“My child hates writing!”
Know what? I can totally empathize with you—my son was the poster boy for reluctant writers! These children approach a blank sheet of paper with emotions ranging from boredom to fear. Each attempt produces frenzied erasures, gray smudges, or tears of frustration.
They don’t get why writing is so hard (or worse, why they’re so bad at it), and they wallow in a whole heap of failure.
Homeschooling mamas want to create an atmosphere that fosters a love of writing. We want our kids to feel comfortable around paper and pencil—to know how to organize a brainful of lively thoughts and express them in written form. But sometimes we get in the way of our own goals.
YOU MAY BE TURNING YOUR KIDS OFF TO WRITING IF …
> You expect too much independence.
Younger students may not be ready to write on their own. After all, there’s a lot involved in getting an idea from brain to paper! By the time a child wrestles with spelling or punctuation or a cramped hand, he’s completely lost his grip on that “great” idea, and it vanishes into thin air.
So how much help should you give? As much as your child needs to feel successful.
While our girls were comfortable with writing at a young age, Ben had a terrible time forming words—let alone writing entire stories—even at age 10. Instead of squishing the life out of his creative thoughts, I let him dictate his stories to me as I wrote them down. In time, as he gained confidence and skill, he took over more and more of the writing until he was able to work independently.
> Writing assignments are too vague.
Want to sound the death knell for your child? Tell him to write about anything he wants!
While some children have the confidence, creativity, and interest to embrace this freedom, most just stare glumly at their paper as anxiety mounts:
I can’t think of anything to write about!
How long does it have to be?
What if I do it wrong?
A good assignment always includes clear goals; you’re establishing boundaries for your children when you provide specific guidelines.
1. Define the nature of the assignment
- Write a book report.
- Describe a place.
- Explain how to do a task.
2. Explain the assignment’s purpose.
- Is it an exercise designed to build skills, or will it follow the writing process and become a polished final draft?
- Will this become a report to accompany a science project, or is it simply an explanation of a concept to demonstrate his understanding?
3. Make sure tasks are specific and clear.
- Write one 5- to 7-sentence paragraph.
- Include a beginning, middle, and end.
- Using all five senses, describe your favorite dessert.
4. Break the assignment into bite-size steps.
- Give mini due dates along the way.
- Check your child’s work so you can offer encouragement and suggestions.
> You consider games and crafts “fluff.”
Most children learn best through hands-on activities, which help your child associate writing with fun! So rather than look at pre-writing activities as busy work, think of them as vital teaching aids. Let them play Mad Libs® or other word games to improve vocabulary, boost creativity, and teach skills.
> You focus on their mistakes.
As you edit your child’s paper, resist the inclination to draw blood from it by attacking every error with your red pen. Yes, you will be distracted by spelling errors, run-on sentences, and misused apostrophes, but don’t let them prevent you from getting to the heart of your child’s message.
Whether or not writing comes easily and naturally, your child has a great emotional attachment to his words. If you criticize his writing, he feels personally attacked.
Instead, search for the good!
- Identify areas of growth.
- Offer encouraging comments.
- Point out places that show improvement over earlier assignments.
- Highlight examples of strong word choice or proper sentence structure.
Writing is definitely a fluid process—and it can be taught many different ways. But with a few adjustments in attitude and approach, you can help your reluctant writers turn the corner. Where will you begin?