spelling skills to really be able to write the sentences they want to write (again, this is where dictation is a helpful practice. 3) The thought process required for writing. Both original thought (stories, creative writing) as well as analytical thought (process writing, analytical writing, summary, etc.) - Reading to children, discussing what we read, and having them to oral narrations is a great way to build the skills for the underlying thought process required for future writing (and then we can use dictation to write down their narrations while they watch.) I'm not saying not to let 1st or 2nd or 3rd grader have writing assignments, some kids definitely will be able to and very interested in writing at an early age, but these are what I feel are foundational skills to set up a child for successful writing, and sometimes we kind of skip the foundations and go straight on to just putting a piece of paper in front of them and saying "Write a story about a day at the beach." Once the foundational skills are in place, a child can handle that. But when they don't have the foundation, and we give them that assignment, we're not setting them up for success.

[@jessicak5370]

Im curious what your thoughts are on bravewriter’s partnership in writing for elementary. Also, is there a certain age you start writing with your children?

[@SevenInAll]

I have no experience with that program, although the general philosophy of writing instruction beginning in partnership with the parent is definitely something I believe makes a big difference. Simply "tossing them overboard" and expecting a kid to write a story or an essay independently without being led through the procedure doesn't tend to work for a lot of kids. As for what age to start writing instruction with kids--I see the very foundation of writing instruction happening with oral storytelling. I already do this with my toddler and preschooler--I tell them stories about when I was a kid, and I ask them to tell me about the dreams they had when they wake up in the morning, or to tell me what's happening in their pretend play with dinosaurs. But the sort of writing instruction I talk about in this video would, ideal, start around 5th grade or maybe not until middle school. In between storytelling and really digging into the process of expository writing in content...there are many small steps that you can take with your child to increase skill and confidence.

[@lorriel9629]

My Fifth grader is using The Good and The Beautiful LA level 5. We are struggling with all the grammatical rules. Do you think it is necessary to learn all the specific grammar rules. She loves to write(speech to text) and has a great imagination. Personally I feel that if you can write and the language sounds correct and reads well, that is enough. I am going to order this book. Do you feel using this Writers INC alone would be a good choice. Your videos are so informational and funny. Thank you

[@SevenInAll]

First of all, thank you so much for saying that I'm funny. I wonder if my humor ever comes across. ;P Writer's INC does cover a great deal of grammatical rules and writing conventions, and is a very helpful guide. If the grammatical rules in TGATB LA are confusing...I wouldn't necessarily write off grammatical rules altogether. I think that TGATB does not have the most straightforward way of teaching the essentials, and that can end up being confusing. Grammatical rules often really do make sense--but it is important to note that the way we speak isn't exactly the same as the way we WRITE in English (the same is true in most, if not all, languages). I'm a language nerd, so I'll never say that it's not important to learn the reasons behind why we put sentences together the way we do...but I also realize that not everyone has an equal need/drive for understanding language deeply. I don't think you necessarily need a specific LA grammar curriculum if you assign her meaningful, purposeful writing projects in a variety of genres--IF you are willing to go through a thorough revision process together after each writing project and talk about the WHYs behind why a certain sentence is weak, and can be strengthened, or why a paragraph wasn't cohesive enough, because it went off topic, or why this super-long sentence needs to be divided into two.

[@Three721]

@@SevenInAll😮so overwhelmed

[@marlagutzwiler1886]

Hi! I'm new to your videos and loving them! Have you heard of Brave Writer (Julie Bogart)? What do you think of this and her process? My girls are 8 and 6 so thinking about the upcoming year already. Thank you 😊

[@SevenInAll]

I have heard of her and looked into some of the products a little bit, but haven't used any of her products. I think we have some of the same ideas about how to teach the writing process and make it natural--rather than sticking to formulas. The process I talk about here I would probably start at around 5th grade at the earliest--her materials that are targeted at young students sound like they could be a great option for your girls!

[@RockSimmer-gal4God]

I don’t want to put my kids in a box!!! We do writing assignments often!!!

[@SevenInAll]

So much can be learned simply through writing about a topic!

[@diannaannette6956]

Research isn't a strong skill for me, therefore will affect my teaching. Do you have any recommendations for parents to strengthen this skill for themselves and how to go about teaching it to our kids?

[@SevenInAll]

You don't necessarily have to learn a skill BEFORE you teach it to your kids--when using quality resources, you can learn right alongside your kids. Or, you can purchase the resources that you would use to teach them and read them yourself before you read them with your kids. "Writer's INC" has information on doing research, rules for citing information, and writing a research paper. Stacey Lloyd, who I also linked in the description below this video, also has resources--I would especially recommend her resources on persuasive writing and developing a thesis, those are crucial elements of a research paper. I know there are many other resources--whatever skills you aren't confident in, you can look up websites or videos to try to learn more and gain more confidence in that skill. Research is not as complicated as some make it seem!

[@kendraparks3271]

Do you feel that the writing in all in one language arts is unnecessary also, such as TGATB or BJU include? Just curious:D

[@SevenInAll]

No, I don't think it's unnecessary. When we use TGATB, the girls do all the writing assignments and read the writing instruction. My usual criticism of all-in-one language arts programs is that the writing instruction typically isn't "enough"--parents might assume they can rely on the writing instruction that's included, but many kids will feel lost or unable to progress and really build skill if relying solely on the type of writing instruction included in Abeka or TGATB. Having a parent or someone walk through the entire writing process with the student...again and again...until confidence and skills are built, is what I've seen to be very effective.

[@kendraparks3271]

@@SevenInAll that makes sense! I'm muddling through choices for our boys next fall and LA is the hardest for me to settle on!

[@MW11-3]

Do you recommend the teachers guide for Writers Inc or is it not necessary? Thanks! Edited to add: I’m not a naturally talented writer so teaching proper writing techniques is not easy for me.

[@SevenInAll]

I didn't even know that Writer's INC had a teacher's guide...so I would say it's probably not necessary. :) But it's true that teacher's guides do usually have a lot of handy extra info.

[@MW11-3]

@@SevenInAll I saw it when I looked on eBay for a used copy of the student book 😂

[@thehudsonshub]

Oh I'm going to check your book out Rachel.

[@SevenInAll]

:) Thanks!

[@lorimast]

This sounds EXACTLY like IEW teaches. Show them how to do it, don’t just do it. Then have them do easy, add one new skill each time.

[@faithfullyinfertile]

This answers a lot of my questions I left on the other video! I hadn’t watched this video yet b/c it was on my “take notes” list 😁 I have thought about just letting her continue to work on her novel. I did find someone to outsource helping her b/c I just do not have the time for that. She has enjoyed having this person help her. Maybe I don’t need a formal curriculum 🤔

[@SevenInAll]

Working on her big project, together with advice, feedback, and guidance from someone else, could be a very strong option! If she's simply writing with no constructive feedback, and no one taking the opportunity to teach skills in writing as they come up, then there is less opportunity to learn and grow from it, but if she already has someone working with her, that sounds very much like the process I'm talking about here.

[@thehudsonshub]

He is so cute and he love your earrings. 😅

[@SevenInAll]

haha, yes, I always have to be careful wearing earrings around him!