'Write' Start for Fall, Fun Websites, ABeka Cursive Too Early?
By Heather Idoni
Added Monday, August 24, 2009
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The Homeschooler's Notebook
Encouragement and Advice for Homeschool Families
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Vol. 10 No 62 August 24, 2009
ISSN: 1536-2035
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Copyright (c) 2009 - Heather Idoni, FamilyClassroom.net
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Guest Article
-- The 'Write Start' for Fall
Helpful Tip
-- Two Website Treasures!
Reader Question
-- Help with Cursive Writing?
Additional Notes
-- Newsletter Archives
-- Sponsorship Information
-- Reprint Information
-- Subscriber Information
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Guest Article
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The 'Write Start' for Fall
by Karen Lange
---
If you take the summer off from 'official' homeschooling, it can
be hard to get back into the routine. Even homeschool parents
can be reluctant participants until everyone gets into the swing
of things. Writing, in particular, may not be top priority when
school starts, but an interesting writing project or two may just
be the thing to break the ice and help your students ease back
into writing. Here are a few ice breakers that might complement
your plan for fall.
Instead of the traditional 'What I Did Last Summer' writing project,
how about choosing a favorite event from the past year and writing
a review about it? This approach puts the student in a different
spot, like in the commentator's seat. For example, if the favorite
event was a fun filled picnic at Grandma's house, the commentary
could be written from a restaurant critic's point of view. Movie
reviews, family or sporting events, theme parks, a trip to the
beach, or even an editorial on a current event has the potential
to make a good project.
I prefer this type of writing project over things like book reports
because it requires opinions, likes, dislikes and emotions, rather
than just the retelling of basic facts. It provides opportunities
to exercise critical thinking and observational skills. Even for
younger students, this writing angle generates other ideas about
something the student enjoyed, so naturally they will be better
engaged as they brainstorm and write. They may respond a little
reluctantly at first; this is normal. Many children, no matter
what their age, don't want to write. They either feel like they
can't or think it requires too much work. Approaching writing from
a different angle, with encouragement from you, can help get over
those mental obstacles. Once they get into it, your students may
be surprised at how interesting a writing project can be.
Writing a review could include telling your children that they will
be writing a column, so explain that columns are articles found in
newspapers and magazines. Encourage them to choose a recent
activity that they enjoyed. Help them brainstorm, even to the
point of choosing a topic for them, if necessary. Other topic
ideas, besides that great picnic at Grandma's, could include a
vacation, trip to a theme park, a field trip, movies or plays,
local events, etc.
Once a topic is chosen, give them age and ability appropriate
details to help them write. A review can be a brief synopsis
with comments and information or an in depth analysis discussing
details. Length should be dictated by age and writing ability.
Here are some points to use to help them build the commentary.
View the topic from all angles, from start to finish, and make
relevant notes. Some students prefer just to write and skip the
brainstorming part. If this is their style, just let them go.
You can suggest additions and revisions later. Younger students
may need help making notes and brainstorming.
Discuss things to include. A restaurant review, for example,
includes comments about the décor, service, the food from appetizer
to dessert, music or entertainment, and other pertinent details.
A movie review will include info about the target audience, plot,
special effects, and enough details to inform, but won't necessarily
give away the ending. Of course, for this, giving the ending away
is perfectly acceptable, for it may add to the emotion of the
review. It will help if you also show them examples of columns,
and of book and movie reviews.
Students, particularly older ones, can consider the following and
similar thoughts as they prepare and write. Tell them to avoid
simply saying, 'The book or event was amazing!' Encourage them to
tell us why. Was it full of fun or suspense? Were the characters
and plot interesting and believable? How were the cinematography
and special effects? Was the weather a factor in this memorable
event? Why? Are they glad that they got a chance to meet Uncle
Boris or Great Aunt Camellia? What interesting stories did they
share? Have they explained enough details and given their opinion?
Will the reader understand what's been written?
If this doesn't grab you, why not try poetry? Poetry often appeals
to children because of the rhythm and rhymes, or even the silly,
nonsensical combos that can be created. A sensory poem might be
a good start for fall. It involves filling in words pertaining
to the senses and follows this pattern:
Autumn is (color)
It tastes like (taste)
It smells like (smell)
And looks like (sight)
It sounds like (sound)
Autumn makes me feel like (emotions or touch)
Any variation on this can be made, changing words to suit any season,
event, thing, or emotion. Lines can be rearranged as well. Be
creative and see what happens!
Another interesting kind of poetry is a bio poem. These can take
different forms, but one format looks like this:
They call me (name)
I am a (girl or boy)
Who likes (choose one or two things)
Who lives in/on a (house, apartment, condo, farm)
In (city, state, and/or country)
My favorite food is (pick one or two)
I like to play (choose one or two sports, instruments, games, etc.)
