Posts Tagged ‘writing instruction’
Got kids? Here’s how to turn them into writers.
As a teacher and a writer, I often give parents advice on helping their children to become effective writers who (more importantly) love to write. My advice is simple: Be the best audience possible for your child’s work. If he or she wants to read something to you, drop everything. Allow the chicken to burn…
Read MoreThe prize for my latest writing contest is the threat of tears and possible humiliation. No wonder my students are writing up a storm.
It’s that time of year again when I encourage my students to make me cry. Parents and teachers often ask me about how my students so consistently fall in love with writing. The answer to this question could probably fill a book, but here is one tiny example: Each week I sponsor one or more…
Read MoreWhy does writing instruction so often suck?
Slate’s Matthew J.X. Malady offers any number of reasonable answers to this question, but I think the answer is far simpler: Writing instruction at the elementary, middle, and high school levels is taught primarily by teachers who are not writers and do not engage in writing on a regular basis. Most teachers are readers. We…
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