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The Five-Paragraph Essay: A Tool—Not a Rule
My background is in teaching college-level writing. I have a focus on teaching remedial classes, so I often had students in my classroom who had
4 Inspiring Quotes for When Your Homeschool Day is Falling Apart
It’s almost September, which means some people are brand new to homeschooling and excited about the possibilities of what a new school year with a
Reverse Outlines: Helping “Explosive” Writers Organize Their Ideas
I’ve got a confession to make (Mrs. Boley, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry). I never did my assigned outlines in high school. It wasn’t
4 Metafictional Picture Books
If you want to capture the playful, magical, and sometimes mischievous nature of creating new worlds through the art of writing, there’s no better way
How to Create Amazing Writing Assignments
Writing assignments are one of the best tools an educator has. They serve several purposes at once. Through writing, students can make deeper connections; reflect
Writer’s Block? A Four-Step Solution
In my time as an English professor, I have had dozens of students who tell me they “can’t” write. They tell me that they stare
Writing Tip: Make a Mess, Then Clean it Up
We often see the finished stages of writing. We see polished, edited, revised essays, poems, books, television shows, movies, etc. Most of the academic conventions
It’s Okay to Buy That Homeschool Book/Project/Whatever You Love “For Later”
Look. I have Marie Kondo’d with the best of them. I have a low tolerance for clutter and want clear surfaces. I have very little
10 Secular Morning Basket Ideas
I wrote recently about how morning baskets are working well for us, so I’ve been coming up with ideas to keep the magic going. Here
What’s Working Right Now: Morning Baskets
This post is part of the What’s Working Right Now series, a series that attempts to give quick, practical tips for real-life homeschooling problems that can
Metaphors for Avoiding Writing Overwhelm (with Free Handouts!)
We talk about “writing” as if it’s a single skillset, but that’s not accurate at all. The things that go into writing are incredibly varied,
Operation Make the Homeschool “Classroom” Usable
A few weeks ago, I shared a video on my Facebook page giving a tour of my “classroom.” See, we moved into this house about