We are expanding our private tutoring and small summer classes at Character Ink! We have more availability now–and in five subject areas:

1) Writing–sentence, paragraph, report, essay, story writing; all levels; Directed Writing Approach to get non-writers writing immediately! Taught by a writing curriculum author of over 100 books totaling over 50,000 pages!
2) Math–from elementary through twelfth grade….your curriculum or one of our choice; remedial, brush up, SAT prep, and more. Taught by a math professional (former CPA and CMA).
3) Reading–from first grade and up; phonics, reading comprehension, reaching reading fluency, and more. Taught by curriculum author, elementary education degree and master’s work in Reading Specialist.
4) Grammar/Usage–taught in conjunction with writing or alone; parts of speech; punctuation; editing; spelling/structural analysis; and more. Taught by curriculum author and experienced teacher of over 100 students each year in grammar and writing for over 20 years.
5) Science–elementary through high school–basic science, earth science, physics, biology, advanced biology, chemistry; taught by experienced science teacher who has taught all of these subjects to many small groups for over 15 years and is a math professional.

Here is what I am offering so far in small groups and what times Ray has available for private kids. Please note that if I have three or more students interested, I can add an online class or face-to-face class to my schedule pretty easily, so check out my Meaningful Composition samples if you are considering a quick summer writing class for your students!

TWO SUMMER SESSIONS

First Session: Week of June 4, 11, 18, 25, and July 2

Second Session: Week of July 15, 22, 29; August 5, August 12

Ray’s Availability: Any week day or week night in SW Fort Wayne; some Bluffton/Ossian openings here and there; Saturday mornings in SW FW

Donna’s Private Availability: Mondays; Tuesday all day and all evening; some Thursday openings

Private Costs: Private tutoring for Ray and/or Donna is $30 for a 55 minute hour for once a week; $25 for a 55 minute hour for students who come twice a week (or one session with Donna and one with Ray). Students may miss one out of every tutoring session during the summer sessions without penalty (must attend 4/5 or 8/10 total private sessions). More than one miss per session requires a make up session or a payment. (These are summer guidelines only.) We always prefer to make up sessions whenever possible.

Donna’s Online or Face-to-Face Summer Classes—Tuesdays—(Minimum student count must be met)

First Summer Session: Tuesdays, June 5, 12, 19, 26, and 7/3

Second Summer Session: Tuesdays, July 17, 24, 31, and 8/7
*Complete Language Arts remediation for 4th-8th grade students who have not written three or more paragraph reports and essays—Tuesdays 12:00 SW Fort Wayne (We will use CQLA Level A for this class; one month samples are available at the store.) CQLA Summer Cost: $15 per week for a minimum of four weeks each session (preferably all five weeks); plus $10 per each five week session for their book.

*High School Writing/Remediation—grades 7th-12th who have not written four paragraphs or more of all types of writing with quotes, persuasion, and more (Jump Start book)—Tuesdays 1:30-2:45 (This is also excellent preparation for jumping into CQLA or Meaningful Composition classes in the fall!) Writing Summer Cost: $10 per week for a minimum of four weeks each session (preferably all five weeks); plus $15 per each five week session for their book.

*You Choose! –I would love to add an online class or a different in-person class to my line up this summer—check out the MC books at the store to choose a book for your student or group, and I will plan around you! (Note that this year’s in-person writing classes by Donna will be High School Essay in the first semester and Four Research Reports second semester; Jump Start is a wonderful way to get your upper level high schoolers ready for these two classes. Or we could do a creative writing class this summer if I had enough interest!) Writing Summer Cost: $10 per week for a minimum of four weeks each session (preferably all five weeks); plus $15 per each five week session for their book.

Call or text today for more information or to sign up! Decisions as to which classes will run will be made by June 1st and will be based on class enrollment. Donna at 260-433-4365.

The post Character Ink Private Tutoring–Writing, Math, Reading, Grammar, & Science appeared first on Character Ink.

My first Live Online Writing Class was a success! The students showed up and could see and hear me! I could see and hear them! They all had their books printed and highlighters ready. I didn’t get knocked off. It recorded properly. Yay!

The first lesson that we did (from my new book, Meaningful Composition: Jump Start, coming out September 15th) is our newly-developed (three years ago?) Writing Boxes. It’s an amazing tool that focuses on writing from a source, using original words and sentence structure, choosing words for their tone and purpose, adding describers that make a difference, and much more.

For more Writing Box lessons that you can purchase and download to use in your classroom, see the following books and downloadable products:

The Jungle Book Writing Boxes

Write On, Mowgli Level I

Write On, Mowgli Level II

Write On, Beauty & the Beast Level I

Write On, Beauty & the Beast Level III

Write On, Peter Pan Level I

Thought I would let you in on our lesson—and give your students a chance to follow along and do the lesson with us! Just download the part of the lesson I’ve included below and print it off. Then click on the video and join our little class!

