The Many Advantages of Being a Good Writer

By Lauren Snow – Education Writer for Supreme Tutoring

As students grow older, they are expected to write more and more in school. Having at least an adequate writing skill is critical in college, so schools work hard at preparing children for the high standards required they will encounter in higher education.

Encouraging Early Writers

It is important to start early when developing academic skills. For younger students, parents can help to foster their children’s writing skills by using fun, creative activities that not only engage their child’s imagination, but also encourages them to pick up a pencil outside of the classroom and their homework. They may not become a modern day Shakespeare, but the practice will pay off and get their imaginative gears grinding.

Tips to get children to practice writing:

• Ask your Child to Write and Perform a Play

Many children love to perform for their parents or any audience they can gather. Ask them to write down a play to perform for you. Before they get up on their imaginary stage, take a peek at their writing to check for spelling and grammar. Alternatively, have them write a role for you to read.

• Write and Mail a Letter

E-mail may dominate communication these days, but a handwritten letter will always be more personal. Encourage your kids to write a letter to a relative or a friend no matter if they are across the country or down the block. Have them write a rough draft so you can check for errors – then encourage them to draw accompanying pictures and get creative before you seal it into an envelope. Try recruiting one of their schoolmates as a pen pal and watch your child’s excitement when they get a new letter in the mail.

• Supplement School work with After School Tutoring

Sometimes, a parent’s encouragement is not enough. A child will get the most benefits from an actual teacher in a small tutoring session that will enable them to receive personalized attention. The tutor can tailor a session to your child’s strengths and weaknesses, whether they have trouble with spelling or are weak in content and organization. Improving all of these skills will greatly enhance their academic achievements throughout their school career.

Writing and the Common Core State Standards

Another reason why writing skills are essential for all children: schools are evaluating writing skills earlier and earlier. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS), adopted by the state of NJ, contain a list of math, reading, and writing proficiencies that students are expected to master by grade. All curriculums across this state and others are being tailored to the CCSS. The CCSS, which strives to achieve a set of common educational goals across America, is used to test your child beginning in elementary school. The NJ ASK tests, administered to every NJ student from grade 3 to 8, include a graded writing prompt. Just browsing the Common Core for a 3rd grader there are nine sets of skills expected of the young writers.

The SATs and Beyond

The beginning of the 21st century saw a new addition to the SAT: the essay. Many students cringe at the word. What they should be doing is using the new section to their advantage, as a great essay may boost their writing section score dramatically. A student who is well prepared for the essay will feel confident and earn themselves some extra points.

Once the SAT is done and over with and a student moves on to college, great writing skills will absolutely shine. Excellent research papers, lab experiments, and other academic papers are the secret to earning an A and impressing your professors. A stellar paper might even get you in on a student assisted research paper with your professor or earn you a position as teacher’s assistant.

Writing is an imperative life skill. It is incredibly important that young children learn the foundations of writing at a young age, so they are not behind when these writing skills matter. Plus, you never know, maybe your child will find a passion for writing and actually become the next Shakespeare.