Always discuss before they write a sentence.

Discussion time always requires a bit more effort on my part than I care to admit. But after letting it slide and seeing firsthand how much those five minutes changed the course of our writing time – I make the effort.

Taking the time to discuss what you have just read gives the students time to formulate their ideas and thoughts before having to write a word down. In other words, they will already know what they want to write before they put pen to paper, which makes the task so much easier!

Here are a few types of questions I like to use for our discussion times in our homeschool:

• Leading – This type of question is designed to pull out the most important information. (E.g., What are some differences between male and female lions?)
• Broad – This type of question will help you to see what material the students have absorbed. (E.g., What is one thing you have learned about lions?)
• General – This type of question will allow you to see what the students found interesting. (E.g., What did you find interesting about what we just read? or What do you remember from what we just studied?)

Need some help with writing in science? Check out the following episodes:

1. Ep 12 - Writing in Homeschool Science: The Elementary Years
2. Ep 13 - Writing in Homeschool Science: Middle School and Beyond