Homeschool Review Crew - College Ready Writing Essentials from BetterRhetor

I was thrilled to get a chance to review College-Ready Writing Essentials™ from BetterRhetor. It is a self-guided online resource. I received the Full Package with lifetime access.

What is BetterRhetor?

I received the Full Package. There is also a Premium Package available which some of the review crew members are reviewing, so be sure to check the link at the end of this review to read what they had to say as well. I think the main difference is that the Premium Package provides you grading your work along with feedback.

The target audience is high school juniors or seniors as well as those who have recently graduated and are headed to college.

BetterRhetor aims to bridge the gap between middle and high school writing and college-ready writing skills where you are more likely to need to know how to write persuasively and informatively. The course also stresses the importance of knowledge, skills, behaviors, and awareness. It fully encompasses the rhetoric stage of learning.

Writing also impacts the world around us and how we are perceived by others. Writing effectively means that we are able to advance our own interests and objectives even beyond college.

The creative genius behind the program is Dr. William Bryant, PhD. He used to be the Director of Writing Assessments at ACT. Aha! I'm sure you've heard of ACT - The college academic achievement test. Dr. Bryant was responsible for coming up with prompts and scoring student essays for the ACT Writing Test.

   

How Did We Use It?

First, I'm always curious why a product is named the way it is. So, I had to find out what BetterRhetor meant. Was it someone's name. No, the person behind the program is Dr. Bryant. Is it a foreign word for Writer? Not really. What I discovered is that a rhetor is an orator. In writing, this refers to rhetoric. Rhetoric is the study of how writers and speakers use words to influence audiences. A rhetorical analysis is an essay that takes a non-fiction work and breaks it apart to explain how each part works together to create a specific effect. This could be to persuade, entertain, or to inform.
I had my eyes on this review more for myself than my high school senior.

What is college writing? It is not filling out worksheets and writing prompts. It involves persuasive and informational writings. It's conducting solid research and coming up with an argument, which often differs from your own opinion or present facts in a well-written way. It involves in-depth thinking and legitimate research skills.

I took the free mini-course and received the full curriculum to review. The full curriculum consisted of 25 lessons that I read and then marked as complete. At the end of the lessons, there are worksheets to download and complete. It is intended to be used at a pace of about 5 lessons per week to complete in 5 weeks. However, you can go at your own pace. Additionally, there is a section on Key Terms and one on the Culture of College Academics. The lessons are broken down into major concept headlines as:

Overview - Lesson 1
Planning - Lesson 2-11
Drafting - Lesson 12-19
Revising - Lesson 20-23
Finalizing - Lesson 24-25
Bonus Resources (Key Terms and the Culture of College Academics)

Lesson 24 provides an evaluation form for the instructor to make it easier to evaluate and grade the essay.
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What Did We Think?

I thought the course covered in good detail what a student needs to be college-ready in regard to their writing skills. I really like how the student can take his or her time completing each section and that it is presented in a written format to emphasize the importance and style of proper writing skills.

FIND BetterRhetor ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegereadywriting
Twitter: https://twitter.com/collreadywrite
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/collegereadywriting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegereadywriting

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Homeschool Review Crew - Jump In Writing With Sharon Watson

I was thrilled to get a chance to review Jump In, 2nd Edition  from Writing with Sharon Watson.

What is Jump In, 2nd Edition?

I received two paperback books:

• Teacher's Guide
• Student Book

The idea behind this new 2nd edition Middle School curriculum is to help:

New and seasoned writers learn important writng skills without tears!

It is presented in small, easy-to-digest lessons that teach writing skills at a Middle School level with bits of humor and a lighthearted presentation.

The Teacher Guide provides answers to daily lessons along with a specific grading grid for every essay assignment.

The student workbook is packed with easy-to-understand, step-by-step lessons that the child can understand. It is like the book does the teaching without a lot of need for the teacher/parent to step in until it's time for grading at which point, it includes answers and grading grids for every assignment.

The course contains a 286-page student book that consists of 98 daily lessons that can be used as a one, two or three-year plan.

WHAT'S NEW WITH THE 2ND EDITION?

This book is the 2nd Edition. I never used the First Edition, so I don't have any first-hand experience with what the changes are. Apparently, this new edition of the book begins with persuasion instead of exposition essays since a student who is reluctant to write is more likely to jump into writing a persuasive piece to convince the reader of an opinion they have rather than writing a full-fledged report. This 2nd edition moved the research report to the middle of the year after the student has had a bit more writing experience. This new edition allows students more writing practice before diving into essays. There are also some additional lessons about writing paragraphs. Students are also walked through how to proofread. One method used is a Mistake Medic. Each lesson includes a checklist to help students proof their work. This new edition also includes a section on how to write a personal narrative and two compare and contrast writing methods.

