HANDWRITING and COPYWORK
Sentences That Use All the Letters of the Alphabet (No lines for copying, just a handy reference of 26 lettered sentences)
All Varieties of Lined Paper (do2learn) more varieties of lined paper (donna young)
Make Your Own Handwriting Pages
Make Your Own Handwriting Pages This one is better unless you want really small letters.
Print Alphabet Tracing You could laminate these and write and wipe.
Cursive Alphabet Tracing You could laminate these and write and wipe.
Alphabet Tracing and animated cursive–watch each letter formed
Handwriting Galore pages for each letter of the alphabet
Print and Cursive Alphabet, Sentences, and Blank Pages
Charts for various styles of writing
Handwriting lesson plan with worksheets for each letter
“A Complete Compendium of Plain Practical Penmanship”
“A Complete School of Penmanship at Home”
Handwriting worksheets lots of specialty worksheets
Billy Bank’s Alphabet Copybook
Famous Quote Copywork print and cursive
George Washington Carver Quotes Copywork primary lines
George Washington Carver Quotes Copywork medium
The Beginner Reader’s Copywork
Print Copywork — Bible verses, quotes, poetry, hymns
Cursive Copywork — Bible verses, quotes, poetry
Obadiah Copywork print and cursive
Scripture — This isn’t a link, but what about just starting to copy the New Testament straight through into a spiral notebook.
Sonnets Shakespeare sonnets
The Book of Third John print and cursive
WRITING
- Books
See Grammar and Writing Handbook on the “Grammar” page. These are books you can read online or print out for 1st through 6th grade. This is nuts and bolts stuff about writing about choosing words and forming sentences, etc. There is also a link to a 7th grade teacher’s worksheets for writing lessons.
Composition Practice Workbooks by glencoe 12th 11th 10th 9th Research and Report Writing
Online Textbook of Style (usage and composition) U (picture ads)
Young Novelist Workbooks (Elementary, Middles School, High School) These are 100+ pages on creating characters, forming a plot….
Writing Guidelines aimed at high school but useful for 5th and up
- General Writing Lessons
(see below under ideas for lessons and helps for specific types of writing)
Professor Pen M Great lessons for any writing
Time4Writing lessons, worksheets and online games in different writing categories for every level
Creative Writing Unit from Homeschool Learning Network
Creative Writing Lessons (with worksheets, readings…) from Walking by the Way
Creative Writing Lessons 10 lessons (says all ages, including adults)
Writing Guidelines 50 pages of tidbits like when to use who/whom, or the proper word order, or how to use a colon–good refresher for revising your work
Story Words — suggestions for transition words (good for putting in a mini office)
Tips About Writing: Sentences, Paragraphs, Essays Online
How to Teach Writing — until I get this broken down into specific links here’s Jimmie’s “lens” on do-it-yourself writing
The Writing Process Learn about the process of planning, writing, editing… made for 4th-7th graders
How to Write in a Circle L/M Take a book and plot out how it comes full circle. What makes a good ending? If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a clear example of writing in a circle. It brings you back to the beginning — he wants a cookie…
Create Characters Online writing tool
Peer Editing Checklist M Doesn’t have to be used by a peer
Main Idea
Animated Video (Brain Pop, free)
Main Idea/Details Online Learn/Practice Elementary school level
More Practice Online
Main Idea Lesson and Worksheet Practice for M/U
Online Quiz M/U
Five-Paragraph Essay
see Professor Pen (under general writing lessons)
One mom’s description of how her son researches, organizes and writes an essay M/U
(see 5-paragraph essay planner under “graphic organizers” below)
- Graphic Organizers
Compare and Contrast Online
Newspaper Article U — Planning
Note Taking collect facts for your big ideas
Observation Chart pre writing assignment
How to Write an Outline — online
Write an Outline Online writing tool (ReadWriteThink)
Paragraph hamburger
Five-Paragraph Essay “Map” Five-Paragraph Essay — Planning Outline for 5P essay
Persuasive Writing Organizer (download) Map Your Argument Online
“FIRES” Facts, Incidents, Reasons, Examples, Statistics (Jimmie’s Collage) (Persuasive Writing)
Story Board plan out the action
- Ideas
Older Reluctant Writers — Online list of topic ideas to spur interest
Writing Prompts by grade level (all grades)
What’s the writer’s purpose? M short, online activity–persuade, inform, entertain
All About My Family (All of your children can fill it out, but your older children could use their info to write an autobiography.)
