SUMMER CONNECTIONS

As a homeschool mom, I remember the change of pace that each new season ushered in. As a business owner, I understand the change of pace the summer season ushers in for everyone: parents, children, AND teachers. We all need a change from our school routines. We need a break. We need a rest. We need more sleep!! But summer days are longer days, which don’t lend to more sleep. It’s no accident that summer days are the longest. Instead of simply sleeping more, we can look forward to all kinds of summer fun: wearing shorts, playing outside, cooling off in the water, enjoying parties and playdates, planning family trips . . . and preparing for the next school year! For some, preparing feels fun. For others, it feels burdensome. But just a little bit of intentional planning always reaps great rewards.

At TWJ, we work to build community so we can come alongside each other whatever the need. So here are some ways we plan to come alongside you this summer:

•  Continue providing encouragement through our monthly newsletter.

•  Begin a facebook group so you can connect with each other too! (So much more

  to come about this. Stay tuned!)

•  Offer a few educational opportunities through virtual classes this summer for students and parents.

We will do our best to offer some classes for students and/or parents throughout the summer, but we need to hear from you to know what your interests are. Send us an email to share your ideas with us. On the other hand, if you just need a break, we understand that too. The needs vary, so the solutions must vary. We are here to offer solutions, so stay connected and be encouraged.

LEARNING TO LOVE YOUR FAMILY WELL

During the month of February we often find ourselves thinking about relationships. We might even go the extra mile to remind our loved ones how much we love them. We might enjoy date nights, sweet treats, fun cards, cute pink and red crafts and decorations. Celebrating brings joy. I hope you have felt extra loved and affirmed this month, and I hope you have enjoyed showering others with small acts of love and kindness. It makes me smile to think of all the ways families have fun expressing love and building strong relationships.

At The Write Journey, we intentionally work to foster relationships too. We understand the road you are on: ups and downs, bumps and cracks, high speeds and slow spots, blind curves and unexpected road closures . . . it’s an adventure. I wonder how we can speak life into you and into your relationships.

•  Who I am matters more than what I do.

•  Souls live forever, so I give myself permission to invest resources - time, energy, money, words, hugs, etc. - into the souls that have been entrusted to me for a season.

•  I choose to be grateful for friends and family, who bless me/us in many little ways and even a few gigantic ways.

•  Even on days/moments when I feel overwhelmed, I can slow down enough to recharge so I have what it takes to love well.

•  Today I will look for opportunities to hold hands, give hugs, smile, listen, and enjoy life’s little pleasures . . . with others.

After the “school years” have come and gone, the relationships will remain. There is a real temptation to fill our lives with To Do lists, lesson plans, keeping up with . . . fill in the blank. So when you’re not sure when to say “yes” and when to say “Thanks, but not this time”, perhaps taking a few seconds to reflect on relationships will help tip the scale one way or the other.

Let me know how we can grow in relationship with you and your family as we put one foot in front of the other . . . together.

Speaking life, Kris

WHEN READING BECOMES AN EXPERIENCE

When your children attend one of our Reading and Writing classes, they do more than simply read a story to find out what happens! We help students dive deep into the literature and notice the details, especially about the characters.

We intentionally choose a slow pace of reading in order to give the students time to read between the lines. We want to keep track of details. We even have students annotate (make marks) on the pages. Let’s look at various aspects of literary analysis by learning level, focusing on the characters.

PreK/Kindergarten:
Children hear wonderful stories read by the instructor, with a lively voice, and they enjoy accompanying activities to make the story come alive. Students learn the following:

• They learn basic terms related to stories, such as characters, setting, and plot. Even at this youngest level, children begin thinking about the characters in the tales, and discussing in class the differing aspects of the actions, thoughts, feelings, and situations of each character. This marks the beginning of the relational connection many find with characters in literature!

1st/2nd Grade Reading and Writing:
Students simply learn to keep track of main characters in the story.

•  They mark their names (perhaps their initials) on the pages.

•  They discuss each character in class with the other students. They may talk

  about what they like or dislike about the characters.

•  They begin to notice the descriptions of each character, recognizing that each

  detail helps us learn more about the characters in the story.

3rd/4th Grade Reading and Writing:

Students increase their annotating skills:

•  They learn to draw a box around each character’s name.

•  They learn to underline any descriptions they find about that character.

•  They learn to put specific marks/symbols in the margins to easily see why they

  underlined the words or section.

•  They discuss the characters, and learn terms such as protagonist and

  antagonist.

• They also begin to notice more details, which help them determine personalities of each character.

This is beginning level analysis.

5th/6th Grade Reading and Writing:

•  They continue learning the terms associated with characters in stories, and keep

  track of character qualities by creating charts.

•  They track descriptions, and continue to annotate their books, remembering to

  include symbols in the margins.

•  They also learn to discuss the character’s qualities, actions, and choices,

  including discussing if they agree with the character’s choices. Importantly, they

  articulate their own reasons for “why” they do or do not agree.

•  They may write about how a character changes throughout a story from the

  beginning to the end.

•  They may also identify which character they would like to know more, explaining

  “why” as well.

•  They will also discuss the problems that the characters face, and talk about the

  character’s responses.

  Intermediate Reading and Writing (7th/8th Grade):

•  Students dive deeper as they track the characters, their descriptions, conflicts,

  actions, choices, and perspectives.

•  They learn to analyze the motives and outcomes of the character’s story, as well

  as how to articulate their own opinions about each character.

•  Students study the development of the character from the very beginning of the

  story, and try to anticipate the ending based on the character’s habits and

  perspectives.