At the end of the book, students will have learned:

9 types of essays

a research report

story writing

poetry

and more important writing skills for learning compositional skills

How Did We Use It?

I sat down with my middle schooler and went to town diving into the book with me reading to follow the Teacher's Guide, and her following the Student Book alongside me.

I opened the Teacher Guide thinking I would have to take a lot of time learning how to instruct her, but she was already going to town figuring it out herself.

Keep in mind, we are talking about a girl who hates to write when required to do so.

What Did We Think?

I cannot express to you how easy this was to use. If it were software, I would describe it as a plug and play, only this was in workbook/teacher guide form, open and go with very little teacher prep required. My "I hate to write when someone gives me an assignment" child actually became pretty excited about this curriculum. I really liked it, too. I was impressed with how user-friendly it was and how it takes the process of writing at a pace that is perfect for reluctant writers.

FIND WRITING WITH SHARON WATSON ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writingwithsharonwatson
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/writingwithshar

Read what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew thought by clicking on the picture below:

Homeschool Review Crew - American Christian Literature Hewitt Homeschooling

I have a high school student this year who loves to read but is extremely careful about her choices for literature so I couldn't have been more excited to get a chance to review the American Christian Gr 11-12 Authors Pack from Hewitt Homeschooling.


Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew received the following. Some even had the opportunity to take part in the Hewitt Homeschooling paper evaluation service where you submit your student's essays and papers for evaluation. So, please be sure to check out their reviews to get a full picture of what Hewitt Homeschooling has to offer: Grade 1 Lightning Lit Set
Grade 2 Lightning Lit Set

Grade 3 Lightning Lit Set

My First Report

Gr 7 Lightning Lit Set 

Gr 8 Lightning Lit Set 

American Early-Mid 19th Century

American Mid-Late 19th Century

Speech

British Early-Mid 19th Century
British Mid-Late 19th Century
British Medieval
Shakespeare Comedies

Shakespeare Tragedies

British Christian

World Lit 1

World Lit 2 *~*

What is the American Christian Author Pack from Hewitt Homeschooling?

Hewitt Homeschooling dates back to 1963 when a group of professionals who were concerned about education and overall health and welfare of the family organized a foundation that was part of the pioneers of the homeschooling movement in America. Hewitt Homeschooling focuses on a flexible approach to schooling with balance with an emphasis on academics, character development, and instilling a work ethic and community service.

The American Christian Literature pack is part of Hewitt Homeschooling's Lightning Literature curriculum which teaches language arts through the use of whole books and classics, teaches deep reading and writing skills with the intent of increasing the student's love for reading.

While the company is very homeschool oriented, their books have also been used successfully in private school settings.

I received a glossy paperback 176-page student guide and corner-stapled, 3-hole-punched, notebook-ready teacher's guide pages.

The Student Guide

The Student Guide

The student guide is set up to cover either a semester or a full year's schedule. If you choose the semester, it is broken down into 18 weeks. If you choose the full year, it is stretched out over 36 weeks. Both cover the same amount of material.

The lessons are broken down into:

• Introduction
• The Selection
• While You Read
• Comprehension Questions
• Literary Lessons
• Writing Exercises
• Perspectives
• Appendices - Discussion Questions, Project Suggestions, Reading List, Schedules

At the beginning of each lesson, there is an introduction that provides a brief biography of the author and additional tidbits about the reading passage in the lesson. The selection portion is the literary work being studied. It will either refer to one of 4 of the books listed for use with this study or will include poems, essays, etc. on the pages of the Student Guide. The While You Read section includes a list of questions for the student to keep in mind while reading. Each section is followed up with Comprehension Questions, literary lessons, and writing exercises. Some include additional perspectives.

There are also Activities to Enhance the study suggested:

• Vocabulary Notebook
• Reading Journal
• Biographies
• Family Reading or Writing Night
• Oral Summaries
• Writing Group

The Teacher Guide

The teacher guide provides an introduction to the parents explaining how the student guide should be used, includes the schedules, writing exercises, discussion questions, and project suggestions. It also contains a grading guide and the answers to the comprehension questions.

How Did We Use It?

I knew from the start that my middle daughter would be perfect for a literature study. She lives to read, but is extremely particular about the words she puts into her mind and prefers Christian authors or topics that are edifying to her spiritual life. So, when I saw that I was chosen for the American Christian Authors Pack, I was excited and told her about it before it even arrived in the mail. I was anxious to get her reaction. Before I handed it off to her, however, I took some time to dive in and find out what it was all about.

