One time, for a college course, the final exam was an in-class essay answering the simple prompt, What did you learn in this course?

My answer? “Nothing.”

The course had truly been a bad experience with sub-par instruction from the teacher, and I had been able to skate through all the assignments without really ingesting anything of lasting impact. I’m not ashamed to admit this, for not all classes are worthwhile or life-changing.

But unfortunately, I still had to answer the prompt, What did you learn in this course?

I could have written, “Nothing. You’re a bad teacher and this class was meaningless,” which is honestly all I had to say. But then I would have failed the final. I had to think of something to fill at least five paragraphs in order to call my response an essay. And I did. It wasn’t easy or fun, but I did it.

As much as I would love for students to write about things they are passionate for, the sad fact is everyone will encounter writing assignments they just don’t want to do. Either they aren’t interested in the topic, they truly have nothing to write about, or they simply draw a complete blank when looking at the prompt. What are students supposed to do in these situations?

Here are five homeschool writing tips for what to do when you think you have nothing to say.

1. Brainstorm

They can take some time to write down anything and everything that comes to mind when they read the prompt or think about the topic—even the random thoughts. Don’t think them. Write down the random thoughts. This may prime their brain to help them find something to say.

For example, if the student is asked to write a compare/contrast paragraph about cats and dogs, but the student just does not care one iota about pets and has never had a pet and never wants a pet, what are they supposed to write about? The student can brainstorm for a bit and realize that they’ve seen movies with dogs, and there’s comic strips about cats, and their uncle has a German Shepard, and lions are cats and they’ve seen The Lion King—and eventually they may come up with enough ideas to start writing.

2. Reread

Some assignments ask students to respond to something else, like a poem, article, or someone’s opinion. In these cases, when students can’t think of any response to the material, they should try reading the material again. Revisiting what they are supposed to respond to might help them come up with something to say.

3. Discuss

Students don’t have to face the world of academia alone! Sometimes, to get the writing juices flowing, talking about the topic with someone else will help them come up with ideas of their own. Does a parent or sibling have an opinion on the subject matter? Does a friend have any ideas about what to write? Talk about the assignment with someone else, and then take that discussion and put it onto paper.

4. Pretend

Hear me out: Students will not have first-hand experience with everything, and they certainly won’t be interested in all topics; so sometimes, the only way they can get through an assignment is to pretend they care about it. Sure, ideally, students are invested in their education and everything has a purpose and all that jazz, but I’m being real here. Sometimes, you have to fake it to make it.

For example, a student may be asked to relate the theme of a poem to their own life. However, the student doesn’t like the poem, doesn’t care about the poem, and can’t think of one single way the poem relates to their real life. How are they supposed to get through the assignment? Pretend they care about the poem, pretend it means something to them, and just fake their answer so they can get past this particular assignment. Everyone has to do this sometimes. I’m a writer and I love writing and I had to fake it sometimes in school just to be done with something.

Hot tip: This is especially true of SAT essays. The people grading those responses don’t care if what students write is true or not, as long as it’s well written.

5. Pander

This is probably my least positive suggestion, so feel free to skip it entirely, but I have to speak my mind. Thinking especially of the older students out there with college on the horizon, sometimes the only answer they can put to a question is the answer they know the teacher wants. When all other options fail and a student still can’t think of what to write,  they can just write what they know the teacher wants to hear. They’ll get a good grade (if they write well enough to cover their apathy), and the assignment will be over.

Remember my story about having to write a What did you learn? essay about a course I hated? This right here was how I survived that. I knew what the teacher wanted to hear, so I wrote that down. Yes, I was basically lying because I didn’t learn anything at all in the class, but I got through the final. And I got an A. And I never have to write that paper again.

Now go forth and write!

Everyone has times when they just can’t think of anything to say. I hope these tips help your students face those times with more confidence.

By Athena Lester
Head of Curriculum and Scoring

Journals—the hip, gender-neutral cousin of the diary—have risen in popularity over the past few years for several reasons. They’re a private place for self-expression. They serve as a catchall for anything in the writer’s mind from to-do lists to poems. And, of course, they’re great for recording the events and thoughts of each day.

The summer scaries may still encroach upon your peaceful summer, and if so, consider suggesting journals as a fun and low-risk writing activity to your homeschool student. They’re private, they’re portable—and sure, you can’t exactly check or grade this kind of writing unless your student wants you to. Regardless of what your student is writing, however, they’re writing—and practicing this skill over the summer is the goal.

As journals have grown more popular, more types of journals have been created. Below are several types that will appeal to different personalities of students. Hopefully, your homeschool student will be intrigued by at least one and spend the latter half of the summer beginning their new writing experience, maybe even continuing it as the year progresses.

