Covering art appreciation without breaking the school-time budget.
The Research Paper: 10 Steps to Writing One
Putting together a research paper is the culmination of a student’s previous experience: skills, interests, and writing background. Writing a research paper can appear daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Just tackle it one step at a time. Here is how to guide your older student through writing a research paper. What is a […]
10 Steps to Build a Better Speller
We all know the drill: Memorize your weekly spelling word list, ace the test, promptly delete that information — sometimes permanently! If you were one of those students who could get A’s in spelling — without ever becoming a competent speller — this one is for you (and your students!). The key to becoming a […]
15 Ways to Improve Concentration
We have all seen it — we have all lived it! There are simply days when we have a very difficult time concentrating. Our children are no different. But when the days stretch into weeks, or months of poor concentration loom, we know we have a problem that needs attention. Here are 15 ways to […]
Summer School for Mom {Free Guide}
We have updated and revitalized our free guide: Summer School for Mom — one of our favorites! And one that we have received quite a bit of positive feedback from. What are those ideas that are fundamental to your family? How can we respect the individuality of our children? How can we establish a consistent […]
12 Ways to Keep Learning Over the Summer
Over the years we have compiled and provided dozens of ideas to “keep ’em learning” over the summer months (see additional resources at the bottom). While some DIY Homeschoolers will choose to homeschool year round making this a much easier task, others will choose to stay in sync with the population at large. So for […]
14 Forms of Writing for the Older Student: Poetry
Writing poetry may seem like an odd place to start when encouraging a young writer, but some students will find it an easier task than many other forms of writing. There are several benefits to learning to write poetry: Poetry has the ability to help students see underlying structures and to develop their own organizational […]
14 Forms of Writing for the Older Student: Persuasive Essay
A persuasive essay seeks to change opinions on a topic. It reflects the opinion of the writer and typically includes the following elements:
20 Ways to Choose a Creative Writing Topic
We’ve all been there. We are given an assignment: write about ____________. Of course, the topic is either something we know nothing about (and probably are not at all interested in) or the topic is irrelevant (“What I Did Over the Summer Vacation” qualifies here). Creative writing usually requires an input — some knowledge or […]
Interacting With Literature: Cause & Effect
Part of life is understanding the principles underlying events. Students can develop their thinking and reading skills by interacting with literature to understand cause and effect. Simply stated, a cause is the reason behind an event or action. The result of the action is the effect. Cause and effect explains why something happened. For example, […]
5 Tips for Making Curriculum Choices Easier
We are all too ready to grab those promises of that “perfect” product that will meet our needs. 5 tips for making curriculum choices easier!
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is an essential part of everyday speech and writing. Learning resources.
