Be sure to sign up any time after noon EST today! http://www.bravewriter.com/program/online-classes/registration/
Mini Reports: Put the Fun in Non-Fiction!
By Brave Writer Instructor, Christine Gable
It was one of those evenings when all I needed was a hot soak in the tub—with lots of bubbles. That was where I was headed when my daughter asked if she could type on my laptop. Sure thing! I can’t imagine ever saying no when a child is volunteering to put words on paper (well, cyber-paper).
As I soaked my tired bones, I could hear my daughter busily typing away at my desk. Every once in a while I would hear a chuckle. (Hmmm, could she actually be having a good time?) Half an hour later, relaxed and pleasantly warm in my fluffy robe, I shuffled past her on my way to the bed, to read.
“Don’t look, Mom! I’ll show it to you when I’m done—I have to finish the last section.”
It was getting late by that time so the final installment was put on hold until the next day. Fast forward two evenings and I had the privilege of holding in my hands the very first issue of “Loose Ends,” her mini mag.
There were bullet points, an advice column, and a listing of 10 ways to use a bandanna. With a table of contents and catchy subtitles, this was quite an entertaining read.
Hold on here. Was I actually holding a piece of writing that had been voluntarily produced? Without warnings and threats? Something that didn’t have to be done for school … or for a grade?
Be still my heart.
My daughter had tucked in some health tips and historical tidbits she had learned from the past week in school. She had “created an expert” and quoted an attention-grabbing article. She had chosen fonts and colors that gave it the finishing touch. And best of all: her voice and personality shone through in the subject and word choices.
This was a mini report! She had created an original piece of writing that was witty, had insight—and (mostly) correct punctuation!
She had tapped into her current academic base of knowledge and had put her own unique voice and twist on it. She had chosen a format that allowed for creativity—and most importantly, one that “spoke” to her. It was a choice that she made as an author.
This is one of the most exciting events that we can witness as our kids are maturing and their writing abilities expand. While it can seem as though writing projects fall to the bottom of the to-do list because they can be fraught with angst and indecision, I’ve found that using mini-report formats can be very beneficial. Your children can use everyday real-life experiences and their current knowledge-base in concrete writing forms that help them distill those ideas into words.
Just the word “mini” in and of itself is sublime. We think “mini skirts” and “mini Coopers” and “Minnie Mouse.” The word “mini” feels easy and naturally small. Link “mini” to “report” and it becomes manageable, chic, and not too big—for not only does this non-fiction 750-word format take the Brave Writer philosophy of writing into the world of formats, it helps retain the playfulness that is at the heart of all good writing.
Write a mini-report? Hey, I can do that!
Each of the formats that we use in the Mini Reports Brave Writer Online Class offers kids a way to tap into their experiences and knowledge. It offers them a chance to use academic sources, to interview real people, to take notes while watching a DVD or TV show. Mini reports offer kids a means of growth from freewriter to academic writer—the perfect transition tool.
There’s just one thing I have yet to figure out: could taking bubble baths while handing the laptop to our kids be an important part of nurturing the mini report writing process? (I’m betting that Julie would approve.)
Now that’s one writing tip that I know we moms wouldn’t mind implementing at all!
Sign ups for the Winter Class Slate start on Monday December 5, 2011.
PS — I’ve included pictures of several mini reports from recent classes. It’s such a joy to work with students and parents on these projects! (Check out the Winter Quarter Mini Reports Online Classes here.)
This first one is about make-up! You can download and open it here.
The following photos are of a Lap Book about the NFL!
Friday Freewrite: Holiday Foods
Write about one food tradition in your family for Thanksgiving.
When They Don’t Get It
The holiday season is uniquely challenging to homeschoolers.
All fall, you’ve blissfully gone along planning your days, teaching your children, enjoying the closeness of family learning unaware that anyone outside your four walls would suspect you of inflicting harm or undermining your children’s social skills or academic prowess.
Enter the holidays.
The “non-homeschooling” contingent will assemble and take over for the “state” on your behalf. While passing the glazed carrots to little Theo, Aunt Tilda will quiz: “What’s 2 times 6, darling?” Not to be outdone, your mother-in-law will probe 6th grader Emily: “Do you get out much, sweetheart? Have you any friends?” Your father will subtly remind you that you don’t have a degree in education and with the economy the way it is, wouldn’t it be wiser to get a part time job in your specific field to help support your husband rather than wasting your time all day in the house? Finally, your brother wonders how you can stand to be with your kids all day, every day.
