The Write Foundation in a Co-op Setting
Originally The Write Foundation was developed in a one day a week co-op class setting with the goal of creating lessons moms could teach at home to one student while each lesson remained co-op friendly. Every lesson has been taught successfully at home and in a co-op settings.
The Write Foundation has been growing in popularity among parents who utilize homeschool co-ops in the Houston area. Co-op writing classes using The Write Foundation originated in the Houston area, taught by one mom, Rebecca Celsor. Ten years later Rebecca stepped down from teaching co-op classes. Her daughter Rachel, however, teaches nine co-op classes in 2012-2013 with over 100 students taking classes from her using The Write Foundation writing curriculum. Word of mouth is spreading the news about the amazing student success. Within one hour from where her daughter Rachel teaches, 5 other homeschool co-ops also use The Write Foundation writing curriculum.
When purchasing The Write Foundation, a downloaded folder, Additional Resources, is included with tools to help with teaching. One very useful tool for a co-op setting is the Teacher Presentation (TP) folder which coordinates with the student worksheets. Every lesson contains copies of the Teacher Presentation (TP) pages in the instruction manual with suggested answers filled in. The Teacher Presentation pages in the Additional Resource folder sometimes have the suggested answers filled in and sometimes the pages are left blank for the teacher to use them when brainstorming ideas with the students. Lessons can be taught with a variety of methods using the Teacher Presentation pages directly and or just using the information from the Teacher Presentation pages as a guide.
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At Home: Use the Teacher Presentation (TP) directly from the instruction manual. The student would write on the worksheets.
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At Home: Put the Teacher Presentation (TP) pages from the Additional Resources folder on your computer screen for your student to view. Your student would write on the worksheets.
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Co-op: Classes are easily taught using the Teacher Presentation pages on an overhead projector. Make transparencies of the teacher presentation pages to use. Transparencies may be obtained online with value pricing at
http://www.terschproducts.com/ -
Co-op: Another alternative is to write the information students need to copy on a white board.
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Co-op: A large chart (buy at a school supply store) could also be made and used for some pages where information is not being brainstormed, just copied.
Co-ops are structured in different ways. Some co-ops are structured where the teacher is not paid, but everyone helps with the work load. If the teacher is not paid then certain jobs and expenses should be shared to keep from overloading one or two people with work and costs.
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Students (parents) need to purchase their own worksheets and supplies.
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1 person should teach each lesson or the job could be shared with different people teaching different sections or alternate lessons.
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Others could grade (helps to grade during class time). Big help!
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The co-op needs to purchase an overhead projector and blank transparencies if possible.
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One mom’s job could be to make the Teacher Presentation transparencies to be used during the year. It is probably easier to make them all at once rather than week by week.
Grading checklists come in the Additional Resources with suggested points off for the required elements, which make grading much easier. The points can be adjusted to fit individual needs.
Other co-ops are structured where the teacher is paid by the parents of the students or the co-op handles the money and pays the teacher. When paid, the teacher will still need to determine if any assistance is needed from any other moms. Most writing teachers could use some help grading no matter how much they are paid. A teacher might want to scholarship a student or two and in exchange, the moms could help with grading. All students still need to purchase their own worksheets and supplies.
Some tools are more useful in a home setting, while other tools are designed more for a homeschool co-op setting.
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Assignments assist students working in a home setting and co-op while they complete their work at home. The assignments come in the student worksheets and at the end of each lesson in the instruction manuals.
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Daily Schedules are more for a home setting. Each lesson is organized in sections. In the Daily Schedule these sections are grouped together and then put into a 5-day session and also a 10-day session for teaching depending on how fast of a pace is necessary.
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Daily Schedules can also help a teacher organize the lesson for a homeschool co-op who is teaching classes 2 days per week.
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Grading Records, found in Additional Resources, are more useful in a co-op but can be used at home.
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Other tools are also included but are self explanatory.
Teaching writing seems like an insurmountable task for many parents who have chosen to homeschool their children; this is typically one of the key subjects where the responsibility is an overwhelming burden. Homeschool parents want to make sure their students are correctly, competently, and completely educated to successfully prepare them for life and college. They need tools that, if used as directed, will get their student ready by teaching them how to organize their thoughts where they can effectively communicate. The Write Foundation is a system that does just that.
If you need more assistance on how to teach in a homeschool co-op or a home setting, please contact Rebecca Celsor. Her goal is to get information and tools into teacher’s hands that make teaching writing a doable task.