Spectrum Writing-8 Review

 Middle School, Writing  1 Response »
Feb 152012
 

Have you ever wondered how to help your young teens progress with their writing skills?  And how to evaluate how they were doing?  

We did, when my daughter was 13 years old or so. We looked through a number of great homeschool writing curricula and then chose one that writes to the student: SPECTRUM WRITING grade 8. We love their writing exercises and how well they describe the steps of the Writing Process, in clear, simple language.  Each chapter includes a section which helped me to evaluate my daughter’s work, right along side her.

SPECTRUM WRITING grade 8 –  offers a variety of essays and fiction activities to chose from.  I followed my daughter’s interests, and had her pick which she would like to do. She decided to try short stories first and later take on essay writing. By the time she was ready to tackle the essay writing, the story writing practice made her writing confidence strong.

As a published writer myself, secondary to being a homeschooler, I recommend  starting with whatever writing is the most comfortable and familiar.  For example, a child who loves science might like to try Chapter 6, as it is the most like science experiment write-ups. The young cook might like Informational Essays, as they are step-by-step similar to recipes.  It’s all a matter of putting pen to the page!

Pick and choose what works  for your young writers. In our homeschool, we started with Chapter 4, then went on to Persuasive Writing much later.

SPECTRUM WRITING grade 8 – Chapters:

  1. Writing Basics
  2. Expressive Writing  (includes personal narrative)
  3. Descriptive Writing (includes sensory)
  4. To entertain (story writing)
  5. Persuasive Writing  (debate kids would love this chapter)
  6. Explanatory Writing (such as science experiment write-ups)
  7. Informational  (includes recipes, how to’s)

After each activity or assignment there is a section called “Revise” which includes questions to help the teacher evaluate the student’s work. Each question guided me as to what to expect from the work.

Benefits of SPECTRUM WRITING grade 8:

  1. Written directly to the student.
  2. Each chapter has sequential writing activities, which are straight forward and easy to follow.
  3. Writing terms, such as “voice” are defined clearly.
  4. Reviews writing basics, and includes fiction writing and a variety of essays .
  5. Includes many clearly written forms which help the student to put her thoughts down on paper.

When my daughter finished, her story writing was ready for essays. Next, we chose persuasive writing. First there was a web form, to help generate ideas. Then to build the essay, another form was used to list each of her points, see photo.

Once the first draft was written, she worked on editing and then publishing her writing in its final form. My daughter enjoyed printing it out from her computer.

We always waited to discuss any grammar, spelling or mechanics issues until after the first draft.  That helped the words find their place on the page! My suggestion is whatever helps the creativity and work to flow out. Whatever the student writes, follow his or her interests, and the writing skills will follow, too.

For more information, please visit www.FrankSchaffer.com

Watch for more SPECTRUM WRITING reviews in the future, from K to 12.

~Written by Betsy, a veteran homeschooler who likes unit studies and offers Homeschool Consulting, as a volunteer, to new and experienced families. She can be reached on her Facebook, at Jane Sproger.

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Take Five! for Language Arts

 High School, Language Arts, Middle School, Writing  No Responses »
Feb 062012
 

One of hardest subjects for me to teach is writing, especially creative writing. As a long time homeschooling mom, I appreciate that I don’t know everything about everything.  Two of my children are gifted writers and it has always been a challenge to offer them interesting writing programs, stimulating them to tap into their creative juices. Finding a resource that meets my high expectations is like finding a treasure!

I received Take Five! for Language Arts as an electronic download to review. I knew immediately upon opening the file that I was going to be able to use this with my high school age son AND he was going to enjoy the simple but imaginative assignments.

  • The assignments are actually written for practice in critical thinking and just happen to include creative thinking and writing as well. These are not your usual hum-drum writing assignments.  Some of the prompts have you make a list or chart, sometimes you actually do a quick sketch before writing, or some of the prompts build on each other from day to day.
  • Each activity is intended to be done in five minutes so they are easily worked into an otherwise busy high school schedule.
  • The price is a little high at $23.95 but since the target age group for this book is grades 6 – 12. I could have used this as a resource making it a part of a larger language arts program in middle and high school making it a good investment.
  • This book would complement many styles of homeschooling including classical, Charlotte Mason, eclectic, or even unschooling.
  • There is just enough variety to make it interesting, leaving the writer wondering what tomorrow’s assignment will be. Yes, anticipation for the next assignment!

