Quick Fix to Improve Writing Scores

If you want to improve a student’s
writing score, give them a good book. It’s true. Reading and writing is a
marriage that can’t be separated. A student shouldn’t be expected to write well
if they are not reading quality material that incorporates the elements of good
writing. Talk to your child about the book they are reading.  Ask your child why they feel the book is “good”.
This will allow you to bring up word choice and discuss why authors use certain
words or describe the plot in a certain manner. Have students journal about the
book they are reading. This activity will prompt them to elaborate on story
elements that are important in narrative writing.

Parents are shocked by the latest
FCAT writing scores and teachers are disheartened. Below are quick fixes that
anyone can do to improve their son or daughter’s writing scores:

• Have your child help you with grocery shopping
  by writing the list and choosing specific ingredients for a preset menu. This helps
  in evaluating the importance of items and is a good skill to have for summary
  writing.

• Have your child keep a personal journal.  This gives him or her practical practice in
  transferring their thoughts to words.

• Have your child write letters and thank you
  cards. This is a great way to use words to convey your point to a target
  audience.

I purposely chose to focus on
handwriting skills as educators have not been able to keep up with the advances
in technology. You will find an equal amount of sources that both prove and
discredit technology as a factor for the “problems” in education.