Writing Exercises

Two Simple Self-Help Writing Activities
for Elementary School Children
Vivian Franz, Ph.D.

Here are two easy ways for your child to improve his or her writing skills at home. Students who participate regularly in these home-study exercises should soon be able to write in a functional way, with correct spelling, punctuation, and English usage.

The first technique is one the student can complete alone, editing as he or she goes. The parent need check only the final copy. The second is an exercise requiring the parent to ask easy-to-answer questions which the student answers on paper. Here are the two activities:

Copying. The student copies a paragraph a day, exactly as the text appears in the book or magazine. He or she should be able to read the text easily and know all the words. Capitalization, spelling, punctuation, etc., must be copied correctly. The student is responsible for editing the complete paragraph before giving it to the parent for checking. Any book of interest will do. The intent here is to learn to copy correctly and edit for errors. (Some children like to copy their favorite poems and make their own special poetry notebooks. It must be remembered, however, that poetry has its own rules.)

Written Answers to Verbal Questions with Editing. Here the parent asks questions on any topic of mutual interest. The student writes the answers. Handwriting must be legible. Answers must be in complete sentences. This is a teach-as-the-student-writes technique. The parent sits nearby ready to help. Each sentence is checked by the parent prior to moving on to the next question. There is immediate feedback. Any words not spelled correctly are written by the child on a list for later study. This ten-minute activity, practiced on a regular basis, helps students be functional writers. They learn to phrase their thoughts in complete, easily understood sentences.

Sample questions for the above exercise might be: What would you like to do this weekend? Why do you think pets are good for elderly people? Why didn't you put your bike away yesterday? Teach the child that a good way to begin the answer is to start with part of the question. For example: I didn't put my bike away yesterday because I was in a hurry to come inside and call Grandma.

Parents can teach. A good learning program is consistent, interesting, and practiced on a regular basis. The above activities do not take a great deal of time, and many students fall behind in their studies because they need and do not have this on-going support system at home.

Try these learning activities and see your child's writing skills improve.