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Teach Homeschool Language Arts

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

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Are you looking for skill sharpeners grammar and punctuation resources for grades K to 6th instead of a full curriculum? Also, look at 24 Borderline Genius Ways To Relieve Language Arts Boredom.

Also, I cannot lie but I love this fun ampersand craft to add to a school area or your office.

There are plenty of great books, games, and activities out there to help your child master the art of grammar without using a boring, dry curriculum.

After all, each child learns differently, and you can tailor their lessons to their learning style.

Grammar covers the rules of a language governing sounds, words, sentences, and other elements.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

It includes things like sentence structure, parts of speech, tense (past, present, future), and syntax.  While spelling is considered mechanics of language arts it still goes hand in hand with grammar.

I also have included a tutorial for a fun and easy ampersand bookend to celebrate World Ampersand Day, September 9th.

This fun bookend helps contain those piles we all have on our shelves and tables.

About the Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Series

First, there are several reasons why I love using the skill sharpeners series.

  • As I mentioned, sometimes you need to focus on one skill whether your child needs reinforcement with one skill or if focusing on less helps your child to grasp concepts faster. Curriculum mixes several different components of language arts and isolating one skill keeps learning simple.
  • Next, you know my love for themes and unit studies, and I love the fact that these colorful workbooks have themes.
  • Rules are highlighted in the boxes and easy to learn and the best thing is it’s just pick up and go.

More Grammar and Punctuation Language Arts Resources

Also, look at more resources to go with the skill sharpeners grammar and punctuation series.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Next, look at how to make this fun ampersand craft. Just too cute.

How to Make an Ampersand Bookend Craft

You will need:

  • Paper mache ampersand (Hobby Lobby)
  • Grey Paint
  • Baking soda
  • Clean, dry sand
  • Grey felt
  • Masking tape
  • Small funnel
  • Scissors
  • Paintbrush
10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Paper Mache letters have supporting spacers throughout that block some of the channels, because of this it makes it hard to fill them to give them enough weight completely.

So, to work around that without cutting off the whole back, we will make several holes.

Use scissors or a Phillips head screwdriver to make a hole big enough to fit a small funnel.

Poke in as far as you can without coming through the other side.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Pour sand in and move it around to be sure to fill as much of it as you can.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Lay a piece of masking tape over the hole just big enough to cover it.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Repeat 3-4 more times, be sure that you do at least 2 more on the bottom half.

I found that the very top on both sides of the bottom and one on each side halfway up allowed me to fill the entire thing pretty much despite the support pieces.

Also, I was able to get probably between 1 ½- cup of sand.

Now to make faux concrete we are going to mix 2 Tablespoons of gray paint with 1 Tablespoon baking soda and stir well.

That is just enough paint to cover the 8 ¼” size ampersand but if you go bigger you will need to mix up a little more.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Paint on a fairly thick coat, be sure to get inside all the cracks, crevices and turns.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

While the paint is still wet dip your paintbrush in the sand and dab it all over to give it a rougher texture like concrete.

Be sure to pay extra attention to the areas that you taped over to blend in the seams but don’t build it up too much or it will call attention to these areas.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

 Once completely dry flip it over and paint the other side and allow that to dry as well.

Once all the paint is completely dry cut small pieces of gray felt slightly smaller than the flat bottom and hot glue them in place be sure to smooth the hot glue out, so it lays as flat as possible.

This will keep the rough texture from scratching up your shelf or table.

10 Skill Sharpeners Grammar and Punctuation Resources & Fun Ampersand Craft

Lastly, look at these language arts resources.

Skill Sharpeners & Language Art Resources K to 6th Grade

Sometimes you just need language art supplements to go with your unit studies and not a full program. You’ll love these language art resources.

How to Rock Homeschool Creative Writing (when you don’t feel like THAT creative mom)

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have tips for homeschool creative writing. Also, you’ll love the tips on my post Which One is Really the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum (a comparison).

Have you ever fumbled your way through teaching a homeschool subject?

Then realize later that you gave your children an amazing start?

It’s not a teaching method I tout because blunders don’t always turn out so productive.

However, teaching is partly influenced by what we were taught growing up.

And homeschool creative writing was a painful process for me.

How to Rock Homeschool Creative Writing (when you don’t feel like THAT creative mom)

In middle school, I wasn’t given a specific and detailed explanation of what is creative writing.

For example, I was told to write creatively.

But as a child I thrived with details, planning and wanted specificity.

My teacher was naturally creative and it was almost a lethal combination for me.

My middle school teacher thought I couldn’t relax and let thoughts flow or so it seemed.

And I thought my teacher didn’t know how to teach because she was unclear in her assignment and didn’t mind the details or so I thought.

How to Rock Creative Writing When Homeschooling (and when you don't feel like THAT creative mom) @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Until I started homeschooling my own children, I didn’t really grasp what my teacher was excited about.

