I have a confession to make. As a homeschool mom, I was a total curricula nerd. Introduce me to a new resource or program, and I would devour it as I would a thrilling novel. Every year, choosing curricula was the highlight of my spring. Yes, I need to get […]

By Dawn Burnette Whether your child is in first grade or twelfth grade, reading above grade level or just starting to sound out words, direct and intentional instruction in reading comprehension should be a regular part of each day. Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills we teach […]

Justin ran desperately through slashing brush that was doomed by the fire raging behind him. As he ran, his mind raced to Sam … where was he? Justin threw a fervent look back over his shoulder, but saw no one. There was nothing to do but keep going–faster, faster! He […]

When our children are small, we wait in anticipation for their first words. We derive such joy in helping them shape circles and lines into letters and numbers. But somewhere along the way, we decide it’s time to get serious. We exchange our delight with their development for rules and […]

Many people, when they hear the word grammar, experience an increased heart rate, feelings of nausea, and uncontrollable sweating. When I tell people that I write grammar curriculum for a living, they often take an involuntary step backward and look as though they accidentally took a sip of the water […]

Who can resist the adorable babbling of a one-year-old child? We all know children learn speech through hearing it spoken around them. They hear it from the womb. I’ve seen a newborn turn her head to the voice of her older brother. She had heard his voice daily as he […]

Writing is an extremely complex process that requires the brain to do many different things at once: form an idea, put that idea into words, think about how to spell those words, consider what to capitalize and how to punctuate, and remember how to form letters (or where to find […]

For many people the hardest part of writing is thinking of something to write about. This problem can be bypassed if you stockpile ideas ahead of time instead of waiting to think of an idea when you need it. Keeping an Idea Bank An idea bank enables you to collect […]

Responsibility for a child’s writing instruction is usually accompanied by an obligation to evaluate the child’s writing. Such evaluation can be a daunting task. The following suggestions will help you give your child’s writing the response it deserves and will also help you provide the feedback that will make your […]

Writing is a very complex process because your brain must tend to many different things at once: you must form your idea, put it into words, think about how to spell those words, consider what to capitalize and how to punctuate, and remember how to form letters (or find them […]