time4writing Sign Up Information

Hi,

Are there any questions you still have about Time4Writing that you would like answered before you sign up?

Sue can...

If you are having concerns about whether a specific course is the right fit for your child, don't worry. Not only will your child have access to a placement evaluation once you've signed up, but your child's course instructor will let you know right away if they feel another course is better suited for your student.

At Time4Writing, we take customer satisfaction very seriously. That's why you are getting this personal introduction to a member of our team who I think is especially qualified to help you get your son or daughter settled into a course that will benefit them for years to come. Please don't hesitate to let Sue know if you need help with anything.

Yours in writing,
John
Founder of Time4Writing

If you've been unsure about signing up for a Time4Writing course, this promo code (expires 12-26-2019), T4W112576 is our way of making the decision even easier. Click below to get your child started on a direct path toward better writing.

Sincerely,
Sue

Now that December is here, the weather has definitely cooled off. Some places are downright freezing! If your students are huddled inside these days, it's a great time to practice writing. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

Get Ahead of the Game: If you're already looking forward to the New Year, purchase a Time4Writing course. You'll have a full year to choose which course you think will be best, so you can get your children back in the writing groove whenever you're ready!

Create a Wishing Tree: First, find a small tree branch or potted plant to become your "wishing tree." Then, each day, have your children write a description of one of their wishes on a small piece of paper. Roll up the paper and tie it to a branch of your wishing tree. Add some of your own wishes too! Pick a "wishing day" to share the wishes with each other. Maybe you can think of ways to make some of them come true!

Write Winter Poetry: Have your children write poems about seasonal topics like the holidays or the frosty weather that winter brought with it. With a set number of syllables (five-seven-five), haikus are great for younger writers; while older writers might want to start with a sonnet or two. Creative writing is a great way to help your children forget they're trapped indoors and can take the edge off cabin fever.

Reminder to Course Users
Time4Writing will be closed from Saturday, December 21st through Wednesday, January 1st for the winter holiday. Teachers will resume grading, giving feedback, and answering questions on Thursday, January 2nd.

That's the kind of data you want to hear about, because there is almost nothing as important as a child feeling confident about themselves and getting the most out of their education. So, let me share a little more "data" that you as a parent should know before signing up:

• Time4Writing is 100% dedicated to student online safety
• Time4Writing is 100% focused on to customer satisfaction
• Time4Writing is 100% committed to student writing success

Your student is so much more than a statistic to us. By signing up today with Time4Writing, we are partnering together to put our focus where it matters: on your student's writing success.

Sincerely,
Sue

"I don''t want to practice writing! It takes forever and it''s boring!"

Have you ever heard those words when you''ve given your students a "dreaded" writing assignment? The good news is that building basic writing skills doesn''t have to take hours every day. Need some ideas for five minute writing lessons? Have your students...

...take out the family photo album and write funny captions for the pictures. The captions should be full sentences and include punctuation. You can also have a family history lesson!

...write a quick paragraph about what they did today or what they wanted to do. It can be anything from washing the dog to fighting a dragon as long as they''re having fun.

...choose up to three random things from around the house and write a haiku about them. Make sure they follow the syllable structure of 5, 7, 5. If that''s too easy, try a limerick!

...write a short story, one sentence (or paragraph) at a time. Set a number of days until the story is "done," and every day add a new sentence or paragraph to it. If you have multiple students, they can take turns; you''ll never know what will happen next.

For more quick writing exercises, check out our blog post 5-Minute Daily Writing Exercises for Busy Families. If your students are ready for more in-depth writing lessons, try one of Time4Writing''s online writing courses. The course you purchase starts once you enroll your student, so there''s no working around a predetermined course calendar. Get started today!

We know how rare it is to be told to do less as a parent - especially these days - so go ahead and soak this one in for a minute. It sounds great, right? We know that grading writing assignments can put a strain not only on you, but on your kiddo who''s dreading the return of that red-marked copy. So, what if we told you that you don''t have to grade your child''s writing assignments? In fact, what if we gave you THREE reasons why grading your own child''s writing is probably not the best idea?