Things to note:

  1. Sometimes you need more than pencil and paper to complete an activity but never anything you wouldn’t already have in a well-stocked homeschool.
  2. I found that Take Five! for Language Arts was really something I needed to be involved in, reading the narrative, prompt, and extensions together with my son. This way we could adapt the assignment if needed or go a little farther if we found it was a “bell ringer” of a topic.
  3. I do not assign a score or grade with these assignments. The task is always to complete the prompt, share it, and receive feedback. I think this gives my son a little more freedom to write or create in a way that fits him.
  4. There is an index at the back of the book categorizing the prompts by language arts skills involved and I found that to be very helpful. For example, if I was looking for a prompt that used persuasive writing, I could scroll to that section and read down the list of prompts working on that genre of writing.
  5. You can download the Table of Contents and a Sample Activity from the publishers website: Maupin House.

My teenage creative writer and I give this program a big thumbs up!

Written by Barb-Harmony Art Mom.  I blog at Harmony Art Mom and am the creator of  Harmony Fine Arts. I would love for you to join us for the Outdoor Hour Challenges at the Handbook of Nature Study.

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Primary Arts of Language: Writing

 Elementary, Handwriting, Phonics, Spelling, Writing  No Responses »
Nov 302011
 

This review is Part 2.  If you haven’t already read my review of Primary Arts of Language: Reading, please do so before continuing with this post.

Primary Arts of Language: Writing by Jill Pike of Excellence in Writing is the companion program to Primary Arts of Language: Reading.  While the reading program focuses on early phonics and reading skills, the writing program focuses on printing, beginning story writing, copy work and spelling.  Using the two programs combined gives you a complete and thorough language arts curriculum for the K-2nd grade student.

Primary Arts of Language: Writing is divided into three parts.

  • Part 1 introduces your child to printing using correct letter formation and story summaries.  Handwriting is taught in a variety of ways, most importantly through modeling by the parent.  (A DVD-ROM comes with the program which teaches you precisely how to teach your child.)  Letter stories are introduced to your child at the same time they are learning to write the letters to reinforce sounds the letters make.  After handwriting practice, your child gets to listen to simple stories and learn the fundamentals of comprehension through sequencing, and understanding characters, settings, plots and more.
  • Part 2 builds on handwriting fundamentals through copy work and begins spelling lessons using the very popular All About Spelling , Level 1.  (You can read my previous review of All About Spelling here or read Lynn’s review here.)  During copy work times, you will also discuss such things as punctuation and capitals.
  • Part 3 assumes that handwriting is now automatic, spelling is going well and story charting (characters, setting, etc.) is no problem.  If this is the case, your child will move into beginning composition.  These 16 final lessons are meant to ease your child into the basic units of the Institute for Excellence in Writing’s Teaching Writing: Structure and Style methods.  Your child will learn to take notes, summarize from the notes, create a story sequence and write creative stories.

You can certainly choose to move more slowly than the material suggests!  I am using Primary Arts of Language: Reading with my K4 at a slow pace.  My little guy is only ready for some of the handwriting lessons, so that’s all I plan to complete this year.  I’ll probably wait to use the remaining parts of the book until first grade, because I know he won’t be ready for copy work and composition until at least then.

Besides the daily lesson plans, the teacher’s guide also includes a scope and sequence of writing skills covered, several printable posters, charts and templates, and additional tips for teaching writing.  You also receive a DVD-ROM with video instruction on how to teach the lessons, audio seminars from writing teachers and the all-important printable student pages.

Just as the reading program, Primary Arts of Language: Writing is a fantastic program!  The only warning I might give…the reading and writing programs are meant to be used together.  My feeling is that the reading program can be started much earlier than the writing program.  I would be very weary about starting the writing program with a child younger than 1st grade, while the reading program can easily be started as early as K4.

