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Reluctant Writer Options

Tags

ELA: Writing ^21st Century Skills All Ages Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking Organization Verbal Reasoning

Reluctant Writer Options

If your student complains about writing assignments

How To Apply It!

Providing writing opportunities that relate to students’ everyday experiences and subjects they really care about can help make writing feel relevant and less like schoolwork.

The suggested approaches help students appreciate the need for good grammar and spelling and the importance of taking a persuasive view. Start with the ones that you think will be most engaging to your student.

Customer Feedback. Have students write a letter to a company about a product or service they particularly liked or disliked. This is a great option to teach formal letter writing, and the importance of clear and persuasive writing.

Movie or TV Review. Write a review of a recent movie or TV show and submit it online or to a local paper. The possibility of having it published can motivate students to spend time on well-thought arguments with supporting details, as well as editing.

Daily Diary or Journal. Reflect on daily experiences or write down the most interesting thing that happened every day. It can be a safe place for your child to freely write, problem solve, reflect, and exercise critical thinking skills. Consider taking him shopping for a "special journal book" and honor a promise not to read the journal without permission, unless safety is an issue.

Opinion on a Local Issue. Local papers love when students take an interest. They are often very willing to print a student’s well-thought out opinion in the local paper. Since local papers typically have a word limit, this will teach your child to clearly and concisely express an opinion.

Customer Reviews. Have students write online product reviews when they have strong feelings about a product. Students will enjoy assigning ratings and knowing their opinions might influence someone else. They are often posted automatically so students can see their efforts online immediately. Mindprint encourages students to write product reviews from their Toolbox!

Pen Pals. Write letters to a distant relatives or friends. Emails can be just as effective and, in many cases, very motivating. Postcards can be a good start for more reluctant or younger students. And when your student gets a response, she will be even more motivated to keep the dialogue going.

Fan Mail. Write a letter to his favorite celebrity. This can be a great exercise in planning and organization. This is also an opportunity to get creative with pictures if using pictures will make it a more fun and motivating process for your child.

Comics. Write a children's story or a comic strip with illustrations. This can be a fun, low pressure way for students to practice writing. There are also plenty of your Mindprint Toolbox cartoon apps and websites.

Writing Apps. There are many terrific products out there now that are designed to encourage students to write, while helping them through the writing process. Many of them use visual prompts for inspiration. Others provide a platform for peer feedback for ongoing motivation and support. Check your Mindprint Toolbox.

The Science of Learning Why it Works

Writing is a complex process that involves the interplay of many skills. So if you have a reluctant writer, you first will want to rule out a specific problem that might be holding them back, like fine motor skills or difficulties with working memory. Read more about the skills associated with writing on our Expert Advice page. Like any skill, improvement in writing comes with practice and motivation. Research shows that providing topics and outlets that are personally motivating, particularly in writing, is crucial to improving writing skills.