My first order of business was to locate a copy of the first book that is covered in the program. I checked with my local library, but they did not have one. Thankfully, I was able to get my hands on the book elsewhere. When you purchase the pack from Hewitt Homeschooling, the books are included but were not for the purposes of my review.

Then, I began by reading the teacher guide which explains the student guide is written directly to the student and is set up in sections:

• Introduction which explains the importance of writing well, includes a short biography of the author, Lucy S. R. Austen, and provides topics to think about while reading.
• Comprehension Questions
• Literary Lesson - Each lesson teaches aspects of writing by using a specific piece of literature.
• Writing Exercises
• (Throughout the Student Guide there are also "Perspectives" which are informative articles that provide historical background to the piece of literature being studied).

The books covered in the course include:

• Can You Drink The Cup? by Henri Nouwen
• A Circle of Quiet by Madeliene L'Engle
• Godric by Frederick Buechner
• No Graven Image by Elisabeth Eliot

There are also short reading selections, poems, and essays that are included in the student's guide.

The student guide suggests that the students keep a journal and that they discuss the things they're reading with their parents.

What Did We Think?

First of all, I can't stress enough how happy I was that there was a literature program that covered Christian authors. Also, I really love the way this pack is presented with not only comprehension questions but also writing assignments and projects. I also appreciate that the importance of the parent/teacher reading along and being actively involved with the student in the study of each piece of literature discussed.

On a somewhat shallow side note, I want to add that when I presented the course to my daughter and asked if she would be interested in making it her full-year study of literature, she responded with glee that the book looks pretty, so she'd be open to the idea. Of course, I explained what the course was all about and talked about the authors and the books in the study before she decided to give it a go beyond whether or not the cover of the book was "pretty".


Please Note: There are some hot-button topics discussed, such as racism, incest, rape, murder, and homosexuality, making the high school level appropriate. When I discovered the authors chosen for this course, I will admit that I took pause and went back and forth wondering if I should present the material to my innocent daughter or not. I  do want to note that all is done in a manner that I did not find controversial or problematic, but rather serves as a critical thinking launching pad that opens up discussions to help walk the student through formulating their own thoughts on deep spiritual matters which establishing a moral framework. Still, I was happy for the heads-up about them presented in the teacher guide. Within the American Christian Literature course, these topics are discussed in light of God's power and love. There is an explanation toward the end of the Student Guide that explains why the spotlighted authors were chosen to be included in a study of American Christian authors. The author of the curriculum writes:

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. - It is my hope that you will do this with the authors and works in this book, and that they will give you the same encoouragement that they have given me.

FIND Hewitt Homeschooling ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HewittHomeschooling Tag: @HewittHomeschooling
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hewittonline Tag: @HewittOnline
Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/hewittonline/ Tag: @hewittonline
Google+: https://plus.google.com/118179952485411291615 

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Homeschool Review - Handbook for Writers High School to College Everyday Education LLC

Learning to write a well-written essay or research paper is a very important skill, not only to get through school, to write persuasive essays for scholarship purposes, but also to gain excellent communication skills for everyday life, so I was thrilled to get a chance to review the Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers (High School into College) from Everyday Education, LLC.

What is the Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers High School into College from Everyday Education, LLC?

I received a 420-page PDF version of this handbook. The book is based on two reference books written by Canadian college professor, Ian Johnston, that focused on essays and arguments as well as the elements of usage and style. The Handbook for Writers was edited by Janice Campbell based upon these books, edited to use American spelling and word usage instead of the Canadian version, and designed to be a reference guide for high school and college level students wanting to improve their writing skills and have a source of reference for other issues of grammar and writing. 

~*~ The authors are Ian Johnston, who is a retired instructor and current Research Associate at Vancouver Island University, and Janice Campbell who is the Director of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, is a writer and a graduated homeschool mom. She wrote Excellence in Literature curriculum for Grades 8-12, Transcripts Made Easy, Get a Jump Start on College, and Evaluate Writing the Easy Way. She also blogs about education.
~*~
After a short introduction, the book begins with sections that cover:

• Arguments
• Defining Key Terms
• Deduction and Induction
• Organizing
• Paragraph Structure
• Writing Arguments About Literary Works
• Outlines
• Critical Approaches to Shakespeare
• Phrases, Clauses, Sentences
• Words
• Basic Punctuation
• Pronouns
• Parallelism or Parallel Structure
• Modifiers, Gerunds, Infinitives
• Clarity Logic, and Structure
• References and Bibliographies
• Basic Format for Essays and Research Papers

Also included is a Keyhole Essay Graphic, The Six Sections of an Approach Paper, Things a Paragraph Can Do, and a Rubric for Writing Evaluation. Each section is quite detailed. To get a full pictures of what this book has to offer, take a look at a just a few of the pages in the 22-page Table of Contents:

 

   

 

How Did We Use It?

