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Ask an Expert - 'Replies' Teaching Tips February 1, 2010 |
Q: How do I get my child to write? What writing curriculum do you recommend?
Short Answer: Over the years I have found that problems with writing boil down to six issues: 1. what writing involves and why it is so hard for many students 2. different types of writing require different skills 3. the thinking process 4. mechanics of writing 5. grading writing 6. the child's age and developmental level Since each of these issues requires some explaining, we will look at them individually over the next few months. Part 1 – What Writing Involves and Why It Is So Hard for So Many Students Good writing requires multi-tasking. Take a moment to think about what a student must do to write a simple paragraph. First he has to think about what he wants to say, and pull those thoughts from a mish-mash of ideas floating around in his mind. Then he has to write each thought down on paper. That in itself requires fully-developed muscle memory to actually write or print the letters, a process that takes longer to do than the amount of time the thoughts stay in short-term memory. On top of that, he has to remember how to spell the words, select the best word to use from his vocabulary, punctuate the sentence, capitalize words properly, maintain noun-verb agreement, and get the order of the words right so that the sentence makes sense. Not to mention using interesting words, varying the sentence types, and stringing the sentences together in a logical order. Whew! That's a lot of work. Just a quick glance at the paragraph above should alert teachers to the fact that good writing draws from a variety of basic language arts skills. Most of these skills are being learned and practiced through the elementary grades. The skills don't have to be mastered, but there needs to be a certain level of proficiency in order to make the multi-tasking possible. Otherwise, the brain is so focused on the mechanics of writing that the thought process suffers. If we put a lot of emphasis on writing too early, particularly if we push a structured program that involves a lot of “busywork” based on artificial writing prompts, then we run the risk of writing “burn-out.” No wonder so many intermediate students hate to write. It's important that we take into consideration the child's age and maturity level when considering writing programs. The ability to multi-task effectively doesn't come until after puberty, when certain physiological changes have taken place in the brain. Good writing also requires well-developed connections between both hemispheres of the brain – the left side where the mechanics of writing are stored and the right side where meaning and experience are stored. Finally, good writing requires a breadth of experience that allows the writer to make sense of his thoughts, bring meaning and significance to what he wants to write, and anticipate how the reader will respond in order to ensure that the reader understands what he wrote. This doesn't mean that we should not expect our elementary-aged children to be able to write a good sentence or even a decent paragraph. But our expectations must be in line with the child's development and mastery of basic language arts skills. The reason why so much of the writing of intermediate and even high school students comes across as “elementary” is that they have been forced to practice writing skills before they are ready – they continue writing at the level they have practiced. As with reading, a child must be proficient in basic thinking skills before he can develop the more advanced thinking skills required for good writing. One of the most basic thinking skills is the ability to identify the main idea or what is important to know. This isn't as easy as it sounds for a lot of students for a variety of reasons that have to do with learning style. Concrete learners are so focused on the tangible things they can observe that they have a hard time recognizing the overall idea that ties everything together. Detail-oriented students get so caught up in the details that they include everything in the paragraph; they can't pick one thing that stands out. Random thinkers pull thoughts together that makes sense only to them; they have a hard time thinking “logically.” Global learners are so intent on the ideas that they have a hard time providing supporting details. The only way to counteract these tendencies is to model the necessary skills. But since the student is trying to learn a skill that is the opposite of the natural way of thinking, it will take time and practice. There are two general types of writing: narrative and expository. Narrative writing is creative writing that tells a story. It includes short stories, novellas, novels, and poetry. Expository writing explains. There are three major forms – reports, essays, and research papers. While the general process of writing is the same for all forms, each type of writing requires certain techniques and organizational skills. To try to develop a writing program that can accommodate all of these diverse needs and range of abilities is next to impossible. That's why it's hard to find a good, overall curriculum. Which brings us back to where we started: the best way to learn how to write is to write. But since good writing takes time and numerous drafts, it's best to keep the assignments short (one or two paragraphs only) until the organizational and thinking skills have been developed. Don't be surprised if your student isn't ready to tackle a structured writing program until junior or even senior high. And don't be surprised if it takes two or three years of high school before your student is proficient at writing. 1049 Words To view more 'Teaching Tips' Articles please 'Log In' and visit the 'Achives' page. |
