Homeschooling parents are always looking for books and directives on teaching writing skills. There are those who prefer a textbook : workbook approach- ‘just tell me what they need to write’. While others choose a more eclectic approach- ‘let them write what they feel like writing’. Regardless of the approach you may take, the emphasis should be upon mastering the art of communication through the everyday use of language and upon developing language skills through a sequence of activities which correlate with the student's intellectual and emotional growth. One thing is for sure- good writing takes a lot of practice. The more you write, the better you get at it. Of course, this comes well after learning the rules of grammar, language and rhetoric. Many times, parents (especially homeschooling parents - and I only highlight homeschooling parents, as they are well intentioned but sometimes not well informed), put the cart before the horse. We tend to look for creativity, expression and style before teaching them structure, rules and language. We expect our children to produce when we haven’t given them the full range of tools they can use.
By no means is my list exhaustive or the only way to teach writing, but through my years of research and experience, here are my suggestions for teaching writing before expecting writing. Based on the child’s level of communication, first teach the child what good communication is. Speaking is easy and fluid, but if speaking and writing are just two means of communicating, then why is writing so hard? Writing should naturally follow the same process as speaking. So start by speaking well at home, and expect the same of your children. Use complete sentences, avoid slang and raise the level of vocabulary used in the home. Do this by exposing yourselves to well written literature and essays. Include newly learned vocabulary into daily speech. Both fiction and non-fiction teach various different rules of engagement with the language. Read to your children and let them read- encyclopedias, textbooks, articles, magazines and of course lots and lots of stories. This helps build vocabulary, a larger knowledge base, connections and connotations, idioms and even cynicism. Writing around grades 1-3 should focus on strong sentence formations and writing a short cohesive paragraph.
By the end of third grade, can your child write a 3-5 sentence paragraph, using the elements of proper punctuation, simple transitions, while staying on topic, using correct spelling and a variety of terms that are equal to his daily speech? Can he articulate his thoughts and feelings in written words just as eloquently as he can in spoken form? This should be your benchmark.
Moving on to grades 4-6, ensure your child’s grammatical abilities are strengthening. Sentences should get more complex and spelling and vocabulary should be more engaging. Paragraphs should be framed well with topic sentences and conclusions. By the end of 6th grade, your student should be able to write a multi-paragraph essay. The 5 paragraph essay with a thesis should be clearly identifiable and the essay should have transitions that are clear and connected. Your middle school child should be able to state their opinions in a paper (without using, “in my opinion”, or “I think”) and support their opinions with reasons why.
By the time your child emerges from grade 8, there should be a clear writing structure that has been taught to and caught by your child. When a teacher asks them to reflect on and write their thoughts down, they don’t need to ask ‘How long should the paper be?’, but rather, ‘Is there any particular aspect you’d like me to focus on?’
The rising high schooler should be familiar with MLA style, formatting tools, various presentation tools online, writing bibliographies and/or a works cited, research annotations and quotations. They should be able to borrow ideas and show where they got them from. They should be able to research well and read scholarly articles on their topics to find proof for their points. They should be able to take others’ thoughts and wrestle with them before concurring or rejecting them. Whatever they do, they must be able to trace back and prove their points.
Writing should be so structured for them that by the time high school comes along, they can now get creative and show their own style. The structure of writing shouldn’t stump them or hold them back, but rather propel them toward excellence in showing off their ideas and creativity. High schoolers should be able to read heavier classics and discuss them with just as much ease as they can read and discuss scholarly articles or research journals. The great writers of the past have a lot to offer - explore the great classics before you look to pave way to a new style. It is okay to take a step back before moving forward. Don’t expect creativity and excellence when you have not shown what metrics excellence has been measured by in the past. Only after all this can our children share their own thoughts in the most creative way because they now have a structure, a plan and a purpose to share their ideas. This is creativity.
Too often we ask our children to share their thoughts much before we have taught them how to think. Too often we ask for creativity when the basic scaffolding is missing. Too often we ask them to give back without giving to them first. I urge home educators to not fall into the same trap of school teachers and teach to a timed test or a requirement set by the state agency. If you want your child to soar as a writer and love writing, let them learn the structure of writing and language before they explore their personal style and get creative. Remember, to create or make something new is the hardest of all processes- whether it is cooking a new dish, sewing a new outfit, writing a new code - to create is the higheest form of expression of expertise in the area. Don’t force that on those just starting out with writing. Teach them to communicate- effectively and efficiently first.