Homeschool Writing and Then Some

Send us a text 🎙️ Episode #30 — Teaching Writing in a Co-op: A Conversation with Brandy Higgins If you’ve ever considered joining a co-op—or even starting one of your own—you’re going to love this episode. This week, I sit down with homeschool mom and co-op veteran Brandy Higgins, who has taught everything from British literature to biology (yes, biology!) in a co-op setting. We talk about what it’s like to teach writing in a homeschool co-op, how to keep things organized, and what Brandy has learned along the way. In this episode, we cover: ✅ What co-ops can offer homeschool families at different stages  ✅ How to plan writing and literature classes that work for a mixed-level classroom  ✅ What to consider when launching a new co-op at your church or with friends  ✅ Tips for managing a nursery and rotating parent responsibilities  ✅ Using Google Classroom to streamline communication  ✅ Why co-ops can be a game-changer for high school students (and their parents!) Brandy brings warmth, experience, and insight to everything she shares. Whether you’re brand-new to the idea of co-ops or have been part of one for years, you’ll find something helpful here. 🔗 Mentioned in the Episode: Mystery of History, Volume 4 (used for literature tie-ins) Google Classroom (for co-op organization) IEW (as a stepping stone to more flexible writing instruction) Chronicles of Narnia (for family-friendly literature study) Want more writing resources?  📝 Be sure to grab my free thesis statement guide at bitandrudder.com. It's one of my most popular downloads because it helps make a tricky concept suddenly click. Have a beautiful week, and happy homeschooling! 🪻

Send us a text Have you ever wondered what it might look like for a homeschooled student to use writing as a form of ministry and public communication? In today’s episode, I talk with Melody Polar, a recent homeschool graduate and former student of mine, who shares her journey from English class to Christian blogging.✨ Melody started her blog, Roses in a Thorny World, at just sixteen years old. In this conversation, she walks us through how she launched her blog, how she built an audience, and how she keeps going even when life gets busy. But what stood out most? Her deep understanding of writing as both personal expression and spiritual encouragement. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear: how a homeschool teen discovered writing as a creative outlet what sparked Melody’s desire to publish her words a step-by-step look at how she started her blog—from surveys to platforms to email lists the pros and cons of Wix vs. Substack for beginner bloggers tips for inspiring reluctant writers (don't miss the last 10 minutes!) how publishing—even in small ways—can change how students view writing Whether your student dreams of writing fiction, keeping a journal, or encouraging others through devotionals, Melody’s story offers practical ideas and heartfelt encouragement. Her voice is fresh, faithful, and full of wisdom beyond her years. Links Mentioned Wix EmailOctopus Crazy Writing Week Substack Melody Polar YouTube Melody Polar Blog ("Roses in a Thorny World"):  Melody Polar Group Publication

Send us a text Ep #28 Best Practices for Requesting a Letter of Recommendation  How important is a letter of recommendation? Well, it depends. If you’re trying to get a job at McDonald’s, it probably doesn’t matter that much.   But if you want to get into a competitive program such as med school or law school, or if you’re applying for a scholarship, it matters a lot.   A strong letter of recommendation can tip the scale when applicants have similar GPAs and test scores, or when a selection committee needs to assess character and leadership abilities.  This week’s episode is about the real-world skill of requesting a letter of recommendation. I discuss:  ☑️6 key strategies to guide your request  ☑️how far in advance of the deadline you should submit your request  ☑️the importance of humility, helpfulness, and gratitude in crafting your request  ☑️the specific details you must include if you want a strong recommendation  I also provide a step-by-step process for drafting a request as well as an example request that you can use as a model.      

Send us a text Episode #27 Writing Dread and How to Handle It   Things on my dread list: --making phone appointments (I know, I know, a little bit silly, but it’s something I have to force myself to do) --dusting (people in my house have been known to write fun messages like “dust me” on some long-neglected surfaces) --and, at the top of the list, grading papers (I love to teach, but dread the paperwork)  We all have things we dread. For some students, writing is at the top of the dread list. So what do you do when you have a student who dreads to write? That’s what I’m talking about in this week’s episode.   In this episode, I discuss 4 reasons that students dread to write:  ☑️lack of clarity  ☑️not enough practice to get into a groove and develop confidence  ☑️viewing writing as a product rather than as a process  ☑️believing that writing is a waste of time  Plus, I provide a list of strategies you can use to help students overcome their dread of writing.  Resources mentioned: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield    

