Spring 2025 Classes

We're thrilled to announce that the class schedule for our upcoming Spring semester is now live! If you're seeking to enhance your child's writing skills and explore new literary adventures, our classes ignite every young writer's passion.

Registration is officially open, so be sure to secure your spot early, as classes fill up quickly. We're excited to welcome both returning families and new members into our homeschool writing community.

Stay tuned for more updates and don't hesitate to reach out to our home office with any questions. Let's make this upcoming semester one to remember!

Writing Foundations

Grades 4-6 - Elementary Writing Foundations

Grade 7-8 -  Intermediate Writing Foundations

High School - Advanced Writing Foundations

Reading & Writing Classes

3/4 Grade Reading & Writing (Study Book: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder)

5/6 Grade Reading & Writing (Study Book: King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry)

Wednesday or Thursday

7/8 Grade Reading & Writing (Study Book: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen)

Wednesday or Thursday

High School Reading & Essay Writing (Study Book: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie)

Tutoring

Click to view tutoring offerings

One-on-One Sessions by Learning Level (Primary/Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced, and College Prep)

Group Sessions by Learning Level

Winter Activities That Teach

Are you looking for a change of pace for the next couple months? Here are a few winter-themed activities to continue learning during these colder weeks:

• Build a fort indoors

• Try baking and cooking, using math and reading skills as your family tries new recipes (or the steady tried-and true recipes!)

• Read aloud to each other snuggled up in blankets

• Watch and movie and read a book of the same story to compare the two

• Make salt dough creations

• Make villages out of cardboard, glue, and paint (add whatever craft items you want)

• Have a Lego Day- Try creating any of the following: meals, animals, houses, towns, words, etc..

• Weather permitting, go on a nature walk, gathering items such as leaves, sticks, rocks, feathers, etc.. If you’d rather not gather items, have your children draw what they see.

• Watch a step-by-step painting class on YouTube, and have a family art session

• Organize your bookshelves alphabetically

• Lay butcher’s paper, or brown shipping paper on a large surface, such as a tabletop or floor, and draw a whole winter scene with markers, crayons, or paints 

• Learn about the way settlers or pioneers prepared for the winter months

• Locate “Neighborhood Libraries, and visit one; remember to take a book to “exchange”

• Visit your local library

• Try ice skating

• Play board games; playing card games often help with math, logic, and strategy. Have fun!

• Complete various puzzles

• Have your children create their own scrapbook of memories. They can even make their own book by hand with some paper and art supplies.

Crafting Christmas Cheer with Salt Dough Ornaments!

If you’ve never tried making salt dough, get ready for a fun and creative Christmas craft! This simple recipe calls for just three ingredients, making it a perfect project for your homeschool. Not only will you create beautiful handmade ornaments that can be cherished for years, but you’ll also have a wonderful opportunity to delve into storytelling with your family.

Start by gathering your ingredients, and then let each child select a unique symbol to shape from the salt dough. The possibilities are endless—think candy canes, ballet slippers, trees, or even a cozy scarf! This is a great chance to spark their imagination and connect it to a favorite story. Choose a book together as a family, and as you read aloud, encourage everyone to take turns.

Once you’ve chosen your symbol and read your story, it’s time to let creativity flow! Children can personalize their dough creations with color using crayons, markers, or paint. You can even dye the dough with food coloring for a splash of vibrancy. Then, roll it flat and use cookie cutters or mold it into a delightful sculpture. To hang the ornament, either create a hole at the top to pass a string or hook through and secure, or tie the hanging string around the ornament. Once your masterpieces are complete, you can choose to air dry them or bake them for a sturdier finish.

So gather your materials, dive into a good book, and watch creativity blossom in your homeschool!

Salt dough recipe:

Ingredients

•  2 cups all purpose flour

•  1 cup salt

•  1 cup water
  Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

• Slowly add water, stirring and mixing as you go to form a so dough similar to the texture and feel of play-dough.

• Shape the dough into a ball and knead for approximately 5-10 minutes, adding a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky or a bit more water if it’s too dry. You should be able to roll a ball of dough in your hands without it sticking, but not crumbling apart.

  • Option #1: Roll dough on a flat surface with a rolling pin and cut shapes with cutters or plastic knives.

  • Option #2: Shape or sculpt the dough with hands and fingers to create the desired shape.

• Make sure to pierce the ornament to allow you to thread string or a hook for hanging AFTER baking or drying.

• Bake thin ornaments for 30-60 minutes in a warm oven (180°-200° F). For best results, air dry any sculptures thicker than 1⁄4 inch overnight before baking. Some larger sculptures will puff when baked, so air drying for 2-3 days will be sufficient without the need to bake.

• Add the string, ribbon, or wire to hang your dried ornaments!

Variations:

• Add food coloring to tint the dough

• Add glitter or Epson salt crystals to the ornament (sprinkle and press the particles to the surface, and then reshape or cut)

• Add spices, beans, pressed flowers, or whatever else you can get to stick!