 Students look for deeper meaning in the character’s decisions, and reflect on their own experiences to help determine their position. Naturally, writing prompts encourage students to discuss their views and pose their positions using critical thinking skills to support their claims. As these students are learning to interact with one another in class discussions with a greater degree of differing opinions, they encounter opposing views, but learn to openly listen to others’ views, share their own, and maintain a level of respect for one another that allows each person to engage safely and actively in the discussions.

Advanced High School Reading and Writing (9th-12th Grade)

•  Students already know many of the terms associated with character analysis and conflicts.

•  They are instructed in annotating their texts with symbols, words, and marks.

•  They also keep track of relevant information in charting forms. This allows the students to easily locate important information they need for writing a character analysis essay or studying for exams.

•  Students hone their analytical skills by digging even deeper into the characters within much more complex texts.

•  Students utilize their critical thinking skills, empathy, and class discourse to formulate, consider, and develop their own perspectives. Under the direction of skilled instructors, students consider differing viewpoints or answer challenging questions, which prompts introspective thought and allows the student to establish what they truly think or believe.

 They continue to develop communication skills necessary to articulate their ideas.

Our students develop a true love of studying literature, even if they do not love the actual texts. They learn to engage in discussions about the author’s skills, and practice slowly studying novels as opposed to simply reading to get to the end. Over the years, many students share the joy they find in this method, and we recognize the benefits of deeply studying the texts. Do you remember specific characters from novels you read over the years? What made them memorable to you? We’d love for you to share your experiences on our social media platforms. Perhaps others would like to meet your favorite character from literature.

BASIC WRITING CLASSES: THE FOUNDATIONS

Often, the task of writing anything starts with the question, “What is the purpose of this writing assignment?” Many think of creative writing or story-telling. Some think of poetry or journaling. Still others think of research papers and long essays. However, in most instances, students must learn how to address writing prompts, identifying whether the prompt asks a question of the student or tells the student to write about a specific topic. Our Writing Foundations Classes help students learn to respond to writing prompts in all situations.

Formal academic writing requires students to consider the prompt, decide their ideas or perspective, and then write a number of sentences about that given prompt, or topic. In the FW classes, we teach students to break the assignment into manageable steps:

•  Gather the ideas related to the prompt

•  Decide which ideas to use in their writing, or composition

•  Organize the ideas for flow

•  Put the ideas into complete sentences

•  Edit or correct the sentences for strength, correct grammar

  usage, and quality

•  Produce a final composition that the student knows is strong

  because all the steps are addressed well

Time and again, The Write Journey hears comments from parents about the overwhelming expectations for their children when it comes to writing. They are expected to simply know how to write many words on any given topic. The expectation also demands that students find themselves naturally able to write because they read many books, or simply because they are older. These often misguided or unfair expectations may leave a student feeling as if they did something wrong, or as if they are not write enough to complete the task. We come against this methodology with our Writing Foundations Classes. Our goals aim to equip and empower the writer to address a writing assignment with specific skills to complete the task. The writer’s toolbox that we help students fill enables them to pull out the correct tool at the appropriate time.

Our focus for students is that they would gain mastery over the skills. This means that they need instruction, time, and practice. An athlete may begin with some natural abilities, but properly learning the fundamentals, plus hours of practice make a professional athlete stand out. The same is true with writing. A student may begin with some natural skills such as good ideas, eloquent phrases, and correct spelling. However, these are just parts of the whole. A student trained in the writer’s craft we teach will be able to pull all of their skills together to form a well written, well thought-out, skillful composition. It simply takes the proper instruction, time, and practice.

Writing Foundations Levels 1, 2 and 3: Our Basic Writing Level 1 class opens in the first week of each month. We encourage students to complete levels 1 and 2 (4 weeks/classes each) at the minimum. These first two levels instruct the student in the various tools needed for writing well. The third level allows the student to consistently practice the methods learned in levels 1 and 2. Students will receive robust feedback from the instructor, identifying and arming the student’s strengths, and challenging the student to improve their weaknesses.

Formal Academic Essay Writing is the High School Essay Writing course. This 12 week course helps high school students learn the various types of essays and compositions: personal reflective, descriptive, expository, persuasive, argumentative, response to informational text, and research projects. Students in this course learn the tools for composing much longer writing pieces without losing any of the skills needed to compose their compositions well. This course begins at the first week of each semester (January and August).

If your student needs help in the specific subject of writing, consider enrolling that student in the Writing Foundations courses. The link to our website is added for your convenience. You will find more information on the website about these classes, and the many other services we offer!

https://thewritejourney.net/basic-writing

PIONEERS & ADVENTURERS

As long as humans have recorded their histories, others have sought to learn from their experiences. With the pioneer and adventure novels our classes will study these next couple months, children will be able to look into the minds and hearts of those who have gone before us. Something grand hides in the idea of strife that leads to fresh possibilities. We even revel in the thrill of the unknown. It is one thing to read an age-old tale of fantasy, such as The Hobbit, and feel the joy of anticipation as Bilbo proclaims that he is “going on an adventure!” It is wholly another prospect to read of real life experiences. We will see heart-wrenching decisions, struggles, hardships, and disappointments, yet wonder at overcoming seemingly impossible odds and persevering simply to survive. What more could we ask of such a story type? We eagerly anticipate students will have much to discuss about the topic.

As families study this genre together, we hope to hear reports of wonder and amazement at the strength of the human spirit. We may even hear of students beginning their own adventures! Please share your discoveries on our social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, or emailing our office are fantastic ways to share with others as you discover the pioneering spirit in your own family. Happy adventures to everyone!