Homeschool Writing Curriculum - How to Find a Program That's Right For Your Child

By finding a good homeschool writing curriculum,your children develop writing skills by documenting
you will be able to teach your children everythingfamily stories and writing complete novels.
they need to know to write clearly andWordsmith Apprentice helps children learn to write
effectively. Even if your children don't dream ofas they complete tasks that would be performed
becoming published authors, they will need strongby various members of a newspaper staff.
writing skills to succeed in college and beyond.3. Do you need a curriculum that teaches
Choose a home school writing curriculum thatgrammar and writing mechanics or one that
introduces your child to writing informativeencourages creativity? Programs like Write Shop
essays, persuasive essays and stories. Thisfocus on style and mechanics. Others, such as
program should teach the mechanics of goodStory Starters, provide writing prompts that
writing, including rules for punctuation, capitalization,encourage creative expression. You may want to
sentence structure, grammar and spelling.supplement a purely creative writing program with
It should also teach the process of brainstorming,a language arts or grammar course.
organizing, creating a rough draft, revising, editing4. Do you prefer a program that contains
and putting the essay in final form. This processworkbook exercises or one that teaches your
helps children create content that is well organizedchild to imitate famous writers? Products such as
and understandable to the reader. Once yourWordsmith and Igniting Your Writing contain skill
students have mastered the writing process,building exercises that children can complete
writing will no longer seem like a chore.independently. Programs like Classical Writing teach
Here are some other things to consider whenchildren to write by studying the works of
choosing a homeschool writing curriculum:famous writers.
5. Do you want a DVD program, online curriculum
1. Do you feel comfortable teaching your child oror workbook program? DVD and computer based
do you want help from an outside instructor?programs often provide teaching assistance and
Programs like Write at Home and My Access givefeedback, and require little parent involvement.
your child assignments and provide feedback onTextbook and workbook programs may require
performance. Others, like Bravewriter and Themore supervision and instruction from parents.
Institute for Excellence in Writing, teach you howYou can also obtain homeschool writing instruction
to instruct your child.through products offered by complete curriculum
2. Do you want a home school writing curriculumproviders like A Beka, Bob Jones, Rod and Staff
that focuses on a particular project? Write Yourand Calvert.
Roots and Learn to Write the Novel Way help