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Jump In is for what grade levels?

Jump In is for grades 5 – 8. Younger students likely will be frustrated with the material. Older students will want to use The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School.

Can I use Jump In for my homeschool?

Absolutely! Jump In was developed to take the burden of teaching writing from the shoulders of homeschool moms, and it has been used successfully in co-ops and Christian schools as well.

What will my students learn in Jump In?

Fifth through eighth graders will learn how to write in all four modes of writing: persuasion, exposition, description, and narration. In the exposition section, they’ll learn how to write a report with documentation, along with other expository essays like a how-to and compare and contrast. 

What are the Skills in the book?

Each day’s work is labeled a Skill. The first chapter of Jump In has eight Skills. The first seven are daily lessons. The last one is the writing assignment. There are 98 Skills or daily lessons in the workbook, which leads to the next question . . .

I've heard I can use Jump In for more than one year. Is this true?

Absolutely. Here’s how:

If you would like to stroll through Jump In, 2nd Edition at a more leisurely pace, feel free to use the following plan:

Complete “Get Your Feet Wet” through “A Report” in the first year. In the second year, finish “A Biography” through “Poetry.”

When students get to the essay assignment at the end of each chapter, put the textbook aside as they work through the assignment, suggested writing schedule, and the accompanying checklist. That way, students can concentrate on their current essay assignment without being bogged down with new information from the next chapter.

When the essay is completed on time, move to the next chapter.

This pace also gives you time to repeat a lesson or section if you see that your student does not understand the material or could use more practice in it.

Dip into the 10-Minute Writing Plunges program during the year (page 41).

How do I grade my students' papers?

Grading essays just got a whole lot easier! The Teacher’s Guide contains grading grids for every essay assignment and many of the fiction-writing assignments as well. You’ll evaluate an essay based on very specific questions, give a defined number to the question, and then add up all the numbers for an objective grade. For instance, “Is there a topic sentence for each point?” is worth 1-10 points.

The Teacher’s Guide to Jump In also contains a very practical guide called “How to Earn an A,” “How to Earn a B,” and so forth. The examples there are from real papers by real students and explain exactly why the papers earned those grades. 

Will my student learn how to proofread his or her own work?

Yes, indeedy. The Mistake Medic, a one-page proofreading tool, teaches students how to catch their own mistakes by asking the right questions. Checklists for each essay assignment also guide students through the proofreading process. Students have two copies of The Mistake Medic in their workbook, and teachers have a copy of it in the Teacher’s Guide.

I've used Jump In and loved it! Now my student is in high school. What can I use for a writing curriculum in high school?

I’m glad you asked. The sequel to Jump In is very popular with teens. The Power in Your Hands: Writing Nonfiction in High School is just as practical, incremental, and conversational as Jump In. Click here for more info on this field-tested textbook that gets real results from both college-bound and inexperienced writers!

What happens if I have other questions about Jump In? Can I get answers?

Yes! Click here to contact Sharon Watson, the author of Jump In.

 

“I have decided to use Jump In because of the tone of the program.I really appreciate the gentle, supportive, and somewhat humorous manner in which you address the student.” -Candice T.

New and seasoned writers learn important writing skills—without tears!

Jump In, 2nd Edition is the writing curriculum your middle school student will use! Easy, bite-sized lessons guide your student through the complexities of writing essays and the finer points of writing.

Students will learn nine types of essays, a research report, story writing, poetry, and more in 98 daily lessons. They’ll practice topic sentences, a main idea (thesis statement), in-text citations, and other essential building blocks of composition. The text is incremental, the tone is light with a sprinkling of humor, and the assignments are very achievable.

What’s new in the 2nd edition?

Students get more practice writing paragraphs before they delve into essays. We’ve added lessons on writing paragraphs, using a handy paragraph chart, and practicing different types of paragraphs.

Students will also learn two solid methods for compare-and-contrast writing. Younger students will write a compare-and-contrast paragraph using a Venn diagram. Experiences writers will write a compare-and-contrast essay using a chart of features.

We’ve also added a lesson on how to write a personal narrative.

Each essay assignment now comes with a suggested writing schedule and a specific checklist to help students proofread their work.

And speaking of proofreading, students are guided through the process of proofreading with practical lessons, checklists, and a Mistake Medic.

Because methods for citing sources often change, we’ve created a digital lesson on how to create a works cited page. You can access it here  or click the image below.

Jump In works cited lesson

Teachers will enjoy the practical, specialized grading grids for essays. Grading just got a whole lot easier! The teacher’s guide also contains the 10-Minute Writing Plunges, our  theCathy Duffy's 102TopPicks_cover_small-web fun writing-prompts program. .

Digital versions now available!

Interested in the digital versions of Jump In, 2nd Edition?

Find the digital textbook here. >>

And here’s the digital teacher’s guide. >>

What reviewers are saying about the original edition

“A popular choice for homeschoolers.”

— CATHY DUFFY, cathyduffyreviews.com

“Finally, a composition course that REALLY teaches your children how to write!”

— CYNTHIA DOWNES (read her full review)

“I can’t speak highly enough of this program.”

— CINDY PRECHTEL, Homeschooling from the Heart

With Jump In, your middle school student will learn how to:

• Write a how-to paper • Write a book report
• Write a persuasive essay • Conquer compare and contrast
• Brainstorm and organize points • Write a newspaper article
• Write a report with documentation • …and much, much more!

grading-tips got-reviews compare-and-contrast sharons-blog