"You can make anything by writing." - C.S. Lewis
The art of writing certainly takes skill that comes easier for some and requires much more practice for others (as with all subjects). The unique beauty of writing though, is that it can be such a wonderful TOOL in helping students regulate emotions and think creatively.
There is an abundance of resources available for helping your child improve their writing skills so that they can feel more confident putting pencil to paper. From the perspective of a parent, encouraging journal writing for a couple minutes at the end of the day is an easy and disguised assignment that allows your child to decompress and think about their goals/wishes/use their imagination without the pressure of a grade.
Reading and vocabulary practice go hand-in-hand with writing development. If your child is younger and doesn't have heavy homework in these areas yet, it can be a short task you (or their tutor) give a couple times a week -- example: write about your favorite thing we did this week as a family. For reading, consider letting them choose a fun novel to read over the course of two weeks, with a small reward for completing their goal.
Appropriate support through one-on-one tutoring is another great option to strengthen this life skill. Our team of tutors know wonderful strategies to help each child's writing skills grow. During sessions, small writing prompts (tailored to a child's interests) are a fun way to continue to build on classroom work, but without the expectation of a graded paper. Writing out thorough answers for any subject homework -- ex: even on a science assignment -- helps a child grasp content better and continue those writing skills. Overtime they will become more concise at explaining their points.
These focused sessions allow time to teach each student the important process of preparing for a writing assignment. Brainstorming can help your child get their thoughts flowing on the topic -- jotting down ideas with soft music on, or even outside in the fresh air, can help them feel more relaxed if they are "stuck" creatively. Drawing ideas or graphs work better for some. When those creative juices turn into a main idea -- it's time to research (if needed) and organize.
Once they begin the actual writing process, encouragement of draft work is helpful for students who struggle with confidence and also those who feel the pressure of procrastination or even perfectionism. Even the best writers in the world require proper time and revisions to make their work clear to the reader. Your child's tutor will gently encourage them to keep up their hard work while also advising on areas that need more thought, AND ways to make that improvement.
Understanding the different genres and styles of writing is important, but regardless of the assignment at hand, everyone writes in their own unique way. Maybe your student is the family comedian, and they want to start an essay with a joke. Other children write with deep emotion or sadness that they otherwise do not express.
Whatever the content of your student's work, the style of writing, or their grade level, beam Tutoring is here to help your student reach academic success and build their confidence!
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