Educating Leaders - No Conveyor Belt Education Here!

August 18, 2008 - Breakfast By The Bluff

I woke up and read the clock wrong. I thought it said 8:30 so I got out of bed and took a shower since breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9:30. When I got out of the shower I realized I had read the clock wrong. It was really 7:30am. And, I could have slept another hour. Oh well, I had some time to write!

Breakfast was delicious! French Toast with Cooked Apples, Quiche, Fresh Berries...yummy!

After breakfast, Patricia showed us the Main Suite they just opened this year. The room is named after her aunt, Auntie Kate, and is a gorgeous suite with a claw foot tub. I love the colors Patricia uses in the entire house. Truly classy!

We're off to visit some wineries, cheese shops and whatever else comes our way!

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August 17, 2008 - Off to Sagamore Hill

After a series of crazy events, we finally got Gentry off to Philadelphia to meet Grandma. She'll spend the rest of her senior trip with my mom. My mom takes each granddaughter to Pennsylvania after they graduate.

It was quite interesting getting her off as our plans changed frequently. The rental car place did not have any cars in Manhattan so we took a cab to La Guardia because they were suppose to have cars at the airport. Wrong! But we only waited about 15 minutes and received an upgrade to a Jeep Cherokee. (Note to self: Cars are probably not available in NYC when you make reservation.)

Finally, we were on our way down Long Island. Our first stop was Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt's home. Before he married, TR bought 155 acres atop the hill overlooking Oyster Bay. After he & Edith were married, they moved into the huge house. TR's requirements for the house was it be big enough for a large family...lots of kids.

We toured the grounds and saw their pet cementery where several dogs and horses were buried. As we visited rooms in his home, I was pleasantly surprised to see books in almost every room. From my readings, TR read about 5 books a week. There is even an article he wrote calleld, "The Books That I Read And When and How I Do My Reading, by Theodore Roosevelt". He sounds like my kind of person. We discovered that his Gun Room has more books than any other room in the house.

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August 16, 2008 - Michael Phelps' 8 Gold Medals

Gentry rushed back to the room in hopes of watching Michael Phelps compete for his 8th gold medal in this Olympics. We arrived around 11pm - race time! The team was walking on to the platform and we got to watch history being made.

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August 16, 2008 - The Lion King

We rushed to the Minske Theater on Broadway for our show since we didn't realize how late it was after dinner. We sat down less than 5 minutes before the curtain rose. All of us wondered how they would perform this animal play with people. It was amazing! Actually, Gentry told me later she wasn't sure if she would really like it since people were acting as animals. Afterward, she said it was one of the coolest shows she has ever seen. We all agreed!

During intermission we could look down on Broadway and see all the people on Times Square. Minske Theater was a great location as you were right in the middle of things, but you didn't have to be on the street.

Another great event for our last night.

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August 16, 2008 - Bar Americain

Steve suggested eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. We discovered one a half block from our hotel. It was so cool. Upscale, classy and an absolutely wonderful experience. The waiter suggested a cabernet blend which was robust and full of flavor that lingers. I need to find the name of it so we can enjoy it later.

The basket of bread includes a corn fritter, roll and baguet - all warm from the oven! Yummy!

Gentry said her chicken was the most tender chicken she has ever eaten. We all enjoyed some of her potato chips with bleu cheese dip. Steve had duck with wild rice. Again, it was tender and moist. I had cheese grits with shrimp, bacon and green onions which was great!

We splurged and had dessert. Gentry ordered a Praline Chocolate Cake which was super, super rich! Steve ordered Bourbon Filled Cream Eclairs. I enjoyed both of them. What a fantastic meal to end our trip

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August 16, 2008 - Enjoying the City...New York City

We slept late this morning. It sure felt good since we didn't get back to our room until 1am. Off we went to SOHO to eat and shop. This is the type of shopping Steve & I both enjoy. Quaint shops and open-air cafes. Gentry & I had fun going into the boutiques. We got over our sticker price fairly quickly and a little summer dress for $300 wasn't so bad :-) I found a super looking leather jacket, but it was $675. We're not used to paying those prices so we just "looked". What can you expect from DKNY, Armani or Hilfiger.

