Learning to write well takes a coach, not a curriculum.
Writing is an essential skill across academic and adult life, but it’s one few today learn to do well.
No matter what we do in life, the ability to express our thoughts and ideas clearly with words – written and spoken – is applicable.
What is the use of knowing something if you can’t communicate it? Writing is the art that embodies and showcases our education.
Become a classical writing coach for your kids!
“Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the language is harsh.”
– Writing advice from Quintilian, c. AD 95
Teach Writing Classically
Instant Access Training
from STUDENTS
Good reading is necessary to good writing, but not adequate.
WE MUST ALSO GIVE OUR STUDENTS PRACTICE AND FEEDBACK –
1
READING WELL WON’T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN YOUR CHILDREN WILL WRITE WELL.
2
STYLE SKILLS ARE GROWN BY READING ALOUD – OTHERS’ WORK AND THE WRITER’S OWN.
3
WITHOUT FEEDBACK & REVISION, STYLE & SKILL CANNOT IMPROVE.
register for this CLASS
Anyone – mom or child! – can learn to write using these simple, endlessly variable exercises.
A mom with a basic grasp of the plan is better than any writing curriculum.
Introducing
TEACHING WRITING CLASSICALLY
with the progymnasmata
- 30-minute video explanation of each of the progymnasmata exercises
- 10 10-minute segments on how to give students constructive feedback
- 3 Q&A sessions
- Sample assignments you can copy or adapt
- Quick start printables summarizing each exercise
- A flexible method that you can work through over 10 weeks with high schoolers or over 7 years starting with 10-year-olds.
- A simple way to integrate writing with any and every other subject you’re doing in your homeschool
- Discussion and collaboration with other homeschool moms using the progym with their kids and co-ops.
TEACH WRITING CLASSICALLY: The Progymnasmata Made Simple will help you
Renee Shepard – homeschool mom of 6
Meet Renee.
Renee was one of the fortunate few to be homeschooled back when that wasn’t really a thing. When she had her own children, she wanted to provide an even better education for them.
That drove her to a study of classical education and over the last 10 years she has been homeschooling her children while staying a step ahead of them as she completed her Masters in Classical Christian Studies at New Saint Andrews college. She has been teaching the progym at various homeschool co ops for the last 5 years.
KAREN HEAD, progym student
“
I would recommend the Progym. I have taught IEW and have LTW, but the growth I’ve seen in my students writing this year with the Progym has been more than I expected.
It is manageable. It has helped one of my students, who absolutely despised writing and didn’t think he could do it, have confidence and enthusiasm for writing. The Progym is easy to tailor to the time available and the ability of the student.
I have looked at several of the prepared Progym curriculums and they all make it more difficult than it needs to be. If you were to use those as written the writing would become laborious. They are a good place to glean ideas, but not good for handing over to a student to work through
Karen H.
Classical writing is about more than communication skills. Writing is thinking.
What is the progymnasmata?
Ancient and medieval educators wanted more for their students than to write clearly. Their first goal was to form a love and desire and aptitude for virtue in their students – and they did it even in how they taught writing.
Instead of asking students to have something original to say or to dwell on their own experiences, teachers gave them models that were not only excellent in style, but excellent in content. These the students studied, imitated, and recited.
The progymnasmata was designed to be both writing instruction and character training in one.
We still can and should do so today.
This is professional development you need as a homeschool mom.
TEACH WRITING CLASSICALLY
Anyone – mom or child! – can learn to write using these simple, endlessly variable exercises.