Dream Big, and other inspirational posters by Steve Henderson

This is the first of a three-part series on teaching your child to write, published in Deseret News:

In more than 20 years of home-schooling, I have heard variations on this sentence,

“I can’t teach my child to write because I don’t know my grammar.”

(Actually, the beginning to this particular sentence could be completed in all sorts of ways:

“I can’t teach my child writing/reading/grammar/language/chemistry/biology/any science at all/algebra I/algebra II/any math at all/history/music/art.” There’s a general theme here of doubt in one’s abilities. Frequently the solution, after trying all sorts of workbooks and curriculums that promise results, is to put the child back in a “real” school.)

Many people who are convinced that they can’t teach their children how to write without a strong grasp of grammar don’t realize an essential aspect of writing:

You don’t need to know grammar in order to write well.

Read the rest at Deseret News, and look for Part 2, on this site, tomorrow.

You know, as a homeschooler, you can spend a LOT of money on curriculum packets, workbooks, and texts. I have written two inexpensive books — available in paperback and digital format — that will help you out.

Writing and speaking better does not require an extensive grammar course. Grammar Despair in paperback and digital format at Amazon.com.

Grammar Despair: Quick, simple solutions to problems like, “Do I say him and me or he and I?” gives you, and your child the basics for writing, without having to get into the complexities of grammar. Short, friendly, easy-to-read chapters cover the major issues writers face, from the difference between “it’s” and “its” and “they’re,” “there,” and “their,” to knowing when to make paragraphs, to whether or not it’s really a sin to end a sentence with a preposition. Writing, and teaching writing, does not have to be agonizingly difficult, and this book gives you the tools and confidence you need to do the job well. Available through Amazon.com, paperback and digital format.

Available in paperback and digital format at Amazon.com

Live Happily on Less: 52 Ideas to Renovate Your Life and Lifestyle talks about finances — something all homeschooling families are aware of, because we’re usually operating on less than the “norm.” In 30 years of marriage, my husband and I have raised — and homeschooled — four kids on one very modest income. We own our home — mortgage free — as well as our land, car, and business, Steve Henderson Fine Art. We have no creditors. What we’ve done isn’t magic; it’s a lifestyle. Live Happily on Less doesn’t assault you with tips and weird tricks, making you feel stupid if you don’t do everything my way — rather, it walks you through your individual situation and teaches you how to make the sustainable changes that work for you. Available through Amazon.com, paperback and digital format.