Hoping to bridge the difference between exceptional homeschool teachers who are naturally creative and those who can be when they clearly understand the assignment, look at three things I learned the hard way.

Freedom from the Homeschool Curriculum Box

Progress can be made only when both the homeschool teacher and student understand that creative writing is a natural inward expression of creativity unchained from rules.

That is powerful if you think about it.

It is about emotions, thoughts, and self-expression. It’s about you and who doesn’t like talking (or writing) about their self.

In explaining creative writing to my boys, I used the example of a group photo taken by one of their friends.

When my boys’ friends show them the photo, can you guess what my boys look at first? Yep. They look for themselves first in the picture.

We can’t help it, it’s natural. We want to see how we look.

What is Homeschool Creative Writing

Creative writing is like finding yourself in that photo.

Naturally creative teachers know that putting thoughts on paper is the outside of what is brimming on the inside of an individual.

Once explained to a child, he can bring comical thoughts, deep emotions and even fears to the surface for writing topics.

Digging up those thoughts in a child’s mind may require effort on the part of a teacher.

Key to unleashing creative topics for your child to write about is reading aloud to your child.  Not only will reading aloud foster their imagination, but it helps your child to find their inner voice for writing.

Though I didn’t fully understand all the benefits of reading aloud when I started homeschooling, I reaped the benefits of doing it each day.

When I turned my boys loose, my sons could write pages and pages of stories based on their wild imagination that was stimulated by excellent literature.

How to Rock Homeschool Creative Writing (when you don’t feel like THAT creative mom)

After they would write pages and pages, I failed again. I switched to teacher mode. Correcting grammar and errors is what I thought writing was all about.

That wasn’t working because I almost created a resistant writer with my first son because I had stifled his creativity.

I learned after a battle of wills to not be part of the problem. Be part of the solution.

Thinking that my oldest son had to make a point to the endless stories he was penning was the second mistake I made.

Being a product of my schooling, I had been taught to be clear, concise and brief in my speech and writing.

Those qualities are important as I learned, but not to the extent that they diminish my son’s love for words and expressing emotions through artfully contrived words.

Being part of the solution is to let your child write without fear of being overly corrected, mechanical or trying to make their writing fit your boxed curriculum.

More Homeschool Creative Writing Tips

From my childhood and experience teaching my first child who was similar to my learning style, I knew that if told him that creative writing was like painting with no rules, he would add his flair to his writing. And he did.

Also, I learned to not bring my teacher mode to the table and start correcting his paper or in other words smother an ember before it becomes a flame.

And I always added in a good dose of reading aloud each day to help all my boys find their style for writing.

Adding creative writing to your curriculum can be challenging but having confident writers years later has been worth every effort.

But I learned a few more things too. 

I learned to use my teaching strengths as a spring board to creative writing ideas.  And I learned how to help my kids create and brainstorm for writing topics.

8 Writing and Composition Resources For All Ages

Whether you’re teaching handwriting, composition, or creative writing solid tips come from having an abundance of composition and materials to choose from.

Later I realized that I don’t have to give up details, planning or specificity when writing. I will share specific details in an upcoming post about how I used my strengths to make creative writing flourish.

What about you? Are you afraid to step out of the box and teach creative writing?

You can do it!

How to Add Fun Teatime To Your Homeschool Poetry Study

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Adding fun teatime to your homeschool poetry study is a beautiful way to include everyone, whatever their age, skill level, and interests. Also, you’ll love more resources on my post The Ultimate Guide to Poetry for Multiple Ages (For the Intimidated).

Too, I’m excited because April is National Poetry Month.

What better reason to start enjoying afternoon poetry teatime with the family.

How to Add Fun Teatime To Your Homeschool Poetry Study

Maybe you haven’t done poetry study yet, then this might be the perfect way to incorporate it.

If you don’t know what it is, then read on.

What Is Poetry Teatime

Poetry Teatime is a lovely way to slow down, and enjoy each other and some tea, maybe a nibble or two, and absorb the beauty of the world of poetry.

Julie Bogart from Brave writer is credited with bringing this fun and special time to the homeschool world.

Everyone does it a little differently.

Some do it every week or every month, and some just occasionally.

Other families choose various themes, dressing up a bit is fun but not required.

You can enjoy poetry teatime on the couch, at the table, or even outside as a picnic.

How to Add Fun Teatime To Your Homeschool Poetry Study

It truly is as simple as 1,2,3,

  1. Step 1 Gather Everyone Together
  2. Bring some kind of beverage and snack.
  3. Read Poetry
  4. Oh, and step 4 Enjoy.

Poetry Teatime Themes

Themes can give your poetry study a fun direction to go in and you can create a theme based on almost anything you are learning.

Here are some of my favorites.