-Cindy West is an eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of a high schooler, middle schooler and K4.  You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and find her NaturExplorers studies and other creative curricula at Shining Dawn Books.

 Posted by Cindy at 5:00 am  Tagged with:

English for a Thoughtful Child

 Grammar, Language Arts, Writing  2 Responses »
Aug 052011
 

Every online homeschool forum that I belong to eventually gets around to the question of teaching grammar. Parents are concerned about what to teach, how to teach it, and, the biggie, at what age to begin formal grammar studies.

For our family, the answer to these concerns differs with each child, but one resource that has become a staple for this subject in our homeschool is English for a Thoughtful Child by Mary F. Hyde (revised and edited by Cynthia A. Shearer). No matter the age my student is when we begin using this text, I enjoy the relaxed, yet thorough approach.

English for the Thoughtful Child, Vol. 1

What You Will Find In This Book:

In this slim volume, you will find basic grammar lessons along with dictation, oral composition, composition, memorization, and picture lessons.  At a glance that might seem like an overwhelming amount of ground to cover. However, with just 62 very gentle lessons, this book can be easily completed in an average school year. For younger children (6-8 years old), I would even suggest completing only one lesson a week and using the textbook over a longer period of time. I refer to this a textbook, but there are also reproducible pages for many of the exercises.

How We Use It:

The age and abilities of my child dictate how we approach this book. My now 25-year-old daughter was in upper elementary grades when she worked her way through English for the Thoughtful Child. Because she was already familiar with most of the material being presented, we took an informal approach by working through the book together- most of it while sitting together on the couch. She did not need to complete every exercise; I just wanted to be sure that she had covered basic grammar concepts. My next daughter, who does not agree with my philosophy of “better late than early”, was ready to get down to work when she was just seven years old. She loved “writing assignments”, so she completed most of the exercises and had a grammar section in her notebook where she wrote down all rules that are introduced in this text. I am on round three, this time with my boys (ages thirteen, ten, and eight), and I am modifying our approach yet again.

Erin's notebook page- age 7

Why I Love This Book:

So many grammar books are drill, drill, and more drill. Where is the love of language? This book revels in it. I also enjoy that other disciplines are included. It is easy to put off picture lessons and memorization when I have to go to a separate source. Having it all in front of me makes it easy to follow through on these valuable disciplines that are often considered “extras”.

-Lori Duquette is mom to 7 children and a grandma of 2. Her family is beginning their 19th year of homeschooling. You can read more about their  homeschooling adventures at Keeping It Simple.

 Posted by Laurie at 5:00 am  Tagged with:

Life Lessons: Sponsor a Child

 Bible, Geography, Hands On, Writing  1 Response »
Jul 222011
 

Our family sponsors two children with Compassion International.

It isn’t exactly a curriculum, but my family is receiving an education through it.

The educational benefits are numerous:

1. Geography becomes a real, living subject rather than a flat, oddly shaped spot on a globe. Someone lives there! Someone who writes you letters! You send letters back! Geography lives.

2. The study of geography extends to cultural study, based on a real person, a child, just like your child. Although this picture may emerge slowly, it is, at its base, more real than any book could portray.

3. Financial stewardship and generous giving become a reality in your family. This giving is not just for adults. Children must see giving in action to understand it. Sponsorship allows for that. Beyond sending the money, writing letters and daily praying for the child(ren) that you sponsor teaches a true concern for the welfare of those that you serve with your finances. Giving becomes a family affair, one that is more than lip service or check-writing.

4. Writing skills are honed through the exchange of letters between children. Even if the adult acts as an intermediary, parent and child can write the sponsored child together. In sharing details of life through writing, children learn how to share themselves in their writing.

5. Humility and discipline are brought to the forefront when sponsored children share their experiences. The kids that we sponsor are poor, poorer than we can really understand, but their gratitude, humility, and commitment to disciplined living shine a light into our lives.

6.  Family prayer has an outward focus.  We pray daily for our sponsored children.  Do you think that I remember to pray for them every day?  Hardly. My eight, six, and four-year old are on the ball, though.  It is a beautiful thing when children pray for each other.

