Journaling: A Unique Tool for Healthier Parent/Child Relationships

Most of us, especially when we’re working with children, see writing as a subject, task or skill. Sometimes we forget the purpose of writing: to effectively communicate with other people. It’s not just about assignments and grading.  Writing allows us to express ourselves in a different way than speaking. When we speak, words flow off our tongues that can never be recovered and often can’t be repaired, stuck out there for a lifetime and beyond. Writing allows us to think about how we order our words, choosing exactly what we want to express and even provides the ability to erase and revise without anyone ever knowing what we changed.

Recently, I recalled an article idea that I used for a stationery company who hired me to write their blog. They sold some beautiful journals so I developed the idea of using journals for couples to better communicate. Basically, a spouse might start the journal, writing about a topic, asking a question or both. The journal is then left on the other spouse’s pillow for a response. The idea behind the journaling is that sometimes we can ask questions or express ourselves more easily in writing than with the spoken word. As well, we are less likely to write ugly things than we are to say them so problems may be solved and memorable kindnesses expressed.

It came to me that this could also work with parents and their children. Some parents write journals to their children, but often those writings aren’t shared until much later when the children are older or the parents pass away. What about journaling to your child in the present, at a moment in time when it might be beneficial? How about sharing those ideas that come to mind at the end of a busy day when they’re fast asleep or in the early morning, when they have yet to wake? What if you put that journal on your child’s pillow or nightstand to read and delight in?

Take it a step further. What if you had your child respond to your words, or share a new idea, question or hope? Imagine what you might discover about yourself and your child in the process. Imagine that years from now, when your child is struggling with a loss, lack of faith or loneliness, he picks up that journal and remembers how much you both love each other.

When we’re in the midst of raising children, sometimes many of them at the same time, we get caught up in schedules, school work, character building, church and life, in general. But consider taking five minutes a day to journal a thought to your child and start a dialogue that could open doors you never considered. Share a childhood memory, a Bible verse, a word of praise, a prayer or a dream. You might be surprised with what you receive back!

My goal for my own children has always been to create life-long learners, not just excellent students. I want them to desire to learn about new things throughout their entire lives. Such a desire can bring great happiness as life seems more like an adventure or opportunity to grow than just time passed doing what is required, even in our Christian walk. In my most difficult periods, I have still had the joy of learning something new and exciting. Exploring new ideas and communicating about them through journaling can help your children change their attitude about writing. You might find that they continue journaling as an adult, which is an extremely healthy activity.

According to a study from the University of Texas, journaling helps reduce stress, promotes problem solving and encourages healthy resolutions to disagreements. It also utilizes the left side of your brain (the analytical side) which frees your right side to work on more creative and intuitive ideas. Professional writers often journal to remove “writer’s block” and therapists use journaling to encourage patients to communicate and clarify their thoughts and emotions.

If you have more than two children, consider journaling with a different child each month. It will be something that each child can look forward to…a special time just with you. Choose an age when your child can start journaling…make it a tradition or a privilege. Add doodles, drawings, a special sign between you and your child that makes it more intimate. With all the instructions online for book making, you could even create the journals as a project before you start writing, personalizing them with a photo.

For reluctant writers, don’t expect much, but don’t be surprised when you receive more than you expect. A sentence may become a paragraph. Also, don’t try to make it happen every day for reluctant writers, unless your child desires to do so. Two to three times a week is plenty for children who don’t enjoy writing. Whatever you do, don’t make this journaling a school assignment and don’t edit your child’s journal or require any sort of rewrite. Allow this journal to be a unique opportunity, not more class work. It’s important for children to view writing as valuable beyond school assignments.

If you try out this idea, please let us know it works for you. If you have other writing ideas that you have used to build your relationship with your children, we’d love to hear about those as well.

Thanks for reading and God bless your family!

In Christ,

How to Grow a Successful Writer Part 2

If you missed the first half of this blog post, you might want to read How to Grow a Successful Writer Part 1 before continuing. Moving forward, check out tips 6-10 along with updates.

Tip 6: Give Your Garden Time to Grow 
Offer your child a wide variety of opportunities to practice writing well, from journaling to book reviews to letter writing to poetry to lap booking to reports and any other type of writing that comes to mind! The more diverse your child’s writing assignments, the more successful he’ll be in the long run. 

Update Tip: If you find that your child tends to lose interest quickly, start with shorter writing assignments and then add a little as the successes accrue. Be cautious about creative writing assignments. While they sound fun in theory, many children struggle with writing creatively because of the lack of structure. Many children respond better to structured assignments that provide steps to completion rather than an open-ended writing plan.

Tip 7: Don’t Harvest too Early 
Before writing a paragraph, a child should understand how to write a well 
developed sentence. Sometimes parents become concerned that their children 
aren’t progressing fast enough and they decide that a book report should be 
written before a child can competently write a solid paragraph. Most children 
don’t run before they walk and writing development should be viewed the same 
way. Transitioning more slowly in the early years and spending significant time 

on the basics paves the way for greater accomplishments later. 

