Are you worried about the best way to teach writing in your homeschool? Do you have a child who is a reluctant writer? If so, please know you aren’t alone. Today, I am addressing the fear many of us feel when teaching writing… especially for families who have struggling writers!
A couple of years ago, I realized I was in trouble.
My youngest child, although brilliant in every way, was massively struggling with writing.
This was completely new to me. My first two progressed through writing without me having to really think too much about it. The mechanics of writing came naturally to them, leaving me feeling confident and certain in my ability as a writing teacher.
Children have a way of humbling us, don’t they?
TEACHING WRITING IN YOUR HOMESCHOOL
After what felt like a constant struggle just to put a pencil to paper (or fingers to a keyboard) I decided it was time to consider a different approach.
After doing a bit of research online, I found that the elements of the writing process that matter most in the elementary years have less to do with grammar and mechanics, and far more to do with language and story.
To write stories, children must learn to generate ideas, elaborate upon them and then sequence and connect them coherently. – US News.com
Too often, we are led to believe that we need to introduce writing in ways that look like what we grew up with, even though they do not address the key skills needed for proficient writing.
If my goal is create an environment where my child is learning to generate ideas and sequence them to communicate effectively, I began to see that creativity and fun MUST be a part of it.
NIGHT ZOOKEEPER: AN ONLINE WRITING PROGRAM FOR YOUR HOMESCHOOL
When I was offered the chance to check out Night Zookeeper, an award-winning online creative writing platform, I jumped at the opportunity. Night Zookeeper is a story-based gamified online creative writing program. My youngest might not be a natural writer, but he loves gameschooling!
This creative writing program is for kids ages 5-12+. The Night Zookeeper online platform includes an engaging storyline and features dynamic games and activities.
My youngest son enjoyed Night Zookeeper all last year and is continuing with the program this year. He doesn’t love to write, but he cannot resist a delicious storyline or a game! Night Zookeeper offers a wealth of stealth learning and captivates the imagination of creative kiddos.
NIGHT ZOOKEEPER IS A GAMIFIED ONLINE WRITING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WHO LOVE STORIES.
This gamified online writing platform is based on the Night Zookeeper chapter book series.
The program is designed to improve children’s writing skills. Night Zookeeper includes interactive games, lessons, and activities that incorporate the following skills:
- reading comprehension
- vocabulary
- spelling
- grammar
- typing
WHEN A CHILD FIRST STARTS NIGHT ZOOKEEPER, THEY ARE ASSIGNED A RANDOMLY GENERATED NAME AND THEY ARE ASKED TO CREATE THEIR AVATAR.
The child creates an avatar using Night Zookeeper’s drawing tool. Then, they head over to their zoo. Children can uncover sections of their zoo when they complete activities, games, and challenges.
ONLINE LEARNING HAS MANY BENEFITS FOR HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES:
- Online learning offers a multi-sensory approach to academic subjects. This helps to increase engagement, especially for subjects that a student finds challenging. When a student is engaged in the learning process, all of that information is more likely to stick.
- Often, online learning incorporates gamification. As a gameschooling family, game-based learning is always a win! Gameschooling fuels learning, sparks creativity, and boosts confidence. Making a mistake while playing feels so much different than red pen marks on a workbook page. When a student is not afraid to fail, they grow in skill and confidence!
- Students often perceive online learning options to be more fun. My children (age 10-, 12-, and 13-years) thoroughly enjoy online learning at this stage of our homeschool game.
- Online learning takes the pressure off of homeschool parents and their kiddos. Calling in a third party can help improve the atmosphere of your homeschool by reducing stress, tears, and power struggles.
- Online learning programs, like Night Zookeeper, include a parent dashboard where you can chart measurable growth in skills. This, in turn, boosts parent confidence and can help with homeschool documentation.
TEACHING WRITING WITH NIGHT ZOOKEEPER
My son is not the only one learning. One of the best things about using Night Zookeeper in our homeschool is that I have learned so much about what my son needs to write proficiently.
This is helping me help him in every subject, not just writing.
TRY NIGHT ZOOKEEPER FOR WRITING IN YOUR HOMESCHOOL
Click here for 50% off an annual Night Zookeeper subscription. This annual price is $59.99 for a single-child subscription and $77.99 for 2-3 children. More children can be added at a bespoke price. When you sign up for an annual membership using this link, you will get a free 7-day trial and then get 50% off on the yearly subscription.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE WITH NIGHT ZOOKEEPER
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