The truth is that learning to write is a process that takes years of practice. Yet, that doesn’t mean that children must write original essays from the get-go, or in every single lesson! In fact, it is much better to practice the building blocks of writing.
Teaching children to write is a tough topic because there is no effortless way to learn and it involves more than simply finding the right program, class or curriculum. Giving children the building blocks of writing to speak or write well is essential for them to be able to communicate what they want to share.
The Four Building Blocks of Writing
1. Reading quality literature
Reading is the process of receiving information. Writing is the opposite – it is the sharing of information. When children read, they are processing language and ideas. Their minds are influenced by the vocabulary, mechanics and thoughts within awesome literary stories. A steady diet of rich vocabulary, excellent writing, and great ideas will fuel your child’s mind as they begin to write themselves.
Along the same lines, we must limit our children’s exposure to books that contain unchecked attitudes, poor-quality writing or any element that might serve to influence our children in a poor direction.
It is worth considering whether textbooks, which are often written in a dry, summary form, will give your child a quality reading experience. Whenever possible, it would be advisable to opt for books written by a single author, in a narrative style. This type of literature is often known as living books.
2. Daily writing practice
Ruth Beechick says that a child who reads a book is having a “mind-to-mind encounter with its author, whether he lived 1000 years ago or lives today.” When a child reads, he is being mentored in language, whether he realizes it or not. I encourage you to take reading a step further.
Pull out a passage from your student’s reading and have them study it for spelling, vocabulary and mechanics. First, have them copy the passage, then ask them to compare their writing to the original model, paying special attention to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Next, have your student compare their copywork to the original model and correct any mistakes. This method of copywork helps children to pay close attention to the details of language. This is a highly effective way to grow in writing skills.
Once copywork is mastered, you may move on to dictation. The child studies a passage until he is comfortable with it. Then Mom reads the passage aloud to him in phrases, and he writes it down. Again, the child is practicing spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization and this time listening skills are being exercised too.
3. Practice Thinking Skills
What is the problem in the story? How was the problem solved? Would your child solve it in a different manner? How? Could the problem have been avoided? What is your opinion and why? Can you compare and contrast the two main characters? Is there a lesson that jumped out as you read? Help your student clarify their thoughts and ask them to speak in complete sentences as they discuss literature.
Similarly, you may want your child to begin narrating what they have read. This helps you know if they have fully comprehended the material.
You may have them narrate orally at first, and then in late elementary school you may begin having them write their narrations. Don’t have them narrate a whole book! Choose a short passage for a young child or a chapter for someone a little older. You may use a fictional story, or any of your children’s school subjects. Remember, keep reading, keep writing…keep practicing.
4. Original Oral and Written Expression
Whenever your child has something important to say, encourage them to say it! My daughter and I were in Walmart she saw a display of dolls from a popular children’s cartoon show. She was curious, so she took the doll from its shelf and became indignant that a toy company could make dolls for children that were so sexual. She said, “Mom, this is wrong. I can’t play with those. They should look like little girls.” I told her she was right, and I encouraged her to write a letter to the company.
Without any help from me, she penned a letter so excellent that an adult could have written it. It was a lesson to me. Our copy work and dictation had paid off. My daughter could write! It was a reminder to me that when children have something to say, they will usually find a way to say it.
Debbie Strayer, the co-author of Learning Language Arts Through Literature and the popular Trail Guide to Learning series, once told me that, “The point of writing instruction is to communicate in such a way that someone else can understand you.” It is truly as simple as that. Writing is hard work. It takes a lot of practice, but it does not have to involve formulas or expensive curriculum. It can be a natural, home-spun process.
For Further Reading:
The Three R’s by Ruth Beechick
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8 by Ruth Beechick
Grateful for grace,
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