Registration for the spring semester is open , so head on over to the registration page to reserve your child’s spot in the spring classes. Our themes for next semester are Pioneers and Adventures.
BOOKS PLUS WHAT?
What an amazing experience our pilot group of Adult Certification individuals is enjoying as they learn together! Not only are our “students” learning, but we are also learning from them. We’re learning how to create a program that will work well for BUSY parents who are in the thick of the homeschool journey, oftentimes with multiple little blessings vying for their time and attention. We appreciate all of the feedback we are receiving from this group, and we are excited to move forward with additional modules that will be filled with practical, relevant content for busy homeschool parents and instructors.
Since most of our newsletter content this month includes reading and literature, I thought I’d give you a sneak peak at one of our upcoming modules: Making the Most Out of Literature. At every age of life and every stage of learning, books are critical. They create the foundation of learning. In fact, one needs little more than great books to enjoy some of the best educational experiences possible. Contrary to popular opinion, the latest and greatest is not always the best.
You may already be aware of the numerous outstanding men and women throughout history that had minimal academic resources. But they had books. A quick google search will show several well-known individuals who had no formal education, and yet they accomplished greatness. Of course there are many factors at play, but most will agree that books were a significant contributing factor in their rise to prominence. Even so, it is not always how many books one reads as much as it is how well one reads. As Mortimer Adler says, “In the case of good books the point is not to see how many of them you can get through but how many can get through to you.”
While I don’t have a date for you, I can tell you that we are working on a literature guide and a corresponding ACP (Adult Certification Program) module to guide parents and educators on their journey to “making the most out of reading”. Instruction will include the following:
How and why we annotate
Literary terms for every age
Creating quality discussions around literary content
Effective writing prompts
Logical analysis
Author’s writing style
Essential themes
And more
When parents and instructors learn basic strategies for making the most out of reading, we find that a few great books provide the foundation, as well as the heart and soul of our educational journey at nearly every level. No longer is it necessary to purchase extensive curriculum to gain an excellent education. This may sound like a radical concept, but history, along with personal experience, confirms it is true. I can’t wait to complete our literature guide and corresponding ACP module to share with all of you. Then you can experience for yourself just how possible it is to provide a quality education for your children by “studying” (not simply reading) great books.
Written by: Kris Cordell krisspeakslife@gmail.com
THE GIFT OF READING
It’s October! Time for a new season . . . and who doesn’t love fall? Much of nature reminds us of our lives, and certainly the changing of seasons is a part of life. What changes does the fall season usher in for you and your family?
When I was homeschooling our four children, October was a month that I might describe as “the calm before the storm”. My son played sports year-round, but fall-ball demanded less and resulted in a more relaxed season. Our girls participated in a classical choir, so by November we found ourselves busy with extra practices in preparation for December performances. But October felt settled. After a hot summer in Sacramento, California, we welcomed the cooler days by enjoying hot drinks and baked goods. (My other name was “Mrs. Cookie Monster” . . . no joke! Oh to have a houseful of children so I could bake cookies to my heart’s content.)
During this “settled” month, we enjoyed routine . . . routine that included reading together. In fact, during the years that I homeschooled an “early reader”, instead of mommy reading to her children for naptime, my “early reader” ended up reading to mommy for naptime. I can’t count the number of times I fell asleep as one of my young children read to me. Typically, my nap only lasted for 5-10 min., but the settled pace allowed me to enjoy a catnap nonetheless.
Of course, with a range of ages in the home, older children had their own reading to tackle, but we often enjoyed time for reading aloud altogether. This is a truly magical time for families, but it can also feel burdensome, so let’s consider how to speak life into family read-aloud time.
I won’t worry so much about WHAT we are reading together; I’ll just make an effort to regularly read together with my children.
I’ll be careful not to rush our reading time together. Instead, I’ll let the children engage in the story reading . . . if they wish to.
Together we can enjoy learning new words and meeting new friends.
I’ll allow my children to ponder the “whys” in our story:
Why did Susie cry?
Why do you like this story? Or not?
Instead of rushing to finish the book, I’ll model quality reading so my children learn how to read well and so my children enjoy our read aloud time together.
WHEN we enter an extra busy season in our lives, I will extend grace to myself if we don’t get to read aloud as often.
Each family dynamic is unique, so I encourage you to find a time and place that works well for your family to enjoy some read-aloud time: around the dining room table as everyone enjoys mealtime together; on the comfy sectional where each person can sink into the cushions; on mom and dad’s big bed piled high with soft pillows; on a picnic blanket outside enjoying some of those home-baked cookies with milk. Get creative. Your children might even want to plan the setting for read-aloud time. Take pictures to remember the fun, and even the chaos. A little here and a little there; it all adds up to quality family time, experiencing one of the greatest gifts of life: READING!
