How to Engage Homeschoolers in Essay Writing with 10 EdTech Tools

By Jessica Mills

Homeschoolers have great flexibility to organize their learning time in a way that won’t make them feel burdened by expectations. However, there are still some standards they have to meet in order to get high-quality education from the comfort of their homes. Essay writing is one of those requirements. Are you wondering how you can develop academic writing skills, which are absolutely necessary for success on standardized tests? The following EdTech tools are the solution!

Novelguide

The ability to convey a written message cannot be developed without proper reading skills. When the student reads, he needs to understand the essence of the piece. At this website, you will find guides on some of the most important pieces of literature that are necessary for everyone’s education. Each guide comes with a plot summary and discussion & questions section. When you want to make sure that your student has proper understanding of the novel he just read, find the proper guide at this website.

Writing.com

This is the ultimate resource for writing practice. Each user is allowed to make contributions. The community’s feedback is an invaluable motivator for progress. When homeschoolers share the essays, short stories, articles, and anything else they created, they get a chance to receive tips that will improve their overall approach to writing.

The Easy Essay

This automated tool gives form to the thinking and writing process. It is a simple template that students at all levels can use. The first step requires the user to enter a title for their essay, and summarize the fact they need to prove. Then, the tool will ask the user to write three reasons that support that fact. The Easy Essay will provide a clincher statement that will serve as a conclusion. The next section asks the users to provide three statements that support each argument, so they will finally come to a template they can use as a foundation for the project.

Teen Ink

The college essays on this site set a good example for every homeschooler. The sole activity of reading these awesome essays will improve the student’s grasp of style and structure. The featured essays may be motivational, educational, or personal. The papers are written by teens, so students can easily understand the arguments.

Online Writing Lab

Not every parent of a homeschooled student is a master of essay writing. Nevertheless, everyone has to do their best for the child to understand all steps of the process. When you lack the knowledge and skills to give instructions on academic writing, you can visit the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University where you will find information to assist with many writing projects. This service offers general writing assistance to students of all ages, no matter their skill level. Teachers and tutors may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction. In addition, you can use the writing terms and the essay guides as resources that will help your student practice essay writing at their own pace. That’s not all; you can also access subject-specific writing, job search writing, and research and citation resources.

Essay Forum

When you cannot answer all questions regarding essay writing, this is the right place for your homeschooler. At this forum, the users can get help through all stages of the creation process. The topics are very precise and the answers usually guide the discussion to a clear conclusion. Collaboration is an essential aspect of homeschooling. Thanks to this website, your student will become part of a community that’s always willing to help.

Thesis Builder and Online Outliner

Tom March developed a tool that has simplified the essay writing challenge for a great number of students. First, the student will need to develop a topic for his paper. If this part of the work is not done, you can access a list of example topics from different niches. Then, the tool will help the student create a good thesis statement for the essay. This statement is important, since it forms the foundation of the entire paper. Finally, the tool will generate an outline that will guide the student through all phases of completion.

Essay Punch

Every student needs to organize their thoughts and make constant progress when it comes to communicating their ideas in writing. When parents cannot provide the needed motivation, they can use pre-set writing prompts that will spark the student’s creativity. In addition to prompts, Essay Punch also features online interactive exercises that help homeschoolers approach the writing process without perceiving it as something dull. You are allowed to post your own questions, so don’t hold back and ask for the solution you need.

Read-able

This is a readability test tool that offers invaluable help during the editing stage. Readability is a very important aspect of the overall impression for the paper. A young student won’t understand the parameters offered by this tool, but parents can easily evaluate the score and understand where the writer needs to improve. The tool provides scores for the most used readability indicators, such as the Automated Readability Index, Coleman Lieau Index, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, and more.

SpellCheckPlus

This is a grammar and spelling checker that’s superior to the one integrated in MS Word and other text processors. The tool is very simple to use; all you need to do is type or paste the content in the designated field and click a button. The free version enables you to check a text of up to 250 words, but you can check the essay in sections if its length surpasses that limit. Don’t forget: this is an automated tool after all, so it cannot replace a real editor.

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