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Do you have children that complain about writing assignments? Last summer, I discovered (again) that giving my children a purpose for writing increases their motivation and willingness to fulfill their assignments. It is also a fantastic way to teach the process of writing format through publishing. A few years ago, all three of my children wrote books which are now available for purchase. My son worked for an entire year studying about the jungle and choosing just the right animal or plant to include in his ABC Jungle Book. After making these choices, he wrote a paragraph about each one, using a writing stylistic checklist. Of course, he didn't work on his book for eight hours a day, every day for a year. After all, he's just a kid! The amazing thing is that he remained motivated all year long. Because of his efforts, he was able to complete his book at the beginning of June. Here's how we kept our son motivated, saving us from nagging and arguing. First, we assigned him a writing topic that was interesting to him. He's been fascinated by jungle plants and animals for years, and was happy to keep reading and learning more. Second, he was excited at the thought of writing his own book, one that he could sell to earn money for his efforts. Because he had a reason for writing, he remained motivated to complete the project. Not all writing assignments lead to a money-making opportunity - there are many other ways to introduce purpose into your child's writing. Experiment, and look for new reasons to write. Perhaps your child can write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper on a preferred topic; enter a poem or story in a writing contest; share news in a letter with family or friends; or write a story about an incident in their life. Be creative, and find new reasons for your children to write - they will approach their writing with a fresh outlook and increased enthusiasm. After your child has a purpose for writing, they need to get their ideas out of their head and onto paper. Ideas have to be arranged in a logical order, and then the writing process can begin. Teaching Writing: Structure & Style is the best product to teach kids how to write. It teaches your children to write for a variety of purposes like letters, stories, and essays. Use the process of writing format through publishing to add purpose to your child's writing assignments. Remember, writing assignments don't have to be about writing - they can, and should, be about a range of topics, preferably based on topics which you and your child are studying at the time. Writing is a skill, one that can be applied to any number of topics. Help your child to write with purpose by asking them to write on many topics, from dragons to trigonometry, summer vacations to science fairs. It makes all the difference in the world!
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Kerry Beck encourages teachers and homeschoolers with the process of writing format through publishing. Kerry offers a free mini-course that demonstrates to teachers how to teach writing at Teaching Writing.
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