I want to be (career, character quality, etc.)
Personalized variations can be made, and lines can be adjusted up
or down according to ages. Lines could include people students
would like to meet, favorite people or events, and so on. You could
supply the framework, like the lines above, or let the children
create their own lines. Once students get a few examples under
their belt, they often play around with ideas.
Consider the old standby poem for another activity:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.
Now think about the possibilities to write similar, yet unique poems,
following the same format. Perhaps your students could finish the
lines to this:
Fall leaves are red,
Crisp, cool skies are blue...
Or they might want to write their own. Compiling a list of rhyming
words is a good poetry starter exercise. It causes students to
think and gives them words as a springboard. Consider encouraging
students to illustrate these written works, too.
When we were homeschooling I would ease into the school year, doing
projects like this, going on special outings, enjoying outside
projects and nature walks as the weather transitioned from summer
into fall. I know it helped my children shift gears from summer
to school time and helped me stay motivated, too.
I'll be praying for your new school year, that you would have all
the wisdom you need for the work ahead of you. You are investing
in our future, and no matter how daunting the task seems at times,
it's all worth it in the end. Blessings to you all!
---
Copyright 2009, Karen Lange.
Karen Lange is a freelance writer and a former homeschool mom,
having taught her three children in grades K-12. She is an online
writing instructor for homeschool students ages 13 and up. She's
looking forward to the Fall 2009 session to try out similar writing
ideas. There are still some student spots available; for info
about the Homeschool Online Writing Co-op for Teens, visit:
www.hswritingcoop.bravehost.com
You can also write to Karen at writingcoop@yahoo.com
---
Do you have comments to share? Please do!
Send your emails to: mailto:heather@familyclassroom.net
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Helpful Tips
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"Here's a great learning site for the kids."
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---
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Do you have an idea, experience, or tip to share? Please write!
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Last Issue's Reader Question
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"We are home schooling our 7 year old son for the first time this
year. He's in 2nd grade. Everything is going great -- with one
exception that is. Cursive writing. He just isn't getting it.
We're using A Beka for our curriculum, and although it's the
beginning of the year, we've already jumped in with cursive. My
question is this: 'What ways have you used to teach cursive
writing that worked for you?'
I'd appreciate any input on this. He is so smart and flying through
everything else, but this is going to drive us both crazy I think.
Thank you." -- Angela L.
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Our Readers' Responses
=========================
"Angela -- One of the most difficult things for new homeschoolers
is the process of casting off preconceived notions which have been
imposed on you by the school system. Your son doesn't have to learn
cursive just because he's 7, or just because he's in '2nd grade', or
just because it's what the book does next. If he struggles with it,
it's okay for him to wait a while. In the meantime, you can give
him some things to do that use his small muscles, so that when you
try it again, he might be more near ready. Art activities, crafts,
building projects, and other things that require fine motor skills
will enhance his development and his readiness for cursive writing.
Any time you feel that something is about to 'drive you crazy', you
need to take a look at what you're doing. Maybe the child isn't
ready; maybe you need to try a new approach; whatever, it is, it is
not worth jeopardizing your relationship with your son. Make sure
he always knows you are his advocate, and you are in this together.
Let him know that you will find a way that is best for him. Putting
the penmanship book on the shelf for six months will not change the
course of his life; your relationship with him will." -- Mary Beth
---
"My son is now 10 years old and still has trouble with cursive.
Considering the number of adult males I work with that cannot write
legibly, I wonder if it's not gender related. LOL
Try to get writing pads with larger line spacing. My son was often
frustrated by trying to fit the letters in the smaller lines usually
given for cursive work. Also, having him play with tiny pieces seems
to be making things easier by working his fingers. Things like Lego
kits with small pieces and plastic models of cars and airplanes that
you need a steady hand to put together seem to help as well." -- Jo
---
"I have read that boys often develop slower than girls in the
handwriting department. He might not have the motor skills yet, so
be patient. In the interim, try using handwriting stencils. Here is
a site that carries them in their stores -- www.lakeshorelearning.com
-- not sure about online. They cost $12.95 each, and come in upper
and lower case, manuscript and cursive.
We used grade-appropriate handwriting workbooks that came with our
curriculum. But my son didn't do well with handwriting at first
either. He said his hand would get tired, and he was also very slow
and often sloppy. Sometimes he'd form the letters the wrong way so
they looked weird.
I learned to keep lessons short and simple. I'd pick a letter or two
to focus on each day, and would have my son practice writing as many
letters as he could, on grade level appropriate lined paper, for about
10 minutes or so using the stencils. Then I would have him try to
write a few letters and words without the stencils after. In all,
handwriting time wouldn't last longer than 15 minutes.