Send us a text In this episode, I discuss how to write a comparison/contrast essay, including how to choose a topic, how to organize information, and pitfalls to avoid. Free Download: Comparison/Contrast Sample Topics List Links Mentioned Creately.com—for graphic organizers

Send us a text Today I am talking about spooky short stories that students love. These are short stories that I love too, and all of them are classics, worthy of being studied as literature. I will tell you what I find valuable about them, and then I will give you some specific ways that you can use them in your literature and writing classroom.  In this episode, I discuss ✅how spooky stories have their roots in eighteenth-century gothicism ✅why short stories are great tools for teaching literary analysis ✅7 spooky stories that students can’t wait to discuss ✅3 specific writing activities to accompany each story ✅a literary element to focus on for each story Links Mentioned: Spooky Short Story Lesson Plan Free PDF Twilight Zone Season 5, Episode 23 “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Ridge” The Monkey’s Paw Short Story Film 1982

Send us a text Episode #24 How to Write a Personal Narrative Essay Have you noticed that stories are everywhere? Everyone loves a good story. Stories aren’t just for entertainment though. They also help us connect with people and make sense out of the world. Today’s topic is about the personal narrative—narrative is just another word for story—why it’s important for your student to learn to write this kind of essay and the practical steps for teaching it.  In this episode, I discuss ✅how a personal narrative is different from fictional storytelling ✅the tried-and-true formula that you can use for most narrative essays ✅the importance of descriptive language in narrative writing and a simple strategy for helping students prioritize it ✅where to go to find 500 narrative prompts and sample narrative essays ✅Plus, details on how to join me and my AP students for National Novel Writing Month Links Mentioned: Nanowrimo Young Writers Program Western Technical College: List of Narrative Essay Samples Oregan State University: 500 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing Illustration of Descriptive Writing (Essay A, Essay B)

Send us a text Have you tried out ChatGPT or other Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)? If you have, you know that the things it can do are pretty amazing.  I remember my son Ty (PT major, fitness fanatic) raving about its capabilities shortly after it became freely available in November 2022, because it was able to “miraculously” create a custom-made meal plan and exercise program in about 2 seconds, saving him many hours of time and effort.  When I finally I got around to trying it out for myself more than a year later, I was equally impressed. But also concerned, as many educators are, about the potential for students to use AI unethically in their school work.  So I set out to learn all I could about GenAI, because I realized that I needed to have a policy statement in place concerning GenAI before my students began to work on their first essay of the year.  In this episode, I share my findings as well as the policy statement I developed. Some of the topics I cover are  ✅Why some educators think the college essay is dead and that it’s time to blow up the current system of traditional writing and try something new ✅Why other educators think the college essay is NOT dead and that it’s more important than ever to teach traditional writing skills ✅How some educators are striving to find middle ground by combining GenAI with traditional writing instruction ✅Why students need to be careful when using Grammarly ✅The reasons that all GenAI is banned in my English classes Links Mentioned: “The College Essay Is Dead.” By Stephen Marche  “The End of High School English.” By Daniel Herman “The Case for Writing: Competency Is Essential.” By Annie Checkitelli.  “The College Essay is Not Dead: Using Scaffolding and Presentations to Create ChatGPT-Resistant Research Projects.” “AI Can Mimic Students' Writing Styles. How Are Teachers Supposed to Catch Cheaters Now?” By Alyson Klein. “In a Brave New (Writing) World, Let's Hold on to Some Basics: Tech tools can ease many aspects of the writing process--but we still need to teach students the bedrock skills of writing." By Betsy L. Woods. “Why I’m Not Scared of ChapGPT.” “1 in 3 College Applicants Used AI For Essay Help. Did They Cheat?” "AI and the Death of Student Writing." "Oxford encourages students to use AI when writing essay" "I'm a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We're Using ChatGPT." “How AI could save (not destroy) education” T

