• Writing Coach

Writing Coach

Worried you can't be the writing teacher your children need? Let an experienced coach step in and help you ...

Inspire and motivate your students one paper at a time, with an experienced Writing Coach—equipped with YOUR Sonlight program.

• Trade hours of critical editing for time with your family.
• Let a talented writer unlock growth, technique, and creativity in your students.
• Yes, your children and their coach use the same Sonlight materials.
• Not a class: you pay "per paper," for only the coaching your students use.
• Save money, too: membership is optional, but can pay for itself with 2-6 papers.

How to get better at writing (or anything): Practice with the best coach you can find.

Yes, you CAN teach your children well. With the right resources, you ARE able to help them learn what they need. But once in a while, even the most well-prepared mom can use help from an expert ...

I have told my husband countless times that, as a homeschool mom, I really do not feel adequate to teach writing. This ‘Pay per Paper’ coaching service is a real blessing to me, just what I was looking for ...

My son, Alex [age 11, using Sonlight^® Core 5], is also very encouraged, actually excited about seeing what his coach says. I am impressed—we will definitely use this writing coach service again. Thanks.”

—Angela B, December 2008 [her first year with Sonlight]

Your children's communication skills will probably impact their lives more than any other. It's the center of Sonlight's philosophy: early success in reading, writing, and language arts practically rocket-boosts their confidence and ability to learn in every subject. If there is one skill with incredible potential to reward any student who pursues it, that may be the art of writing.

Just one problem: most homeschool parents worry they can't be the writing coach their students need. We feel completely capable to guide students through material that comes with all the teaching helps—like an Answer Key!—but the moment our children express themselves creatively, we want only to praise them... not play the tough critic.

That's one great reason why our children have gym coaches, baseball coaches, and piano teachers. So they can get qualified help that we just can't deliver. But also (let's be honest) so we can "catch a little break" for ourselves, while the kids train and practice under the guidance of specialists with real skill.

That's why Sonlight has partnered with WriteAtHome^™ to link your students with an expert (and very affordable) Writing Coach—whenever you need one:

You can "hire" a Sonlight-equipped writing coach for your student any time you need one, with the new "Pay Per Paper" program from WriteAtHome^™.

Tip: if your students will write six or more papers this year, you can save money on expert coaching for every paper when you enroll your whole family in the program's one-year membership for only $12.

Fact is: there is no "answer key" for creative writing.

Many of us share a vague notion that, if we are meant to "be a writer," then somewhere deep inside our desire lies the complete, instinctive (yet untapped) knowledge of how to succeed. Countless bloody-fingered writers, hip-deep in crumpled paper and frustration, can testify: this is just not so.

Experienced writers know what athletes and musicians have long understood: "getting better" at any complex skill takes regular, concentrated practice. But real pros do NOT practice in isolation...

What do you think Michael Phelps could have achieved at the Olympics in Beijing if he had not worked with a coach, consistently, to reach his performance peak? Sure, everybody knows that dancers, actors, singers and athletes all need training. Not just exercise, fueled by personal ambition. But real "moves" (scales and steps, rudiments and routines) under the hawkeyed critique of a mentor or leader—who knows what to look for. A coach who knows how to help their pupil conquer any obstacle and reach a new, higher goal.

Like all great sports figures, every great writer has a great coach. An experienced teacher, who is also a seasoned writer and editor. Truly great writing coaches love the written word, and want to see your students really stretch and grow as confident writers—even gifted and passionate wordsmiths.

Why might you consider a Sonlight/WriteAtHome coach to read, proof, critique, and evaluate your students' writing efforts?

1. You may enjoy hours of reading, but would love to
   trade heavy editing work for family "bonding" time...
2. You know writing skills are critical, but you feel
   unqualified to truly motivate and inspire your
   students to ever-better results...
3. You've wished for help with teaching writing, but
   don't want a "generic" coach who can't (or won't)
   use your Sonlight program as their guide.

Use materials and resources you already have, and choose the level of coaching each of your students needs.

You can start using a Sonlight-equipped WriteAtHome^&trade Coach immediately, one paper at a time. There's no additional curriculum or software to buy. You simply let your coach know which Sonlight program each student is using, and they trade papers and coaching notes using email and the web. Students can write using most any "word processing" program (such as Word, Works, WordPerfect, Wordpad, and others). Their coach returns notes in convenient PDF format they can review on-screen with free "reader" software.

Connect with a dedicated Writing Coach who uses the same
Sonlight program as your student: visit WriteAtHome here.

How much coaching do your students need? "That depends," you might say ...

Sometimes your children may simply need an eagle-eye review of their "final draft." Other times, they may need their coach to give progressive, guided direction through the whole writing process. Your WriteAtHome^™ coach can deliver both, and you can choose—one paper at a time—which level of help each student needs:

Word Count:	Single-Draft Evaluation	Three-Draft Process
1-500	$20.00 ($18 with membership)	$48.00 ($42 with membership)
501-1,000	$26.00 ($24 for members)	$58.00 ($54 for members)
1,001-1,500	$32.00 ($30 for members)	$72.00 ($66 for members)
1,501-2,000	$38.00 ($36 for members)	$84.00 ($78 for members)

Family membership ($12 for a full year) pays for itself with just 2-6 papers.

Interchange with a real top-quality coach is, hands down, the best way to supercharge your progress in any skill. Yet familes often sacrifice the inspirational and practical benefits of a writing coach because such focused one-on-one attention can prove expensive. You, thankfully, don't have to make that sacrifice...

Forget expensive: Your students may submit a paper to their coach any time, for just $20 (that's for a single draft up to 500 words). Plus, you save $2-6 per paper off that price when you enroll your family in a one-year WriteAtHome^™ membership for a one-time fee of $12. That means you can connect each of your writing students to his or her own coach, and let them submit papers all year long. After just six single-draft papers (or two papers with the three-draft process), your membership has completely paid for itself... and your savings per paper keeps adding up.

But far more than the savings, we (Sonlight) believe you'll see real value in working with a Sonlight-equipped writing coach. That coach knows exactly what your students are encountering in their Sonlight programs, and knows exactly how to keep them engaged and motivated to improve their writing.

Expression in words is a subtle, complex craft. Everyone who wants to develop their best writing skills can (and will) learn more and more for years. Like athletes, musicians, and other skilled creative people, top writers can tell you—there's just no substitute for training with a great coach.

Your WriteAtHome^™ experience can go beyond Sonlight-tailored help from a Sonlight-equipped coach. You'll want to also sign up for their monthly email newsletter (free) filled with instructions and tips for eager writers to practice, information and updates related to the WriteAtHome programs, and more.

Should any eager student need (or want) even more coaching, you can check out composition courses for middle and high schoolers, plus a strong series of short (9-week) high school workshops on writing essays, research papers—even short stories. Find out much more at WriteAtHome.com.

One more proven tip for writers of any age: read more fiction ...

Consider letting a Sonlight-equipped Writing Coach draw new levels of success and satisfaction from your children. Consider letting yourself enjoy time with your family, when you'd otherwise be reading students' papers with a critical eye—not just for pleasure. And meanwhile, keep their bookshelves filled. Why?

Because reading fiction improves your social reasoning skills. If you don't already believe this, talk with a few writers. Or open the June 2008 issue of New Scientist magazine to their article detailing a recent University of Toronto study which showed that readers of narrative fiction scored higher on tests of empathy and social acumen than readers of non-fiction (or non-readers in general, of course). The proofs abound.

Bottom line: being a great writer means understanding an audience and finding ways to reach them. While you help your students practice the art and skill of writing... enjoy the practice of reading, too!