Goose Bump Factor started as a way to share inexpensive decorating and organizing tips and ideas. Then, when I announced I was homeschooling my two boys a year ago, GBF developed into a blog that encompassed my new life as a homeschooling Mom, that also happens to be an interior designer.
I feel lucky to be a stay at home mom that has the opportunity to teach my children at home, and also have time for my other love...decorating!
But, as a new homeschooler, I am always looking for ways to simplify learning; as well as, maximize my time and resources. For the homeschooling parents out there that follow my blog, I think all of us are looking for writing tips and suggestions. Writing is so important, and for some of us, it does not come easily. So, any help for struggling students and parents alike, are usually very welcomed.
Well, lucky for Goose Bump Factor Followers, we now have Nikolas! He will contribute here and there on English, Grammar, and Writing Tips.
Welcome Nikolas!
~Nikolas,
I'm so excited to have you guest posting for Goose Bump Factor!
Here is a little note from GBF's new Guest Blogger...
"Hi, I'm Nikolas Baron. I live in foggy, beautiful, foggy San Francisco where I love going rockclimbing, drinking tea and reading. My job at Grammarly, an internet startup that makes an algorithmic proofreader, lets me spend most of my time researching how people are writing, what tools they're using and how they can improve their English."
Here is Nikolas' first Guest Post for Goose Bump Factor...Enjoy!
Top Five Trustworthy Writing Resources for Homeschoolers
My passion rests in researching and learning how to help others improve their writing and English skills. Whether it’s through what tools to use, what styles are trending, or the best writing improvement techniques, my work at Grammarly not only assists users but aids in enhancing our product strategy. Since writing is my passion, I thought I would share my writing tips and tools with the homeschool community and those interested in improving their writing skills.
A lot of topics can be tricky, even when you have all the resources of the Internet! Grammar, punctuation, syntax, diction, and style can be hard to learn and hard to teach. The rules of English change so much it’s hard for one to keep up! Plus, as children graduate from grade to grade, the complexity of each of these topics seem to grow as fast as they do. When you’re homeschooling, you want to give your kids all the best resources, and the Internet can turn out to be your friend! However, make sure to use it with care. It’s important to know which resources are handing out the best advice and correct information. I’ve collected my top five online writing tools I believe help create excellent syntax, correct sentence structure, good grammar, and teach the basics of awesome writing.
Here are my top five online writing resources.
1) Perdue O.W.L. (Online Writing Lab): I use the Perdue OWL all the time! It’s an excellent resource for learning grammar and mechanics, research skills, punctuation, citations for papers, writing well, teaching writing well. This site helps both the teacher and the student with the tons of resources available. The OWL even has resources for adults, including resources for professional writers and parents and help for cover letters and resumes. For a beginner or an expert, this is a tool even paid writers use all the time to improve their writing, style, and grammar.
2) Time4writing.com: This site breaks down all of the writing courses into different age groups--elementary school, middle school, and high school--to allow your child to get the help they need. Each child receives their own personal, certified teacher to lead them on the path to success. I’ve learned along the way that you can learn something from anyone, and you can’t be perfect at everything. It’s ok to reach out to a teaching website for additional instruction for your homeschooling program. If writing, grammar, and essays aren’t your strongest suit, this website can definitely be some help.
3) learning grammar: When your kids have to write long essays, use Grammarly for a grammar check. It’s easy to use, shows all the errors cleanly, and can improve word choice, which then improves vocabulary. It also catches errors that Microsoft Word can’t. I do love Microsoft Word for its word processing, but it doesn’t have the best grammar checker in the world. Trust Grammarly with your grammar, style, and writing improvement needs.
4) Son of Citation Machine: Eventually everyone’s young elementary school kids will grow up into thriving high school students with research papers and lengthy book reports that require many sources. Sometimes they’ll need to use APA and other times MLA. It’s important to know the difference between these two styles. Son of Citation Machine is an excellent teaching tool and website for learning proper citation.
5) IPL2: Longer papers and research papers can be a drag when trying to learn how to write them all on your own. If you want your children to succeed in learning how to write and research a paper, this website will be one of your best tools. IPL2’s step-by-step guide and links area will not only walk you through the research paper process but help you improve it with correct grammar, a proper thesis statement, organization, and citation!
That’s it! I hope you all learned a lot and that these websites help not only improve your child’s writing but make the learning fun! Happy writing!
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Thank you Nikolas. I can't wait for more writing tips in the future!
And as Always Happy Decorating and Happy Homeschooling!
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