Because of COVID 19, more parents than ever will be homeschooling their kids for the first time as the new school year begins. My mother was a homeschooler for 13 years, and so I’ve seen firsthand how tough the job can be! If you’re new to homeschooling, rest assured that your child won’t be the only one who’s learning- you will be too! In fact, believe it or not, the homeschooling process can actually help you learn to be a better writer. In this week’s article, I’ve collaborated with my mom! We’ve combined her homeschooling experience with my copywriting and English background to bring you the 4 ways homeschooling can make you a better writer!
Point 1: More Homeschooling Means More Grammar
Homeschooling your child and teaching English means you’ll be revisiting all the grammar fundamentals you learned years ago! Do you recall much about subjects, predicates, direct objects, transitive verbs, and parts of speech? You will after you homeschool.
Use it or lose it applies here. Depending on your child’s grade level, all the basic grammar fundamentals we take for granted in adult life will become more salient again. If you’re like most parents, it’s probably been ages since you’ve diagrammed a sentence or spell checked anything without Microsoft Word or Grammarly. But the simple spelling and grammar exercises in your textbooks and worksheets will cause you to think more critically about your own spelling and sentence construction. As you teach your child best grammar practices, these habits are sure to rub off on you over time and you’ll become a stronger writer. This brings me to my next point…
Point 2: Rethinking Bad Writing Habits
Are you a habitual split infinitive user? Do you use its instead of it’s? Dangling modifiers? These bad habits will probably become a thing of the past because of homeschooling. Why? Because as you teach your homeschooling English curriculum, one of the best tools you have is to show yourself as a writer to your children. As I was growing up, my mom would take part in the storytelling herself to give more fun and excitement to English lessons. This is because sharing your own stories and completing writing prompts along with your child is a great way to get them excited about English and writing.
Your participation, however, is a double-edge sword because it also forces you to use sound grammar if you wish to avoid the “do as I say, not as I do” syndrome. My mom vouched for the fact that her own spelling or grammar woes stood out more after her first years of homeschooling. If you keep your grammar in tip-top shape, you’ll not only set an outstanding example for your children to strive for as you teach, but you’ll also become a stronger writer yourself!
Point 3: Creativity
Think about your own professional pursuits. Do you head up lots of volunteer projects? Are you an entrepreneur (or thinking of starting your own brand)? A work-from-home mom? Homeschooling will help you become a more creative writer in your own work or brand. Here’s why:
- You’re more likely to be exposed to creative literary work and fiction. As a homeschooler, you’ll be taken out of your comfort zone and usual habits as an adult reader. You’ll be exposed to literary devices that are popular in children’s reading- such as homophones, Onomatopoeia, or alliteration. If you need to write any form of copy or content for your own brand, learning to master these creative tools will come in handy by helping you create memorable content that stands out.
- You’re more likely to come across creative adjectives or sensory words. These words can inspire you in your own endeavors or brand narrative. With younger children, their vocabulary lists will be more basic, and you’ll already be familiar with them. However, older children will have more difficult vocabulary lists, and those PSAT/SAT flashcards will definitely come in handy for broadening your own vocabulary.
- You’ll be a more nimble brainstormer. As you incorporate writing prompts and exercises into your homeschooling curriculum, you’ll learn a great deal about the pre-writing phase of the writing process. Leading your children through this creative brainstorming phase of writing will stretch your own imagination and force you to think out of the box to develop a strong brainstorming process. These same brainstorming methods can help you become a better writer for your own content development, copy, or creative pursuits.
Homeschooling is not easy, but few things are as rewarding as the experience. If you’re a new homeschooler trying to adjust to virtual learning or homeschool, I recommend you explore as many resources as you can online, and connect with other homeschooling parents you know for ideas and support! The good news is, homeschooling is more popular than ever, and there are an abundance of resources. It’s also important to keep in mind that by homeschooling not only affects your child and their education, it’s also impacts you. Whether it’s becoming a more effective writer, or developing better brainstorming techniques, the homeschooling journey will enrich both your personal life and your child’s.
If you happen to be a mompreneur (or dadpreneur), check out our writing toolkits. We like to think of them as “homeschooling resources for adults” who need writing help for their small businesses! Click here to learn more!
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About the Author
For most of my life I’ve had a passion for the word- for its power and its ability to captivate, tell a story, and bring life. Writing is an instinct for me and I love discovering fresh ways to tell stories for my clients. I also love helping other writers become more effective. To learn more about my story, click below.
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