Review of Time 4 Writing

For many parents, writing is one of those subjects that just seems too intimidating to teach.  Even if we are competent writers ourselves, we may feel ill-equipped to pass on that skill to our children.  Unfortunately, for many parents, it is also the subject for which it is most difficult to find a suitable curriculum.  Maybe, just maybe, many homeschoolers think, it would be better if we could just hire a writing tutor to come and teach our children this one subject.  No fancy curriculum, no gimmicks: just solid writing skills.  Time4Writing has heard our prayer!

Time4Writing comes to us from the same company that offers Time4Learning to so many satisfied parents.  While the product may be the new kid on the block, then, the company is not.  For the reasonable cost of $99 per eight week course, your child will have a certified teacher teaching him writing.  The course offerings range from elementary through high school levels, and cover everything from basic parts of speech to college-prep research paper writing.  It doesn't matter what level your child is at: you will be able to find a course to fit her ability.

I really appreciated this flexibility, since my nine year-old daughter is an advanced writer.  I wasn't compelled to put her in an elementary level class, just because that level was what her age dictated.  Instead, I registered her for Middle School Essay, and it proved to be a reasonably good fit.  Were I to do it over, I would register her for a High School level class, as I think she would actually have learned more at that level.

You need nothing for this class other than an Internet connection.  Your interaction with the teacher is through email (messaging) only; there is no video chat.  All of the assignments are laid out for the student from the moment of registration, and as she works through them, she submits them online to her teacher.  The teacher then grades them, comments on them, and returns them within 24 hours.

Time4Writing would be ideal for students who perform best for teachers other than their parents, at least in the subject of writing.  I have always known that my daughter is an excellent writer, but with only me to impress, she tends to be sloppy and imprecise.  When she knew someone else would be reading her work, however, all her commas were in place and all of her infinitives were un-split! What a joy! This course is also perfect for homeschooling households in which more formal subjects like writing tend to take a backseat to more fun subjects like (fill in the blank!).  If it's one of those subjects that you know you should get around to, but you just hate to sacrifice your read-alouds or your nature study, or whatever else you would have to give up, then give Time4Writing a try!

The feedback that both student and parent get is almost immediate (turnaround time on assignments is supposed to be 24 hours, although with our instructor, it would often go longer than that), and it is easy to track your progress on the "grades" section of the site.  My daughter's paragraph is in the blue rectangle.  Her teacher's comments are in red, and her grade is noted by the left-hand arrow:

Although I was fortunate enough to receive the course free in exchange for my honest review, I think that for the right family (like those discussed above) it is worth the $99 asking price.  You really do experience a one-on-one tutorial relationship with a qualified teacher.  If you want to give Time4Writing a try in your homeschool, be sure to visit their website:

http://www.time4writing.com/

If you still have questions, they can be reached the old-fashioned way at:

Time4Writing

6300 NE 1st Ave Suite 203, 

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334

954-771-0914

Don't let writing languish in your homeschool when there is an affordable, easy alternative just one mouse click away!


See what other members of TOS' Homeschool Crew thought of Time4Writing and its sister products Time4Learning and Spelling City here!