From a business perspective, it's interesting to see how they greet (or don't greet) you when you walk into their store. After visiting several shops, Armani sales people were the first ones to welcome us into their store. They weren't on our backs to make a sale, but they were friendly. Hilfiger also directed us upstairs to the ladies floor when we walked in. They could tell we weren't looking for mens wear. :-)

We ate lunch at a sidewalk cafe which had wonderful pizza. Gentry chose chicken, goat cheese and pesto. The crust was thin and the taste absolutely delicious. Across the street was a playground with a huge fence around it where kids could play on equipment and adults could play handball. It was so foreign to what we are used to in the suburbs where we have trees & grass in our parks.

We wanted to go back to 5th Avenue shopping area, so we took the subway. Or, so we thought. We took the downtown one and had to turn around to get uptown to the shopping district. Tiffany's was a real experience. Now, I'd like to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sweet Home Alabama again to compare it to the real store. What beautiful jewelry they have!

Coach was down the street and Gentry has been begging her friends to help pay for a Coach bag for her. Next we found Bloomingdale's then headed back towards our hotel. The NBA store was amazing. Gentry kept saying how much Hunter would love this store. NBA products and...tv screens of basketball, basketball hoops, basketball video games, basketball players in life size. You name it, they had it!

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August 15, 2008 - New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals

When we arrived at Yankee Stadium, it was pouring down rain. Lucky for us, our seats were under cover right behind home plate. So we could sit and watch what was happening. After a 1 1/2 hour delay, the ground crew started clearing the tarp over the infield.

Finally, we saw Derek Jeter and Andy Pettite walk on the field to warm up. Again, that was lots of fun to see these guys in person. The other cool aspect of this entire night was sitting in a ball park, watching a Yankees game, and realizing how much baseball history has taken place here. One of the pictures in the program showed the field in the early days...from the same perspective of our seats!

Back to the game. When Alex Rodriguez didn't scramble to get a ball and the out at first, the fans boooed...just like on tv. When he didn't get a hit with runners on base, it was another booing time. In the final inning, the Yankees have a chance to win the game. Jeter on 2nd, Abreu on 1st and A Rod actually hits a dinker to get on base. Bases are loaded and Giambi hits a pop fly. Yep, they lost the game . . . and to Kansas City of all teams!

My favorite part of the game was watching the consistency of Derek Jeter. Hunter and I read his bio a few years ago. He really does live up to a leader and go-getter. We saw a great catch and throw to first. He also knows how to get on base. He may not be a slugger but he consistently got on base. Too bad the rest of the team can't follow his lead these days.

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August 15, 2008 - Shopping on 34th Street

We made it to Macy's, the largest store in the world. Or, so they claim. Actually, it was huge and they were having a one-day sale! Gentry had a blast shopping in the junior department which took up an entire floor (& city block). We then walked by the Empire State Building and enjoyed some other shops.

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August 15, 2008 - New York Yankees

Steve & I got up around 7am and headed up the subway to Yankee Stadium. Since there are no advanced tickets for Yankee Stadium tours, you have to stand in line. We arrived at 8am and they sell 40 tickets around 9am. Our chances looked "slim to none". But, we stayed in line anyway. Somehow, we got tickets to the 12 noon tour...yea!

Back to the room to pick up Gentry and then ride the subway back to Yankee Stadium.

We arrived at 11:30am and they started 9 minutes later - WOW! They actually had 3-4 tours in each time slot.

On the tour, we visited Monument Park where you see monuments to the greatest Yankees, as well as all the numbers retired by the Yankees.

Next, we walked around the field to the dugout, pretty cool being down on the field where great plays are made. Did you know the seats in the dugout are heated?

Next, we walked up to the press boxes and sat where the print media sits. What a great view they have.

Our guide shared lots of intersting history about the team and the ball park. I felt like I was in a baseball history lesson. All in all the tour was much better than the Fenway Park tour. They are even smarter with marketing because you conclude your tour by walking though the Team Store.

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August 14, 2008 - Gallagher's Steak House

After resting in our hotel and waiting for the rain to quit, we walked down the street to Gallaghers Steak House.

Gallagher's was the creation of Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer who billed Gallagher's as "the speakeasy that served steaks," when she opened it in 1927. Then when Prohibition came to an end six years later, the resourceful Mrs. Gallagher repositioned Gallagher's as "the steakhouse that served drinks."

Now in its 71st year, Gallagher's is truly a steakhouse to be reckoned with. Step inside and see the rows of U.S.D.A. prime beef dry-aging in the windowed 36F cooler. The grand circular bar will catch your eye along with the dark, wood-paneled walls lined with portraits of sport and movie stars.

The steaks were "to die for". Plus, the portions were huge so we took our leftovers so Steve could enjoy them for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I had Lobster & Shrimp Bisque that had an interesting spice of nutmeg or pumpkin. I couldn't quite tell, but it was delicious.

