{"id":411248,"date":"2024-07-11T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=411248"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Tips-to-Help-Students-Be-Better-Writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Tips-to-Help-Students-Be-Better-Writers\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to Help Students Be Better Writers"},"content":{"rendered":"

(StatePoint) No matter the career path students pursue, writing and communication skills are essential to success. Whether a student identifies as a \u201c<\/span>math kid,\u201d a \u201c<\/span>sports kid,\u201d or even a \u201c<\/span>reading kid,\u201d writing doesn\u2019t always come naturally.<\/p>\n

Parents and teachers need to be creative in how they present writing, so students feel personally motivated to develop their skills.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Almost any student is capable of becoming a strong, passionate writer,\u201d says Rowana Miller, founder and Executive Director of creative writing education nonprofit Cosmic Writers. \u201c<\/span>The trick is in connecting writing to the activities, subjects and ideas that already excite them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some tips from Miller to motivate kids to strengthen writing skills:<\/p>\n

Present Writing as Fun<\/strong><\/p>\n

Especially for students between the ages of 8-12, who have developed basic writing skills but may not have a defined sense of what it means to be a \u201c<\/span>writer,\u201d it is essential to create positive associations with the act of writing.<\/p>\n

To accomplish this, you can teach writing through gamified, collaborative and imaginative activities. For example, you can guide kids through the process of writing a series of \u201c<\/span>telephone stories.\u201d With students sitting in a circle, have each one write an opening sentence on a piece of paper, and then pass the paper to the student to their right. Each student should continue the story by adding a sentence to the page, and then pass the paper a second time. This process repeats until each student has their original paper again.<\/p>\n

Provide Engaging Materials<\/strong><\/p>\n

When kids\u2019 writing practice only comes from dry textbooks, it is difficult to create positive associations with writing. Experts recommend using materials that are just as fun as the activities good teachers use when teaching.<\/p>\n

For example, the 8-12 age range is well-served by such exciting activity books as \u201c<\/span>The Monster-Building Handbook<\/a>,\u201d a new publication from Cosmic Writers. \u201c<\/span>The Monster-Building Handbook\u201d combines a narrative premise with a call-to-action for students to practice writing: fictional monster-maker Angelica Fearborne needs them to develop an original monster character who can face off against her monster-hunter twin brother. Learn more at www.cosmicwriters.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Link Writing to Favorite Shows & Video Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

Students don\u2019t usually recognize the connection between writing and the media they love. Writing becomes more exciting when they learn that writing is an essential part of a funny YouTube series or thrilling video game.<\/p>\n

Students are particularly compelled by opportunities to write in the style of the media they enjoy. For example, if you are working with kids who like to play Dungeons and Dragons, it is a natural next step to practice fantasy storytelling and writing.<\/p>\n

For almost any student, it is possible to find a connection between writing and something they already like. A \u201c<\/span>math kid\u201d may engage most with genres that emphasize logic and problem-solving, like mystery-writing. A \u201c<\/span>sports kid\u201d may be excited to write articles about the school baseball team. And when these students practice these kinds of writing, they may discover they have been \u201c<\/span>writing kids\u201d all along.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: (c) monkeybusinessimages \/ iStock via Getty Images Plus<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


Tips to Help Students Be Better Writers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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