Best Homeschooling Programs for Writing
Lucy Calkins Offers an Exciting Language Arts Homeschool Program
Jul 24, 2009
Many Language Arts curricula and homeschooling programs focus so heavily on grammar, spelling, and the nuts and bolts of written English that the joy of writing never has a chance. Lucy Calkins' programs for homeschool and classroom students allow children to discover their own unique voice while learning the elements of correct grammar and punctuation in a natural way.
Review of Lucy Calkins Units of Study
The Lucy Calkins writing process is broken into two classroom or homeschooling programs. Units of Study for Primary Writing is designed for Kindergarten, first and second grade students. Units of Study for Teaching Writing is the follow up for third, fourth, and fifth grades.
Though the classroom and homeschooling programs contain lessons for only one year each, they work extremely well when repeated, since a student’s writing will grow and change immensely during a year. Furthermore, all the writing is done in a writer’s notebook, leaving the curriculum unmarked for future use.
Homeschool parents choosing to use the materials for three consecutive years and multiple students will find it an extremely affordable option. Currently, the books are offered for a list price of $198.75 each. They can be purchased online though for the discounted price of $159.00
In all, the Units of Study for Teaching Writing contains seven books and one CD-ROM. The CD-ROM, offering samples of student writing and tips from Lucy Calkins, proves a helpful resource for parents and teachers.
Units of Study for Teaching Writing as a Homeschool Program
The Units of Study for Teaching Writing does not necessarily have to follow Units of Study for Primary Writers. The upper elementary set is broken into six units containing four to six lessons each.
The first unit serves as a foundation for the “Writer’s Workshop” which is the format for student writing throughout the program. Key concepts include finding ideas, drafting, editing, revising, publishing, as well as giving and receiving feedback from partner writers.
Once the foundation is laid, units two through six help students raise the quality of their narrative writing, breathe life into their essays, use story arcs to write short fiction, write expressively about literature, and combine everything they’ve learned to craft personal memoirs.
Pros of Lucy Calkins for Homeschooling Programs
Here are the benefits homeschooling parents will discover when using Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study in homeschooling programs.
- Students learn to write the way writers write, which tends to be different than the way schools have traditionally addressed writing. Traditional methods of teaching writing approaches it through components, formulas, or a curriculum.
- Students have authentic purposes for writing. Writers write because they have something to say and they are trying to communicate a message. When students write following the lessons of this program, they are in charge of their topics and look forward to sharing their finished writing with others.
- In this program, students learn the craft of writing partly through reading mentor texts – good literature – and looking at how successful authors created pieces of writing that draw the reader in and hold the reader’s attention.
- The old saying “Writers write” applies here. Students get brief, focused instruction and then spend a great deal of time each day actually writing.
- Students learn strategies for moving through the writing process on their own. It doesn’t take students long to figure out strategies for generating writing topics, drafting their writing, revising their work, getting feedback on it, and starting the process all over again on their own.
- This writing process is very individualized. Teachers meet with students on a one-on-one basis regularly. The teacher gives specific feedback, asks questions, and gives one teaching point to each child based on the writing.
Considerations for Lucy Calkins in Homeschooling Programs
Though it’s hard to find fault with such an innovative program, there are a few considerations homeschooling parents will want to take into account.
- Many teachers find it difficult to fit in this much writing during an academic day. Something has got to go. By eliminating less important work (such as worksheets) and improving class efficiency through classroom management and protocols, teachers find that their instructional time can be more powerful. But, it’s not always easy to do.
- Many teachers find it difficult to teach grammar through the writing process. While teachers report that grammar is applied more consistently in writing, teachers have to find time during the day to teach the language of grammar that is found on standardized tests.
- Some teachers do not enjoy writing and may find it difficult to model the process. It really helps if a teacher keeps a writer’s notebook along with the students and produces some writing to share as well. Homeschooling parents will find this essential since they will need to be a big part of their child’s writer’s community.
For parents hoping to impart a love of writing to their children, it's difficult to find better homeschooling programs on the market than Lucy Calkins' Units of Study. Additionally, the price makes the program a hard one to turn down.
 |
