Writing Help

Writing is an important part of our daily lives. It is, however, a difficult skill to learn and master. By getting a head start with some simple activities, you can help your child begin to develop her writing skills at an early age. By doing so you will be contributing to her future success as a student and as an adult while teaching her how to express herself.

In this article from Colorin Colorad, we provide some reasons that writing is an important skill for people of all ages, as well as a list of suggestions that will help your child become a stronger writer.

Writing is practical.

Every day, we need to write in order to complete our tasks, whether we are filling out a form at the doctor's office or writing an important letter. These tasks require us to write clearly, and organize information effectively.

Writing is an important element of a student's education.

Whether students are writing by hand or on the computer, many assignments and exams require students to write short answers or longer essays as a way of assessing what they have learned. As students get older, they will be expected to show more sophisticated writing skills, and to complete more sophisticated tasks through their writing. In addition, many colleges and universities require students to write essays as part of their admissions application.

Writing can be an important element of an employee's job.

Employees in many kinds of jobs are required to write on a daily basis. Perhaps they are taking phone messages and doing administrative work, or writing research reports and newspaper articles. Whatever the task, their ability to do their job well may depend on their ability to write. Many job applicants also must submit a resumé and a letter of application when applying to a new job.

Writing is an important form of communication.

Writing letters and emails is a common way of keeping in touch with our friends, relatives, and professional colleagues. Writing is frequently the final stage in communication when we want to leave no room for doubt, which is why we write and sign contracts, leases, and treaties when we make important decisions.

Writing can be an important outlet.

Many people find writing to be therapeutic, and a helpful way to express feelings that cannot be expressed so easily by speaking.

It's important to remember that writing can be as difficult a subject to teach and assess as it is to learn. Many students have trouble writing with clarity, coherence, and organization, and this can discourage them from writing if they feel frustrated.

That's where parent involvement can make a big difference. Encouraging your child to develop strong writing skills at a young age, and to become a better writer as she gets older, can have a lifelong positive impact on her writing, and may make writing an easier and more enjoyable process for her

To get you started, the Department of Education offers a number of ideas of things you can do help your child become a stronger writer. While many of these ideas apply to younger children, they can be adapted for older children as well. To learn more about ways to support your children if they continue to struggle with writing in middle and high school, read Tips for Parents of Struggling Adolescent Writers.

• Make sure your child sees you writing: He or she will learn about writing by watching you write. Talk with your child about your writing so that they begin to understand why writing is important and the many ways it can be used.

• Encourage your child to write, even if they are scribbling: Give your child opportunities to practice writing by helping them sign birthday cards, write stories, and make lists.

• As your child gets older, write together: Have your child help you with the writing you do, including writing letters, shopping lists, and messages.

• Suggest note-taking: Encourage your child to take notes on trips or outings, and to describe what she saw. This could include a description of nature walks, a boat ride, a car trip, or other events that lend themselves to note-taking.

• Encourage your child to read their stories out loud: As your child gets older, ask them to share their stories with you. Listen carefully without interrupting, and give them positive feedback about their ideas and writing!

• Hang a family message board in the kitchen: Offer to write notes there for your child. Be sure that they find notes left there for them.

• Help your child write letters and emails to relatives and friends: These may include thank you notes or just a special note to say hello. Be sure to send your child a letter or card once in awhile too so that they are reminded of how special it is to get a letter in the mail. Consider finding a pen pal for your child.

• Encourage keeping a journal: This is excellent writing practice as well as a good outlet for venting feelings. Encourage your child to write about things that happen at home and school or about things they want to remember and do. If they want to share the journal with you, read the entries and discuss them together.

• Allow time: Help your child spend time thinking about a writing project or exercise. Good writers often spend a lot of time thinking, preparing, and researching before starting to write. Your child may dawdle, sharpen a pencil, get papers ready, or look up the spelling of a word. Be patient — this may all be part of her preparation.

• Respond to your child's writing: Respond to the ideas your child expresses verbally or in writing. Make it clear that you are interested in what the writing conveys, which means focusing on "what" the child has written rather than "how" it was written. It's usually wise to ignore minor errors, particularly at the stage when your child is just getting ideas together.

• Praise your child's writing: Take a positive approach and find good things to say about your child's writing. Is it accurate? Descriptive? Original? Creative? Thoughtful? Interesting?

• Avoid writing for your child: Don't write a paper for your child that will be turned in as their work, and don't rewrite your child's work. Meeting a writing deadline, taking responsibility for the finished product, and feeling ownership of it are also important parts of the writing process.

• Help your child with her writing as they get older: Ask your child questions that will help them clarify the details of their stories and assignments as they get longer, and help them organize their thoughts. Talk about the objective of what they are writing.

• Provide your child with spelling help when she's ready for it: When your child is just learning how to read and write, she may try different ways to write and spell. Our job is to encourage our children's writing so they will enjoy putting their thoughts and ideas on paper. At first, your child may begin to write words the way that they hear them. For example, they might write "haf" instead of "have", "frn" instead of "friend", and "Frd" instead of "Fred." This actually is a positive step in developing phonemic awareness. Keep practicing and model the correct spelling of words when you write. As your child gets older and begins to ask more questions about letters and spelling, provide them with the help they need.

• Practice, practice, practice: Writing well takes lots of practice, so make sure your child doesn't get discouraged too easily. It's not easy! Give them plenty of opportunities to practice so that they have the opportunity to improve.

• Read together: Reading and writing support each other. The more your child does of each, the better they will be at both. Reading can also stimulate your child to write about their own family or school life. If your child has a particular favorite story or author, ask them why they think that story or that person's writing is special. As you read and write more with your child, you will be building an important foundation, and taking steps that will help your child to become a better reader, writer, and student. Your efforts now will make a difference — and it may be just the difference that your child needs to succeed!