-by Mimi Rothschild

Writing is an essential skill. While some worry that texting and instant messaging are causing our kids to lose their writing skills, the truth is that in the global marketplace, writing is a more essential skill than ever. With more of us working with people from other parts of the world, sharing jobs with workers who are in place at different times of day from ourselves, and working with information more than with objects, the ability to write is essential.

How can we be sure that our students are developing effective writing skills? While there are plenty of different ideas for teaching writing, the basic, most effective approach hasn’t changed since the earliest lessons on rhetoric.

• Start with good examples. While we might sometimes feel that getting our kids to read anything at all is enough of a goal, without trying to insist on quality, the truth is that what kids read affects how they write. If your kids resist reading classic literature, you can read aloud to them. Before TV, families enjoyed reading aloud together, and they still can. Start off with a great classic story like The Swiss Family Robinson or “The Gift of the Magi,” and make reading together a special time. Soon, encouraged by this experience, they’ll be open to reading excellent literature on their own.
• Encourage lots of writing. In order to write well, kids need to write often. Have your kids write journals, papers, letters to grandparents, stories, songs – anything they enjoy writing can be a good choice. If you have reluctant writers, let them start with shorter pieces and combine them with drawings, but get the kids writing every day.
• Give feedback. Unless we know what needs improvement, we can’t improve. You, another educator, or any trusted adult can help kids improve writing by helping them find errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Don’t discount the value of peer feedback, either. Let brothers and sisters help kids find the most exciting parts of what they’ve written, or the parts that are hard to understand and need clarification. Whoever gives the feedback, make sure that they mention what works as well as what needs work. Feedback is to help students improve, not to discourage them!

While study of grammar, spelling, punctuation and handwriting all have their place, the three steps above are the irreplaceable keys to good writing. Build them into your lessons for lasting success.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.