If you''re ready to put that red pen down for good, this blog post is for you. After all, anything that adds more time and less stress to your day is worth celebrating!

This year has felt a million years long already, hasn''t it? The "new normal" can be stressful and frustrating for everyone-even kids! One way to help your children express and process some of what they''re going through during this time is to encourage them to write it down in a journal.

Journaling can be as simple as writing thoughts, feelings, and opinions down in a notebook. A great way to start is to let your children choose their own journals. Some students prefer to write in a fancy diary, while others prefer to write in a simple spiral notebook. Whichever they choose, here are more tips to get started:

• Schedule 15 minutes every day for journaling. Having a schedule takes some of the pressure off since students can think about what they want to say in advance.
• A journal can include many things. Your children can add stories, poems, drawings, or anything else that they find interesting or inspiring.
• If your students have writer''s block, give them a writing prompt. "Something I''m looking forward to today is." would start the day on a positive note.
• Don''t pressure your children to share their journals. While this is a writing exercise, it can also be very personal.
• Ask your students to self-edit. After writing their entry for the current day, have them look back at the previous day to check if they see any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Spring is here, bringing beautiful weather and expectations of heading outdoors for some much needed fresh air and fun. With so many public places closed at the moment, your usual field trips may be off the table. That doesn''t mean learning indoors is the only option you have!

Time4Writing.com has a ton of great, free writing resources ideal for learning outside, even if it''s just on a field trip to the backyard or the front steps. First, let''s look at our printable writing worksheets. Available for elementary, middle, and high school students, these worksheets are a quick and easy way to give your child a writing lesson anytime and anywhere.

If your child has access to a connected smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device, they can check out our online resources:

• Dozens of free writing resources, including games and slideshows, in subjects like punctuation, run-on sentences, and transitional words
• Dozens of writing instruction videos on Time4Writing''s YouTube channel
• Hundreds of writing prompt ideas on our Pinterest Writing Prompts board

Grading your own child''s writing efforts can feel like a practical and emotional minefield, so finding someone else to help seems like a great idea. Yet, as a parent, you still want to know what they''re learning and how they''re progressing as a writer. What can you do to get the best of both worlds?

Try Time4Writing! With teacher-led writing courses and online progress tracking, you can sidestep the stress of grading while staying on top of exactly how much improvement your homeschooler is making. Log in as your child (use the Student Login) to find everything you need to know about your child''s course progress, including:

• their course schedule
• their lesson assignments
• their teacher''s feedback
• their final grades

Are you ready to take the stress out of your writing instruction this year? Find out how to use Time4Writing to keep you in the loop on your student''s progress from the first day of the course through the last assignment.

While educational standards can be a source of concern for some in the homeschooling community, they can be a great reference for what students are expected to know at each grade level. As a homeschooler, you can tailor these standards to suit your child''s needs and your state's homeschooling requirements.

If you want to take a look at some grade level writing standards to get an idea of how your child''s skills compare, visit Time4Writing''s Writing Standards Overview page. If your child has state assessments coming up in the next few months, this could be a helpful way to pinpoint which areas to focus on. Since Time4Writing''s curriculum relies on a sampling of writing standards from the larger homeschooling states, you can feel confident knowing that our online writing courses are tailored to meet the needs of students at every grade level.

We get it. Writing is a tricky subject to master at any age. As homeschool parents, you need to know the ins and outs of writing, teach it to your children, and assess their writing for mistakes. If writing isn''t your strong point, navigating everything - from subject-verb agreement, to compound sentences, to the twelve types of tenses - can be incredibly stressful.

If you''re worried that your writing mistakes will reinforce your children''s writing mistakes, we''ve got your back! To get a handle on some of the most common writing problems to look for, and see an example and solution for each, check out the following resources:

• Common Problems in Elementary School Writing
• Common Problems in Middle School Writing
• Common Problems in High School Writing

If teaching and assessing writing is still something you wake up dreading, even with tips like these, that''s completely fine! We can help you there too. With our online writing courses, you can sit back and relax as certified writing teachers lead students through a step-by-step series of assignments designed to build all those difficult writing skills. Sounds good, doesn''t it? Teaching writing has never been easier!