Writing Tips

Not only is it important that your child learn to read, but it is also extremely important to become good writers.  If your child is struggling with writing, here are some helpful hints and activities you can do with them to work on this skill. 

• Provide plenty of writing materials-paper of all kinds, pens, pencils, post-its-whatever will invite your child to explore writing in original, colorful ways.

• Provide a print-rich environment. Fill your child’s world with books, magazines, newspapers, and writing you have created. Young writers are ingenious borrowers and hungrily consume every writing tidbit the world around them offers. Older writers need a range of materials from which to draw ideas from as well.

• Write notes. Write a personal note and tuck it into your child’s book bag or lunch box. This can be a wonderful surprise and perhaps you will get a note back. Writing always doesn’t have to be BIG and formal.

• Choose some resources together. If you don’t have a thesaurus or dictionary handy, shop for one with your child. Practice using the tools as well. A scavenger hunt is a fun activity to try.

• Write together. Let your child choose the topic. Free write together for five minutes, then share the results. See what different directions your writing took.

• Prepare invitations. If you have a special occasion coming up, let your child prepare the invitations or announcements.

• Assess as a team. Put the traits to work by assessing together. It is fun because you get to be the critics. Begin with something short and assess it together using the scoring guides. This works with newspaper articles, magazine articles, or any piece of writing.

• Share how you write on the job. Do you write as part of your job? Almost every occupation writes something. Share how important writing is at your workplace.

• Be a writer yourself and get help form your child. Let your child see how you enjoy writing. Talk about the kinds of writing you enjoy the most. Have your child help you begin the writing process. Ask: How should we begin? What should we say? Is this too long or wordy? Should we use this word here? Should we rewrite the ending?

• Share your child’s writing (with his/her permission). This could mean helping your child publish a piece or simply sharing with a relative or friend. This broadens your child’s audience but also sends the message that you are proud!

• Create a photo album or scrapbook. Create a scrapbook called “a year in the life of…” and have your child write captions describing the photos. Work with your child to create a short introduction to the book.

Information from: http://communityed.stma.k12.mn.us/curriculum/Six_Traits_Writing_Tips_for_Parents.php

These are also some websites you can visit to learn more about your child's writing process and activities you can do to help.

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/

http://www.kidbibs.com/learningtips.htm

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