Our Students Need to Write More

Posted on January 22, 2008 
Filed Under Homeschool, Observations, Penmanship, SAT Prep, Teaching Writing

During the past decade, I’ve spent a fair amount of time evaluating student writing and teaching SAT prep essay workshops and online high school literature classes. I’ve had the chance to read hundreds of papers from students all over the country, and I’ve discovered one small key to success in writing: Write More...

That’s a directive that easily questioned– write more what? Words? Minutes? Pages? My response is simple– YES to all of the above. Students who write often, tend to write better and more easily than students who are rarely required to pick up a pen (or turn on the computer).

It makes sense, doesn’t it? “Practice makes perfect” is an axiom that can be applied to everything from riding a bicycle to crafting the perfect pie crust or writing a coherent sentence. Even if perfection isn’t the goal, competence should be.

At several of my Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshops, I’ve encountered teens who are noticeably concerned about their ability to write. Some privately ask me to read their essays and suggest ways they can study on their own to improve. My heart goes out to these young people who realize they are facing college or career almost completely unprepared. Their skills aren’t at grade level, and they know it and feel very insecure.

What is the solution? Write more. It doesn’t matter what style of schooling you’ve chosen, or how comfortable you are with composition– just have your student write something daily. My favorite method is to follow the classic Charlotte Mason sequence of copywork, narration, dictation, and composition, because each of those activities builds skills needed for the next activity. (If you’re not familiar with this sequence, read “You Can Teach Your Child to Write,” Parts I & II on my website.)

Just having your student copy something daily will build writing skills. A few of the teens from my workshops have confided that they have never written more than a paragraph at one time before, and they are so aware that their skills are lacking. Although my workshop is a good start for many studentss, it’s not a substitute for simple, regular practice.

You can easily give your student the practice he or she needs to feel competent and confident. Consider starting a new morning routine of having your student copy a stanza (eight verses) from Psalm 119; a poem; a newspaper editorial; or a paragraph or two from a well-written book or magazine article before school begins. It would take less than 30 minutes a day, and over time, the student’s skills would be strengthened. (You can read more about how to use copywork with teens in my previous post on Copywork for Teens.

Whatever you do, please take the time to help your students gain the skills they need to become comfortable, confident writers. They’ll be able to face exams, college, and their future with peace if they know they can at least put words on paper. If your student needs a writing mentor or help with evaluating writing, the National Association of Independent Writing Evaluators should be a good source for help by the middle of 2008. Until then, copywork is a good start!

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Comments

8 Responses to “Our Students Need to Write More”

  1. Kimmie on January 25th, 2008 8:54 pm

    Hi Janice;

    Wondering if you could help me…we need to find an editor (my 16 year old has written 2 books). Not sure where we should start and they should be ready soon for the editor (my husband is doing the last of ‘our’ editing).

    blessings to you…
    and we have adoption news too!

    Kimmie
    mama to 6
    one homemade and 5 adopted

  2. Michele on January 26th, 2008 7:38 am

    Thank you for your blog Janice. It’s more helpful than you may know.

  3. Belinda Letchford on January 28th, 2008 9:01 pm

    Recently Lifestyle Homeschool Blog received an E is for Excellent Blog Award and I would like to pass it onto you. As you will read on my post that I want my blog reading to inspire me to be better, to keep my focus on the main thing, to be challenged to pick up the slack. Your blog does just that. So thank you!

    Belinda

  4. Life on the Road | The Carnival of Homeschooling - “Leaving a Legacy” on January 29th, 2008 7:40 am

    [...] Campbell declares that Our Students Need to Write More posted at Janice Campbell: Taking Time For Things That [...]

  5. Janice Campbell on January 29th, 2008 8:32 am

    Kimmie,
    Are you planning to self-publish, or to seek publication through traditional channels? The kind of editor you would want depends on the kind of book she’s written, and its intended audience. For example, a fiction book for middle-grade students would need a different type of editing than a non-fiction picture story.

    When the National Association of Independent Writing Evaluators (http://www.naiwe.com) launches this year, it will be easy to find exactly the right editor for your needs. For now, I’ll just e-mail you privately with a couple of suggestions.

    Congratulations to your daughter (and to you) on the completion of her books! It’s a worthwhile achievement.

    Blessings,
    Janice

  6. Janice Campbell on January 29th, 2008 8:34 am

    Belinda-

    Thank you for the E is for Excellent Blog Award! I’ll enjoy passing it on.

    Janice

  7. Barbara on January 29th, 2008 9:47 am

    This was great. Well said, and well needed. I found you at the Carnival and am thankful for the reminder. My girls LOVE to write, even before their spelling skills ever caught up. Didn’t Pierre Burton say one needs to “Read, read, read and write, write, write” to be a good writer? Sounds like good advice. I linked to this post.

  8. Karen Woodward on February 3rd, 2008 5:32 pm

    Janice,

    Your Beat the Clock Workshop sounds great! Maybe my teens can attend one sometime.

    Karen

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