7.  The fabric of the body of Christ is woven in a tangible way.  Even my youngsters can understand that through our prayers, service, and love we are connected to people on other continents.  This is the kingdom of God and it is alive.

There are so many reasons to use our wealth to sponsor children of poverty. In light of the extreme circumstances of the children served through programs like Compassion International, it seems selfish to list the ways that sponsorship benefits me. In my experience, though, God is a God of double blessing: He uses relationships to bless those who receive and those who give. The reasons listed above may not be the primary reasons to become a giver, but they are a part of the blessing of sharing with others and a sign of God’s goodness and love for all.

Perhaps sponsorship seems insufficient, even paltry, due to the distance between your money and the very real difficulties of the children. A few minutes spent perusing the websites of organizations that create child sponsorships quickly reveal that the help is as real as the need. Compassion and groups like them have become adept at creating a cycle of giving that truly helps children and families.

Sponsorship makes a life for children of poverty in a way that empowers families. It is real and lovely.

And as an added bonus for the homeschooling family, it is an education.

Susan is a homeschooling mom of three—a preschooler, a first grader, and a third grader. They spend their days reading on the couch, playing with numbers, and making big, fun messes in a Spirit-led, Well-Trained Mind-inspired classical-Charlotte Mason-traditional model of home education.


 Posted by Susan S. at 6:00 am  Tagged with:

Epi Kardia

 Bible, Biblical Principle Approach, Charlotte Mason, Elementary, Hands On, High School, History, Middle School, Phonics, Reading, Science, Unit study resources, Writing  4 Responses »
Jul 152011
 


Epi Kardia.

In Greek, it means “at the heart.”

To me, this curriculum gets right to the heart of what we want homeschooling to be in our family – a Christ-centered relationship and discipleship between parents and their children.

My Family’s Story

I’m continuously searching for the “best” curriculum for our needs, which are ever-changing.  Unfortunately, my small town leaves a lot desired when it comes to curriculum availability.  And, because I’m an incredibly visual and hands-on person, it’s hard for me to commit to buying things that I can’t thumb through.

I was recently given the chance to take a sneak peak at the Epi Kardia curriculum by the company.  It, along with a few others, had been bookmarked in my “check out later” file – so when the chance came along, I was giddy.  No lie.

Epi Kardia is a literature based Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling.  What does that mean?  Well, Epi Kardia uses the Bible to take your student through history.  But, wait.  If you think your student is just going to be memorizing passages, you are so wrong.  The folks at Epi Kardia have broken down a structured learning plan for each grade.  For example, if you choose the first set in the 1st Grade plan, you’re child will be learning about:  The Ancients, Middle Ages, Renaissance & Reformation.

With each topic, the Bible along with a variety of other christian and non-christian (but approved by Epi Kardia) books are used to help teach your child more about the subject he or she is supposed to be learning.  Because of it’s Charlotte Mason approach, Epi Kardia also includes a lot of copy-work and handwriting exercises.  It’s so impressive to see how they’ve really brought a myriad of important subjects (Bible, History/Reading, Science, English/Phonics, Arts) together in a wonderful education plan.

Quick Breakdown

The Pros-

  • Teaches Bible, History/Reading, Science, English/Phonics, Arts (some programs similar to this one do not teach science)
  • Included is a book list, complete with ISBN numbers
  • The plans leave plenty of time for “projects”
  • Costs about the same as its competitors’ programs ($250 for printed, $200 for CD)
  • Requires little planning as it’s all done for you!

The Cons-

  • It’s a Charlotte Mason approach, so if your child doesn’t learn well with this method, it may not be right for them.  (Although, if you’ve never tried it, I’d recommend it!)
  • It didn’t have quite as many projects as I’d like – I’m VERY hands on and project-oriented, as is my oldest.  But, this is easily remedied, and an extra project or two can be added to our schedule.  However, for those of you who aren’t insane about crafting and projects the way I am, they have the perfect amount.  Enough to teach a point without being overbearing for your schedule.
  • You’re actually going to have to go to the library or amazon.com to get the books.  Everything you need is not included in these plans (meaning, you’ll have to buy or borrow books from their book-lists).
  • The website can be a little confusing (navigation and figuring out which package entails what).

