Is your child getting enough writing instruction and writing practice at home?
Since I do not believe a student can write "too much", I'm going to say most everyone can step up his or her writing game. For starters, all students should write, in some way, every single day.
Fifteen minutes of additional writing per day will substantially improve the quality of your child's writing ability. Just 15 minutes for grades third through eighth. So, if you normally spend ten minutes a day requiring your child to write, increase that to 25 minutes. By the end of the year, you will see a remarkable improvement. Be honest, are you not writing every day? Well, on those "non-writing" days, add 15 minute writing activities. Trust me, it is a wise use of your time.
There is plenty of research to back me up on this, too. Sure, many of us may disagree on how to teach the best writing lessons, but we can all agree that students must write to improve their writing abilities . And, honestly, today’s students are not writing enough.
Oh, of course, there will be griping and whining - probably on both the student and the parent side of things. However, better swimmers swim for hours and better runners run for miles. It is the practice that precipitates improvement.
And, before I sign off, it would benefit us all to understand why daily writing is so important. Dr. Steve Graham has done plenty of research and enough writing of his own to authoritatively state that more writing results in better reading comprehension. As well, frequent and consistent writers increase their ability to both learn and retain information. Aren't those things we all want for our children?
Get creative, have fun, and increase your child's writing at home this week. Do you need ideas? I can help. Visit me at www.writeonwebb.com.
Melissa Webb is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Author: Melissa Webb
CA Credentialed Teacher