All About Me — My Favorite Things (One idea: cut out the paper doll and lots of copies of the blank one. Fill in your favorites and then on each blank one write a sentence about one of their favorites. Pizza is my favorite food because…I like dogs because…)
Alphabet Book Use this online tool (choose option 1) to create a book with one word for each letter of the alphabet. Then work your way through writing a sentence on each page about your word and draw a picture.
Write an Autobiographical Incident (example as a lesson, made for 6th grade)
“My Turn” Essay U The Personal Essay U
Write a Biographical Summary Online graphic organizer (ReadWriteThink)
Write a Biographical Essay — notebooking pages, step by step, purpose, fact finding, organizing, writing, editing…
Book Report
Book Report Notebooking page L/M (Notebooking Fairy)
How to Write a Book Report for Upper Elementary, for Middle/High School
How to Write a Book Report and Book Report Ideas (interview a character, etc.) M
Book Report Forms L/M (from Aunt B)
Reading Response Sheet M (can be used for non-fiction)
Quick Response Book Report Form M/U (from Just Us)
Write a Personal Response to a Book example as lesson (made for 6th grade)
Write a Book Review example as a lesson (made for 7th grade)
Write a Literary Analysis example as a lesson (made for 8th grade)
Lesson Practice summarizing a book L/M character, setting, plot
Ideas Continued
see Professor Pen (under general writing lessons) for helps on these specific writing styles
Write a Cause and Effect Essay example as a lesson (made for 8th grade)
Write a Comic Strip Online writing tool (ReadWriteThink)
Write a Comic Strip with Professor Garfield
Write a Comic Strip with Media (Professor Garfield)
Write a Comic Strip with cartoon pictures–you choose
Compare and Contrast two versions of the same story
Write a Compare/Contrast Essay example as a lesson (made for 8th grade)
Write a Description example with tips (made for 6th grade)
Write a Dialog, Create a Scene with Dr. Suess L/M
Write a Fractured Fairy Tale Online writing tool (ReadWriteThink)
Write a How-to Essay an example as a lesson (made for 6th grade)
Write a Letter Online writing tool (ReadWriteThink)
Friendly Letter — parts of letter and tool to create online
Write a Mystery Online graphic organizer (ReadWriteThink)
Write a Novel “How to Teach 7 to 9 Year Olds to Write a Novel”
Compare News Media U Then prepare your own article/broadcast
Write a Newspaper (brochure, flyer, booklet) Online writing tool (ReadWriteThink)
Write a Newspaper Article Scholastic examples and outline with instructions
Here’s a mini course for kids on journalism M : interviewing, writing an introductory paragraph (They are sending the lessons week by week and I will add them here.)
Write a Persuasive Essay an example as a lesson (made for 6th grade)
Learn about advertising/persuasion/propaganda — then try some yourself — various links on this page at the bottom
Prompts, picture story starters
Write a Research Paper an example as a lesson (made for 6th grade)
(Find help with research skills at the top of the General Resources page.)
Resources for research — worksheet for evaluating if a resource is good for your research
Reviews U
How to Write and Give a Speech
Write a Story M, Narrative Essay U
- Poems
(see “poetry” under each year on the “Ambleside” page for lots of poetry to read online)
Poets.org Find Poems to Read
Listen to people reading their favorite poems
Read poems for children and Write Poems from Kidzone
Poems This has examples of many different types of poems (diamante, bio, concrete, senses, cinquain….) Try these poem pages out and write one of each kind–or lots of each kind and bind them into a poetry book.
Poem Types for Kids explanations and examples
Acrostic Poem Create one online after a brief interactive lesson
Diamante Create a diamante poem online–includes a brief interactive lesson
I Am From poem template
Letter Poem M/U Create one online–includes a brief lesson
Shape Poem L/M Create a shape poem online–with interactive lesson
Create a Poem Out of Literature U If you are looking for a new way to look at poetry beyond the formulaic, try out this activity. Use the download to learn about the activity and then use these links to try it online–I Have a Dream M, Holes U
Types of Poetry Wall Cards (or put them in your reference notebook, or print them out at 50% and make a mini-book out of it)
Transitional Words List (Write a story using some/all of these words. Can you use them in order? Can you use one in each sentence?)
- Rubrics, Standards
Writing Samples for every grade level
Long list of rubrics from McGraw Hill
Writing Checklist (active voice, verb agreement,…)
Five-Paragraph Essay created for peer editing, but can use alone
Persuasive Writing Rubric Another Guide for Persuasive Writing
Rubrics –read online– for the “six traits of writing” (content, voice, mechanics, organization, fluency, word choice)