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored by any kind of journal. These are just great examples that I have found or used!

1. Bullet Journals

The appeal of the bullet journal is its inclusion of symmetrically-organized dots (or bullets) that fill each page instead of standard lines. These dots can then be connected to create boxes, charts, tables, lists… anything that you can think of! The dots themselves are fairly faint, so plain old writing is still an option as well. The bullet journal is a great option for the homeschool student who enjoys structure but may feel constrained by ordinary journals or planners. Name-brand bullet journals run a bit pricy, but no worries—you can find cheaper options that are exactly the same thing.

2. One Line A Day Journals

The One Line A Day journal provides one page for each day of the year, from January 1 to December 31. Each page is then divided into five spaces—one space for a different year, resulting in a total of five years of comprehensive journaling. Each space is small, designed for (you guessed it!) roughly one line detailing the events of the day. This journal is my personal favorite and is perfect for homeschool students who may feel overwhelmed by the large, blank pages of a less-structured journal or by the need to write copious amounts about each day. Plus, it’s fun to see what you were up to in previous years!

3. Sketchbook Journals

I’ve seen various layouts for this kind of journal, but the basic idea is that, for each entry, the student can write in the lined portion and draw in the blank portion. Inspired by old-fashioned fieldbooks, in which the writer would both take notes about and sketch what he or she saw, this type of journal enables the student to pair writing and drawing together in order to create a comprehensive entry. This journal is an encouraging nudge for homeschool students who can readily express themselves through art but may struggle to do the same through the written word. By putting art and writing together, the student has a brand-new product.

4. Classic Journals

There’s always the tried-and-true option: a lined journal, perhaps with a space for writing the date, that is ensconced within an appealing cover of anything from Batman to inspirational quotes to incredible amounts of glitter. Many homeschool students want the pages, length, and space to express their thoughts, recall the day’s happenings, or jot down some creative ventures with no fuss and no muss. For these students, the classic journal is the way to go—plus, there’s no shortage of fun covers that appeal to the student’s interests.

Your homeschool student may show zero interest in journaling, and that’s totally fine. These four types are simply suggestions to help you explore the world of journaling and perhaps include your homeschool student in that exploration as well. The ultimate goal here (as it often is within my blog posts) is to show your student that writing is more than paragraphs and papers. It can be fun, personal, and individualized—and journaling is a great way to discover this.

Danielle Nettleton

Curriculum Editor

Essentials in Writing

According to Postman, the decline of writing began as early as the nineteenth century with Samuel Morse’s invention of the telegraph and continued on with radio, movies, and television. This resulted in a society that is heavily dependent on pictures and has become even more so with computers and smartphones, devices that grew popular after Postman wrote his book.

If the prominence of wavelengths has surpassed words in Western culture, then why does education, particularly homeschool education, place such importance on writing well? Why is composition so important for homeschool students? Why does so much homeschool writing curriculum exist?

The answer is that, despite our reliance on visual media and Postman’s pessimism, writing hasn’t quite died out—but the ability to write well is certainly dwindling.

Colleges and universities used to assume that a student would meet a certain standard of grammar and composition. Now, however, introductory courses for grammar and writing are offered by the same institutions and are often required for many students who don’t quite make the grade when starting their higher education.

In the Age of Typography, writing well was a fact of life; now, it’s a talent that sets one apart because the Age of Show Business rewards visual media over the written word. Print hasn’t been buried completely, so good writers rise above and make themselves heard—which is where homeschool students come into the picture.

A student does not need to be homeschooled in order to write well, but homeschool students have a few built-in advantages that enable them to learn how to write with more ease. Below are some of the reasons why homeschool students have an edge in this subject.

• Writing can be difficult, but homeschool curriculum is up to the challenge.

This one is pretty much a no-brainer—if writing is difficult, and your homeschool student is able to write well, then they’ve already risen above their peers in this area. Homeschool writing curriculum like Essentials in Writing breaks down the writing process to make it digestible for students. It’s been created by teachers and experts who know how students struggle with writing and have therefore made the process as painless as possible.

• Writing takes time, and homeschool students have more time.

My husband teaches sixth-grade English, and while he does the best he can with the resources he has, the simple fact is that he cannot devote the same amount of time to each student that a homeschool parent can give to their student. Homeschool students have their own schedule and can take more time to focus on writing whereas other students must follow a schedule that has been laid out for them. Additionally, homeschool writing curriculum is tailored for homeschool students to help them learn how to actually write quality content such as paragraphs and papers, not just regurgitate concepts for a test.

