Story Circles World

09/09/2026

Sharing an interesting article about what's popular in kids lit at the moment - cozy fantasy is in! https://readingmiddlegrade.substack.com/p/middle-grade-publishing-trends-2026?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

02/16/2026

01/13/2026

A pretty exciting opportunity for students!

Take part in our national writing contest for grades 4, 5 and 6! Submit your poem or essay explaining what home means to you before February 20, 2026. Habitat for Humanity Meaning of Home contest

01/06/2026

Many children who read beautifully still struggle to write clear, confident sentences. As parents and educators, we feel that gap every day—between reading and writing, and between speaking and writing.

As a private English Language Arts tutor, my work has always centred on helping children find their voice and feel confident expressing their ideas. Over the past few years, I’ve been quietly developing something new: a more structured, story-based way to teach grammar—one that feels meaningful rather than mechanical.

That work has grown into Grammar Quest: The Wordheart Chronicles, a story-driven grammar adventure for students in Grades 4–6.

In the program, students follow two young protagonists, Luna and Jason, guided by Shaxper, the Keeper of Words, as they journey through a magical world where language has lost its power. Along the way, they explore grammar inside real stories—helping intergalactic travellers understand verbs, restoring order to misplaced prepositions, and discovering how nouns, verbs, and clauses work together to create strong sentences.

Classroom teachers know that something essential is missing when grammar is taught in isolation—but finding approaches that meet curriculum expectations and honour children’s love of story can be challenging.

Grammar Quest is designed to support what I call the Science of Writing: helping children understand how sentences actually work, so grammar isn’t something they memorize, but something they notice, test, and use as they read, write, and talk.

I’m opening a small Beta pilot (6–8 students) to help shape this project—and I’d love to connect with parents or educators who are having an “aha” moment reading this.

If this resonates, send me a message. I’m happy to share more and let you know how to be part of the Beta stage. And please tag a friend who might love the idea!

11/11/2025

Friends of Story Circles World: the most delightful news ever is that I now have a grandson! At a family birthday celebration yesterday, our thoughts turned to his education - though he's just two months old.

One strand of our conversation was about reading. My daughter, in a way that suggested she's worried she isn't doing it right, said that she hasn’t yet begun reading to him. This got us thinking about how babies acquire language.

Reading to such a young child may benefit him insofar as he hears a voice that he naturally loves, and he gains exposure to the sounds and the rhythm of language. But early, consistent, positive exposure to speech is what truly matters. Oracy - speaking, listening, communicating - is the foundation for literacy, and babies need oral interaction.

For me, the fun's just beginning. We're starting to have little conversations, and I've lost all my inhibitions about singing in front of others. I feel genuine two-way communication is taking place. He coos, I listen. I talk back, he listens, regarding me intently, and occasionally rewarding me with a flash of a smile.

At what age will he engage with books? Perhaps soon - but these little conversations, loaded with eye contact and mutual regard, are the business of the day.

10/14/2025

Thank you for helping shape a new creative grammar and storytelling course for children aged 7–12+. This short survey takes about 5 minutes. Your insights will guide how we make grammar more joyful, practical, and confidence-building. 📧 For questions, please contact Carolyn: storycirclesworld@g...

10/14/2025

It's survey fun time!
Please help me to move forward with this passion project in literacy. Here's a super easy survey form. If you've got kids ages 7-12, you're invited to jump in, spend 5 minutes, and have the chance to shape the next big course offering from Story Circles World.
Please do! And please share if you can. Thank you.🥰

Thank you for helping shape a new creative grammar and storytelling course for children aged 7–12+. This short survey takes about 5 minutes. Your insights will guide how we make grammar more joyful, practical, and confidence-building. 📧 For questions, please contact Carolyn: storycirclesworld@g...

10/10/2025

🍁 Happy Thanksgiving Weekend, everyone!

I’m developing a new online Story Circles World course to help children (7–12) build strong grammar and sentence-writing skills — with fun, story-based lessons!

I’m looking for a few parents to join me for a 15-minute Zoom chat between Oct 13–20 to share insights. These chats would be one-on-one and private.

👉 Participants receive 20% off any course purchase, now through Feb 2026.

If you or someone you know would love to help, please message me! 💬