www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com;His;Joyful;Homeschooler;•;January-February;2014;39
A;writer;is;first;a;reader,;and;even;strug-gling;readers;can;develop;a;love;of;lit-erature.;Parents;can;enjoy;the;great;out-doors;with;their;children;and;open;their
minds;to;the;wonder;of;the;created;world
around;them.;Parents;can;enlarge;their
children’s;imaginations;by;playing;with
them;and;expand;their;world;by;expos-ing;them;to;art;and;culture.;And;as;their
educators,;parents;can;correct;grammar
and;spelling,;help;with;sentence;struc-ture;and;vocabulary,;and;even;help;im-prove;creative;skills;by;giving;students
good examples to study and planting
ideas;to;ponder.;However,;the;making
of;a;good;writer;involves;far;more;than
just;academic;teaching.;A;writer;can;only
produce;what;is;in;his;heart,;and;a;righ-teous;and;pure;heart;is;not;the;product;of
mere;academics.
The foundation of a good writer is
the;same;foundation;for;a;good;man;or
woman,;and;it;is;carefully;laid;down;by
parents;who;pray;for;their;children,;seek
God’s;guidance,;and;purposely;endeavor
to;train;them.;It;is;the;foundational;train-
ing;and;developing;of;good;character.;A
budding young writer who has good
things;to;say;is;first;a;child;who;has;eyes
to;see;the;world;through;faith,;has;a;heart
to;offer;forgiveness;and;grace,;and;has
arms;spread;open;to;give;and;receive;all
things;with;joy.;We;cannot;create;good
writers;until;we;help;mold;our;children
into;good;people.
And;while;academics;are;important,
and we can give our potential young
writers;a;head;start;by;giving;them;the
skills;they;need;to;express;themselves;in
writing,;the;real;foundation;for;a;good
writer;lays;deep;in;the;heart.;C.S.;Lewis
once;said,;“Aim;at;heaven;and;you’ll;get
earth;thrown;in.;Aim;at;earth;and;you’ll
get neither.” I think it is important to
remember;we;are;raising;citizens;of;an-
other;kingdom,;and;their;first;allegiance
is;to;their;heavenly;Father,;and;earthly
success;can;often;wane;in;view;of;eter-
nity.;If;your;children;feel;called;to;glorify
God;with;written;words,;what;they;lack
in;knowledge;and;skills;can;be;learned.
After;all,;life;should;be;a;process;of;con-
tinual;learning,;and;we;live;in;an;age;in
which;information;is;easily;accessible.;So
let;us;first;labor;to;raise;men;and;women
of;integrity,;and;we;will;be;well;on;our
way;to;raising;good;writers;whose;words
may;change;the;course;of;a;generation
and;maybe;a;nation.
Sheila Campbell began homeschooling
in 1991 and graduated the last of her
four children in the spring of 2009. After the death of her husband in 2001,
Sheila homeschooled as a single parent.
She also was the parent of a special needs
child whom she cared for at home until
his death in 2004. These difficulties have
strengthened her walk with her Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ, and it is her prayer
that her words will encourage and inspire
others. Sheila is currently working on a
book about the life of her handicapped son
and how his life changed hers. Visit her
blog at pausingtopraise.wordpress.com.
A;writer;can;only
produce;what;is;in;his
heart,;and;a;righteous
and;pure;heart;is;not
the;product;of;mere
academics.