• Writing is influenced by reading, and homeschool students often read more.

One of the biggest influences on a student’s writing is how much they read—and again, homeschool students have the advantage here because they can devote more time to reading than the average non-homeschooled student.

I was homeschooled for most of my life, and to me, one of the best parts of being homeschooled was how much I was able to read or listen to my mom read. When I was older, I even had a timeslot in my day devoted to reading for fun. Not every student loves to read, but for those who do, the books they consume are influencing their writing—even if they don’t realize it.

• Writing is a big part of homeschool curriculum.

Because homeschool curriculum is generally geared toward the individual rather than an entire classroom, it tends to include activities that utilize writing—personal responses, workbooks, special projects, and more. A classroom setting, in a public or private school, relies more on verbal responses from students, but homeschool students are usually working by themselves and therefore provide their responses in written rather than verbal form.

The ability to write well is one that becomes less common with each passing year, but your homeschool student has several built-in advantages that enable them to write better than the average student, even if they don’t realize it. Focus on these advantages, and build on them in your homeschooling program. We may live in the Age of Show Business, but writing is still around—and so are homeschool students who do it well.

Danielle Nettleton

Curriculum Editor

Essentials in Writing

Writing the narrative can be easier as well, for the homeschool student is usually describing a series of events (hopefully not unfortunate) in the order that they occurred. The writing is fun; the construction is simple. As long as transitions are included between events, what could go wrong?

Well, narratives often lack a primary ingredient. And that missing ingredient is a theme.

Theme, in literature, is the central idea of a work—a main idea that everything in the composition is centered around and gives structure to the work overall. Check out the following themes from famous pieces of literature:

• Shakespeare’s Othello: jealousy leads to distrust and sorrow.
• Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit: love has great and mysterious power.
• Lois Lowry’s The Giver: having honor is not the same thing as having authority.

“Why is theme so important, especially in narratives?” a student may ask their homeschool instructor. “Can’t the events of a story be told without one?”

They can. And many homeschool students write narratives and stories this way—relating events as they happened—without some kind of overarching theme. But here are three reasons why narratives of any kind should include a theme:

Narratives are literature.

If a narrative is literature, and literature must have a theme, then it follows that narratives must have themes as well. Themes, along with their earlier definition, can also be described as the purpose for writing.

What is the author trying to say? What might the author want their reader to learn? How does everything in a story fit together? The answers to these questions can usually be found in the theme, and a piece of literature often includes multiple themes (though just one is sufficient for a narrative).

Homeschool students, when writing, may not make the connection that their composition is also literature. Once that connection is realized, however, the idea of a theme often comes more naturally.

Narratives are guided by a theme.  

The idea of a theme as something essential to the narrative may intimidate the student, but on the contrary, knowing the theme before writing a narrative is quite helpful. If the student knows their main idea before writing the narrative’s events, they can pen each event in a way that specifically points back to that main idea.

For example, if the student is writing about their first time on a rollercoaster, their theme could be how overcoming their fear led to something fun. If the student has chosen to write about when they moved to a different city, the theme could cover how change is easier when one is surrounded by family.

The final result of writing a narrative like this is that each part of the narrative is essential to the whole. Nothing is random or out of place; instead, the theme is supported by every included event. Knowing the theme beforehand, then, is beneficial to the student as they write, and the events themselves can help guide the student toward a theme.

Narratives are incomplete without a theme.

Several strings of events without some kind of knot to pull them together will remain unconnected, and that’s exactly what a narrative without a theme is. Narratives are stories, and stories are interesting because every element is connected to something bigger—the theme, the main idea, the overarching message.

Narratives without themes are basically lists of events, and very few people enjoy reading lists. If a narrative is fun to write and fun to read, then, the student needs to make sure that their final product is enjoyable, and a theme does this by keeping the reader interested and intrigued.

Narratives without themes leave the reader lacking.

A simple fact of the human condition is that we want reason and meaning in whatever we do. Whether it’s playing a video game, working at a company, or even reading a personal narrative, one question guides us: Why?

“Why must the game’s adventurer complete quests? Why is the company’s mission important? Why am I reading this narrative, and why did the author write it?”

A narrative without a theme cannot answer those final queries but will instead pose additional questions. A narrative with a theme, however, explains why the included events are important. It also leaves the reader with something to ponder after they have finished reading, which is another important function of theme.

Themes are vital in literature, and narratives are literature; as a result, the homeschool student’s narrative must include a theme in order to be complete and satisfying. As you write, let the theme appear naturally. During the events you plan to describe, how did you feel? What did you learn? Who was affected? Let the theme guide your narrative, and it will guide your reader as well.