Some days I'd pick a nice, themed, short verse or poem of three lines
or so, and would have him copy it in his best cursive/handwriting
possible on lined paper. Afterward, I'd have him mount the poem/verse
on a crafty back-drop or handmade picture frame he made himself and
would hang these on the wall. (For instance, a snowman haiku with the
backdrop of a piece of navy construction paper adorned in silver
glitter and handmade mini-paper snowflakes.) This way it became
more of an enjoyable art project.
With time my reluctant writer gained more confidence and eventually
was able to write on his own without the stencils. He is a slow
writer, but his handwriting is very nice.
Other things to consider -- What type of desk or table do you use?
If your writer is seated at too big of a table, this could affect
handwriting. Try to use an age appropriate table or desk so his
feet are flat on the floor and his shoulders fairly relaxed, not
hunched when he writes. Make sure he's sitting up straight and the
paper is positioned correctly, and consider using 'finger-guides'
on his pencils to ensure he's holding them properly. Finger guides
are rubber blocks, molded to keep fingers positioned properly on the
pencil or pen. They can also help prevent tired hands.
Another good thing to check out is 'Handwriting without Tears':
I have not used this, but I have many homeschooling friends who say
this was the solution for them.
We had luck with toys that tutor in handwriting. V-Tech company makes
many models of electronic toys that will teach and correct your child's
handwriting. Most models teach both manuscript and cursive. My kids
enjoyed these because it was more like a game to them instead of school.
The downside is the machine is very, very forgiving when it comes to
form. If the letter they write with the stylus is recognizable to the
program it will accept it as correct."
---
"I am surprised when I see how young they are trying to teach cursive
writing now. I am not that old and I was at least in third grade
before they tried, but 5th grade was when it was concentrated upon.
Some children do not have the fine motor skills, especially boys, to
learn cursive writing in second grade. I would say to check out
'Handwriting without Tears'. We have loved it and I love the gradual
and painless approach it gives to handwriting." -- Martha
---
"Dear Angela -- There are so many reasons why your son may not 'click'
with cursive writing, so my experience may not be helpful, but I'd
advise looking at his gifts and interests. I don't know what your
son's gifts are, but my son is very artistic -- a perfectionist who
hates 'book learning' or anything he needs to do quickly. His love
of art was my 'hook' into cursive writing. I hadn't planned to teach
it until he was in Grade 3, but at the end of Grade 1 he was trying to
figure it out before he would happily read anything else. So during
the holidays I let him browse through some calligraphy books and enjoy
their artistry, then told him cursive writing was a first step toward
doing such fancy scripts. Then we each sat down together and practiced
writing a letter each afternoon of the school holidays after a snack
break (this is a boy who hates sitting down). I figured that way he
wouldn't be overwhelmed by the amount of writing expected (and it was
'together time', since he hates working alone). Now because he's
'ahead of my schedule' he can do a little bit of slow, careful work
each day instead of having to write the amount a 'writing program'
would expect of him." -- Brenda in Thailand
---
"One thing that I think you should keep in mind is that not all
children are ready for cursive handwriting at the same age. Development
of their hand muscles is different for all children. I don't think
that you should rush it. Second grade is young for cursive writing.
Take a break from it. One program that I would recommend is Handwriting
Without Tears. It is a great handwriting program and very inexpensive.
I use it with my son who is 11 years old and has autism. One thing that
my evaluator recommended is to teach typing. It is a great skill to
know. Take your time with cursive and you may be amazed that when he
is ready it will be much easier." -- Stephanie H.
---
"Angela -- I had the exact same problem with my 8 year old 2nd grade
boy. He had NO interest in cursive, so I didn't make him do it. I
figured he can wait until 3rd grade. Writing is enough of a project
for him without adding having to learn the cursive. So this year (he's
almost 9 now) I told him we would be learning cursive (so will his 7
year old sister who LOVES the idea of cursive!) and, much to my
surprise, he wants to learn it now. My perspective is a little
different on cursive though... after talking to a high school student
who says there isn't one teacher who lets them write in cursive (I'm
guessing for readability?) I am thinking it's less and less 'necessary'.
I want my children to learn the basic letters, be able to write and read
cursive, but I decided I am not going to push it, requiring everything
to be in cursive. Legibility is my goal. I would like them to learn
to sign their name so they can some day create a 'signature' for
themselves, but beyond that I can't see a huge need for writing in
cursive. Even I do half-cursive-half-print in my everyday writing.
With our computer age, I believe typing is a much more needed skill
than cursive and have been spending time making sure he's starting to
learn to keyboard. I think you probably need to assess how important
you think it is that your son learn cursive. Is it something important
enough to struggle over (especially in our day and age where email is
probably many people's main form of written communication)? He can
always wait and learn it at a later time too. Don't be afraid to
jump outside of the curriculum you are using. No curriculum can
substitute for your discretion as a parent as to what your child is
ready for. If you're looking for a 'friendly' handwriting series, I
would suggest 'Handwriting Without Tears'. It simplifies printing as
well as cursive and the pages don't have a lot of work on them,
so as to not overwhelm." -- Robyn W.
