Sources to help you teach writing.

Are you looking for some help with teaching your kids writing at home? I can relate.  Although I like writing, I'm not always sure of the best way to teach it.  

There are numerous companies available to homeschoolers offering anything from grading papers, editing papers, coaching your child for a specific project or teaching your child writing for the whole year. 

The courses can either be synchronous (the students must log online at a certain time for their course work), or asynchronous (the students do not have a specific time to be online and can access the class/work anytime).  

 

TEN SOURCES TO HELP YOUR CHILD LEARN TO WRITE

1.  WriteGuide.com 

They provide asynchronous individualized online writing courses for students in grades 4-12.  The courses range from one month long and continue up to an entire school year.  You can tell them what you want the student to work on or their writing coach can determine what the student will work on.  Students work at their own pace.  This company also has a 12 week grammar course for students age 12 and up that covers all the basics of grammar.  They will help students perfect their SAT/ACT essays and college application essays.  My son just started using this company and so far the coach has given him wonderful guidance on his project.

2.  Institute for Excellence in Writing

Intitute for Excellence in Writing offers classes for all grades on DVD, so you can have Andrew Pudewa teach your kids as you learn with them.  They also have a link on their website where you can find tutors who will grade papers for people using the IEW curriculum. 

3.   Tapestry of Grace

Tapestry of Grace offers numerous online classes that correspond to their curriculum for grade 6 and up.  These classes are synchonous.  The classes are small so that the teachers and students can have meaningful discussions and interaction.  Register early;  the classes fill up quickly.

 4.   Landry Academy

I am always amazed at the number and variety of courses Landry Academy offers.  Their classes are synchronous one and half hour online classes that meet once a week.  The company is professional and accommodating.  Teachers work diligently with students.  

5.  Memoria Press

Memoria Press offers synchronous online courses for grades 4-12.  The courses generally meet once a week for about an hour and a half. 

 6.  Tutor.com for military families   or Tutor.com   

If you are a military family and need help with school work this is a great free resource.  My son used it for some help with calculus and the tutor was knowledgeable and an adept tutor.  Non-military families need to pay for the service. You sign on when you need help.  Tutors are available 24/7.

 7.   Brave Writer

 Asynchronous 4-6 week online classes and home study courses for grammar school to college.  They offer a great variety of courses.

 8.  WriteAtHome

This source offers asynchronous year-long middle school and high school writing courses and SAT essay courses and they also offer workshops.  Another great resource they provide is a pay per paper service which is great when you need short term help or just help with grading and not with teaching.

 9.  Dual Credit Courses at Regent University  

Regent University and other universities such as Liberty University and Patrick Henry College offer dual credit English composition courses.  Your high school student can take college level writing courses in high school through countless colleges and universities either online or on-campus and earn both high school and college credit.

 
10. Education Portal- FREE courses 

While I  was writing this post I found this resource.   They offer a college composition course.  They are fans of Khan Academy and have some similarities.  One difference from Khan is that they "offer a clear path to college credit"   so students in their courses can take the CLEP after completing the course.  (education-portal.com)   Review of Education-Portal

I've used the services of number 1-6 for my kids and highly recommend them.  Number 7-9 are well known and respected, but I haven't used them.  Number 10 has 73 video lessons on college composition. 

Have you wanted someone to help you teach writing or just grade papers?

College in High School

High school is going so fast.  Luke will be a junior next year and Josh will be a freshman.  

Luke was enrolled in CollegePrep this semester which is a slower pace semester of CollegePlus.  He is still working on taking his first CLEP test for College Algebra.  Hey, slow is ok.  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  He is going to pause on his high school algebra 2 studies for a few weeks as he completes his preparation for his CLEP test.  I'm wondering if he'll need to finish the high school algebra 2 if he passes the college algebra test?  I'm waiting to hear what the CollegePrep rep recommends about that.  

Hopefully, next year Luke will CLEP a few more courses.  I'm pretty sure we'll stay with CollegePlus.  In addition to helping students earn college credits via CLEP tests, they mentor them and help them figure out what to pursue and how to pursue it in a way that best meets their individual needs. 

I think Josh will start CollegePrep next year too.  His personality is suited for reading, testing, finished, next!  He wants to get as much of his college done during high school as possible.  Why not? 

Since Luke is the oldest, I'm figuring out how all this high school and college stuff works with him.  It will make it much easier (for me) when the next ones hit high school I hope!  

And...I received my Institute for Excellence in Writing's Speech Boot Camp (SBC)  and The Elegant Essay (TEE)  curriculums this week.  I haven't looked at the SBC yet but the TEE looks awesome!  I'm going to see if I can get a few more high schoolers to join the The Essay class with Luke and Josh in the fall. 

Here's what next year is looking like for Luke (11th Grade):

Worldview:  Apologia Apologetics

Math:  Pre-Calc Teaching Textbooks

Science:  Apologia Chemistry (in a local co-op)

History:  apestry of Grace History Year 3

English:  Tapestry of GraceLiterature (online course), Writing (IEW SBC)

Foreign Language:  German 3 (Oklahoma State University)

PE:  Soccer

Fine Arts:  Choir

I'd really like to throw Latin in here too, but that might/would be pushing it (:

With CollegePlus he'll be taking CLEP tests to get some college credit too.

Wow, it feels good to get that schedule out of my head and onto paper...screen, you know what I mean.

Is anybody in the local area interested in joining us once a week for the essay class?  Oh, or maybe you could join us by Skype?  Let me know.