Download the lesson here!

It’s not too late to join our class next Thursday (September 7). Check out the details of the class here.

Love and hope,

P.S. Which writing lessons would you like to see on video? Check out the sample lessons in Meaningful Composition at my store and request a video lesson today!

Preview the pages in this lesson below, or download the PDF here!

The post Writing Boxes Video Lesson (Downloadable Lesson Pages Included!) appeared first on Character Ink.

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Have a question you are wondering about for a future Wondering Wednesday?  Email Donna here.

Not signed up for our Freebie Fridays?  You can do that here! 🙂

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Character Ink Cottage Classes is offering summer school classes and private tutoring!

What: Small Group Classes and Private Instruction for reading, writing, and grammar

When: Thursdays; two five-week sessions; commit to one or both (at least four out of five weeks)
First Sessions June 2, June 9, June 23, June 30, and July 7
Second Session: July 14, July 21, July 2, August 4, August 11

Where: Reish home near Homestead High School (Aboite area)

Who: First through twelfth graders; public, private, or home schoolers

Classes: May offer others if interest is there…contact us!
-Upper elementary language arts (CQLA Level A)
-Jump Start writing (seventh through high school with minimal writing experience)
-High school five paragraph/timed/SAT and ACT essays

Tentative Schedule: We are flexible with summer classes!
-8:30-9:15 Open
-9:15-10:00 Open
-10:00-10:45 Jump Start
-10:45-11:30 High School Essay
-11:30-12:30 Private student (slot taken)
-12:30-1:15 Upper Elementary language arts
-1:15-2:15 Private student (slot taken)
-2:15-3:00 Open
-3:00-3:45 Open

Cost: $10 per class of three or more students; $21 for private tutoring slot

Homework: One hour of homework per week during the session the student attends

To register:
(1) Email, text, or call Donna to confirm class time and availability or private student (260-433-4365 or characterinklady@gmail.com)

(2) Once confirmed, email Donna with the following: Session I or Session II or both; Student name and grade; Parent name, email, phones

(3) Payment due by May 20th in order for hold spots. Pay for one session at a time with check to Donna Reish, 11120 Aboite Center Road, FW, IN 46814 or Paypal characterinklady@gmail.com

a) Classes—$50 plus $20 book fee=$70 for a session (subtract $10 if you know your student will miss one class)
b) Private—$105 plus $15 book fee=$120 for a session (subtract $21 if you know your student will miss one session)

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Have a question you are wondering about?  Email Donna here.

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Have you subscribed to our weekly newsletters yet?!  Here’s a peek at what you’ve missed! You can get weekly newsletters delivered to your inbox by signing up here 🙂

If you have been considering using our new Meaningful Composition books, you are in luck! Since we will have so many new titles—and most of the old ones are revised—we have decided to offer a MC sale for back-to-school this year! Three years of re-writing, writing new, developing new techniques, and testing books with a hundred students each week—and now we are ready!

→Find out more!

Ray Reish, owner and operator of Character Ink Publishing Company and Raising Kids With Character parenting seminar, brings you this short, informative, motivating podcast episode in which he answers readers’ questions about husband involvement in goal setting, connecting in marriage, and leading the family. Ray offers fathers three connecting times that he has found to bring about real change in his home and security to his wife (and children): (1) Husband-wife meetings; (2) Daily Connect Time; (3) Dates. Pass this episode on to fathers who want to lead their families with love, selflessness, and faithfulness!

Listen Here!

Perfectionism is extremely detrimental to a family, especially when it is in the form of a perfectionistic mother. First of all, a perfectionist is super hard on herself. She never feels that she gets things done because oftentimes she really doesn’t due to the fact that everything has to be perfect—and, of course, that never happens. Secondly, it is hard on the family. Her expectations are often unrealistic, and this alienates her from her husband and her children. They know they can never please her, so they just give up trying—and often try to avoid her disapproval altogether.

Read More→

I had one of those real “Let’s eat, Grandma” vs “Let’s eat Grandma” instances in writing class this week–and it was so much fun!

The student’s sentence read something like this “When the chimps ate Mike began banging the cans together.”

Thus, it sounded like this (without the comma that was needed): “When the chimps ate Mike…”

Do you know why the comma is needed there? (Besides the obvious fact that the chimps did not eat Mike? 🙂 )

Find out why 🙂 →

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The post This Week’s Character Ink! Newsletter {July 24, 3015} appeared first on Character Ink.