If you come from a family that supports your homeschooling experience, rejoice and make them extra pumpkin pies! They are the wonderful few (I come from such a family and am deeply grateful).
Even if your family is supportive, though, you may find yourself at a holiday party where other adults pretend curiosity about your choice to homeschool while conveying thinly veiled skepticism about your qualifications.
I have a few tips for sticking up for this renegade homeschooling lifestyle you radical parents have chosen on behalf of your kids.
1. Don’t justify your choice by touting your credentials or qualifications.
Even if you have a teaching background, leave it out of the equation. The homeschooling movement benefits from a bold declaration that parents are adequate to teach children to read, write, and calculate times tables. Let skeptics know that you are as much educational coordinator as instructor, as your kids get older.
2. Focus on the enjoyment you get from being with your kids.
More important than discussing the failures of the school system is emphasizing how much you love being with your kids. No one can take that away from you. Most parents are startled to realize that being with your own children is a pleasure, not a dreaded task.
3. Talk about ‘family learning’ instead of school or education.
Many parents imagine assignments, grades, and lectures when they think of homeschool. They can’t picture imposing all that discipline and structure, while retaining a happy family atmosphere. Homeschool is different than institutional learning because the family is learning together. Discuss how everyone gets involved at their own level when working on a history topic or science experiment, when freewriting or listening to a novel read aloud. Tell them about tea time and poetry. Resist the temptation to explain how what you do matches what a school requires.
4. Validate their authority in selecting the educational choices they’ve made.
This is perhaps the most important thing you can do—talk about educational choice. All of us make choices in how we educate our children. Let them know that you support their enthusiasm for the school system and that you can see how that’s working out for their kids (find whatever good is occurring in their lives and support it). Then share the unique joys of homeschool.
5. Resist defending your kids’ social lives.
That one rarely goes anywhere good. We’ve all been programmed since toddlerhood to believe that socialization matters and that it happens at school. Trying to get adults to understand differently is an exercise in clacking your noggin against a cutting board! Just let them know your children do have social lives and that you aren’t worried one bit about your kids’ futures as successful people in the world.
6. Take responsibility for the outcome of homeschool.
I always like to remind inquiring people that I know I took a risk by keeping my kids home. I tell them that I didn’t know how it would all turn out, but I was willing to take a chance and make corrections as I went. I even say that my kids may make different decisions for their own children when they are older. I avoid committing to superior learning, better college admittance scores, brilliance in my offspring, or anything that puts pressure on my kids to be poster-children for homeschooling. They don’t need it or deserve the scrutiny. I take all the skepticism on to me, and I let the failure they may associate with my homeschool choice fall on my head. Protect your kids. Don’t tout their astounding brains because someone will immediately conjure a pop quiz.
7. Don’t talk to rude people.
Turn away insulting comments with a polite, “I’d rather not talk about homeschool on my holiday vacation. This is my time off.” Curmudgeons don’t deserve the full “why I homeschool” defense. Use the remote control or dessert to distract the persistent. As we like to say…
Give them pie.
The bottom line is this: You homeschool because it feels like the best educational choice for your family. That’s a good enough reason for everyone. And you can stop right there, if you need to.
Beware the “Random Assessment”
My kids
Warning: I’m about to brag. If you are already dreading the Christmas letter season wherein families trumpet their exceptional children, skip this post. I can’t help it. Sometimes my own children stun me (just like yours stun you).
I did not teach music. I was not against music. I played CDs, we listened to some classical when my kids were really little (without any attempt to explain or teach it), and I offered voice/piano/musical instrument lessons to my kids once we could afford them (meaning my children didn’t start piano or saxophone or singing until they were teens). Somehow, all of my kids love music, and a couple of them are truly devoted to all genres, including classical. I woke this morning to this discussion between my oldest (Noah, 24) and my third child (Jacob, almost 20).
Give your kids the gift of learning and they will outlearn you for the rest of their lives (at least, that’s the idea and it seems to be working in their 20s).
P.S. Jacob is a resident assistant in his dorm at Ohio State and those are residents kissing him. 🙂 He looks happy about it.
