This blog is my attempt to document our busy but BLESSED lives raising and educating our children for His glory. A child of God, wife to one, and mom to 6 fabulous kids. We are in our 15th year of homeschooling using a Classical ~ Literature based approach.

Come along for the good, the bad & the ugly.



Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Creative Writing for the Christian homeschool from Creative Word Studio ~ a TOS review

Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Hooray! We have made it to the official last week of the 2020-2021 school year! Today I am excited to tell you about a new company called Creative Word Studio. McKenzie (rising 6th) and I have been working on the creative and fun process of writing with their book Sparkling Bits of Writing Book 1 instead of focusing on the traditional mechanics or grammar part of writing. 
Creative Word Studio was developed by Jennifer Yoder of western Ohio. They created this creative writing curriculum to make the creative writing process easier to teach in Christian homes and schools. Creative Word Studio has two books available and we were blessed to receive Book 1 of the series. 
Our book is a spiral bound workbook printed on heavy paper. Not cardstock, but heavy paper so that there is not too much shadowing or bleeding through onto the back. The front and back covers are also printed on a thick paper but are laminated to keep the workbook sturdy. Within the 75 lessons you will find black and white artwork sprinkled throughout the workbook. I like this feature because it does not detract from the lesson with brightly colored pictures.
Skills are broken down into easy to learn and understand lessons and there are no blank pages to scare the student out of writing. The book is broken down into three different types of writing lessons including:

Free writing ~ helps you get comfortable with writing on whatever subject you would like. The lessons typically have a writing prompt but you could write on any subject you choose. 

Reading Responses ~ help you analyze other people’s wiring while thinking critically. It’s a great way to help develop the important critical thinking skills in middle school. 

Mini-Writing ~ these are the fun writing lessons where you get to think out of the box and try something new. Some of the mini-writing pieces have a gold piece near the lesson number. These lessons are meant for the student to edit and polish to include a final draft. These can be graded if the parent chooses to do so.
   
This creative writing curriculum can be completed individually or in a class setting. A great feature of this curriculum is that grading is not necessary, however, it is suggested that the parent check the writing and offer feedback and encouragement throughout the writing process. A grading rubric is included as well as a list of writing tips in the back of the book to help the parent.
McKenzie had a great time working through this creative writing book! I think this is a great creative writing program that includes a variety of creative prompts and activities. She enjoyed many of the lessons she completed and is eager to continue using it. This is the perfect addition to our summer learning! 
Be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of this Book and Sparkling Bits of Writing Book 2 that was also reviewed by clicking the banner below! Creative Word Studio Reviews 


 

 Format ~ spiral bound worktext 
 Price ~ $15.00 *free standard shipping until June 30th 
 Ages ~ 5th – 6th grade 


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