Train Kids to Great Writing Skills

One of the challenges and joys of parenting is awakening your child’s desire to learn, explore, express, and discover. Sure, some choose to leave the education part to the iPad and teachers, but is this the right way to go? Absolutely not! Parents have to intervene and participate in their children’s development.

As a parent, you know your kid better than anyone. As he or she progresses through the levels of education, writing will become more and more important. Students are required to write essays, research papers, proposals, and term papers. For essays, the instructor will provide broad guidelines, and your kid will be expected to complete a masterful project within a given deadline. How is your child faring? Is he or she improving? How can you, as a parent, help? In this article, we try to answer all these questions. Here how to monitor and develop your kid’s writing skills.

Check for and Refresh on Basic Writing Skills

Before you can determine the ability of your child, it helps to at least familiarize yourself with the basic of essay writing. You can then check whether he or she has a good understanding of the basic aspects of writing. Does the child understand such thing as appropriate spelling and the rules of grammar and syntax? Remember that these principles can only be taught at an age-appropriate level. Be patient, correcting mistakes and explaining how to do things right.

Begin by Assessing the Thesis Statement

The thesis is arguably the most important element of the entire essay. It is the sentence (or two), where the writer summarizes the main point presented in the paper. Explaining the abstract concept of the thesis to your child can be challenging, however. Offer simple examples and a clear direction to help in explaining what you mean. Try to reiterate that the thesis is the core of an essay since everything else is built around it.

Assess and Guide on Formulating an Outline

Other than the thesis, the outline is another critical element of essay writing. It is essentially the plan on how you intend to execute your objective. Most children are not comfortable expressing their ideas in writing. An outline can be an amazing way to encourage them, showing them the local plan to follow. Explain the various elements of structure, including:

• A catchy introduction;
• A comprehensive body;
• A concise conclusion.

Make Sure That They Practice Regularly

Like in everything else, practice makes perfect. Of course, there have been suggestions that students can learn writing naturally. However, recent studies show that children achieve better results through effective practice. Encourage the kid to spend more time writing.

Remember, the writing practice is seldom applied in the classroom environment. Instructors may provide brief exercises, but writing is often left for homework activity. You are, therefore, in charge of this part of your child’s education. Motivate the child to keep writing. Choose interesting topics and encourage creativity.

Find Good Examples and Samples Online

This is one great way to judge your child’s progress against that of his or her peers. In most cases, essays comprise five paragraphs, which include the introduction, body, and conclusion. Although the teacher may have explained the contents of each paragraph, he or she may have forgotten to give examples. You can find great samples from the website of any top academic writing site. Give some to your kid to read and envision what a proper essay looks like.

Allow and Encourage the Supervised Use of Technology

Technological applications pay a great role in modern-day learning. If the children prefer using tablets as opposed to pens and papers, let them. It makes the writing process simple and fun. There are also those applications that simulate real pens and papers.

Writing is a skill that can be learned, as long as your practice. As a parent, it is your duty to follow up on the child’s learning. Remember, writing can be as challenging a subject to assess and teach as it is to learn. Be patient, and remember to enjoy your time together. In case you find yourself struggling with the process of helping your child, consider getting professional advice. In most cases, you would just need to ask — “will you correct my essay?”