A FEW REASONS TO SAY, "YES" TO ATTENDING THIS YEAR'S HOMESCHOOL CONVENTION

Over the years, I have attended my share of homeschool conventions: sometimes as a parent, and other times as a business owner/vendor. Some years I was excited to attend, and other years I wished I had one more weekend to stay home. Of course either option is valid.

I was glad I attended when:

• I needed to find a new curriculum for a specific subject, and I wanted to get my hands on that material to spend some time perusing it before deciding what to purchase

• I needed some direction from veteran homeschoolers on a specific area of homeschooling that required some decisions

• I wanted to discover a few new ideas to bring life into our homeschool day

• I wanted to find support networks for educational or social purposes

• I just wanted a break from the home routine, and I looked forward to spending time with my friends

What great reasons to attend a homeschool convention! But if none of these reasons resonate with you, perhaps this is a year to stay home. We all know that staying home doesn’t necessarily mean taking it easy and relaxing (although it might). But if you choose to attend a homeschool convention this year, be sure to stop by with your friends and say, “Hi” . We are a relational business, and we love to connect in person whenever possible. We have some great new guides that you might want to take a close look at. We’ll also have some wonderful convention discounts for you. Click on this link in our FAQ to see what conventions we’ll be attending this year. We hope to see you around.

CONNECTIONS THAT BUILD YOU UP

Thanks so, so, so much for taking a few minutes to read our newsletter. With endless information coming at you, I’m grateful you’re here with me for a few minutes.

Existing in community is not an option, yet we feel slammed and pressed from every angle with expectations from the communities we exist within. Is that true for you? Here at The Write Journey our desire is to partner with you to take just a little bit of the pressure that you are experiencing and help you do one or more of the following:

• Get rid of it (because you don’t need it)

• Process it (because it feels confusing)

• Enjoy it (because life is about our journeys)

• Master it (because occasionally some things are worth it)

When it comes to parenting, we wrestle to know which of those responses is appropriate at any given time. If you are a part of a community that gives you the freedom to choose any of the above options, you are blessed. Pour into that community. If you don’t have that type of community, I’m so glad you’re here. Through connections with TWJ, I trust you will find direction, support, information, and freedom to make the choices that work best for you and your children.

Education sits right at the top of the list of most important parental responsibilities. It’s easy to feel alone and overwhelmed. That’s why we are doing what we do: teaching you and your children to be great thinkers, communicators, and writers. These skills often bring success, so we – like you – value them. With TWJ community, you and your children won’t be alone on your journey to becoming great writers. We’re grateful that your educational journey includes connecting with us in community.

Speaking life, Kris

NEW LITERATURE GUIDE COMING SOON!

In the TWJ classes, our experienced instructors follow the same principles laid out in the new Blending Literature With Writing Guide written by Kris Cordell. Kris and her staff have successfully used these tried and true principles for nearly twenty years in classes. The amazing fact is, this guide does not take years to study and put into practice. Parents and families may apply the guide’s methods immediately in their homes. Here are some of the practices we utilize in classes at The Write Journey.

Our instructors:

• select award winning literature or classics

• read the entire novel to identify the theme/s

• work to develop critical thinking skills in students

• foster healthy discussion and discourse

• ask MANY “how” and “why” questions in class discussions

• develop writing prompts from the story

• pace the novel reading slowly

• have students study the text instead of hurrying to “find out what happens”

• assign vocabulary words from the text

• identify and teach the literary devices found in the novel

• create enrichment type projects from the contents of the novel

When our instructors blend this type of literary study with the writing process taught in our Foundations in Writing Handbook, the entire subject of Language Arts is covered. Students learn to love literature, and through discussion, find meaningful ideas to express in writing. We encourage you to explore fun ways to make the most of reading a great novel with your children.

Click here to explore our new Literature Guide!

WELCOME MARY! WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT YOU?

Mary is our newest team member, and yet already I ask, “What would we do without you?” Like it or not, we live in a world that depends on social media for connection, information, and direction. So that’s what Mary does for us: she connects, informs, and directs us.

Mary lives in sunny Southern California (although it hasn’t been so sunny this year), and she has her degree in communications. Mary loves writing and teaching writing, so we look forward to getting her into our virtual classrooms this fall. But for now, she is providing a much needed boost to our social media platforms. Already she is doing a truly amazing job!

From my very first conversation with Mary, she was drawn to TWJ due to our unique philosophy and priorities. For this reason, she loves passionately sharing TWJ business with our friends on social media platforms . . . always communicating our values along with the opportunities that you have to partner with us. Thank you Mary for jumping on board and letting The Write Journey become a part of your life journey. We can’t wait to see what the future holds!