Have you subscribed to our weekly newsletters yet?!  Here’s a peek at what you’ve missed! You can get weekly newsletters delivered to your inbox by signing up here 🙂

When homeschooling moms hear the word “schedule,” they either cringe or celebrate. It seems that there is a division of camps when it comes to scheduling. While those who “celebrate” the schedule might be guilty of micro-managing their children and maybe even putting undue pressure on them, those who ‘cringe” when confronted with the idea of scheduling might suffer from a lack of productivity due to their disdain for schedules.

I have found that you do not have to have a love-hate relationship with schedules, but rather you have to figure out which type of homeschooler you are—one who loves schedules and wants to follow one to the letter or one who doesn’t care for them and would do better with a looser type of schedule that still provides some sense of structure.   Read More→

Every day it is the same thing—more Duggar articles, updates, and tidbits coming through my FaceBook feed. Everybody has an opinion—from one extreme to another.

While I met the Duggars fifteen years ago when Mrs. Duggar and I both spoke at the same conference (me on how to teach writing and language arts and her on how to manage a family of eight or ten kids! 🙂 ), I do not know them personally nor have I ever watched their show or heard them speak (outside of that conference).

The truth is that none of us know the truth about the Duggar situation. People write blog posts and articles as though they know first-hand the exact time line and the decisions and moves that were made. I have a policy of never writing about something that I know nothing about, so this post will not delve into the Duggars’ problems.

Read More→

Okay, I realize that most of my readers are not in their golden years. However, most will be someday. And I’m finding that, that someday is not quite as far away as I like to think for me, LOL.

This week when I was cleaning my office, I was reminded of a really great way to have  memories close by in your golden years. I was going through old files, cleaning out drawers, and organizing when I came across several notes, cards, and letters from my kids. And some from them to each other.

I had to send my assistant out on a quick errand here and there in the garage because it was hard to keep the tears from coming down. In rereading these notes, I was so happy that I started the practice of tucking cards and notes in various places – under the silverware caddy, in my underclothes drawer, in my hairbrush basket, and more.

Read More→

It has been said that when a banker or a counterfeit money “agent” learns about counterfeit money, he or she begins by learning what the real thing looks like.

I use this same approach to teach about sentences, clauses, and phrases in my language arts and writing books (Character Quality Language Arts andMeaningful Composition): teach the students what a real sentence looks like—and then teach what are not real sentences.
I teach what a sentence contains using a simple acronym: CAVES

Read More→

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The post This Week’s Character Ink! Newsletter {July 16, 2015} appeared first on Character Ink.

Have you subscribed to our weekly newsletters yet?!  Here’s a peek at what you’ve missed! You can get weekly newsletters delivered to your inbox by signing up here 🙂

One of my husband’s favorite stories to tell/points to make in our “Reaching the Heart of Your Teen” seminar/workshop is also the most fitting way to describe his parenting style. The story comes from the book of II Samuel and the point is found within the story of Absalom standing by the gate of the city…Read More→

Yes, you read that title right! Our twenty-one year old engaged son (soon to be married–in four months!) NEEDS his parents.

(As a side note, ever since we have had sixteen, eighteen, and twenty year olds, we have believed that sixteen to twenty is actually the highest need time for our kids in terms of parental guidance and input….but that is another post for another day.)

There are key things that we can do to help Jonathan be a great boyfriend, awesome fiance–and soon, fantastic husband!  Read More→

When I first began home schooling thirty years ago, I had just graduated with an elementary education degree. I had a one-year-old son, and we began home schooling my younger sister. Of course, coming right out of teacher’s college, I began doing things just like I would have done in my classroom. I soon discovered that all of the classroom things were not necessary – that those things were needed for mass education but not necessarily for one-on-one tutoring (or even small group instruction). Read More→

Wowsie, sometimes I really miss BBQ—you know the sweet, yet spicy/tangy, taste of BBQ ribs from Outback or pulled pork from a street vendor at the fair? And when I start feeling that way, I know that it is time to pull out my Sugar-Free Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce and make something yummy!

And in grilling season, this is just the perfect dish—without any of the guilt or sluggishness associated with sugar-laden BBQ sauces. Read More→

Donna Reish, author of forty curriculum books for homeschoolers and Christian schools and co-author/co-presenter of “Raising Kids With Character” Parenting Seminar (and blog), brings you a practical episode of Wondering Wednesday! In this week’s episode, Donna answers some of the questions that she is often asked about freezer cooking—with ten questions you want to ask yourself before you begin freezer cooking. Listen Here!→

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The post This Week’s Character Ink! Newsletter {June 25, 2015} appeared first on Character Ink.