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WRITING TIPS
THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AND WRITING
Good writing is the result of a home environment that encourages communication in all
forms - speaking, listening, reading and writing. The more your family uses words, the
more natural it will be for your child to write.
TALK AT HOME
Talk, talk, talk to your child! Carry on meaningful conversations, even with small
children. Discuss your frustrating day with your three year old. She may not understand
every word, but notice how she listens!
Encourage your child to speak clearly and to make sense. Don't interpret for him.
However, it is important that you do not constantly correct his speech. The flow of
ideas is what's important. Insisting on perfect speech will make any child clam up.
Try to eat some meals with your child and use these as times to talk. An amazing
research study showed that children whose parents talked to them at breakfast (before they
went to school) did better in reading and writing.
If you must correct your child, wait until she's finished speaking and then suggest a
better way of saying it. And remember: speaking well comes before writing well
READ AT HOME
Read aloud to your children no matter how old they are. In this manner, they hear how
words fit together and how powerful good writing can be. When you read something
that's good, mention the writing and what makes it work: "Can you believe the
details she uses? Can't you just feel the cold?"
Reading builds vocabulary that children can later transfer to their own writing. Studies
show that the best readers are the best writers.
WRITE AT HOME
Pay attention to everything your child writes - from kindergarten scribbles to high school
term papers. Children must get a response to what they have written in order for them to
feel it's worthwhile.
React first to what your child has written - now how it is written. Your child wrote the
paper to say something, so deal with content first. Try to help your child prevent
errors before they happen. If he's going to write birthday thank-you notes, for
example, provide him with a list of words he'll need to know: handkerchief, stationery or
calculator.
Always focus on significant errors only! It's understandable that a fourth grader
may misplace a comma, but he should know where a period goes; misspelling
"doesn't" is a more serious error for a tenth grader than leaving an
"r" out of occurred. Limit the amount of corrections you make on any one
paper. Zero in on the major ones, but let smaller ones go. Otherwise, your
child will get too discouraged.
Accept your child's writing level even if you could make it sound much more
brilliant! If a second grader uses awful, don't suggest a word like grotesque.
A child should sound like a child - not a
college graduate.
Let your child's teachers know the value your family places on writing. It may not
result in any miracles, but it can't hurt!
PROVIDE WRITING MATERIALS
To encourage writing in general
A flat, smooth surface to write on and good lighting.
A variety of paper - lined, plain, large, small.
Various things to write with - pencils, pens, etc.
Erasers and / or "white out" liquid eraser.
To encourage letter writing
Stationery of different types (large sheets, postcards, notes)
Envelopes - large and small
Stamps and child's own address book
Child's own address labels
To encourage good writing by example
Jack and Jill magazine (ages 6-12)
Cricket magazine (ages 8-12)
Stone Soup magazine (written entirely by children, ages 6-12)
To encourage good spelling and word usage: Provide a
dictionary - at least by the fourth grade
Any good first dictionary (grades 1-3)
MacMillan's Dictionary for Children (grades 4-6)
Thorndike Barnhart Handy Dictionary (junior high)
American Heritage Dictionary, college ed. (high school)
Roget's Thesaurus (a book of synonyms to help your child use different
words instead of the same ones over and over)
Webster's New World 33,000 Word Book (an alphabetical list of words and
how to spell them; much quicker than a dictionary)
Miscellaneous Gift Ideas
pencils with child's name
personalized stationery
rubber stamp and ink pad
magnetic alphabet letters
funny-shaped erasers
typewriter or computer (a used one is fine)
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