I presented it to my 9th Grade daughter. As I began to look through it, I realized that it would make a fantastic supplement to use with her existing writing curriculum. However, I was probably most excited about using it as a reference guide since I write online for a living and am always hungry for excellent reference guides. The guide is filled with exercises and information in more than 400 pages, so we did not complete the entire book during the review period, but I did look over the sections we did not complete to get an idea of what the book had to offer.

What Did We Think?

I really like the solid resource-rich information followed by exercises that reinforced what was learned. The book is packed, and I mean packed, with information. One of my favorite parts is the rubric on evaluating writing at the end of the book. It makes an excellent supplement to a writing or literature program, or it could be used as the core curriculum.

FIND Janice Campbell and Everyday Education ON SOCIAL MEDIA @:

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janicecampbell/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/janicepcampbell
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/excellenceinlit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicepcampbell
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JaniceCampbell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/everydayedu

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed:

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TOS Review - Talking Fingers

My child had reviewed Talking Fingers when she was younger, so I was curious to see what Read, Write & Type from Talking Fingers Inc. was all about when I had the opportunity to review this creative learning program.

What is Read, Write & Type?

Read, Write & Type is an online program that teaches children how to touch type while improving their reading skills by using a multi-sensory and phonemes (letter sounds) approach. It introduces letters as characters in the story/game. It is online at their site, and they also have a CD version available if you prefer.

There are 40 lessons that are intended for a child in the K-2 level, up to age 9 or to be used as ESL English as a Second Language. The program has assigned characters to each of the letters on the keyboard. The student proceeds to go through the lessons that are a series of interactive game-like learning segments. The idea behind the learning game is that there are 40 phonemes sounds that are represented by 26 letters in the English alphabet.

Find out more about details of how the program is set up, what skills it teaches and research to back it up!

Letters on the computer keyboard are introduced as pictured characters who live behind "windows" that correspond to the location of that letter key on the keyboard. The student interacts hearing proper phonetic sounds of each letter, speaking the letter sounds or words in some cases, using the mouse and keyboard, typing the letter sound as it corresponds to pictures whose name starts with that letter, and combining letters to work through various activities, such as getting Jack across a jungle gym on a playground by typing a series of J-space, then J-A-space, then J-A-F space, etc. Eventually, the student is typing words and then sentences using the proper left/right hand placement on the keys.

As part of the game play style of lessons, a green blob monster, named Vexor, is supposed to represent a computer virus, I believe. Vexor has stolen the letters on the keyboard, and with the help of Leftie and Right Way, the student works to get each of the letters back. Vexor also introduces new characters (letters). Whenever the typist gets it right, it makes the green blob angry.



And, then there is a bonus blimp that allows the child to play a "game" to get bonus points that show up on a certificate.




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How Did We Use It?

My 9-year-old sat down at my laptop and got the chance to experience the learning game. She worked through lessons online that were delivered to feel more like a fun game than learning time.

What Did We Think?

Overall, it's an interesting, fascinating, multi-sensory and fun concept of learning letters, especially if you have a young child. My daughter is a fluent reader with a high Lexile score for her age and was already familiar with all of the keys on the keyboard, so she was really almost too old to fully appreciate it. Throughout the learning game, you receive clear instructions as to what to do next which is great if you're new to or struggle with using the computer keyboard or need extra time to comprehend what was introduced. If you are faster than the game anticipated, however, because the characters seemed to have a pre-set pause after each instruction; if you try to type the answer too soon, before the instruction is complete, the program won't recognize the keystroke or mouse click. Sometimes, the cadence of the process didn't correspond with her interaction. She would type a letter, but it was too fast for the program to pick up on it, so it would proceed to re-instruct her even though she had typed it correctly. Though, she did seem to enjoy it overall. As a parent, I would have appreciated something other than a green blob monster virus as the main character as it added an angry element to give a game-like adventure feel, but it made her laugh. Another aspect I liked about the program is how when the child logs back in, even though it starts with a song you wait through every time, it then takes you directly to where they left off in the previous lesson.

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SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS - Find Talking Finger's Read, Write & Type online @:

Visit on Facebook, Twitter @ReadWriteType , and YouTube.

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