Would I use it?

Yes, yes I would.

Learn More:

To learn more, you can visit their website, check out their scope and sequence, or view a sample.

Written by Ashley.  Find more of Ashley’s writings and reflections on motherhood, marriage and life on her blog.

 Posted by Ashley at 6:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Wordsmith

 High School, Middle School, Writing  1 Response »
Jul 082011
 

Wordsmith by Janie Cheaney is a creative writing course for 7-9th grades.  Written to the child in a casual, humorous tone, it gives encouragement that writing isn’t something to hate and shouldn’t be considered too hard.

Broken into three parts, lessons in parts 1 and 2 are incremental and break writing into doable steps which focus on various writing techniques.  Even though the author begins at the beginning with such things as lively nouns and powerful verbs, the lessons are not babyish and relate well to 12-15 year-olds.  It’s through these basics that your child will get a good concept of building strong sentences and thorough paragraphs which will turn into beautiful writings by the time part 3 rolls around.

In part 3, your child is taught how to “paint pictures” through words.  These lessons focus on integrating sensory experiences, figures of speech, clear settings, detailed descriptions, sequencing (and more) into writings.  Your child will try his hand at writing narratives, dialogues, points of view, and finally creative stories as part 3 progresses.

Self-evaluation and revising are taught and encouraged both throughout the lessons and specifically in a section about revision.

The student gets his own book, in which some of the work can be completed on the workbook pages.  Mom gets her own teacher’s guide.  In it there are notes about how to use the program, some tips and hints about writing, and suggested plans of study.

The curriculum can take as little as 3 months or as long as 9 months to complete.  The suggested plan of study is based on 36 weeks.  For each day of the week in the teacher’s guide, you are given the lesson to assign, as well as some teaching tips.

I have been using this with a reluctant 6th grader and a happy-to-write 9th grader since receiving it for review several months ago.  Both are progressing well on their own levels!

There are two other Wordsmith products available – Wordsmith Apprentice for grades 4-6 and Wordsmith Craftsman for grades 10+.

-Written by Cindy West, eclectically Charlotte Mason mom of three from KY.  You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and find her NaturExplorers studies at Shining Dawn Books.

 Posted by Cindy at 6:00 am  Tagged with:

Tapestry of Grace

 Classical, Elementary, Geography, Hands On, High School, History, Lapbooks, Literature, Middle School, Reading, Unit study resources, Writing  15 Responses »
Jun 132011
 

Have you found a curriculum you and your children absolutely love? One that is a perfect fit for everyone’s learning style? A nice match for the age range of your household? That, my friends, is how I feel about Tapestry of Grace.

I am fresh from representing Tapestry in a booth at my local homeschool convention. The three of us booth hostesses were not selling Tapestry that weekend. We were simply there to help, to answer questions and to share how we use the curriculum in our homes. Three days worth of talking Tapestry with fellow homeschoolers! So, what I am sharing here is not only my family’s years of experience with Tapestry but also what I learned were the biggest questions for newcomers to this curriculum.

Those that walked up to the booth, brand new to Tapestry or those who had never heard of it before asked this most often: What is it? Will you explain it?

Tapestry of Grace is a classical approach, Biblically-based, unit study curriculum for the whole family. Tapestry covers eight subjects. Everyone learning together – each child on their own learning and skill level. Here are the subjects Tapestry covers:

  • History
  • Writing
  • Literature
  • Geography
  • Fine Arts
  • Church History
  • Philosophy
  • Government

So you need to add: Math, Grammar and Science

Tapestry of Grace is a unit study approach. Four eras or year plans of history. Four units each year. Everyone studying the same topics. The history cycle (from the Tapestry site):

  • Year 1 covers the Ancient World.
  • Year 2 covers the Medieval World through the American Revolution.
  • Year 3 covers the 1800′s
  • Year 4 begins in 1900 and ends with current events.