Update Tip: I often hear from parents about what other families are accomplishing with their children. Homeschooling provides the brilliant opportunity to teach each of our children that they need to learn. Your child has years to learn to write well, so take it easy and build on skills without rushing ahead. The final result will be worth it! 

Tip 8: Weed and Prune 
One of the most common complaints I hear from homeschooled children is that their parents don’t ever grade their writing. They appreciate that I actually return their work with marks for evaluation. If you assign it, then evaluate it. Don’t expect your child to 
complete a writing assignment if you’re not willing to spend time reading and correcting it. Writing evaluation can be truly challenging and it does take time that we often want to spend doing other things (almost any other thing ☺), but it’s important to validate our children’s efforts with evaluation. 

Update Tip: If you don't feel comfortable evaluating your child's written work, consider using the CBB evaluation services. With reasonable fees and turnaround times, you can afford the services and save yourself some time and anxiety.

Tip 9: You’ll Reap What You Sow 

It’s not uncommon for parents to confess to me that they have neglected teaching 

writing. I do understand that it’s easier to teach subjects that are more objective, 

but if writing is instilled as a life skill from an early age, it’s more likely that 

writing will be more easily taught throughout your child’s education. 

Update Tip: The great news is that it's never too late to start! So, if you've neglected writing in the past, today provides another opportunity. If you don't feel confident or simply don't enjoy teaching writing, check out the CBB courses available and register today...then you can relax and teach the subjects what you do enjoy!

Tip 10: Can’t Harvest the Crop Alone? Hire Some Help! 

Often it’s best to turn over skills to another person if you find it challenging to teach and/or evaluate. Learning how to write with other students can also be more motivational, depending on your child’s learning style. 

Writing definitely comes more easily to some students, and parents, than others, but all students greatly benefit from being able to write well. As you homeschool, how will 

your child's writing garden grow?

If you have motivational or creative ideas about teaching your children to write, be sure to post them and share with other moms!

God bless,

How to Grow a Successful Writer Part 1

I originally wrote the following article and stored it on the Classes by Beth website. After having a couple of parents comment on it, I decided to revisit the article and add Update Tips with some current ideas. This blog represents the first half of the article. Thanks for reading!

Many parents contact me because they feel their child is a “reluctant writer” and they’re seeking ways to make writing less painful. Wonderful ideas abound to entice our children to write from journaling to story starters to lap booking. While there isn’t anything wrong with these ideas, and many of them can be very useful, I wondered how we might avoid creating reluctant writers, if possible. How do you grow a successful writer? The following gardening tips might help! 

Tip 1: Cultivate by Modeling 
I cringe every time a homeschool mom says, “I hated writing in school.” Often, her child is within earshot. You don’t have to have a passion for writing to model the importance of communication skills. Allowing your child to see you writing offers encouragement and a positive example. Simply keeping a journal and writing in front of your young child can make a difference. 

UPDATE TIP: Consider card making with your child. Work together to make 6-10 cards together. Many children enjoy the creativity and all of the fun supplies out there for making home made cards. Once you have some cards in stock, use the content as a writing assignment. These short assignments often give children confidence and don't seem as painful for reluctant writers as a formal writing assignments.

Tip 2: Fertilize with Great Books 
As you read to and with your child, point out how the author writes well. Use 
books to help your child understand the value of writing. Read often to your 
child and encourage him to read as there are significant ties between avid 

readers and successful writers.

UPDATE TIP: There are a number of options for acquiring libraries of classics and sharing them with your child. Consider using a Kindle, Nook or other e-readers to store a full library for easy access. Plus many classics are free for download. You can also use an e-reader, computer or tablet to read the story aloud for you and your child, so you can both enjoy listening together. Libraries often carry classics on CD and even e-book downloads. There's no need to spend a lot of money to fertilize the garden of your child's mind with great works of literature!

Tip 3: Plant in the Right Season 
Unless your child demonstrates a strong interest and some ability, it’s not advisable to push writing (not handwriting, but content writing) before the child develops significant reading skills, usually around the 3rd grade. Forcing children to write before they are developmentally ready may only cause frustration, for both of you, and make future writing endeavors less enjoyable. Prior to 3rd grade, consider copy work and very short, fun activities rather than sentence and paragraph formation. 

Tip 4: Cross-pollinate for Greater Growth 
Children tend to have better attitudes toward writing when they view it as a skill to be utilized overall rather than a individual subject. Writing well makes other subjects easier just as weight training helps athletes perform better and avoid injury. Integrating writing skills with other subjects, such as history and science, allows your child to practice writing and you to evaluate your child’s writing without an assigned “writing” assignment. The focus is on the content rather than on the subject matter. 

UPDATE TIP: Often you can spark interest for writing in your child by switching up the method. For example, if you have a tablet that your child doesn't normally use, allow use for special writing assignments. One of my students recently received an I Phone and although writing is not his favorite thing, he expressed that using his I Phone to write was much more enjoyable. 

Tip 5: Each Tool has a Purpose 
Grammar and spelling may be taught using workbooks, but you want to watch your vocabulary when talking to your child about writing. Don’t interchange grammar and spelling with writing when talking to your child. Grammar and spelling should be viewed as tools to help your child write better. 

