How would you spend $50.00 if you were asked to spend it on three people in your family. The money has to be spent on them (not secretly for you) and can be divided in any way you like. However, you may not spend it on a “group” item or an item that overlaps for two or three of the people. Each person will receive something from that $50.00 expenditure. Go!
Podcast: Jot It Down
This Brave Writer podcast is the first in a series where we look at each of the natural developmental stages of growth in writing. Today’s stage: Jot It Down!
In my years of working with families, I’ve found that it is much more effective to look at how writers grow naturally than to focus on scope and sequence, grade level, ages, or the types of writing that ought to be done in some “established sequence.”
Learn more about how to identify where your children are in that course of development and take the stress away from the writing journey you share with each other.
Jot It Down!
A year-long language arts program for 5–8 year olds (age range is approximate).
Jot It Down! gives you step by step instructions through developmentally appropriate writing projects. It provides 10 month-long writing projects that maximize a child’s narrating skills, while their thoughts and ideas are transcribed by the parent.
Pair Jot It Down! with Growing Brave Writers.
Ready for more?
Below are links to the complete Stages of Growth in Writing podcast series.
Jot It Down!
Partnership Writing
Building Confidence
Transition to Ownership Part 1
Transition to Ownership Part 2
Eavesdropping on the Great Conversation
Friday Freewrite: Summer Vacation
Summer vacation—Where would you prefer to be right now: mountains, desert, beach? Why?
The Power of Love Movie
I watched this little video montage this morning. I don’t know the organization that put it together so I’m not vouching for it. However, the contents of this short film sequence about love so touched me, I felt I needed to share it with you all.
The working title of a book I’m writing is called Brave Love. It’s love that drove us to home educate—love of children, love of family, love of learning—a belief that we could love our kids better than anyone else.
Photo Credit: Heather Hudson
Let yourself feel loved today—the richness that comes from giving and returns to you when you pause to receive it.
From the website:
Love is one of the most powerful experiences that can be enjoyed by anyone – young or old, big or small, rich or poor. It’s what can bring us the greatest fulfillment, sense of success, joy, and pure happiness. We invite you now to celebrate the love in your life with this inspirational movie aptly named "The Power of Love." Turn up your volume, sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Poetry Teatime: bring out the China!
Our first Brave Writer tea ended up late in the evening. We enjoyed lemon tea, cookies and fruit as well as a lot of Shel Silverstein’s poems. Both kids and I read aloud and we talked. Thanks for reminding me to bring out the bone China…..
Heather
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April and May bring lots of rain so here are some rainy day poems you might share with your kids:
Rain
The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.
– Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1895).
Scottish essayist, novelist and poet
Rain In Summer
How beautiful is the rain!
After the dust and heat,
In the broad and fiery street,
In the narrow lane,
How beautiful is the rain!
How it clatters along the roofs
Like the tramp of hoofs!
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window-pane
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide,
With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain!
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Rain Poem
The rain was like a little mouse,
Quiet, small, and gray,
It pattered all around the house
And then it went away.
It did not come, I understand,
Indoors at all, until,
It found an open window and
Left tracks across the sill.
– Elizabeth Coatsworth (1893-1986)
Set the table for tea – and bring out the bone China, as Heather recommends!