Weekly plans: Kristen does a wonderful job of describing how the weekly plans are presented in her Review of Tapestry of Grace. She describes each section: the threads, reading assignments, weekly overview, writing assignments, student activity pages, teacher notes and glance into next week.

Here’s a peek at how Tapestry works in our home: When we first started with Tapestry of Grace I had a 5th, 4th and 1st grader. Plus a three-year-old and an infant. We spread one year of learning over two years. I love this pace. Especially with little ones under foot and older ones needing to concentrate on independent work. Tapestry gave us “a map for the journey.” The following words are from Marcia’s Somerville’s blog, Love the Journey, several years ago.

  • This was us before Tapestry: “…using traditional homeschooling curricula, instead of preserving family unity, each child is put into his own little car and travels each day his individual roads. Mom becomes more of a traffic cop trying to keep all the bumper cars on their tracks than the driver of the family van.
  • After: Using Tapestry, everyone travels together and explores the landscape of Classical Education from a Christian perspective in one family van that mom and dad really do drive.“

Everyone learning together. Really? Yes. This year, I had a 7th, 6th and 3rd grader. Plus, of course the preschoolers learning as well. One week the older two had a shared writing assignment. They were to write a radio show. Set in the early 1900s, they worked together on a story of the Wright brothers. They recruited their two younger sisters as additional characters and sound effects technicians. Sixth grader used the radio equipment that was his great-grandfather’s. (Do you see?)

Tapestry addresses all our different learning styles:

  • Hands on projects: I have one child that particularly flourishes when she gets to do a book report on a display board. Woven throughout Tapestry assignments are art and activity projects for individual students as well as for the whole family. The lapbook supplements are wonderful for those that enjoy hands on learning as well.

  • Auditory learners – can listen to audio books for literature and history studies. Many of these we borrow from the library.
  • Independent learning – My eldest likes to load up her books and tuck herself off in a corner. There are plenty of opportunities for those that work best on their own – which is the aim for the transition from dialectic (roughly middle school) to rhetoric (high school).

Even learning for mom and dad! Marcia Somerville explains Tapestry this way: Picture your family getting in the family van and heading out on a cross-country trek. There is something on the journey for everyone. For mom, extensive, weekly teacher notes give you all you would ever need for grades K-12 all the years of your homeschooling journey. For dad, a Pop Quiz. This CD is easy to listen to on a work commute, giving an overview and highlights of the learning going on at home.

If you are new to Tapestry, their website is a wonderful place to start:

  • Download a free, three-week trial of Tapestry. Explore Egypt with your family and explore Tapestry of Grace at the same time. This is what we did when considering Tapestry. It helped me, as the teacher, see how the curriculum works. And it got the children all excited!
  • Marcia Somerville’s video explanation of the map of humanities. Hear directly from Tapestry creator and author about the journey of Tapestry of Grace. She regularly posts on her blog specific Tapestry information as well as general homeschool encouragement.
  • Also on the Tapestry of Grace site, under the Explore Tapestry tab, you can view explanations of the cyclical plans, weekly plans. learning levels, the three big ideas. Pull up a chair and spend some time here.

Learn from fellow Tapestry users:

But I feel overwhelmed by Tapestry of Grace. How do I make it work? Never have we ever done all of the subjects each week. Tapestry is truly a smorgasbord. When I open that week plan, I zone in on the learning levels for my children and ignore the rest. Even then, depending on the week, we may choose to only tackle the core history assignment. Other weeks, as we are wrapping up a unit, we may concentrate more on the arts and activities, doing assignments and larger projects together as a family.

We never finish up each and every assignment for the week. This curriculum serves you and your needs, matching the season of your life. There is so much to choose from! You don’t have to check it all off. Yet, that is also one of the beautiful benefits of Tapestry. You can tailor it by topic for your family, changing it to your children’s needs, matching the books you already have on your shelf. Dig deep or skim the surface. Rich learning either way.

Cost: One time investment. When you buy a year or even a unit of Tapestry of Grace you have it to use over and over again. Cycling through with each child. Your youngest ones have the chance to learn at the different levels up to four times.