  • Nature- Poems about grass, the sky, trees, insects, etc.
  • Female Poets-Angelou, Browning, Plath, Dickinson.
  • Seasons-Celebrate the beginning of a new season.
  • The Hobbit- Bring a little bit of the shire home. Here is a list of poems in The Hobbit.
  • Silly Holidays- Think National Spaghetti Day or Batman Day.
  • Medieval -Sir Gawain and The Green Knight? Beowulf?
  • International Poetry Teatime- China, Russia, France, All American.

Shakespeare-Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer’s Day? Sonnet 18

Also, look at some of these fun books for your littlest bard.

Preschool to Elementary Poetry Books

Begin teaching poetry to nurture a budding bard. Add some of these books and resources to your poetry unit study or just for a lesson for the day.

Hands-On Activities Poetry

  • While you can use anything you have on hand already it would be fun to visit thrift stores and hunt for pretty cups and teapots together-also a great lesson in thriftiness.
  • This is a great opportunity to let your child take the lead. Let your child help or completely plan the menu, the theme, or other activities.
  • Some kids just can’t sit still, and that’s okay. During poetry read-aloud, let your kids be busy with play dough, drawing, or simple quiet handiwork like needle felting or a simple sewing project.
  • Create a template for younger children to learn how to properly set a table. Simply trace the plate, cup, and utensils on a piece of construction paper and laminate it for practice.
  • Have your child write their own poem to share and try different styles of poetry each time or for each person.
  • Make tea sandwiches. Put together your child’s favorite be it a peanut butter and jelly or cucumber sandwich. Cut them into tiny bite-size pieces for a fun treat.
  • Think of special food like tea with crumpets, scones, tiny cookies, fruit, and dainty petit fours for a special treat.
  • Make teatime a lesson in table manners, practice being fancy pinkies up.

More Homeschool Poetry Resources

In addition, I have these other posts with more great resources.

Also, look at these books for middle and high school kids.

Middle to High School Poetry Books & Curriculum

Grab some of these books for your middle to high school students and instill a love of poetry. It doesn't have to be that hard to learn about figurative language.

What do you think? Ready to give one of these themes a try?

How to Add Fun Teatime To Your Homeschool Poetry Study

Free Fun Daniel Boone Quotes for Beginning Cursive Copywork

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I have some fun Daniel Boone quotes copywork today. And grab my unit study on my page Daniel Boone – North American Explorer.

We love expanding our Daniel Boone Unit study.

Adding in copywork is a fun way to add writing to the study.

Free Fun Daniel Boone Quotes for Beginning Cursive Copywork

So, I rounded up some famous Daniel Boone quotes and created these free copywork printables.

Although we have followed a unit study approach, I’ve learned copywork which is a technique used by Charlotte Mason homeschoolers worked for my kids.

Copywork is one of the best ways to practice handwriting.

Daniel Boone Quotes

First, look at these quotes by Daniel Boone which are on the free printables.

  • I’ve opened the way for others to make fortunes, but a fortune for myself was not what I was after.
  • Lightning does not often strike twice in the same place.
  • I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.
  • Nature was here a series of wonders, and a fund of delight.
  • All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife.
  • I was happy in the midst of dangers and inconveniences.
  • It isn’t how you die. It’s what you live for.

Also, I have some fun resources to go with this study of Daniel Boone.

10 Resources for A Daniel Boone Unit Study

Whether you want to add a hands-on unit study or are looking for a few resources, you'll love one of these.

Next, look at some tips about the benefits of copywork.

What is Copywork

Copywork has been around a long time. One of the first things we have our kids do is to trace letters.

When kids can’t write we use trace boards or have them form letters with playdough.

Tracing is the beginning of copywork.

However, when you’re teaching any age writer, copywork has many benefits.

Plus, copywork is a process where many skills are being learned at once.

There is a lot of bang for your buck which is hard to get from other language arts activities.

It’s hard to beat the value of this skill.

6 Benefits of Copywork

Look at 6 benefits of copywork.

1.
When a child sees the correct way to form sentences, he is learning by doing and following a model.

2.
Spelling is strengthened because a child is absorbing the correct way to spell from the start.

3.
Grammar skills are learned because a child sees the correct way a sentence is form with the details of like a capital and a period at the end of a sentence.

4.
Additionally, when a child has less to focus on, they can focus on neatness and legibility.

5.
It teaches a child to pay attention to the details or letters in every word and have legible cursive.

6.
Many sentences are not required to set a good model for both how a well written sentence or paragraph looks and sounds.

Finally, when a child composes his own sentences, he has a mental picture of how well-written and composed sentences both look like and sound like.

I have more copywork lessons here. Look at these free copywork printables.

Free Fun Daniel Boone Quotes for Beginning Cursive Copywork

Next, look at these Daniel Boone resources below.

