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Grading Essays Made Easy |Homeschool Life | Literature | Miscellaneous
Proofreading Tips | Writing Prompts
Writing/Teaching Tips | All
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Want homeschool writing tips? Encouragement? Help grading those essays? Practical advice for your homeschool writing class? Insights into literature? Free writing prompts and tutorials?
Whether your student is reluctant or brimming with excitement, you’ll find solid, proven ideas here that will make your teaching life easier. And take advantage of the many writing prompts and tutorials posted here.
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Veterans Day Compare and Contrast
We honor our U. S. veterans on Veterans Day every year.
Do you know someone who has served in the U. S. Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard, or Reserves? Chances are you know quite a few men and women who have served, defended, and protected our country and those of our allies.
Working in the Armed Forces is very different from working in the private sector. Let’s explore this idea.
What Comes to Mind When You See This Picture?
Have you ever looked at a picture and written from it?
When you write anything that comes to mind, you are free-writing or writing in a stream-of-consciousness mode. Anytime you get stuck for something to write, this is a helpful method to get you going again. Just begin writing about anything. Keep the pencil moving. Eventually, something interesting will creep into your mind, and you’ll take off! (more…)
What Happens When You Meet Your Doppelgänger?
True story: A few years ago when I was eating lunch at a rest area, I saw a man who looked just like my dad. It was freaky. They could have been twins.
Since I happened to be close to where my dad was originally from, I thought about talking to this man to see if he was related to my dad. Then I remembered that I was traveling alone, far from home. The idea of talking to a strange man didn’t seem so appealing anymore. But I always wish I had.
The Germans have a word for someone who looks just like another person. It’s called a doppelgänger. These look-alikes are fun to see and a little strange (more…)
Proofreading: The Good News and the Bad News
Proofreading is not a happy activity. It takes attention to detail and maybe even some groaning.
After all, you feel as if your first draft is enough. You’re done. Finished.
Students tell me that writing the first draft and then proofreading it is like writing their paper twice.
The Bad News
.Here’s the bad news: The skill of proofreading your own papers is essential to the writing process. Why?
First, you learn to write more effectively.
Second, you show respect for your teachers by handing in a well-thought-out paper with few mistakes.
And third, you begin to understand that there is an audience at the other end of your essays. You aren’t writing simply to keep yourself busy; you’re writing to communicate, educate, explain, persuade, or entertain.
The Good News
Here’s the good news: You’re about to learn four sure-fire ways to catch more mistakes when you proofread..
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