This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for details.
For many homeschooling parents, teaching writing is one of their biggest fears. So many of us have fears centered around writing, both the process and the teaching of it. Kids fear it, parents fear it, and even some trained teachers don’t want to teach it. Much of this anxiety stems from the way we teach writing and the pressure we put on it.
But writing shouldn’t be stressful. It should be fun to learn and fun to teach! What we need is a program that makes writing fun and engaging and easy to teach. I’m excited to share that I’ve found just that!
My daughter, K, is so creative. She’s always writing her own books and making up little stories. I’m lucky to have a child that loves to write, but I did not want a program that would take something she loves and make it tedious or stressful.
I wanted a program that would inspire her creativity. AND one that would help her gain the skills she needs to develop into a competent and confident writer. I was thrilled to finally get my hands on WriteShop Primary. This is the good stuff, guys. When the box came in the mail, I seriously felt like it was a gift for me.
Top 3 Reasons to Choose WriteShop Primary for Teaching Writing
WriteShop is a fantastic program for teaching writing for many reasons. I really can’t stop talking about it. I’m using Primary with my story-writing-loving daughter, but for my son (who struggles with writing) WriteShop Junior was our first choice. I can’t say enough about this very cool and fun curriculum, but for the sake of this post, I’ll just cut it down to 3 reasons to pick WriteShop Primary for your little ones.
1. Teaching Writing is Stress-Free
Teaching writing has never been my strong suit. It can be stressful for me! It is hard to make writing fun while ensuring my kids are getting everything they need to actually write well. WriteShop Primary makes instruction easy with a fantastic Teacher’s Edition that guides you through the entire process. You can basically just take out the book and start teaching with zero prep.
If you have taught homeschool or in the classroom before, you will understand just how helpful a good Teacher’s Edition is. Many Teacher’s Editions give you a brief framework and leave you to do the bulk of the planning. Others are so thoroughly scripted that it takes more time to read & prep the lesson than it does to deliver it. Too cold or too hot! WriteShop falls in the Goldilocks zone of planning. The amount of information in the TE is just right.
With WriteShop Primary, everything is laid out for you. The program is lightly scripted, so I don’t have to read directly from the guide to teach it. I can breeze over the lesson to get the what, how, and why of the topic, and then we’re off and writing… and reading… and laughing. Laughing!
2. Teach Writing on Your Schedule
WriteShop Primary lessons are short and flexible to fit our schedule. We are covering a few subjects each day, so we don’t always have time to work through the whole writing process in one sitting. We decided to use the 3 day/week schedule. You can also find a 4 and 5 day scheduling options right at the beginning of the teacher’s guide.
Each lesson lasts less than 30 minutes. This length is perfect for uninterrupted one-on-one time. The lessons are short enough that my daughter can stay focused and interested.
3. Make Teaching the Writing Process Fun
Most kids groan when its time to learn writing. But when kids actually like what they are learning, it is just plain easier to teach. I am happy, they are happy, and we come out of the lesson with a positive experience. Kids learn best in an environment that is stress-free, fun, and allows for creativity and learning choice.
WriteShop Primary is filled with engaging learning opportunities and open-ended projects. The activities center around hands-on learning. Each activity introduces the steps of the writing process through books, crafts, and games – right up my daughter’s alley.
But it’s not all fun and games (even though it may seem like it to the kids). The focus for the level C program is on the writing process. I know that my daughter will have a solid foundation when it’s time to move up. We will work through the process of planning, writing, and editing – skills she will use throughout her education. And who knows with this one, maybe later in her career, ha!
WriteShop Primary understands that writing can be deeply personal and that it can be crushing for kids to get criticism – especially with younger kids. As a result, the program focuses on providing guidance and positive support to help your child grow as a writer without killing her confidence.
Fun for kids and easy for parents, WriteShop Primary is an excellent choice for teaching writing. I am so psyched to use it this year! This engaging, hands-on program will help your child become a better writer and make the entire process stress-free.
Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the creator of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.