132;Annual;Print;Book;2014;•;Grooming;Great;Writers;www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Let’s;face;it:;teaching;writing;is tough. And whether due to the lack;of;confidence;in;your;own ability to write because of your
education,;the;frustration;of;not;know-ing;how;to;break;down;the;process;in
understandable and sequential steps, or
the inability of the curriculum you purchased to provide the help you need,
you’re;ready;to;pitch;your;current;writ-ing program. Never mind that it cost a
fortune. Or perhaps you got a great deal,
but;it’s;still;a;waste;of;time.;You;are;not
getting the results you wanted, and your
kids;don’t;want;to;write.;Worst;of;all,;this
writer’s;block;may;have;transferred;over
to other areas and is souring the whole
homeschooling experience. In business,
this is called sunk cost, a cost that has
already been incurred and thus cannot
be recovered. You must decide whether
somehow continuing with the program
will;help;your;student;regain;the;sunk
cost,;or;whether;you;should;walk;away
from the time and money you have invested thus far. So now what?
Five Steps to Take Before You
Ditch the Old and Buy the New
1.;Take your temperature. Are you just
having a bad day? Did you get enough
sleep last night? Are you suffering mid-year crisis? If you are new to home-schooling, perhaps you just need to hear
that we all experience this. Congratulations! You are normal. If you are feeling
overwhelmed and frustrated, and this
has been going on for a while, you may
need to do something differently.
2.;Take your child’s temperature. Does
he or she need an attitude adjustment?
Do you need to focus on character rather
than academics? Could you have a strug-
gling learner on your hands? If your
cheerful, bright child suddenly turns sul-
len;when;you;suggest;that;it’s;time;to;do
some writing, it may be time to consider
another strategy.
3.;Take a look at the directions. Did the
materials come with a teacher’s guide,
and are you following best practices, or
did;you;simply;hand;the;workbook;to
your student? Do you have all the components? Are there supposed to be handouts or DVDs that you either misplaced
or;didn’t;receive?;If;you;believe;you;are
doing what was laid out for you, or if you
find;that;the;instructions;or;support;are
lacking,;you;may;have;a;program;unsuit-able for your homeschool.
4.;Phone a friend.
;Either;take;this;ad-vice literally and communicate with
the one who suggested these materials, or contact the company. Either way,
you;may;find;that;you;just;need;a;bit;of
coaching.
5.;Check out the product reviews, and
look for the bad ones. While no curriculum
provider wants to admit it, not all mate-
rials;are;suitable;for;all;students.;Perhaps
your students or circumstances resemble
others’;and;they,;too,;find;the;materials
frustrating or unusable. This is not only
affirming,;it;can;help;you;act;quickly.
If after consideration and consultation, you determine to start anew, may I
recommend;five;more;steps;for;consider-ation before your next purchase?
1.;What are others saying? Go;back;to
the product reviews, and see what oth-ers;are;suggesting.;Peruse;webpages;and
blogs,;and;see;what;they;like.;Find;out;if
they are gushing, or if they give a non-committal;“good;enough.”;Do;the;boys
like;the;program?;As;a;mother;of;boys,
I;know;this:;If;the;program;can;capture
the hearts and imaginations of the boys,
the;girls;will;likely;be;enthralled;as;well.
2. What type of guarantee do they
have? While no one can reimburse you
for your time, many companies have
some type of satisfaction-return policy.
The;more;generous,;the;more;confidence
in the products.
3.;How well does the company support
its homeschooling customers Many of the
big publishers primarily serve schools.
Do they have a number to call or a forum
to consult if you run into problems?
4. How well does it break down the
complex method of teaching writing?
Beware of frustrating your students with
“blank;page”;programs,;in;which;young
writers;are;asked;to;“create;something
out;of;nothing”;before;having;the;tools
to compose. Or perhaps worse are those
programs that focus heavily on gram-
mar;worksheets;without;giving;students
By;Julie;Walker
What to Do if Your
Writing;Program
Isn’t;Working;Out
If your cheerful, bright
child suddenly turns
sullen when you suggest
that;it’s;time;to;do;some
writing, it may be time to
consider another strategy.
