Teach handwriting explicitly and effortlessly. Students need to learn the basic handwriting forms that we call “Squiggles.” These Squiggles will enable your children to write all the letters of the alphabet effortlessly. We will also address the importance of teaching cursive!

We've all suffered frustration about writing assignments. Either on the receiving end, or perhaps now on the giving end, there can be a few distinctly discouraging aspects to teaching and being taught writing. The tough questions include: What do l correct and how do I give a grade? How much help is too much? Isn't the assignment clear enough? Why don't students find their own errors? Learn and avoid four teaching mistakes that contribute to this frustration: overcorrecting, holding back help, unclear assignments, and over-expectation.

Home academics can be particularly difficult if you think composition is a mystery and you HATE to teach writing. Wouldn’t you love to have the practical tools to teach composition without the stress? Join Gretchen Roe as she reflects with humor and insight on ways to teach a subject many parents dread.

How can you teach spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure, print and cursive handwriting, and even review content from other school subjects with one single exercise? Copy work! If you’ve never utilized copy work in your homeschool, it may sound too good to be true. Copy work is an old and very effective method of teaching and reviewing multiple facets of language arts. Come and learn how this works and how to apply it with any age.

We all want our children to be effective communicators, but which curriculum is best? Let's take the pressure off! The secret to teaching writing isn't wrapped up in which curriculum you choose. We'll explore some down-to-earth, hands-on ideas that you can adapt to your own teaching style, your students' learning styles, and your family's daily schedule to help writing instruction work your way. We will work through age-appropriate strategies, time saving devices, solutions for writing meltdowns, pros and cons of different curriculum choices, and troubleshooting writing woes.

We all know essay writing is important for our children to master, but is it important for them to know how to write fiction? Well-written stories capture people’s attention and can move their hearts to experience lessons needed for life. As we teach our children to write, we should move them toward a love of story and teach them to write stories that others love. In this session, Carol Robb shares with parents some tips on what they should look for in writing programs and how to teach their children to write stories that capture the readers’ hearts.

Most students today are asked to write essays before they’ve actually read any. Worse, they’re taught writing in highly artificial forms, like the five-paragraph essay — a kind of writing no one in the real world ever has to produce. This homeschooling dad has worked for thirty years as a writing consultant, and here he shares his practical perspective both on our students’ real needs and on the classroom methods traditionally used to teach writing. He also shows parents five writing practices that our students need to master but are seldom taught.

In an age of simplistic and repetitive choruses, many churches are rediscovering the blessing of theologically rich and biblically informed songs. Douglas Bond introduces us to Isaac Watts, “the father of English hymnody.” Bond urges Christians to delight in the grandeur, beauty, and joy of Watts’ poetry. We pray that you would regain a sense of God’s majesty as we celebrate the God-given poetic wonder of Isaac Watts.

Many people think that some are just born with a “photographic memory”. But we now know that this amazing ability can be easily taught. The ability to use the photographic memory is one of the best gifts you can give your child. Your child can store his spelling words in his photographic memory for quick retrieval. Vocabulary is learned in a totally different way! Imagine your child actually having fun improving his vocabulary for the SAT.

Regardless of natural ability or internal desire, young people can learn to discover ideas, discern truth, and influence others by participating in debate. If your children are ready to meet their challenge, grow in grace, and communicate with confidence, check out debate. It’s an adventure worth taking!

Do you have a child whom you suspect has an Auditory Processing Problem? There are ten auditory channels. Some channels affect academics (reading, phonics and sight words, spelling, and math), while others affect everyday life (easily confused, misunderstands verbal information, poor working memory, speech delay or articulation issues). Become your child’s own diagnostician as you identify, bypass, and correct auditory processing problems at home. Learn to bypass the auditory learning glitch by using the child’s natural photographic memory and how to correct the auditory glitch by using the proven methods of home Brain Integration Therapy and Targeted Nutritional Interventions.

Learn the importance of spelling and presents the developmental stages of spelling. She also shares various strategies, techniques, and fun, hands-on, multi-sensory methods for spelling practice, as well as specialized spelling programs and strategies to help you transform “I am a terrible speller” into “I am a good speller!”

Join Sonya for a practical and encouraging overview of the simple yet effective methods used in the Charlotte Mason approach. Learn about Charlotte and experience using her methods for yourself during the session.

If your child gives you the “blank stare” when you ask him to do a creative writing lesson, don’t despair – there is help! Dr. Sandi Queen, author of the multi-award winning “Language Lessons” series and homeshooling mom of six, shares how to let your child know what is expected in his writing, how to draw out the reluctant writer and inspire confidence, and more in this session for parents of all ages.

Writing can be one of those daunting tasks during your school day, but that can easily change. Hear about fun, interactive activities that will show how easy it is to get started with story ideas. The techniques introduced can be used for any age and can be done individually, or with the whole family. Many different adventures can be created from the same items. Children will develop a love for writing and parents will be encouraged to see the excitement it brings when their children realize that they have something to offer through their words.

Kids may adore fantasy and science fiction, but everyday reading is filled with nonfiction—from newspaper articles to recipes and game instructions. Sometimes nonfiction feels dry and boring; but it doesn’t have to be. Carol Peterson will look at different techniques for writing nonfiction, what they are used for, how writers make them fun for kids to read and how to make them fun for your kids to write.

Most students are taught writing in highly artificial forms, like the five-paragraph essay — a kind of writing no one in the real world ever produces. Roy Speed is a homeschooling dad who for nearly thirty years has taught writing to professionals in corporations. In the homeschooling world, his online writing courses and innovative methods have met with acclaim from students and parents alike. In this workshop, he shares a fresh perspective both on our students’ needs and on traditional methods for teaching writing. He shows parents five critical writing tools most students never learn, but that are nonetheless vital.

Traditional approaches to English grammar have neglected and obscured the subject’s greatest benefit: effective writing. For nearly thirty years Roy Speed has been teaching grammar to writers of all stripes — from professional researchers to corporate managers and, most recently, homeschooling parents and students. He is the author of the forthcoming Writer’s Guide to Grammar, and in this session, he gives an eye-opening look at grammar principles that lead directly to important writing tools. In the process, he shows parents how grammar should be taught but seldom is.

One of the hardest things about teaching writing is figuring out how to grade it. Do you teach and assess the steps of the writing process? Does your child know clearly what you expect at every step? Is he motivated to write a clear message, or does he think the mechanics of spelling and grammar are all you really care about? Discover practical help to make teaching writing fun and effective. Handout: https://masshope.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sharon_Fisher_4.pdf