As guided by recent planning initiatives, and as we review and focus on our writing program at BCD in the future, I write to share some thoughts about how parents can participate as writing partners in their child’s development and progress as a writer.
At BCD, we believe that it is essential that our students learn to write well. To develop the skills of becoming a good writer, it’s important that students immerse themselves in the craft and write as much as possible. The more children engage in writing, the more fluent they will become. While we will continue to review and modify our writing curriculum, a process underway this year, and provide more time for the teaching of writing in the future, parents, too, can assist their children in developing the skills and vigor it takes to become a capable and fluent writer.
Everyone benefits from reviewing their writing with someone who can provide them with informed feedback and guidance. In a recent Educational Leadership article, Mary Ehrenworth (Columbia University Teachers College) says parents want to help their children become good writers, but many overdo it, flounder around, or do nothing. Here are her suggested tips for parents as they get involved in supporting, encouraging, and reviewing their child’s writing at home.
Parent Prompts to Help Kids Rehearse Their Writing
Basic Prompts:
- How will your story/essay/article go?
- Tell me about the parts.
- How will it start?
- Then what will come next?
- How do you think you want it to end?
- What will be the most important moment in the piece?
- What will be the tricky part – where might it get confusing? Let me know when you’re at that part, and we can talk it out if you want.
More Advanced Prompts:
- Try a couple of leads on me. Let’s see which ones really get a reader interested.
- What are you thinking about pacing? How will you control tension?
- Do you want to tell everything at once, or let out the details bit by bit?
- What do you want your reader to know right away?
- What do you want your reader to wonder about?
- What are you saving for the ending?
- How are you going to tailor this piece to your audience?
- Do you have to explain any technical vocabulary?
- Is there a particular perspective or point of view you want to represent?
- Will you do anything to acknowledge other points of view in this piece?
“Parents as Writing Partners” by Mary Ehrenworth in Educational Leadership, April 2014