Educating Leaders - No Conveyor Belt Education Here!
July 27, 2009 - How Will You Teach Writing? Part 3
This summer I’ve been posting reviews of our writing products as well as some articles about writing. This is an article that I wrote last summer that I thought you might find helpful.
Teaching children how to write is a challenge. By using the methods we have outlined in this three-part series, you can make this process easier for yourself and your students. Using predictable books to teach writing skills will increase your success. By now, you have completed a simple story outline. Over the next two days, your child will complete this exercise while strengthening his writing skills.
Day 2
To begin, gather some blank paper, a pen or pencil, and the outline which you completed in part two. Encourage your child to tell the story again, using the outline to keep them on track.
For each line of the outline, have your child write a new sentence based on the keywords he chose. Remember, we are not trying to teach your child to recite the story verbatim. Your child will use his own words to retell the story, often making the tale even more interesting. Continue until you have a new sentence for each line of the outline.
If your children are very young, you may want to write the sentences as they dictate them. Once this is complete, check each sentence to make sure that spelling and punctuation are correct. Do not change the words or rewrite the sentences - let it be your child's writing, in his own voice.
Older students who are capable of editing their own work for spelling and punctuation should do so on day three.
Here’s a video review of some of our writing products, "US History Based Writing, Volume 2."
DAY 3
This is the final day for this lesson. Have your child copy out his completed paragraph or story, in his own words. Make sure that younger children incorporate spelling and punctuation changes; older children can make these changes on their own. Don't be surprised if you see areas which need improvement - that is perfectly natural, and those concepts can be added in a later lesson. Your child won't have to worry about selecting a topic, since he will be provided with a story or paragraph to start with.
You can repeat this activity as often as necessary. With practice, your child will improve his skills in outlining and writing. You can perform this exercise using paragraphs or stories from a wide range of interests - dinosaurs, fairy tales, even subjects they are learning about in class.
This is a great method to teach writing to your students! __________
Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
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A place to interact about teaching our kids without following the conveyor belt model of the government schools. Think outside the box and provide a leadership education for your children.
Other musings are included on a regular basis :-)
