Peer Editing

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool1 Comment

I chose one writing assignment from both 6th and 7th grade.

It is the English assignment from day 64 on the 6th level and the English assignment from day 40 on 7th level. If you have already passed those days, please consider sending in an essay. I posted my daughter’s 7th grade essay, but I can’t find hers from last year to post on 6th grade, so 6th grade is empty right now. I posted a poll for kids to check off which essay they read, so they can see who hasn’t received feedback yet. I plan on leaving them up for a while, so the kids could read more than one if they are interested. I’ll have to see how it goes.

Let’s give it a try.  I think it can only help.

If you want to take a look at the peer editing page…

Peer Editing

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool6 Comments

Here’s an idea, just an idea at this point. But I would need you to participate, so I want to know what you think. I’m not exactly sure how it would go at this point, but here are the basics.

Starting in maybe 4th or 5th grade I would choose a couple of writing assignments for the children to send to me to post online. You would have to include an email address, but not a name. I would need to know what grade the child was in and what assignment it was for. As the assignment, I would say to send me your essay and read and critique one of the other essays posted online for your grade level. I would offer direction for how to read the paper and how to offer feedback. They would send an email directly to the student who wrote the paper with feedback.

Children will be working on editing skills and hopefully be more motivated to do well in the first place!

What do you think? Would your children be willing to share their work? Would you be willing to include an email address for people to write you? I wouldn’t be previewing their comments. I really don’t think I want to be a go between. I will write in the directions to have a parent preview the feedback before they send it. It’s an idea. It would take time to get things on there to read.

Think about it and let me know. In the meantime, here are two blog posts by my online friend Jimmie who started a peer editing group at her homeschool coop.

Why You Should Start a Peer Editing Group

Teaching Writing with a Peer Editing Coop

Here is her peer editing checklist that I use in the curriculum already.

Middle School Math Update

Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool1 Comment

The Math Ages 10+ page has gone through some transformations. I’ve even added some to the high school section.

The biggest change is added courses to the middle school math program and some more direction for Khan Academy. I have completed the Khan Academy checklist. It’s 11 pages. The link to download it is on the Math 10+ page. I’m going to make you go there to download it because I want you to read the changes on the page.

I’m also making a Khan Academy page. It will probably be labeled as Step 1: Khan Academy and will appear on the right hand side with all of the other courses under the Math 10+ page. I am going to make a day by day for Khan Academy with links for the videos and exercises you should do. It won’t be 180 days. It will just be an order to progress through. I’m not going to put it right into 5th grade because at this point in math I know that kids are at different levels and some need more time to get through certain exercises.

I have two kids using Khan Academy this year. I’ve checked off what exercises they’ve done and today directed them to exercises they had skipped. I’ll have them fill in the gaps and then move forward, in order. At this point I’m not going to have them do review exercises. I want them moving forward. I do suggest that the 4th graders using this just stick to using the PRACTICE section of the site and do the suggested exercises and review exercises. They have time.

So check out the math page update and the new Khan Academy page.