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August 14, 2008 - New York Times Square

After a quick lunch at a deli, we walked down to Times Square. Our hotel, Sheraton Manhattan (that I would NOT recommend to anyone), was a few blocks up from the Square. I am always amazed with how many people can walk in such a small square footage of land.

We enjoyed looking at some shops, especially the M&M store. The store was like a M&M museum and you could buy almost anything with M&M on it. Or, you could choose which colors of M&M you wanted to eat.

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August 14, 2008 - New York Train

We had to awake early to catch the train from Boston to New York. We really liked the train ride . . . better than flying. More comfortable seats. More space to relax. Cool sites out the window. Electrical outlets at your seat and Bigger bathrooms! What more could you ask for?

We are looking forward to a fun-filled day walking through Times Square and Fifth Avenue. Tomorrow is baseball day . . . Gentry loves the Yankees!

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August 13, 2008 - Fenway, Freedom Trail and Fun at the Sox Game

On Wednesday we started with our Fenway Park tour. It was fun, but not as good as last year's tour. The store ran this tour, instead of the ballpark...and we had about 75 people on it. We still got a few pics.

The rest of the day we followed the Freedom Trail to see the burial ground of John Adams, Paul Revere, Boston Massacre victims, Faneuil Hall (meeting place of liberty & Boston Tea Party), Paul Revere's home (with antique 1699 dresser) and the Old North Church (2 lanterns in the steeple).

We enjoyed some fresh pastries from a quaint Italian bakery.

After riding the subway once again, we finished our afternoon visiting Cheers.

On Wednesday night we watched the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers. Gentry was secretly rooting for the Rangers. The Red Sox fans are so loyal that you wouldn't want to cheer too loudly.

All in all, we had a great day.

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August 12, 2008 - Boston Duck Tours

I just finished the first leg of our trip...Boston!

We started Tuesday night with a Duck Tour traveling around the sites of Boston. If you've never heard of Duck Tours, you travel on land and water in a vehicle that was used in World War 2.

When you get to the water's edge, the driver engages the propeller and you begin traveling across the river. Here are a few pics from our duckmobile

After the Duck Tour, we enjoyed dinner at an Irish Pub. It was cool...dark wood and candlelight, just like the old days! Steve & I had fish and chips while Gentry had a burger. Well, we aren't into Irish food, just the atmosphere.

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August 6, 2008 - Too Many Boxes...!

It's been exactly 3 weeks since the moving truck dumped all of our worldy possessions in our front yard in Texas. Actually, they were kind enough to bring all the boxes inside!

Of course, we have been feverishly unpacking and guess what? Somehow we GREW when we were in Idaho! Meaning, we brought home a lot more inventory than Kerry and I expected.

Just look at the pictures of the inventory we have yet to find a place for!

boxes1 boxes2

Well, we would rather NOT find a place for it in our home...we want to find a place for it in your home! And we are going to make it worth your while!

We are placing 2 items on sale for one week only...
1. "How To Start Your Own Business...For Families And Teens"
2. "The Getting Started Online" System

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Let me describe "The Getting Started Online System" first...
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"The Getting Started Online System" include 3 disks and is PACKED with tons of information and resources to getting your online business up and running quickly.

Disk #1 includes:
1. A teleseminar recording where I lay out the entire PLAN and FORMULA for starting an online business.
2. Our exlusive, proprietary Niche Research Exercise to help you brainstorm and research a profitable niche that is RIGHT FOR YOU!
3. My interview with a newbie on how she should start, what she should do and in what order to do it!
4. Plus 2 killer bonuses on the CD that will knock your socks off!

Disk #2 includes:
1. Video on how to create a free blog on blogger.com. You can be selling a product on the internet in less than 45 minutes using a free blog and you will start to enjoy high search engine rankings to boot!
2. Video on how to create a simple web page complete with header, navigation bar and text. I even show you how to add pictures, graphics and hyperlinks as well.
3. Video on how to find products in your niche that pay big, fat commissions. You don't even have to create a product to start making money on the Internet and this video shows you how!

Disk #3 includes:
1. Software to put your voice on your web site...increase your sales and opt-ins!
2. Over 1600 graphics and pictures to use on your web site...these are custom made for e-commerce websites. I use mine on just about every web site I own!
3. 35 professionally created headers - just put in your company name and go!
...Plus 4 ebooks on Internet Marketing and a product creation toolkit!