UPDATE TIP: Even if you use workbooks for grammar and/or spelling, also consider using whole books to emphasize the relevancy of grammar rules and spelling in real world writing. Point out how published authors follow the same rules as students.

We'll cover tips 6-10. with updates, in the next blog post. Or if you just can't wait, visit the CBB website and finish reading the article there. While you're visiting check out the other articles stored there! 

Be sure to leave a comment and share your ideas about how you cultivate your own young writer.

God bless,

My Two Favorite Writing Resources

Parents often approach me about writing curriculum for their children and sadly, I am of little assistance in that area. I have even checked into various writing programs hoping to acquire one that I can fall back on in such situations, but alas, I am at a loss. I am not saying that there aren’t any valuable writing programs out there, but I am saying that as a professional writer, I can’t imagine teaching the process from a textbook or workbook! However, I do have two favorite writing resources that I like to share with parents and students, hoping they’ll forgive me for my lack of direction concerning writing curricula.

1. The Little, Brown Handbook by H. Ramsey Fowler and Jane E. Aaron

When I first started writing in college, I acquired The Little, Brown Handbook as a grammar and writing resource guide. Funny enough, I still have a copy of that very edition and the book was actually brown back then. Now, the book is in its 12^th edition and still reigns as one of the best writing resources available.

What I like:  I am a bibliophile. Although I really enjoy my Kindle, I will never give up real books without a fight. With The Little, Brown Handbook, I am able to easily locate almost any writing, grammar or punctuation rule in moments. It contains a detailed index, which I appreciate. When I am using it on my Kindle, it’s even easier to search. The book is actually small so it travels easily and is very accessible in a pinch, especially when I’m writing without a computer (yes, I like to write on paper sometimes as do a number of my students from what they tell me). For students, The Little, Brown Handbook also contains practice exercises and plenty of examples.

What I don’t like:  The cost makes it challenging for some homeschool families to purchase, especially new. Even used copies can be expensive. I always recommend buying this book used and there’s no reason to worry about getting the most current edition. Any of the last few editions can meet the needs of a high school writer. Of course, as long as your family takes care of the book, the investment is well worth the value of the hidden gems.

2. Purdue University Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

With most students having ready access to the internet, the value of this writing resource cannot be measured! I remember when I first discovered this website. I looked for any weaknesses in the punctuation, grammar, writing skills etc. sections and I was left wanting. Could this really be an all-encompassing writing resource at my very fingertips? Apparently so!

What I like:  There are so many “likes” that I made a short list of my favorites. You’ll have to explore the writing lab to discover what you like.

                a. It’s free!  What homeschool  parent doesn’t  appreciate that price? With so many websites charging user fees these days, thank you to Purdue University for this gift.  

                b. It’s comprehensive.  There may be gaps, but I haven’t found them. I often refer to this site with my students who struggle with specific skills. It has never let me down. Recently, I even utilized a Commas Powerpoint Presentation to teach lessons in my Essay Styles classes.

                c. It’s accessible.  A smart phone, tablet or computer along with internet access makes this resource easily acquired. You don’t have to even sign up for a free account!

                d. It’s searchable.  The search engine works well for me and doesn’t require specialty key words in most cases.

                e. It’s understandable.  Even my more average high school student (if there are even “average” homeschoolers) generally comprehend the explanations, definitions and examples on the Purdue site. In most cases, I find the material to be very readable and broken down into sections that allow students to absorb a small amount of information at a time.

What I don’t like:   There’s not much that doesn’t appeal to me about the Purdue Writing Lab. If I had any complaint, it would be that some of the examples are a bit worldly or not relevant to my students. But hey, the site originated for college students.

I sure hope you find my favorite resources as useful as I do. As a writer, I have never memorized the rules. I recognize some of them and often, I can just look at written work and know whether it’s correct or not. But I do need to be able to tell my students why something is correct or not. 

Now you know my secrets! If you have a favorite writing resource or writing curriculum, be sure to leave a comment and share with all of us!


One final note, this month we're participating in the January 2014 Let’s Homeschool High School Blog Hop. Join us in supporting other high school homeschool bloggers! 

God Bless,

Happy New Year from Classes by Beth!

Congrats to the winners of our previous book giveaway! Each of you will receive a children’s book with suggestions for using to teach writing skills. Thanks for participating!

With the new year, you’ll begin to see a number of changes with Classes by Beth, all of which are designed to make your homeschooling experience with us more enjoyable and successful. So check out:

• Our updated website now lists the 2^nd Semester courses currently available for registration until January 22^nd. There are limited seats so you’ll want to act soon to take advantage of these courses. Be sure to let friends know that we’re offering 2nd semester classes. It’s a great way to try out CBB classes for the first time.

• We will be posting at least three blog topics per week, featuring some amazing guest bloggers including current CBB high school students. If you have any particular topics you’d like to see discussed, please comment on this post or shoot us an email.

• Keep up with updates and special offers for the upcoming school year by liking CBB on Facebook and following us on Twitter.

Praying that your 2014 is full of blessings!