tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post8961257717325810957..comments2023-08-16T10:57:47.203-05:00Comments on Higher Up and Further In: Teaching Writing: Starting LateUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-81765883385321189682008-09-03T10:27:00.000-05:002008-09-03T10:27:00.000-05:00Grafted Branch,I have written quite a bit about di...Grafted Branch,<br><br>I have written quite a bit about dictation and its benefits. Try looking on my sidebar for that category.lindafayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10593813942424765333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-61240518343601842212008-08-29T02:06:00.000-05:002008-08-29T02:06:00.000-05:00Great ideas!Great ideas!Munchkins and Musichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09984593709136419924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-4869418154215523422008-08-25T11:38:00.000-05:002008-08-25T11:38:00.000-05:00I often teach homeschooling courses on writing (I&...I often teach homeschooling courses on writing (I'm a writer myself) and one of the things I warn parents about, especially with boys, is to let writing be writing. <br><br>Often a child will labor to write a paragraph, and then what's the first thing we do? We start correcting spelling and grammar. <br><br>These things are important; don't get me wrong. But writing is a skill, too, and if you dishearten your children they won't like it.<br><br>So what I suggest is choosing one big writing assignment a week that you polish and edit and check for spelling and grammar, etc. But the rest of the time just let them write. Amazingly, the more they do write, the more the spelling improves. <br><br><i>Visit <a href="http://tolovehonorandvacuum.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">To Love, Honor and Vacuum</a> today!</i>Sheilahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06842674051346091248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-2980370186005234402008-08-25T09:10:00.000-05:002008-08-25T09:10:00.000-05:00You continue to encourage my heart toward excellen...You continue to encourage my heart toward excellence!BessieJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09121291074222997123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-23873373321159188942008-08-23T19:47:00.000-05:002008-08-23T19:47:00.000-05:00Hello,I'm new here but I've been visiting ...Hello,<br>I'm new here but I've been visiting with StrongJoy and Raora on their blogs for a while now.<br>I just wanted to say that I am the "reading teacher" to my younger sister (who I call "Bunny" online.) She was adopted from Haiti and has very poor language skills, seeing as English is her second language and Haitian Creole is a very primitive dialect.<br>She is just creeping up on a first grade reading level, since she had no education to speak of until she came to us two years ago. It has been a long and winding road! But, I just wanted to say, that if anyone else is in any situation like this where they have a child who is "behind" on reading but is old enough to form stories, reports etc, dictation is a great option. Often times at the end of a lesson (which is very stressful, if you can imagine) I let her dictate to me so that she doesn't have to worry about spelling or handwriting. That way she feels as if she's accomplished something. I loved to dictate when I was little, because, as a very young child, writing is often such slow-going that the child loses interest before she/he has completed the job. Even if it isn't helpful (though I think it can be,) it is fun!<br>Thanks,<br>EverlyEverly Pleasanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11852907174929173979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-50516822109332261792008-08-22T21:08:00.000-05:002008-08-22T21:08:00.000-05:00We've employed copy work, and I see the purpos...We've employed copy work, and I see the purpose in it. We've employed narration, and clearly it is beneficial on so many levels.<br><br>But what about dictation? What is your opinion about this exercise? Is it useful?<br><br>Thanks, too, for your encouragement about blogging. My 13 year old is getting one underway and I've wondered if I'm doing the right thing for her in feeding his inherent desire we all have to want an audience. When she's posted a few, maybe your kids can visit her with an encouraging word? :)Grafted Branch@Restoring the Yearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13234492249971474897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-43154852935608062382008-08-22T18:16:00.000-05:002008-08-22T18:16:00.000-05:00Thanks for your input on this. I have started havi...Thanks for your input on this. I have started having ds do freewriting a la Bravewriter this week just to get him to put pen to paper ;) When we start school I am going to have him write in a journal during his morning quiet time and write a paragraph from his science or history selection. BTW, I am following your book selections for years 1,3, and 6. I am getting really tired of planning though! I have read and reread and compared and shopped and am having a hard time wrapping my brain around all that I feel needs to be fit in. Can you tell I have a tendency to complicate things? Well I need to go ruminate over some more books. Have a great evening :)<br><br>OliviaMrs. Hhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06503283969677894326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-25700368725205135242008-08-22T11:11:00.000-05:002008-08-22T11:11:00.000-05:00Katharine,That depends if your child has spent tim...Katharine,<br>That depends if your child has spent time providing oral narration and copying great literature. If she/he has, then I'd expect a child to begin with a paragraph, double spaced. This shouldn't take more than 15 or 20 minutes in one sitting. There should be no revision process. Mom should only correct a punctuation error or two and provide mostly positive feedback. You can read more about this here:<br><br>http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/2006/10/narration-progress.html<br><br> I wouldn't have my child begin writing narrations without the prep work of oral narration and copywork for a season.<br><br>Traci,<br>I would only have her/him do very short copywork from single sentence passages in books that she is enjoying. I would also let her help choose the passages she really liked. This makes writing more enjoyable. LLAL wouldn't provide her this opportunity of 'choice.' <br><br>Tarheel Mama,<br>I think her article is excellent and recommend it. However, I agree with the comment made by Dr Davis:<br><br>"You are quite right when you say that college teachers want the facts. However, a single or couple well-used metaphors can brighten an English teacher's day. I would not say we are looking to avoid all creativity, just to channel it and limit its use to effective levels."<br><br>One of my daughters tends to do just what Jeannie warned against. She likes to add 'fluff' and opinion to academic writing. She is in highschool and we have been working on improving this particular weakness for about a year now. <br><br>I do not feel it is important to teach the differences in academic and creative writing to younger --that is those who have not reached high school age.lindafayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10593813942424765333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-38715431803159225452008-08-22T09:13:00.000-05:002008-08-22T09:13:00.000-05:00Thank you for sharing this. :O) My oldest enjoys w...Thank you for sharing this. :O) My oldest enjoys writing silly stories and although they're silly, she always adds a biblical moral to them.Sisterlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09697215030563741501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-55141390153383289052008-08-22T07:09:00.000-05:002008-08-22T07:09:00.000-05:00Ok, I'm going to relax some now. My seven yea...Ok, I'm going to relax some now. My seven year old hates to write anything. I just bought an old copy of Learning Language Arts Through Literature. Would it be too much to ask of her to copy the short quotations? Or should I just be happy she is reading anything she can get her hands on? I steer her toward good books. And I read aloud to her. This year's homeschooling seems so different for us!Tracihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443459607587478885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-26565709277896814272008-08-22T05:42:00.000-05:002008-08-22T05:42:00.000-05:00What are your thoughts on Jennie Fulbright's b...What are your thoughts on Jennie Fulbright's blog post about writing v. creative writing?<br>Tarheel MamaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28260135.post-6487075199670667062008-08-21T12:59:00.000-05:002008-08-21T12:59:00.000-05:00Hi Lindafay,When your children first begin writing...Hi Lindafay,<br>When your children first begin writing narrations at 9 yo, how much time do they spend crafting one written narration? Is it in a single sitting?<br>Thank you,<br>KatherineWillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717458508215500345noreply@blogger.com