If you ever wanted to "dip your toe in the water" and see if an online business is right for you...now's your chance!

We plan to sell all three disks for $97. But we wanted to let our friends have first crack at it for $67. That's right! $67 will open a whole new opportunity and way of thinking for you and your family. Click on the link below now.

http://www.FamilyEbiz.com/GettingStarted.htm

Here's the deal. The sale will only last until Sunday, August 9th at 12 midnight (Eastern Standard Time). Then I will change the price.

Also, I only have a limited quantity of these and I will stop the sale price when I have sold 150 of them. So, the sale ends on Sunday, August 9th or when 150 have been sold...whichever comes first!

Attention: 8WeeksToProfits owners and Secrets To Building Sites That Sell owners...
If you already own 8WeeksToProfits or Secrets To Building Sites That Sell, there is some overlap with this 3 Disk set. There is information on the 3 Disk set that is NOT contained in either 8WeeksToProfits or Secrets To Building Sites That Sell, but there is also a lot of information in the 8WeeksToProfits or Secrets To Building Sites That Sell that is not contained in the 3 Disk set.

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The second item we have on sale is the "How To Start Your Own Business...For Families and Teens!"
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That's right. We still have another box of the videos where I teach about 20 teenagers how to start their own business. Here's what I taught those teens:

- how to view a business from the biblical perspective.

- the 3 types of businesses and why they are important to know BEFORE spending hard earned dollars.

- how to count the costs BEFORE they start a business...thus saving them time, money and tons of frustration.

- how to come up with profitable and fun business ideas that even young people can do.

- how to market a new business so you never have to worry about finding new customers again!

- how to calculate crucial financial numbers that will keep your business sound, healthy and making a generous profit

- how to price your products and services so you can get the most out of the hard work that you do

- how to take a physical business to the Internet and beyond.

And best of all, I did this in a fun and entertaining workshop. In fact, you will see lots of interaction on the videos with the teens in the workshop. they even share their ideas and concerns for starting their own businesses!

Now, in the LIVE workshop, I handed every student a workbook. But I have re-created that workbook on a CD so the students who watch the video can follow along - just like the ones in the LIVE workshop.

So, guess what? I'm not planning on doing any more LIVE teen business workshops. Everything I need to say about the subject is included in this 4 DVD set plus workbook on CD.

These video sets sell regularly on my web site for $97. In fact, Andrew Pudewa, the creator of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), buys hundreds of them for his booth at homeschool book fairs around the country.

So, I am allowing you to STEAL one of these video sets from me for $67!!!

That's right. $67! But you had better move SUPER QUICK!. I don't expect them to last long - in fact, I will be surprised if any of the video sets are around by Sunday. Click on the link below right now!

http://www.FamilyEbiz.com/TeenBusinessWorkshop

Imagine. Giving your family and your teens the keys to an entrepreneurial future by getting them this video set. Over 8 hours of instruction complete with workbook on CD that you can print out.

This can be one of your core subjects this fall!

So act now! I will not be selling them for $67 after these videos are gone. Visit the link below to reserve your copy now:
==> http://www.FamilyEbiz.com/TeenBusinessWorkshop.htm

Blessings,

Stephen Beck
http://www.FamilyEbiz.com/GettingStarted.htm
http://www.FamilyEbiz.com/TeenBusinessWorkshop

PS...Please don't get angry when the price goes up after Sunday...or if all the copies have sold out. I've done my best to give you FAIR warning!

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August 6, 2008 - Use Reading Journal Every Day to Encourage Writing

Why should you use reading journals with your students?

Personally, I believe reading journals are an excellent way to have your students interact with their readings and improve their writing at the same time. Whether your kids are six or sixteen they can write about what they read and begin their journal writing programs.

My teenagers kept a reading journal this past year. It specifically dealt with their literature reading assignment. At the beginning of the year, they wrote about the events that occurred in the story. As the year passed, they began writing more about the characters or the lessons they were learning from the story. By the end of the year this was an informal essay, going beyond simply recapping what they read.

My son is twelve and I plan to start the year with a journal entry at the end of each day. This will tell me what he "really learned" that day. He has made journal entries for specific readings, similar to narrations. We have used journals especially with his Bible readings. He writes a paragraph about what he read in his morning devotions and I believe this helps reinforce what he reads.

When my children were younger, they would narrate aloud what they read earlier that day. I would write it down for them. The following day, my kids would copy the narration in their best handwriting. Young children can have journal writing instruction as they enter copywork into their journals.