More Daniel Boone Facts for Kids Activities

Free Fun Daniel Boone Quotes for Beginning Cursive Copywork

How to Get the Free Daniel Boone Quotes

Finally, how to grab the free lesson planning pages. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me

Mega List of Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum For K to 12 Kids

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When choosing workbook style homeschool curriculum, some families don’t realize they are choosing a homeschool learning style.

Homeschool learning styles are not the first things some families understand about homeschooling.

However, all curriculum or resources are divided into homeschool learning styles.

Mega List of Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum For K to 12 Kids

Once you know which learning style fits your family best, it’s easier to conquer the overwhelm of choosing homeschool curriculum.

What is the workbook homeschool learning style or approach?

Basically, it’s the traditional homeschool approach which includes workbooks.

Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum

Further, understanding what is traditional homeschool curriculum ensures that you’re making the right decision for your homeschool.

Too, not only will you save hundreds of dollars by not buying the wrong curriculum, but you meet your homeschool goals.

So, the workbook style or traditional homeschool approach has these characteristics.

  • A workbook, textbook, or worktext can be used for one subjects or combined subjects in an all-in-one.
  • Normally, these workbooks are written for a classroom setting although many more have popped up since the pandemic for instruction at home. However, their main underlying use is still to teach a group.
  • They are divided up by grade so that children are studying what other children their grade level are studying.
  • Some workbooks have teacher’s manuals, answer keys and sometimes test so they are designed for a drill and kill approach.
  • Some new homeschoolers like using workbooks because it gives them a sense of security because it’s what they used in public school
Mega List of Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum For K to 12 Kids

In addition, some families choose a traditional homeschool approach because they work and may need the accountability for their kids.

In addition, some states have stricter homeschool laws than other states, and it may make it easier for record keeping.

Also, look Big Ol’ List of All-In-One Homeschool Curriculum (a.k.a Boxed) if you’re wanting a traditional curriculum put together already.

Why Your Child’s Learning Personality is Important

Because teaching styles are only part of choosing curriculum easily, I’ve included a link to my online course Identifying Your Homeschooled Child’s Learning Personality.

How to Determine the Best Learning Style Approach for Your Child? Determining the best learning style approach is much easier when you know about homeschool learning styles. A learning style is not something I thought about when I started homeschooling or even when my kids were struggling. However, had I taken time to learn what is the best learning style for each of my children, I would have saved myself unnecessary stress.

YOU WILL LEARN:

  • How to understand the way your child prefers to learn so that you can teach him in a way that he enjoys learning;
  • How to pinpoint your child’s learning personality;
  • A starting point in understanding (barring any special learning challenges or disabilities) and accepting your child’s preferred way of taking in information;
  • Understanding when the learning personality emerges; and
  • Teaching tips for each learning personality to stop the head-butting.

Other Homeschool Learning Style Resources

In addition, it’s important to know what is a workbook versus a worktext.

Mega List of Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum For K to 12 Kids

A worktext is different from a workbook although they may appear similar.

The Difference Between Workbook and Worktext

Unlike a workbook, worktext does some teaching right in the workbook.

Worktext are great for teaching kids to be independent. You don’t have to do all the teaching.

Usually some background information along with activities are all built into the lesson plan. I t’s like having the textbook and workbook in one spot.

Furthermore, a worktext teaches by example, models, and illustrations. A worktext not only has a place for your student to record his work, but gives explanations, samples, and even background information right in the book. It’s like writing in a textbook.

I have one kid that really likes that concept.

Now, that you have a better description of the workbook or traditional homeschool approach look at these lists I’ve created.

This first list has middle school and high school workbooks.

Middle and High School Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum

Too, some series of workbooks works great across the boards for many grade levels.

Mega List of Workbook Style Homeschool Curriculum For K to 12 Kids

Look at these series of workbooks below which normally cover many subjects and many grades.

  • Carson Dellosa 
  • The Mark Twain media series of books are beautiful for geography and history especially, have other subjects and loved by older kids.
  • Spectrum is another loved series with multiple subjects and grades.
  • Evan-Moor too has multiple subjects and grades and has been around for a long time. Many homeschoolers have used them to supplement or as stand alone.
  • MacGraw-Hill is another timeless favorite especially for language arts.
  • Kumon is also one loved for younger kids too.

Now at some of these beautiful resources for middle and high school kids.

Workbook Style Curriculum for Middle School & High School

Although not all workbooks style curriculum will have enough content mixing and matching curriculum at this age will benefit your children the most.

Next, I’ve roundup workbooks for the younger grades too.

Keep in mind to look at the whole series if you find one type of workbook or worktext you like.

Workbook Style Curriculum for Kindergarten to Elementary

Some kids learn better through workbook type of curriculum.

You'll love this selection to either supplement your curriculum or use stand alone.

High School Geography Curriculum Resources