How do you like your curriculum? Tapestry is available in print or digital form. Or, you can purchase both for each unit. I made the transition from print to digital last year. I found it easy to have everything on my computer to click on and reach – all in one spot. However, my two new Tapestry hostess friends both preferred having the digital version on their computers AND the print version to hold and flip through.

What about all those books? Oh the books we read! Each unit is rich with living books. Buying all the books for each unit is an option. However, I can purchase the ‘spine’ resource we will be using that year or that unit and reserve the rest at the library. Most of the books are available there. If not the first resource listed, then I usually already have the books listed on the alternate resource page in each week’s reading. Or can find them at the library. For years 3 and 4, Story of the World was listed as an alternate resource. Already had that on my shelf!

Bookshelf Central is the spot to load your cart up on books. You can select the books you need for all learning levels the entire year. Or you can fill your cart with just the books you will need for your grammar students for unit one. The online cartoon character, Grace, leads you through the Buying Guide step by step.

Optional Supplements:

  • Lapbooks: available for each unit, either on disc for you to print. Or pre-printed on colored paper for you and your child to assemble. Some families purchase a lapbook for each child. In our family, we use the lapbook as a review at the end of the unit. Each child picks several topics to work on and research. Click here.

  • Pop Quiz: Dad can listen on his commute to work. Supper time discussion can be about all the learning going on at home. The children and I have also used Pop Quiz CDs ourselves as an overview – in the car – going from place to place during the week. Click here for more information.
  • Map Aids: all the maps you need to print for one year in one place. Available in disc form or as an add on to Tapestry DE. Click here.

  • Writing Aids: A resource for all ages. One time purchase to be used as a supplement to Tapestry writing assignments or as an independent writing handbook. We turn to this guide to see what is expected in an assignment. What is a book report? How do you organize a display board? All types of writing graphs, wheels, diagrams and more to print to aid in the writing process. Click here.
  • Evaluations: Tests and quizzes to see how much your children are absorbing. The Tapestry site says, “Evaluations are unique because they test in keeping with the Tapestry style–integrated and multi-sensory!” Click here.
  • Government Elective: Available for rhetoric students. Key documents for further study. Click here.
  • Online Classes: for dialectic and rhetoric students. Click here.

Unit Celebrations: a celebration brings closure to a unit of study. These can be extensive or simple. Children can dress as a character from the time period they’ve studied and put on a play. Invite grandparents, friends and neighbors to view display boards, reports and school work. Celebrate all you’ve learned. Here’s an example from our Year 4 studies.

Continuing Education: I feel that continuing education and encouragement for mom is important. I look forward to the sessions at homeschool convention each year. As well as just seeing the sheer number of homeschoolers that fill that convention hall! With Tapestry of Grace, I’m learning right along with my children. All the resources I need to teach them at my fingertips. Extensive teacher notes from K all the way through high school.

As one heading into our fourth year of Tapestry, let me suggest: Take a summer or holiday break to get to know Tapestry. Take your time navigating their website. Download the free, three-week trial and have fun trying it out with your children. Trying it on is how we all find out if it fits.

In summary: Tapestry brings us all together for learning. As a family we are learning history – HIS Story – beginning with creation and leading to present times. And, when we are all learning together that means less work for mom. I’m not teaching those eight subjects times my five children. I’m teaching them once. Tapestry reaches the needs of all my children and gradually builds independent learners. All it takes is a few steps into the buffet of options available each unit, and the children are off and running on their own.

This year, as I officially start one more of my children on the Tapestry road and transition another into high school, I have the confidence and tools I need. I’m looking forward to teaching my kindergartener, 4th, 7th and 8th graders all together. And I’m sure the three-year-old will be joining in often. So, yes, I’d agree with the Tapestry of Grace slogan, Love the Journey.

And, once more I strongly suggest you download a free, three-week trial of Tapestry. See how it works for your family by actually using it. Print it out and hold it in your hand. We did it that one summer and then knew it was for us.

How about you? Have you already attended or do you plan to attend a homeschool convention? What questions do you have about Tapestry of Grace?

~Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. She contributes a blend of writing at parenting and homeschool sites as well as her own daily Hodgepodge.

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Rod and Staff English

 Bible, Classical, Elementary, Language Arts, Middle School, Spelling, Vocabulary, Writing  10 Responses »
May 092011
 

I was reminded again why we’ll be heading into our sixth year enjoying Rod and Staff English. Yesterday, third grader and I read…

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

The assignment to emphasize that when we read God’s word we “should be careful to get all the good sweetness we can…

…We must not read so quickly that we miss the important truths God wants to teach us. Nor should we read so slowly that our minds wander and bits of truth slip away.”

Further on the assignment was to copy and memorize the above verse. I adore that we are using God’s word to study English.

Just the day before we read sentences, pictured above. Do you see the names of Biblical cities? Goshen. Tarshish. Some of these might be difficult for a third grader to read. But why shy away from them? Practice pronouncing them now for confidence later.

In our home, many times we do the lessons orally. The curriculum is written for a classroom, so we adapt. The children and I can read through the written exercises together. Other times I ask that they do a writing assignment. There is a nice variation of poetry, writing and good old diagramming (in older grades). We simply buy a spiral notebook to accompany the grade – so all written assignments are in one spot.

We also don’t begin grammar lessons until mid way through the second grade year. Even then we may only do a couple lessons a week. So far each of our children have enjoyed this series so much that they have each asked to do more. Now, my older three children head into their 4th, 7th and 8th grade years with Rod and Staff.

“I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.” Psalm 77:12 – from inside cover of Preparing to Build, English 2

The verse we found at the bottom of another lesson, illustrated with clouds, butterflies and mushrooms….

Whatsoever things are true,

Whatsoever things are honest,

Whatsoever things are just,

Whatsoever things are pure,

Whatsoever things are lovely,

Whatsoever things are of good report;

think on these things.

–Philippians 4:8–

For a detailed listing of specific levels available and ordering information, please see Annie Kate’s review: Rod and Staff Grammar or Kristen’s review: Rod and Staff English.

~Tricia faces a daily dose of chaos homeschooling five children. She contributes a blend of writing at parenting and homeschool sites as well as her own daily Hodgepodge.

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Research in Increments

 High School, Junior High Language Arts, Language Arts, Middle School, Writing  3 Responses »
Apr 042011
 

Research in Increments by Susan Kemmerer is a wonderful tool for your students who are learning to write a research paper.  Written directly to the student, the lessons lead your child through a step-by-step process of:

  • choosing a research topic
  • narrowing down the topic’s direction
  • using index cards to keep track of sources and information gathered
  • creating a bibliography
  • interviewing people
  • including graphics
  • creating an outline
  • adding endnotes and footnotes
  • and more!

Ms. Kemmerer also teaches your student how to use creative writing skills to make the research paper interesting by teaching such things as hooking the reader and adding finishing touches.  In fact, she stresses to both the parents and student that a good research paper really must include not only the research skills, but creative writing as well.

I love how the book can be used in various ways.  You can choose to simply read through the 17 steps and apply them as you please.  Or you can go through each lesson in order and allow your child to actually write notes and rough drafts in the spaces provided in the book.  Or you can even choose to follow the provided lesson plan guide – this will take 63 days, but your child should come to the end with a masterpiece!

For those children who tend to draw a blank when it comes to writing, the author has included a large list of research topics to choose from.  She also does a great job guiding the ideas during each step of writing the paper.

My 8th grade daughter had never written a “real” research report before.  (Mostly because I was dreading it.)  This was a painless (okay, as painless as a research paper can possibly be) method to teach her the process, and it will be a great resource for her when the next paper rolls around.  I chose not to allow her to write in the book, so that I can use the guide with my two sons eventually.

Great resource!

-Cindy West in an eclectically Charlotte Mason homeschooling mom of three in Central KY.  You can find her blogging at Our Journey Westward and find her NaturExplorers curricula at Shining Dawn Books.  Research in Increments was given to her in exchange for her honest review.

 Posted by Cindy at 6:00 am  Tagged with:
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