Journals help my kids write on a daily basis, but I don't think it teaches writing. I use Teaching Writing: Structure & Style to make a longer assignment that gives my kids the opportunity to write to a final draft form.

To recap, we have two types of writings: informal journal entries about what they are reading and formal writing assignments where they learn how to improve their writing. Sometimes we will use a journal entry and turn it into a polished final draft.

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© Kerry Beck, 2008
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
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Kerry Beck helps teachers and homeschool moms with journal writing programs. She has a free mini-course to show you how to teach writing at Teaching Writing.

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Teaching Writing
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August 4, 2008 - Scrapbooking, Writing & Summer Time

Writing should be an integral part of our lives! Why not include it in your summer activities?

As I ponder how we spend the last few weeks of summer, I am reminded of the educational value of scrapbooking. In the past I have written about ideas you can use to teach your children writing and art techniques as you scrapbook. Since we enjoy scrapbooking so much, I plan to have my children make some scrapbook gifts and integrate scrapbooking with writing. For many of the pages they create, they will be writing a paragraph about that page.

Of course, I will use Excellence in Writing to work through the writing process by developing a brief outline, writing a rough draft and editing their paragraph for stylistic techniques and possible errors.

Writing can take many forms throughout the summer. Your kids may write letters to grandparents, friends at camp or other friends/family. They might keep a journal of what their favorite summer memory. Or, write an article about their vacation. You can even publish the article online at www.ezinearticles.com.

Personally, I love to hear what my family and friends are doing. Reading Christmas letters is a special treat in our house. Do you send out a Christmas letter updating your friends and family? Let your children help you write your letter and start this week.

For several years, our children are co-authors of our Christmas letter. When they were younger, they simply wrote sentences about events they enjoyed. They have also written paragraphs about one of their favorite memories of the year and one of the lessons God has taught them this past year. You can use Excellence in Writing's unit on creative writing to develop a well-written short essay (3-5 paragraphs).

Who knows???
If we start now, maybe our Christmas letter will be ready to mail by Thanksgiving. (Well, don't hold your breath!)

One last idea is to have your children write down is their favorite memories about this past summer. I am keeping their answers in their journals. Won't it be fun to look back and see what they thought was important in 2008?

Blessings,
Kerry Beck

ps. You DON'T have to scrapbook to use these ideas. Simply get a cool journhal or journal to keep copies your kids' thoughts & writings...for memory sake.

Kerry Beck helps teachers and homeschool moms by using predictable books in writing. She has a free mini-course to show you how to teach writing at Teaching Writing.

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August 1, 2008 - Choosing a Topic to Teach Writing

Lately, I've written a number of articles to help you teach kids, whether you're teaching in a school or home-schooling your own children. Recently, I was reminded yet again of the importance of allowing children the freedom to choose their own assignments. Thanks to my son, I learned a valuable lesson to make me a more effective teacher, while turning him into a more powerful writer.

Last week, my son was listening to his IEW Student Writing DVD. His lesson was on writing a biographical sketch, outlining someone's life in five short paragraphs. Well, I already knew the perfect subjects - perhaps writing on an early father of the church would help his recent lessons on Roman civilization to sink in more deeply. As an added bonus, he could delve more deeply into some of the books which we hadn't time to read in history. I thought it was a perfect topic - he wasn't convinced.

As we spoke, I could see the disinterest reflected in his eyes. Once the conversation turned to baseball, his demeanor changed. He had just finished reading a book on baseball player Derek Jeter, and was fascinated, eager to learn more. When I suggested that he write his biography on Jeter instead, my son's eyes lit up with excitement. had to use at least three sources for his biography, only one of which could be from the internet. Before our talk was through, he already had two other possible sources lined up.

We decided that he would write about Derek Jeter, rather than church fathers.

Over the past week, he has studiously collected information on Derek Jeter for his paper. Today, we narrowed his topics down to only three, keeping him from being overwhelmed. Over the next week, he will create an outline and begin writing.

I am impressed at how much happier he is with this assignment. All it took was the freedom to choose his own topic, rather than being told what to write. Because he is so interested in his topic, I know that he will do a better job and learn more in the process.

Wherever possible, let your kids choose topics which interest them. They will take ownership of their work, and be more motivated to boot. Try it soon - simply talk with your kids to find a topic which interests them, and then let them choose. They'll love the chance to follow their passions, leading to better papers which will be a joy to read.

