Things You Can Do to Help Your Students to Become a Better Writers

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Things You Can Do to Help Your Students to Become
a Better Writers

• C. Kennedy Literacy Resource Specialist

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Write, Too

• Provide writing materials.
• Provide a print-rich environment.
• Extend their vocabulary.
• Write notes.
• Write together.
• Create a photo album or scrapbook.
• Encourage letters.

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Remember- Not All Writing Is Pen to Paper, or
Fingers on the Keyboard!
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Writing is Thinking

• You can support your childs writing skills not
  only through actual reading/writing activities,
  but by helping them to become clear and organized
  thinkers.
• Ideas
• Organization
• Voice
• Word Choice
• Conventions

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Ideas

• Ideas make up the content of the piece of writing
• Ideas are the heart of the message.
• Free ideas Help your child with selecting an
  idea or topic that they really care about.
• Writers Notebook A tool for students to jot
  down interesting tidbits.
• Prompt Ideas Urge your child to try different
  kinds of writing such as narratives, poetry, or
  expository writing.

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Organization

• How a piece is structured or ordered
• Introduction A statement that hooks the
  reader.
• Middle Statements that include details that
  are logically organized.
• Conclusion An ending that leaves the reader
  satisfied.
• Without organization the thing that happened
  first would be last
• All organizational activities take planning.
• Where to begin, what to do next, and how to make
  the whole thing come together.
• Setting the table, putting together on an outfit
  to wear, or planning a trip are things that we do
  in our lives.

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Voice

• Voice is often misunderstood.
• The writers own special, personal style come
  through in the words.
• Voice is said to be the fingerprints of the
  writer on the page.
• Voice is how the writing draws the reader in,
  speaks to the reader at an emotional level, and
  creates a bond between reader and writer.
• It is the heart and soul of writing.
• The writer takes risks by revealing the person
  behind the writing when they use voice.

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Word Choice

• The knack for choosing the just right word to
  get the message across.
• Word choice is about the use of rich, colorful,
  precise language that communicates in a way that
  moves and enlightens the writer.
• Descriptive Writing Uses strong word choice
  that clarifies and expands on ideas
• Persuasive Writing Moves the reader to have a
  new vision of things
• Narrative Writing Creates images in your mind
  that are real and make the reader feel like they
  are a part of the writing.

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Sentence Fluency

• The rhythm and sound of the writing as it is read
  aloud.
• The words need to sound just right as the writer
  intended the writing to sound.
• Sentences are well built and they move.
• Strong sentence fluency contains creative
  phrasing, parallel construction, alliteration,
  and word order that allows the reading to be
  natural.

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Conventions

• Spelling
• Grammar and Usage
• Capitalization
• Paragraph Indentation
• Punctuation

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Presentation

• The way it is put together to make you want to
  READ it.
• Handwriting is neat and legible.
• Carefully chosen fonts.
• The finished writing makes the writer proud to
  share it.

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Keep It Positive!

• Be an excited listener.
• Celebrate even the simplest attempts of beginning
  writers.
• Be a team.
• Be the coach- not the writer.
• Focus on ideas first- then editing

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References

• Culham R. (2003) . 61 Traits of Writing. New
  York Scholastic Professional Books.
• Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. (1998)
  Dear Parent, A Handbook for Parents of Six Trait
  Writing Students. Portland, Oregon Northwest
  Regional Educational Laboratory.