Send us a text Have you ever been so busy getting things done that you lose sight of why those things matter in the first place? It’s easy to get caught on the hamster wheel of life and forget our purpose for running. So in this week’s episode, I’m taking a few minutes to reflect and catch my breath and remember the reasons that writing is so important.😎 In this episode, I discuss  ✅How good writing skills are essential for academic success even if you’re not a liberal arts major ✅How being a strong writer can help you land your dream job ✅The value of writing in day-to-day life ✅How writing can help you improve your vocabulary and become a better speaker Plus much more, including suggestions for helping your student to focus on writing. This episode will inspire you to make writing a top priority in your homeschool classroom. If you are looking for some tools to help you with writing, then head over to my website, where you’ll find lots of free resources, including the thesis statement workshop which will walk you through the process of creating that crucial thesis statement, a skill that is fundamental to good writing.  The thesis statement workshop has plenty of examples and places for students to practice writing their own thesis statements. Plus an answer key for you. It’s a really great resource, so please take advantage of that. Links for sources referenced in this episode: How to Write Anything, by Laura Brown 2016 Study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers Help Your Homeschooler Become a Confident Writer Thesis Statement Workshop

Send us a text Ep #21 Top 10 Mistakes Students Make in Their Writing When you’ve read thousands of student essays as I have during my 20+ years of teaching, you don’t have to be a great detective to notice that the same mistakes keep cropping up.🕵️‍♀️🌱 🌱 Usually, I wait until after I’ve graded the first essay to begin addressing these mistakes, but this year, I’m getting in front of it and discussing these common errors before students hand in that first paper. Now I know that me talking to students in advance is not going to magically prevent all the mistakes—they will surely need reminders—but I do think it will reduce the number of mistakes—and provide reinforcement of information that they’ve been taught previously.  In this week’s episode, I am sharing with you my Top 10 List of the mistakes I see students make in their writing. Being aware of these potential pitfalls can give you an edge in knowing what to look for in essays, and it a can also help you know what to focus on even before students write their first essay of the year.🔍 In this episode, I discuss  ✅How having a strong thesis statement is the single best thing you can do for your paper. If you get that right, everything else falls into place. It is the cornerstone, the linchpin, the anchor, the backbone. Without it, the paper falls apart. (If you’re wondering how you teach students to write this crucial element, I’ve got you covered. Click here to get the Thesis Statement Workshop—it’s free!) ✅The parts of their grammar book students need to review before they write their first essay ✅When (if ever) you are allowed to use first person (I, We) or second person (you) in academic writing ✅How one pesky pronoun problem has been solved by a new pronoun rule Plus so much more, including information about the new Thesis Statement Workshop which you can get your hands on right now for free! Just click on the button below, and I’ll send you the PDF. In it, you will find a step-by-step guide for teaching students to write a thesis statement plenty of examples a workbook area for students to practice writing thesis statements a sample answer sheet so you know they are on the right track  Links Thesis Statement Workshop Free PDF Download

Send us a text Do you have a plan for how your children will learn and practice writing this year or are you still figuring that out?😕 I want to try to help you with that today by talking about some of the ways that people sabotage themselves in their thoughts about writing, and also some specific, practical ways that you can incorporate writing into your schedule this year.  In this episode, I discuss  ✅how to find the middle ground between overplanning and not enough planning ✅”I’ll focus on that next year” and 6 other thoughts that can sabotage your plans  ✅why students should not be completely on independent study for writing ✅a simple plan for setting up your writing classroom ✅why I strongly recommend having students learn and practice the different modes of writing ✅an easy curriculum to use for writing this year It takes a minute to construct a good plan, but it saves you so much time and headache in the long run. I know you are busy, but trust me, it will be worth it to come up with a good plan for your writing classroom. To help you out with that, for the last time you can purchase my course Help Your Homeschooler Become a Confident Writer for the bargain price of $29.  Here is some of the value you’ll get in this course: –Step-by-step guides for teaching a variety of essays –Instructions for evaluating student assignments –Focus skill lessons that address specific writing problems –Complete workbooks for students and instructors –A special bonus on journal writing I created this course four years ago and even though it still has tremendous value, I’ve learned a lot since then through my own teaching experience as well as from feedback I’ve gotten about the course. So that is why I am in the process of revising and updating it. But for a little while longer, you can get this original course at the bargain introductory price of under $30. Once I revise it, and redesign it, the price will go up significantly; so if you are looking for a deal, this is the time to act. ⏱️ Link to online course: Help Your Homeschooler Become a Confident Writer

Send us a text Body paragraphs aren’t as flashy as introductions or conclusions, but they make up about eighty percent of any essay.  Eighty percent!  That’s a huge percentage, which means that we had better pay attention to them if we want our arguments to be strong and convincing. So that’s what this episode is about: dissecting a body paragraph to see how it works and then using that knowledge to develop strong paragraphs of our own. In this episode, I discuss  the four essential components of a body paragraph the differences between coherence and cohesion and why your essay must have both how many body paragraphs an essay should have (and how long they need to be) three different ways to embed research smoothly into your writing eight mistakes students make in writing body paragraphs (and how to fix them) strategies for teaching students to write strong body paragraphs If you have wondered how to help your students develop their ideas into strong paragraphs, then this episode is exactly what you’ve been looking for. All you have to do is click play.