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© Kerry Beck, 2008
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
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Kerry Beck helps teachers and homeschool moms with a lesson on writing a biographical sketch. She has a free mini-course to show you how to teach writing at Teaching Writing.

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Teaching Writing
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July 27, 2008 - Writing With Purpose

When you give your children a writing assignment, do they complain and whine about it? I had the same problem, until I discovered something last summer which made all the difference - when my children had a purpose for their writing, they were more willing to complete the assignments. Along the way, my kids learned the process of writing format through publishing.

All three of my children are published authors. For example, my son wrote an ABC jungle book at the age of 8. It took him a full year studying the jungle and its animals to choose the best plants and animals for his book. He then wrote a paragraph for each letter, referring to the Excellence in Writing style checklist to make sure his writing was of professional quality.

Given his age, it was unrealistic to force him to work on his book every day. It was an ongoing project that he worked on regularly, and completed at the beginning of June. However, he remained motivated through the entire year, an amazing feat for one so young.

There were a couple of reasons for his motivation, which ultimately led to a successful book launch. To start, he was fascinated by the jungle and its creatures, so he was researching something that was already interesting to him. It rarely felt like work! He was also thrilled at the thought of becoming a published author, earning money by writing and publishing his own book. Having a purpose for writing is the key to motivation.

Not all writing assignments lead to a money-making opportunity - there are many other ways to introduce purpose into your child's writing. Experiment, and look for new reasons to write. Perhaps your child can write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper on a preferred topic; enter a poem or story in a writing contest; share news in a letter with family or friends; or write a story about an incident in their life. Be creative, and find new reasons for your children to write - they will approach their writing with a fresh outlook and increased enthusiasm.

Once you have given your child a purposeful writing assignment, help them to first put their ideas onto paper, and arrange those ideas in a cohesive, logical order. There's a program on the market which, in my opinion (as a mother and former teacher) is the best. Check out Teaching Writing: Structure & Style, which excels in teaching your children how to write effectively for a range of reasons - letters, essays, stories, and more.

You can give your child(ren) a great reason for writing when you use the process of writing format through publishing. Try to integrate writing into any subject you are studying with your child. Writing should never be treated as a separate topic, since it is a valuable skill that transcends the subject material. By encouraging your child to write on a range of topics, he (or she!) will understand the purpose that writing has in all aspects of life.

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© Kerry Beck, 2008
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
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Kerry Beck helps teachers and homeschool moms with the process of writing format through publishing. She has a free mini-course to show you how to teach writing at Teaching Writing.

category:

Teaching Writing
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July 22, 2008 - How Will You Teach Writing? (part 3)

Writing is often a difficult subject to teach kids, but using this method can simplify it for you and your students. using predictable books to teach writing also simplifies your efforts as a writing teacher. After you outline a simple story, follow the guidelines below.

DAY 2

Get your outline and a blank sheet of paper. If your child needs to refresh himself on the content, have him retell the story aloud. He can use the outline to help him.

Next, your child will write a sentence for each line of his outline. The sentence does not need to be an exact replica of the original paragraph. In fact, your child may improve on what was originally written. When he finishes each line of the outline, he will have a completed paragraph.

If your child is young, you might let him tell you each sentence while you write it down for him. At this point, you (the teacher or parent) should edit the paragraph for spelling and punctuation. Notice I did not say rewrite the sentences or add words. Let this be your child's writing, not yours.

If your students are older and can edit for spelling/punctuation, let them do this on Day 3.

DAY 3

On the final day your child will copy his completed paragraph making any of your changes for spelling and punctuation. Of course, there are places you will see that need improving, but you can teach those concepts in a later lesson. This is an activity to help your students see they can write something on their own. They doesn't have to worry about "what" to write any more because you will give him a source text from which to start.

You can repeat this simple activity until your students are able to outline and re-write paragraphs on their own. You can use paragraphs from a variety of content areas such as knights & castles, animals, solar system, fairy tales or any subject you are studying with your students.

Isn't that easy??? And you thought writing was difficult to teach!

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© Kerry Beck, 2008
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
-----------------------------------

Kerry Beck helps teachers and homeschool moms by using predictable books in writing. She has a free mini-course to show you how to teach writing at Teaching Writing.

category:

Teaching Writing
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A place to interact about teaching our kids without following the conveyor belt model of the government schools. Think outside the box and provide a leadership education for your children. Other musings are included on a regular basis :-)

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Learn from experienced homeschoolers who have walked the road before you. They know what they are talking about.

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Limited Time Offer (expires July 4, 2006) Leave a comment so I can send you the ebook.