Everyday Writing

We often find that students are not comfortable with writing, and that their skills are not as strong as we might like them to be.  This may be due to the fact that students do not write as much outside of the school setting as they used to.  We do a lot of structured writing in school, but we often do not have as much time for creative writing during the school day.  All of these reasons could account for why students do not write as much, and why their skills may not be as strong as we would like.  Perhaps we can take a look at ways to enhance writing outside of the school setting- things that may make students enjoy writing more and improve skills.  Here are some suggestions for some writing activities that can be done at home that may help:

• Keep a family message center. Have everyone at home be involved and write notes to stay in touch and keep informed.
• When sending birthday or holiday cards, have your children add personal notes to the cards. This will have them be part of the process, and will also help them connect to relatives and friends.
• Send letters to relatives that live away. Letter writing has become a lost art. We use email and texting far too much. Have your students write old-fashioned letters to grandparents, aunts, or cousins. You may be surprised at how much it is appreciated.
• Have your children keep a journal. This is a great way for them to have an outlet, and also to practice writing. If they want, they could journal and have you respond. When you travel, have them keep a travel journal. They can then look back to see what fun experiences they had.

Writing in settings outside of school will help your children gain confidence.  It will also show them that there are many reasons to enjoy writing.