Send us a text Imagine watching a thrilling movie that suddenly ends without wrapping up the storyline. Frustrating, right?  An essay without a strong conclusion feels like that: unsatisfying, incomplete.  Maybe your student is the exception, but I can tell you that most of the students I teach stumble over conclusions. Even strong writers often fail to make the last impression a good one.  This is not surprising: conclusions can be tricky to write. Believe me, I know. Conclusions are what always tripped me up in my own writing. But not anymore, because, finally, I understand the purpose of a conclusion and what my goal should be in writing it.  And that is what I am sharing with you in this episode today. So if you are a little fuzzy about the purpose of conclusions or how to direct students in writing them, then get ready to be amazed by this powerful content. Seriously, it is that good.  In this episode, I discuss  what most people get wrong about the purpose of a conclusion  the words that absolutely should NOT appear at the beginning of a conclusion  why synthesis is more important than summary (and don’t worry, I’ll explain what synthesis means) the three questions that your conclusion should answer one easy strategy to create an elegant ending Plus so much more, including plenty of examples. Links Mentioned The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Harvard College Writing Center

Send us a text Do you want to know the secret to helping students perform better on writing assessments?  Teach them to write strong introductions.  Studies in education show that a good introduction helps in structuring thoughts and arguments more effectively. And that leads better writing overall.  But what if you have a student who struggles to write introductions?  This is a very common problem I see in my students every year, which is one reason I created this episode.  Not only will you learn effective strategies for writing great introductions but also what practices lead to bad introductions.  In this episode, I discuss  the purpose of introductions and why the first sentence is so important why starting your introduction with a dictionary definition is a bad idea, plus eight other ways to write a bad introduction (not what you want to do!) strategies that will help you create engaging introductions how long your introduction should be and whether you should write it first how to have students practice writing introductions This episode walks you through exactly what you need to know to teach this important skill. 

Send us a text Episode 16 Thesis Statements Today’s topic is thesis statements. I know. Not the most glamorous of topics, but an important one since thesis statements are the workhorses of the essay world. Exciting? Probably not. Essential? Absolutely. A strong thesis statement is often what makes an essay shine, and in this episode I share with you the method I use in my classroom to teach this important skill. In this episode, I discuss  the characteristics of a strong thesis statement how to transform a broad and general thesis statement (which is not what you want) into a clear and specific one (yes!) whether it is necessary for your thesis statement to be a single sentence  what it means for a thesis statement to be “arguable” and why this is an absolute must a simple strategy for having students practice writing a thesis statement without having to write an entire essay. I think that learning to write a strong thesis statement is one of the best things students can do to improve their writing and create shining essays. Click here to visit the website for Homeschool Writing and Then Some Email me at ruth@bitandrudder.com Links Mentioned OWL (Online Writing Lab at Purdue) Episode 11 To AP or Not to AP? 

Send us a text Ep #15 Research Papers Part 3 Show Notes Today’s episode is the last of three parts in the Research Papers series. Be sure to listen to Part 1 and Part 2 first because they lay the groundwork for today’s discussion.  In this episode, I share with you  the essential prewriting step that makes writing the rough draft nearly effortless how to craft effective introductions, conclusions, and body paragraphs the importance of embedding research within the flow of your writing  one key mistake that students often make on their works cited page and how to correct it plus a whole lot of examples from a model student paper so that you can “see” what I’m talking about This is another meaty episode with a wealth of information. You probably will want to take notes, and you’ll also want to grab the free Research Paper Checklist to help you remember the steps and stay organized.  Click here to visit the website for Homeschool Writing and Then Some Links Mentioned Research Paper Checklist OWL (Online Writing Lab at Purdue) Peer Editing Guide for Research Papers Grading Rubric  Example of How to Use the Grading Rubric

