3 Insanely Simply Secrets to Teaching Kids to Write

Inside: Simple Secrets to teaching kids to write plus 44 Writing Ideas and a tool to help take the guesswork out of grading writing.

There I was, trapped in the back of the car, seatbelted and wind-whipped. I was terrified because the teenage jerk behind the wheel thought it was hilarious to speed down the road at over 100 miles an hour. Out of control, scared and trapped, I tried everything but couldn’t get him to slow down. I had no choice but to go along for the ride. I hated every minute of it. Teaching our kids to write can be just as terrifying of an experience. I am being completely serious. We say, “Sit down, take out a blank piece of paper and write a paragraph, story, or essay.” then… “I’ll be back in five minutes,” as we stumble to the coffee pot. Our kids are trapped at their desks. Well, my kids are trapped at the kitchen table since, alas, we have no desks… but they feel trapped none the less. They are wind-whipped as time races by. They begin to sweat. They panic as they become blinded by the glare coming from the blank piece of paper staring back at them. Is your child in Kindergarten? {Read this} In this analogy, we are the jerky driver.

• I shudder as I  suddenly realize that I am torturing my children.
• I detest that I have set them up for failure and therapy.
• I loathe that I am the reason that they HATE writing.

Writing assignments are like an electric chair to the ill-equipped homeschooler or any teacher for that matter.

No one wants to sit in an electric chair.

Except maybe that kid Sid from Toy Story. One does not simply pick up a pen and write beautiful poetry, engaging essays, and captivating stories. It takes experience, practice, editing, practice, and yes… more practice. The biggest revelation in my “teaching kids to write” journey came as a one-two punch. Maybe a one, two, three punch.

1. Experience First
2. The writer’s process
3. The writer’s rubric

We want our kids to write, but many parents don’t know how or where to begin.

Three Simple Steps to Teaching Writing

1. EXPERIENCE FIRST.

Kayte, from Allergy Bites, explains that adding pumpkin to a healthy chocolate cake  is more than magic. It turns an ordinary chocolate cake into a nutritious moist marvel. I love Marvel. What does pumpkin have to do with writing? The secret ingredient. The secret ingredient to writing is:  Experience.   Related: Experience First in action

Experience First and Spreading writing out over a few days: Keys to writing

We have to get our kids tasting, smelling, feeling, hearing, experiencing before we try to get them writing. If they have no experience to draw from, the blank paper simple scowls at them. They become frozen. Photo by Angelina Litvin

THE WRITER’S PROCESS.

But, be ready for the S-word. I mean the actual S-word. (Can you tell I despise swearing?) My 18-year-old is not your typical teen. He’s kind, considerate, helpful, and he happens to be a brilliant writer. He fell in love with Anne Lamott‘s book, Bird by Bird (aff. link), during a recent writing class. He convinced me to read it, and I immediately saw why he loved it. Anne shared what we all know but are afraid to admit out loud:

Writing is hard!

Her advice is brilliant. Again, Be prepared for that S-word. For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous. In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts. The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later. You just let this childlike part of you channel whatever voices and visions come through and onto the page. If one of the characters wants to say, “Well, so what, Mr. Poopy Pants?” you let her. No one is going to see it.  While I hate that S-word, I love her advice. Kids need to know it’s safe to write down “Mr. Poopy Pants” in their first draft. Who knows where this profound thought will carry them? First Step: The “S-word” first Draft. Second Step: Let it rest. At least a day for kids. They need time to let go of the fact that they are not perfect. Third Step: Make revisions. Correct all the big stuff. Add descriptive language, quotes, or missing details. My kids will tell you that sometimes this takes multiple cuts. That’s ok. That’s why God invented the computer.  They never will understand the process of handwriting drafts over and over again will they? Almost Done Step: Final edits. Make all those “Shoot, I missed that,” corrections. Make sure we say “shoot” and not the other S-word. Final step: Share. All writing should be shared and celebrated in some way. With you, your husband, grandma, a friend, or the friendly people at the local nursing home. Validate all that hard work!

Grading tool: The writer’s rubric

One of the things that made me a “jerk of a writing teacher” before, was that I had no objective way to grade or critique a piece of writing. I relied on whether “I liked it”. I struggled to evaluate a  piece of writing. A bright light popped on when a friend introduced me to the writer’s rubric. Related: I have some sample rubrics for you a the end of this article. {Printable} A writer’ rubric is a clear cut way to evaluate a piece of writing to determine how well it was written. Instead of determining if you “like” a piece, if you understand it, or if you hate it, you are able to look at it objectively:

• No spelling errors.
• No mechanical errors (like punctuation).
• No grammatical errors (Here’s the best toolI’ve found).
• Does the paper have a beginning, middle and an end?
• Is there subject-verb agreement?
• Did they follow the assignment?
• Did they use interesting language?
• Is there a strong thesis statement?
• Do they use vivid language?

BONUS:  I CAN REMOVE MY JERK HAT. 

I can read a paper and have an objective, black and white way to look at a piece of writing. The good news: The writing process is not a great mystery. Experience, brainstorm, organize, rough draft, edit, revise, edit, polish, share. The better news: I can help my kids write with confidence. The best news: We get to share experiences with our kids as homeschoolers. Not only will that help them learn to become confident writers, but we will be with them as they enjoy the ride! Download your FREE Writer’s Rubric {printable} Download your 44 Writing Ideas {Printable}