"I don't know what to write" is not the dead end. It's the doorway.
Welcome! I’m Carol Aubrey, creator of Incite to Write, a writing curriculum for homeschooling parents and teachers of reluctant writers in grades 3—8.
If you have a child who struggles with writing, you’re in exactly the right place. Like many parents of reluctant writers, you may be at a loss. But I’d like you to recognize one universal truth.
In the first year of your child’s life, they learned to do one of the most difficult things a human being ever does — they learned to talk. And if you want an idea of how remarkable that is, consider what it takes for a stroke survivor to relearn it as an adult. Your child learned to talk without any teachers, any handbook, any instruction at all.
That is because the desire to communicate is so strong in them. It is inherent in being human. That drive didn’t disappear. It’s just been waiting for the right invitation.
There is another reason for optimism.
“I don’t know what to write” is not a problem. It’s the doorway, not the dead end.
Education has always emphasized “I know.” But writing starts with “I don’t know.” It’s not a liability — it’s the doorway that can lead your child to the discovery of how their mind works.
The problem is that this process of discovery, of going from “I don’t know” to “I’ve got ideas”, is often overlooked. Rather than handing your child a prompt and hoping for the best, the Incite to Write Method teaches what comes after “I don’t know”.
Let’s look at how this works.
When a small child learns to talk, they ask questions because they are curious. Curiosity is innate. It’s the communication drive in action — the same universal instinct, taking its next natural step.
The Incite to Write Method reconnects your child to their own curiosity and their innate desire to communicate. It encourages questions first. By asking their own questions and answering them, your child generates ideas that become their own writing.
Want to try it?
Incite to Write is an easy-to-implement homeschool writing curriculum that teaches your child thinking skills first, then writing.
It consists of 4 Modules starting with Thinking skills and Paragraph Writing and then moving to Grammar / Narrative Writing / and Expository Writing.
Incite to Write’s strategies meet the ESSA Tier 1 evidence standard
— the same bar required for federal grant funding
— and used across five states in Title I programs averaging a 97% success rate.
Explore Incite to Write:
For Parents and Teachers of
3rd – 8th grade students
Downloadable Curriculum including
On-demand Teaching Videos
For Students, Adults, &
English Language Learners
One-on-One Tutoring
Writing, Grammar, Reading, Pronunciation, Public Speaking & Communication Skills
- Parents
- Teachers
- Homeschoolers of 3rd – 8th graders
- 4th – 12th graders
- Adults
- English Language Learners
- Module 1: Paragraph Building
- Module 2: Grammar Essentials
- Module 3: Narrative Writing
- Module 4: Informational & Opinion Essay Writing
*Modules contain downloadable activities, strategies, worksheets, and short demonstration videos.
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking & Pronunciation
- Conversational English for ESL students
- Business English
- Vocabulary