| A Sticky Wicket | | | | It was in Miss White's sixth grade class (her name |
| In Part I of this article series I acknowledged that | | | | was, no kidding, Pearl White) when she read The |
| it can be a sticky wicket for home schooling | | | | Secret Garden that a transformation took place. |
| parents to have a student who loves to write | | | | That book changed my life. It was as powerful as |
| fiction. There is a dilemma as to how to teach | | | | the moment Helen Keller recognized that the |
| that student the basic foundations of fiction | | | | signing Annie Sullivan made into her palm truly |
| structure and story form. | | | | represented the substance called "water." As our |
| This is not only true for home schooling families, | | | | spinster teacher, Miss White, read The Secret |
| but language arts instructors in public schools face | | | | Garden, suddenly I wanted to make a beautiful |
| this problem as well. Even trained instructors | | | | garden come alive on paper as this author had |
| many be very fuzzy on understanding the basic | | | | done. Let me clarify that this wasn't a conscious |
| concepts of fiction writing. | | | | thought, but rather some strange stirring deep |
| Reading Aloud | | | | within my soul. |
| Young people today have advantages that I did | | | | First Byline |
| not have growing up. First of all, I was not reared | | | | It was the following year, in the spring of seventh |
| in a book-loving family. I had no overflowing | | | | grade that I wrote a story about Easter and |
| bookshelves in my childhood years. (I certainly | | | | submitted it to the children's page of the "big city" |
| saw to it that my children did. And now I'm filling | | | | newspaper near our little town. To my everlasting |
| bookshelves for four grandchildren!) Secondly, I | | | | joy, I opened the Sunday paper that Easter to |
| did not have understanding parents to nurture me. | | | | find my story published. And then, adding to my |
| Else, I believe I would have been writing more | | | | joy, my hometown paper reprinted it for all to |
| productively at a much younger age. | | | | see. |
| However, by the grace of God, I was privileged | | | | Well, I was hooked. Ink now flowed in my veins! |
| to sit under elementary teachers who read aloud | | | | The sad thing is, it would be many (read that |
| to the class. From first grade through my sixth | | | | MANY) long, dry, frustrating years before I ever |
| grade year, every teacher I had read fiction to us | | | | saw my byline again. And that is simply due to |
| the first thing every morning. I remember Uncle | | | | lack of encouragement, and lack of good |
| Wiggily, Boxcar Children, Little House in the Big | | | | instruction. |
| Woods, Mary Poppins, and so many others. | | | | But here I am many years later with over 50 |
| I believe these incidences of repeatedly being | | | | published books to my credit in addition to |
| read to aloud gave me an appreciation for the | | | | hundreds of short stories and published articles. |
| rhythm and cadences that words make on paper! | | | | Which I consider a total miracle. I am very |
| Soul-Stirring | | | | thankful. |