Building Writing Skills Article Archive

Tips and guides on how to help your children write better, from writing rough drafts to editing and revising. Find more help on our Building Writing Skills at Home resource page.

• Handwritten Thank-You Notes Offer Many Ways To LearnParents can add humor—and math and history learning—to this task, which is one that most children initially resist.
• Help Your Child Build Writing SkillsParents can help by encouraging their children to embrace the concept of revision. Through reviewing and revising, kids will soon see their writing improve.
• Build Your Teen's Writing SkillsThe ability to express oneself in writing is an important skill.
• Encourage Your Teen To WriteThe ability to write well becomes more important as students move through school.
• 4 Writing Styles Your Child Should KnowIn middle school, your child will be asked to write both fiction and nonfiction. And he’ll have to be able to use several different formats for each kind of writing.
• 6 Keys for Good WritingKnowing six key areas of writing can help improve your child’s compositions.
• Have Kids Write About Their InterestsThere’s an old saying among writers: “Write what you know.” Invite your child to follow that good advice.
• 8 Steps to a Strong ParagraphKnowing how to write a good paragraph is a key to successful writing.
• Practice Different Kinds of WritingThere are many different reasons to put words onto paper.
• Make Writing an Everyday ActivityIf your child thinks of writing as a “school only” activity, he may balk at sharpening his skills outside of class.
• Plan Writing Projects With Note CardsWriting down impressions and facts on note cards is a great way to help your child plan reports and research projects.
• Editing Checklist Can Help Improve Your Child’s WritingIt’s hard to help older children with their writing. Since they're sensitive to both criticism and even gentle suggestions for improvement, this editing checklist can help them strengthen their writing — without a power struggle with you.
• Essay-Writing Tips for Middle SchoolersFrom this point on, your child will be writing essays frequently.
• Two Strategies To Organize Writing AssignmentsThe hardest part of writing is usually getting started.
• Encourage Middle Schoolers To Write Letters to the EditorIt could be about the environment. It could even be about money for a new school building.
• Are you helping your child improve writing skills?Take this quiz to see if you are fostering improved writing skills in your child.
• Answering Essay Questions: 4 StepsNow that your teen is in high school, he will face more essay questions.
• Tips To Make Rough Drafts BetterA rough draft is the key to a good paper.
• Editing Techniques for Better EssaysTeens don’t always know what to look for when they’re editing their own writing.
• Find Ways for Your Teen To Practice Vital Writing SkillsMore and more, employers say they’re looking to hire people who can write.
• Have Your Teen Try Newswriting TechniquesIf your teen is unhappy with an essay or paper she’s writing, suggest she focus more strongly on the beginning and ending.
• Help Teens Edit and Revise EssaysGood writers know the importance of having an editor with a sharp eye. That’s because writing can almost always be improved in some way, whether the writing is a novel by a top author or a school paper written by your teen.
• Research, Outlines, Drafts Help With Writing TasksSome high school writing, such as taking notes, can be done quickly. But most writing should be done carefully.
• Tips To Become a Better ProofreaderYour teen has great ideas, but his papers always get marked down because he makes careless errors.
• Journaling Encourages Reading, WritingA reading journal can help your child remember what she’s read. It can also help you and your child enjoy a favorite book again and again. All you need is a notebook and a pen.
• Develop a Schedule for Book ReportsEven kids who love to read can dread writing a book report.
• Strategies To Get Writing Tasks StartedYour 5th grader likes math. He’s willing to study spelling. But ask him to write a report and he freezes up.
• Storyboards Help Organize Ideas Before WritingOrganizing a paper is often the biggest challenge for young writers.
• Tips To Make Writing Part of Daily LifeSome kids think that writing is something they only do in school.
• Ways To Encourage WritingNot everyone will grow up to be a best-selling author. But people who can put their thoughts into words will be a success in any field.
• Develop Your Child's Writing SkillsChildren who hate to write need lots of encouragement.
• Vacation Months Provide Relaxed Writing TimeThe long, lazy days of summer can actually be a great time for kids to practice writing.
• Word "Banks" Can Improve WritingYoung writers often have trouble thinking of the words they know. So when they’re writing, they fall back on only a few words.
• Don’t Focus on Writing ErrorsMake sure the way you respond to your child’s writing motivates improvement.
• Creative Ideas To Encourage WritingWriting isn’t the first of the “3 R’s”...but some experts say it’s the most important.
• Enjoyable Activities To Get Your Child WritingUntil the last hundred years or so, most people never learned to write more than their names.
• Summer Writing Ideas To Boost LearningDuring the lazy, hazy days of summer, kids can still keep up their writing skills.
• Develop Observation Skills With a Micro-HikeSometimes, children seem to pass through the world without really seeing it at all.
• Here Are Ways to Keep Your Child Interested in WritingWhen kids are young, they love to write stories, letters and even books.
• A ‘Memory Bank’ Is a Source for Writing TopicsDo writing assignments cause your child’s mind to go blank? Does he stare at the paper as he gropes for something to write about?
• Help Kids Get the Write StuffChildren who can express their thoughts in writing have a head start in school.
• Start a Lifetime Habit of Writing Thank-You NotesThe end of the school year is a great time to thank teachers for all they have done.
• Tips for Helping With Writing AssignmentsA writing assignment can seem like a tough challenge for a child. From "talking through" an idea, to making notes, to creating an outline, there are many ways you can help your child feel successful at writing.