It’s no secret that developing good writing skills is important. Many students struggle with writing because they start the process with pencil and paper.
Homeschool Writing Help
Wait a minute! Isn’t that where writing HAS to start?
Writing only starts with the blank page for people who are natural writers…you know, the ones who just love words, made up stories as little children, and thrive on discussing ideas. For many very “literal thinkers,” learning to write needs to start in a very different place.
Perhaps you have a student who hates to write, or who finds it terribly annoying, or whose final drafts end up dry, vague, or lifeless. If so, taking a new look at the writing process can give you (and your child) a perspective that’s empowering instead of frustrating.
Writing is communication.
Some people find communication easy. Some find it invigorating. But some find it to be difficult. They are often misunderstood when they speak. They have trouble articulating things more than one way. They deal well with facts, but ideas are vague and slippery. These kids need homeschool writing help, and it needs to start before the blank piece of paper is in front of them.
Writing is expression.
More than the simple conveyance of fact, good writing also gives the reader a sense of WHY the author bothered to set these words on paper. There is purpose. There is often opinion, emotion, or evaluation involved. For very literal thinkers, it feels vulnerable and dangerous to allow feelings or preferences or passion to appear in their writing. If they do not understand the importance of this element, they may be truly unable to incorporate anything more than a basic listing of facts when they write.
Writing is individual.
The rules of grammar and spelling do not change, and a well-structured sentence is a well-structured sentence. But every piece of effective writing includes the writer’s own unique voice. A student who struggles to write descriptively may find strength in writing a persuasive piece. A people-pleaser who hates to take one position to the exclusion of another may be almost unable to write persuasively, but give him or her the chance to write an expository (how-to) piece and the homeschool world becomes a happier place.
Do you and your student need homeschool writing help?
Some time back I created a 5-part series of videos to get you started from a different perspective. The first video in the series is here:
Vicki made available a great way to get started with Research Writing in this post – Help! My Reluctant Writer Can’t Do a Homeschool Research Paper!
Vicki has lots of resources on Pinterest, too. Here’s a link to one of her boards with lots of great homeschool writing help: Homeschool Writing Ideas.
The writing guides in the ebookstore offer homeschool writing help that is easily adaptable to different learning styles. Click the images below and view excerpts from guides for Essay Writing, Research Writing, Poetry Writing and Short Story Writing at a variety of levels from Introductory to Advanced. Written in a friendly style, designed to help students understand WHY different pieces of the writing process are important, they work well with even reluctant writers.
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