Send us a text Ep #14 Research Papers Part 2 Show Notes As promised, this week’s episode is Part 2 of how to teach a research paper.  I know as a homeschool parent, I was very concerned about making sure my own children were prepared for college writing. Being able to write a successful research paper was a crucial component, and I am sharing with you the steps I use in my classes year after year to make this process a whole lot easier. In Part 1, I talked about choosing a topic, developing a working thesis statement, and finding credible sources. You should listen to that episode first if you haven’t already. In this episode, I share with you  the best website for students to use for everything related to citations and documentation style why many students may be guilty of plagiarism without even knowing it AND how to avoid plagiarism how to know whether or not a source needs to be cited (and what it means to cite a source!) several systems for notetaking and helping students keep their research notes organized This is another meaty episode with a wealth of information. You probably will want to take notes, and you’ll also want to grab the free Research Paper Checklist to help you remember the steps and stay organized.  I will be wrapping up this topic next week as I teach you how to help students integrate their research to produce stellar research papers. Until then, have a marvelous week. Click here to visit the website for Homeschool Writing and Then Some Links Mentioned in the Episode Research Paper Checklist OWL (Online Writing Lab at Purdue)

Send us a text Ep #13 Research Papers Part 1 Show Notes As a homeschool parent teaching your high school student to write, what would you say is your top concern? If you said anything related to writing a research paper, then I have some good news for you.  First, you are not alone: research writing makes the “Top Ten” list of concerns that homeschool parents have about writing (this is based on a list compiled by ChatGPT). And second, this week’s episode was created with you in mind as I’m answering all your questions, or at least a lot of them, about how to teach a research paper.   In this episode, I discuss ·         Why learning to write a research paper is so important ·         How to choose a topic and construct a working thesis statement ·         Why you need credible sources and where to find them (NEWS FLASH: Wikipedia is NOT a credible source!)  If you’re like, wait a second, I also need to know how to teach notetaking and citing sources, so where’s that information? No worries, I’ll be talking about those topics and so much more over the next two weeks. The topic of research papers was too BIG and IMPORTANT to cram into one episode (or even two!)   To go along with this three-part series, I have created a free resource for you that you might want to download ahead of time. It is a roadmap to the research process, and you can use it to jot down notes as well as your own ideas as you listen to this episode.   I won’t pretend that research writing is easy, but I can assure that following my step-by-step process will make it a lot less overwhelming.  Links: Research Paper Checklist List of current events topics "Five Must-Have Google Search Tips for Students" Find It Virginia Explora Libraries Database  

Send us a text Ep #12 Summer Writing Activities  Show Notes I love summer break. Three months of sunshine, ice cream, and baseball. And no school! Bring it on!  Everything is great, for a little while, but inevitably, the long days of summer lead to the bored kids of summer. At least that’s how it was in my house.  That’s when I learned the magic of doing just a little of school each day, not enough to feel like we were working very hard, but at something a little educational like an extended story time or figuring out a few math problems. Plus, children are less likely to forget skills (reading, writing, arithmetic) if they are practicing them.  All this makes summertime the perfect time to try out some writing activities that you might not make time for during the regular school year.    In this episode, I discuss ·         A fun and easy way to get students writing ·         How to banish boring book reports and replace them with interesting book projects ·         Writing ideas for one of the greatest books of all time  Links: https://homeschool-writing-and-then-some.ck.page/c598e85f93 Summer Projects Structured Journals https://homeschool-writing-and-then-some.ck.page/d57442fd57 The Pilgrim's Progress Writing Ideas  

Send us a text Ep #11 To AP or Not to AP?  Show Notes  Homeschoolers are often in a quandary when it comes to proving their excellence as students. How do you convince the scholarship committee or the college admission board that you really are a superior candidate when your mom is the one writing your transcript? One way that students can prove their merit is by taking AP courses and doing well on AP exams. But figuring out this process as a homeschooler can be little tricky and confusing, which is why I decided to devote an entire episode to this topic. In it I discuss  ·         The two different AP English courses and which one to take if you want to skip college composition classes ·         How to use AP Course Audit to get your course approved and why it matters ·         The amount of time and money you save by scoring well on the AP exam ·         A key resource that AP students can access to help them succeed in the course and on the exam  I don’t cover everything there is to know about AP English, but I did pack the essentials into this no-nonsense discussion.