Danielle Nettleton

Curriculum Editor

Essentials in Writing

Read.

This may seem strange and even counterintuitive. If you want to be a better writer, then you should read more? If you want to be an artist, should you frequent museums? If you want to be a professional sports player, do you watch as many games as you can?

As a matter of fact, yes! You do!

Exposure to an ideal is instructive. If you want to do something well, then surround yourself with things well done. Reading will naturally prime homeschool students’ minds for how to write well. This doesn’t take the place of hands-on practice—that is also important! But think about how an infant learns how conversation works and how to interact with objects around them by observing how their parents act. In the same way, reading will play a major role in instructing a student on how to write well.

Why is reading such a big deal when it comes to writing, you ask?

Reading demonstrates how to communicate through writing.

By ingesting what others have communicated through written language, students learn that sharing ideas through writing is not only possible but effective. When students laugh or cry or become scared or learn something because of a piece of writing, they are normalizing the idea that written words connect with the reader and mean something. They aren’t just words.

Reading introduces students to new vocabulary for more effective self-expression.

Having the words to express oneself is important. Reading introduces students to language they can use to understand themselves and the world around them better. For example, they may say something makes them feel mad. But if they had greater knowledge of vocabulary, they may more accurately say that the thing disgusts them. But what if it’s more? What if, given the right language to use, the student realizes that the issue is not just with their reaction, but with the thing itself—that the thing itself is perverted? Each of these words/ideas (mad, disgusted, perverted) is similar but means something slightly different, becoming more and more precise. Reading helps students learn these types of increasingly precise ways to express themselves and process their surroundings accurately.

Reading shows how to use prepositions in the correct way.

This one is a little strange to think about, but it’s true. I have it on the authority of college English professors with PhDs that they can immediately tell which of their students “is a reader” by how they use prepositions. It’s also a fact that, when learning another language, proper preposition usage is one of the most difficult things to pick up.

For example, in American English, there is a difference between “I talked to my daughter” and “I talked at my daughter.” Imagine if someone asked, “What did you do in the weekend?” instead of “over the weekend?” Or if someone said, “I got my degree in Harvard” instead of “from Harvard”? It just sounds wrong, doesn’t it?

Reading shows how to use prepositions properly according to the cultural standard.

Reading is important in the quest to learn to write well. What should you, as a homeschool educator, do to help your student read and write to the best of their ability?

Here are some suggestions:

1) Encourage reading!

Obviously. Chapter books and novels are great and interest many children and teens. Right now, the market is full of books directed at these audiences!

However, know that they aren’t the only option. Some students just aren’t all that into fiction, and that’s okay! Offer them poetry, or magazines, or articles. Let them read about history, science, current events, NASA, philosophy, engineering, anything! In whatever area your homeschool student is interested, encourage them to read.

2) Give your student reading material they will like!

Associate reading with something positive rather than making it a chore. When it comes to fiction, many children and teens will most likely be interested in books that are purely fun or wildly sensational.

You know what?

That’s okay.

You really don’t have to hand your thirteen-year-old Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. If they want to read fantasy books about cats or goofy books about long-lost princesses and just really aren’t interested in the more literary children’s or YA books, that’s okay. Let your child develop a love of reading their way. I promise you they will grow as readers and get into more quality stuff eventually. Almost every one of my reading peers (twenty- and thirty-year-olds) has certain books that they look back on and think, “Wow, those were so stupid and horrible, but I loved them.” And they turned out fine and did grow to appreciate more quality novels. The important thing is that the “reading bug” was caught and encouraged young.

3) Engage with your student about what they are reading!

Don’t let the experience stop with reading of the words on a page. Talk to your kids about it!

“Did you like it? Why?”

“What was your favorite part? Why is that your favorite part?”

“Who was your favorite character? Why do you like that character?”

“Did you learn anything?”

“Was there anything in the book you didn’t like? Why?”

Discussing what they read will encourage students to really think about what they are ingesting rather than just ingesting it and moving on. Verbal discussion (or hey! Written discussion) will help students understand that written content has deep meaning and can relate to many things in life.

Plus, talking about books gives you the opportunity to connect with your kid on their plain. Any excuse to deepen the relationship between you and your child is a good one.

Bottom line: You want your student to write well? Get. Them. Reading.

(Note: This post is not about how to judge the content of children’s and YA novels, some of which do not contain positive influences on a student’s thinking. For guidance about how to sort through the thousands of options, talk to your local librarian or do a search online for parent-friendly reviews.)

Athena Lester

Head of Curriculum Development for Essentials in Writing and Essentials in Literature