---
"Angela -- I use the Italic Handwriting Series by Getty & Dubay. I
find it to be much more 'user friendly' and easier to learn. Their
transition from printing to cursive handwriting is very simple and
practical. As an ex-public school English teacher and 8th year home-
schooling mom of 4, I think cursive handwriting is way too overrated.
Yes, kids need to be able to write legibly, but the real world uses
computers much more than handwritten work. Keyboarding is a much more
valuable skill. Having said that, there is excellent curricula that
still pushes handwriting skills. This year my middle school son is
beginning a School of Tomorrow program and he is having to learn the
D'Nealian alphabet now in the 8th grade. He understands that it's a
'necessary evil', and he's being a real trooper.
One final thought: boys usually don't care as much about beautiful
handwriting as girls do. Don't let it upset you; and don't let this
problem get blown out of proportion. There are probably lots of
other things that your son does enjoy." -- Tina in Georgia
---
"Angela -- One of the benefits of homeschooling is that you can
modify curriculum and teaching methods to best fit your individual
children. I know Abeka teaches cursive early -- but some, perhaps
most, boys just don't have the fine motor skills necessary to be
proficient at cursive at 7. I'd drop it for now and let him print.
In the meantime, add in some extra fine and gross motor skills
(wheelbarrow walking, pinching and squeezing clay, Legos, etc.) to
help develop the muscles.
You need to ask yourself what your main goal is. He is doing well
in everything else, which suggests this is not just willful refusal
to do his work, but an actual physical issue. Is it worth trying to
force him to do something he cannot do, just because a book says to?
Or would it be better for his self confidence and your relationship
with him to give him the time he needs to develop the skills necessary
to write in cursive?
My son struggled with cursive. At age 8, he could spend 30-60 minutes
copying something that took most of his classmates 10 minutes. The
next year we homeschooled him and dropped cursive completely. By
age 10 he was asking to learn cursive, and did beautifully." -- Laurie
---
"Angela -- I, too, use A Beka and went through the same thing with
my son. And the second grade curriculum hurries through penmanship
because it was taught in detail in first grade. I would suggest using
the first grade curriculum for penmanship only. (That's the great
thing about homeschooling.)
In first grade, I thought about going back to manuscript for awhile,
but I decided to just keep at it a little while longer. I just kept
working with him, and stressing the formation of each letter. I also
made sure he had a copy of the formation guide nearby. That way he
could refer to it whenever he felt he needed to look at it. Also, I
started him on regular notebook paper toward the end of the year, and
that seemed to help a lot. It seems it was easier for him to write the
letters on a smaller scale. By the end of the year, his handwriting
had improved greatly. It just takes a little time. Don't give up!"
-- Judy W.
---
"Angela -- Teaching cursive might be considered subjective. When we
fill out various applications, what does it usually ask us to do?
PRINT NEATLY! What are we usually required to write in cursive? Only
our signatures. So, if you have a kid that struggles with cursive,
teach him how to print neatly now and teach him cursive later on when
he might be able to better grasp the concept -- or just teach him how
to write his full name in cursive. This wisdom was shared a few
years ago at one of our homeschool meetings and it made a lot of
sense to me. In this day and age, learning how to type might take
precedence over cursive writing." -- Noreen
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Answer our NEW Question
=========================
"This will be an unusual problem. I have 2 children with juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis. My son is 13 and my daughter is 11. My kids
have been homeschooling their whole lives and they have great attitudes
toward school and chores, but they have a very difficult time with
mornings (achy).
My problem is that I just can't get it all done -- meaning our school
work and our housework. For example, we have physical therapy on
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We need to be in the pool three
times a week as well. Wednesday my daughter woke up throwing up and
my son had diarrhea. His back and hip were hurting and he was having
trouble functioning. We have a doctor appointment on Friday. This
would be an example of a typical week, even though this was a real one.
It is Thursday and we have gotten our school work done, except for
my daughter yesterday. The basics of housework (food and laundry)
are done, but there is nothing left in me for bigger chores.
Here is what we do: I have a menu and a schedule. I have a housework
schedule. The kids have chores each morning, when they are able to
do them -- and I do push them. Unfortunately, they have to move to
keep their joints moving.
I don't need anyone to feel sorry for us; this is just life. I
would like any practical ideas to help me with scheduling -- or
a better idea of how to fit in real cleaning." -- Audra in Alabama
---
Do you have practical suggestions for Audra?
Please send your answer to: mailto:HN-answers@familyclassroom.net
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