My oldest, Ally, tricked me into thinking that homeschooling meant obedience, organization and achievement. Then my sweet son came along, John Paul, to teach me that every child is different! :) Ally wrote easily and to be honest, during those years, I struggled to understand why parents found teaching writing so challenging. John Paul despised writing...he disliked how long it took, the way it required him to think and the idea that even after he finished an assignment, he would most likely have to make corrections and submit it again! However, John Paul taught me how to really teach writing and helped me develop patience, a least a little, with students, often boys, who don't see the value of writing.
I worked for many years with my son on his writing and after multiple angry sessions, tears (often mine) and finally, a resolution that I would only raise one writer despite the fact that I was a professional writer, I started to give up. Just about the time I decided to focus on the my son's gifts and not his shortcomings, right between 8th and 9th grade, John Paul started writing. Not only was he willing to write, he had apparently listened to me a little over the years and wrote fairly well. He then shocked me by editing and correcting his own work! The fruits of my labor became like sweet nectar. Today, as a junior in high school and a part-time college student, John Paul writes well enough to stay on honor roll.
It is doubtful that either of my children will ever write for a living. Ally, as a PA grad student, is headed for the medical field and John Paul's dreams revolve around art, but both of them will be able to effectively communicate as writers and that's all I really desired. I just wanted my children to develop the life skill of writing, just as I wanted them to speak articulately, comprehend well and understand how to do a load of laundry.
I've been frustrated, ready to pull my hair out, wishing there was some magical formula out there to teach my children to write. Although that formula never appeared, God graciously provided me with an understanding of the process of writing and the ability to evaluate other people's writing. He shared with me a love to spend my life writing, helping others learn to write and assisting parents who just want their children to write. Honestly, I have been where some of you are right now. Let me just tell you that there's hope, truly there is!
I designed this blog to bless other families in need of encouragement and direction in raising up writers. My hope is that my post topics will be derived from your questions and your needs. So, please don't hesitate to post a question at any time.
If you're in immediate need of writing classes or evaluation services, visit my website, Classes by Beth, and see what I have to offer there as well.
God bless you as you teach your children,
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