• Replace ¼ or ½ cup flour with cinnamon or other spices for a fragrant dough

Ready, Set, Go

It’s time for some encouragement. You may be excited about the new school year, or you may be dreading it, but I want to encourage you . . . you are not alone. Along with so many organizations, we are here to support you.

• We will happily teach your children through live classes or tutoring (including correcting their homework).

• We will teach you through our ATP (Adult Training Program) seminars so you are better equipped and more confident to bring quality language arts instruction to your home and/or co-op.

• We invite you to join our monthly webinars to learn more about our philosophy and the products we offer, or to find encouragement when you attend our “Community Connections” webinars where we discuss specific educational pain points for families who are homeschooling.

• We encourage you to join our “The Write Journey” private FaceBook group where you can ask any questions and learn from others’ questions and comments about teaching quality reading and writing.

Be encouraged: you and your children are not alone!

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, you have permission to simplify. SIMPLIFY. The beginning of the school year may seem like a strange time to encourage this, but I remember how overwhelming AND exciting the beginning of a new school year felt. Perhaps you plan to ease into the new school year, rather than jumping in with every subject on every day of the school week. I encourage you to start strong with reading, writing, and math; then weave in or add the next subject when you and your children are ready. Remember: find joy in creating a learning environment, rather than living under the burden of the “To Do” list . . . or the “Lesson Plans”. These lists and plans are there to help you, but when they feel burdensome, lighten your load. 

Like many of you, I remember feeling ready once again for a routine in the fall, after a “break from the routine” over the summer months. Set yourself (and your children) up for success by expecting a simple routine. SIMPLE. ACHIEVABLE. Include chores and family rhythms into your plan. Homeschooling is not “doing school at home”, but it is weaving a plan/routine into your daily lives, with times of intentional learning alongside playful learning.

One year older and one year wiser, right? That is the goal. Have fun along the way because “learning” brings JOY! Don’t ever lose sight of that truth. Even if it’s hard work, the very nature of learning brings joy.

Speaking life,

Kris

Our upcoming classes

Often, the task of writing anything starts with the question, “What is the purpose of this writing assignment?” Many think of creative writing or story-telling. Some think of poetry or journaling. Still others think of research papers and long essays. However, in most instances, students must learn how to address writing prompts, identifying whether the prompt asks a question of the student or tells the student to write about a specific topic.

Writing Foundations

Our Writing Foundations classes help students learn to respond to writing prompts in all situations. The size of the compositions grows with each level, but all levels address these needs:

•  Gather the ideas related to the prompt

•  Decide which ideas to use in their writing, or composition

•  Organize the ideas for flow

•  Put the ideas into complete sentences

•  Edit or correct the sentences for strength, correct grammar usage, and quality

•  Produce a final composition that the student knows is strong because all the steps are well addressed

Check out the various levels for students to learn our writing process!

Elementary Writing Foundations (typically 4th-6th grade) trains students to consider the prompt, decide their ideas or perspective, and then write a paragraph of either 8 or 11 sentences about that given prompt, or topic. 

Tuesday 11:30-12:30 PST/ 1:30-2:30 CST/2:30-3:30 EST

Thursday 11:30-12:30 PST/ 1:30-2:30 CST/2:30-3:30 EST

Intermediate Writing Foundations (typically 7th-8th grade) trains students to consider the prompt, decide their ideas or perspective, and then write more than one paragraph about that given prompt, or topic; they will also learn about thesis statements, transition sentences, and an overall conclusion.

Thursday 11-12 PST/1-2 CST/2-3 EST

Advanced Writing Foundations (typically 9th-12th grade) trains students to consider the prompt, decide their ideas or perspective, and then write a five-paragraph compositions about that given prompt, or topic, and teaches students to identify the type of essay required, such as expository, personal reflection, persuasive, argumentative, or research reporting, all while following MLA formatting rules. This class allows the advanced writer to grow in their ability to dig deeper for content about more challenging prompts.

Thursday 9:00-10:30 PST/12:00-1:30 EST

If your children have already taken a Writing Foundations class, we invite them to join one of our Reading & Writing classes to learn how to study literature deeply and write about it as they practice the writing methods they learned in their WF class.

Reading & Writing

If your student has already taken a Writing Foundations class with us, help them continue practicing the writing skills in a Reading & Writing class for the grade level! They will also learn the valuable skills to deeply study literature instead of simply reading to find out what happens in the story.

1/2 Grades - Wed. 11:30-1:30 PST/1:30-3:30 CST/2:30-4:30 EST

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett  

3/4 Grades -  Tues. 9-11 PST/11-1 CST/12-2 EST

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden 

5/6 Grades - Wed. 9-11 PST/11-1 CST/12-2 EST

Twenty- One Balloons by William Pene du Bois

7/8 Grades - Wed. 9-11 PST/ 11-1 CST/ 12-2 EST

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson 

High School Grades- Tues. 9-11 PST/11-1 CST/12-2 EST

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne