The first source of ideas will likely be your homeschool writing curriculum. There you will see assignments to help with script handwriting that will likely involve a great deal of copying. This is why handwriting can be boring to students. Try to keep it fun by allowing journaling or stories to be a part of the penmanship class.

Now, when you’re preparing for writing reports there are a few things you can do to help your student prepare. Whether you were good or not at essays should have no bearing on the success of your child. In fact, there are resources available to help students with report writing. Check out the learning resources at homeschool conventions, or I offer a term paper writing program that I designed that has really helped homeschoolers.  It is called Writing Career Coach.  Whatever you choose, the key is to move in gradually.

Let your student start with a few sentence summary of a movie they watched. Next, you can move on to a small research paper with one or two sources about something of interest to the homeschooler. Then, as they get older, begin to introduce increasingly more difficult topics, more sources, and more primary sources.

As the length and complexity of the writing increases, so will their need to use the computer. That is why keeping short essays, journaling and other written work will also be important during this time.

Remember, as a parent our attitude toward the material will go a long way in influencing the way our children view it. As long as you remain positive and try to make the topic as interesting as possible, whenever possible, you and your children will find more pleasure in learning. No matter the subject.

See our long list of resource links for Teaching Writing
Writing Strands offer programs from age 3 all the way through college level. In addition to the writing curriculum they offer reading, speech and interpersonal relationships for upper level learners. Chart offers tips on selecting the correct curriculum for each child.
Writing Career Coach created by Tiffany Colter, a published writer and homeschool mom. They offer creative writing classes a semester at a time for both middle school and high school, using separate moderated forums, weekly lessons and feedback. Also offers resources on writing strong research papers in high school and college as well as a time management system for homeschool seniors and college students. (available instantly online through a digital download. No shipping fees!) Offers a mentorship program for aspiring writers (substantial discount for homeschoolers). Click the homeschooler link or contact form for more information and group discounts for all of these products.
Write More Education Resources has products and programs specifically designed to help shape the minds of independent writers. They provide the tools to integrate writing into daily curricula of language arts, science, and social studies and can supplement your current writing program. Write More offers three levels of home school writing sets for lower elementary writers (K-3), intermediate writers (3-5) and secondary writers (6-8). Each complete program has all the tools to teach two students writing for an entire year. Please see the Write More...at Home weekly newsletter and evaluation service, a 16-week subscription for writers of all ages.  It is fun, creative and has writing ideas and assignments to teach and improve writing skills.
Advanced Writing Resources helps students with all aspects of the writing process including grammar, spelling and punctuation in a unique way. Has a homeschooler program that encourages active reading and fun, yet classical, approaches to learning grammar and parts of speech. Their system is reusable and they offer a free audio lesson on the homeschooler page of the website.
Christian Writers Guild offers courses by mail with online interaction with mentors. Their programs were designed for adults but recently started creative writing programs for children as young as 8. It is a great creative writing program for kids who aspire to be professional writers or who enjoy creative writing. Owned by Jerry Jenkis, author of the Left Behind series.
Create Press Writing Adventures System offer “teaching tools that create confident and resourceful writers.” There are a number of workbooks and game packs available for sale online. They offer a downloadable teacher’s manual as well as resources for Non-verbal learning disabilities.
Educational Diagnostic Prescriptive Services offer a homeschool writing curriculum for everything from descriptive writing to creative writing. Their homeschool writing curriculum is based on the input from homeschool moms. Offer special needs guides and diagnostic tests.
Razzle Dazzle Learning Company offers a student directed language program to help teach language arts at home. Offers a tip sheet on setting up your language arts program.
Stack the Deck Writing Program designed and developed by teachers. It offers a series of composition books to teach writing. Offers teaching tips, writing workshops and an online store.
Straight Paths Press is a Christian based program that using a system called “Journaling Toward Moral Excellence” to teach. They focus beyond intellect to using writing to help people grow as believers. The program goes from young writers, through the teen years to young adults.
Write Guide offers a variety of systems. They focus not only on writing but revision in their system to help create strong writers. Offer grammar, writing courses and skill sheets. Many links.
Writer's Series's focus is communicating with success. To that end they offer reference guides for punctuation, parts of speech, paragraphs and sentences as well as resources for college students.
 

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