Speaking life,
Kris C. krisspeakslife@gmail.com
BOOKS AND BEYOND
Last week when one of my dear friends came to visit me from the other side of the country, she brought me a cute notepad with quotes about books. These are the quotes I enjoyed the most:
“Think before you speak. Read before you think.” Fran Lebowitz
“A book is a dream you hold in your hand.” Neil Gaiman
“A book is a device to ignite the imagination.” Alan Bennett
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” Anna Quindlen
(Do you have a favorite quote about books? If so, I’d love for you to share it with me.)
I especially like the above quote by Alan Bennett: “A book is a device to ignite the imagination.” It reminds me of one of my all-time favorite children’s books; one that communicates an incredibly impactful message for adults too. The title of the book is What Do You Do With an Idea, by Kobi Yamada.
“This is a story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. It’s a story for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed too big, too odd, too difficult. It’s a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it space to grow, and to see what happens next.” (quote from www.live-inspired.com)
This is a book “to ignite the imagination”. (You can even find a YouTube read-aloud.) I’ve discovered that one of my favorite phrases is, “I have an idea”. As soon as I hear those words, I’m engaged and ready to listen . . . ready to speak life into your idea. I want to encourage you to check this book out and think about what idea God has placed on your heart and in your mind. If you feel really brave, share your idea with someone else. I’d even love for you to send me a message and share your idea with me or post your idea to our Facebook or IG. Of course, it probably goes without saying that this is a book you will want to read to your children often. They too have world-changing ideas.
Written by: Kris Cordell krisspeakslife@gmail.com
SMALL GROUP TUTORING & TUTORING FOR PARENTS/ADULTS TOO
As you might guess, tutoring sessions offer the opportunity to address students’ specific needs, moving instruction forward at a pace that reflects their specific strengths and weaknesses. When tutoring an individual or small group, the content of instruction is essentially the same as our classes, but the pace varies based on individual abilities. There are a variety of reasons why tutoring might be a good option for you or your children.
Tutoring can meet specific needs as the instructor focuses on the exact goals for the student. These students often require help in specific ways:
Knowing what information to write about
Articulating ideas well
Applying grammar concepts
Organizing ideas logically
Creating quality sentences
All of the above
Oftentimes students benefit from the tutoring option because they require modified instruction due to an IEP, a scheduling challenge, or even a personal preference.
Option #1: One-on-one Tutoring Sessions:
In each of the aforementioned situations, the instructor can quickly assess a single student’s abilities, provide on-the-spot assistance, and gently guide the student to a better understanding, practice, and eventual mastery of the needed skills. With the many benefits and options in one-on-one tutoring sessions, this is a popular choice. However, this is not the only option for tutoring!
Option #2: Tutoring Sessions:
At times, families, pods, or homeschooling groups desire writing instruction to meet more than one student’s needs at a time. As long as the students fall into a similar age, ability level, and attention span, small group tutoring affords instructional options to meet several students in the same session. For a variety of reasons, we have families that cannot join one of our scheduled classes, and the beauty of group tutoring is the flexible schedule and content of instruction. Group sessions are also offered at a lower cost than individual sessions, so they are a great budget-friendly option as well!
Option #3: Temporary Support:
Families or charter teachers frequently contact us to help students complete difficult assignments, or to provide instruction when students need to learn a specific writing method. Our tutors vary in their specialized abilities. Student may seek short-term tutoring for the following reasons:
To complete a research paper, large report or composition
To prepare for standardized testing
To complete college entrance essays
At The Write Journey, we understand the limited nature of these types of sessions. Whether the need involves a writing assignment, test preparation, or college admission essays, we love to meet the student’s specific needs.
Option #4: Special Needs
We have a handful of instructors that have worked with children with special needs. Our goal is to meet the student at their ability level, and provide the steps and strategies to grow. With patience and time, many students have learned much more than they or their families originally believed possible. Our caring instructors are committed to kind, gentle instruction delivered with consistency, encouragement, and support for our students and their families. Several of our educators raised children with special needs; I am one of them! We know some of the fears and frustrations that accompany the goals of helping our children grow, learn, and shine. However, with multiple success stories, we feel confident that we can find the right fit for your child. Our commitment to partner with parents and families will always be a top priority!
Option #5: Adult Tutoring
Not only do we occasionally have requests for tutoring college students, but we also work with adults who benefit from practical writing instruction, which prepares them for various aspects of their career: drafting letters, emails, proposals, marketing materials, etc. After learning our tried and true, practical writing methods, adults find greater confidence in their higher education and career pursuits.
Consider Tutoring?
If you would like a pressure-free conversation about our tutoring possibilities and options, I would love to speak with you! Give our office line a call at 916-696-1759. A phone call or email to our office will allow us to better understand, coordinate efforts, and come up with a plan to meet each student’s needs. I hope to hear from you.
Written by: Julie Snyder Educational Director & Instructor