WRITING IN MIND: 8 WAYS TO PUT WRITING FIRST, 4TH GRADE THROUGH 8TH GRADE This is an age when students begin to have large writing assignments—essay tests, long book reports, research papers—and for many, writing stops being fun and starts to become a chore. With some encouragement from home, however, a love of writing can be nurtured. “Putting words down on paper helps a child clarify his thoughts and helps him to think through complex issues,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “It also helps him to communicate with other people and, most important, lets him express himself.” Bavaria says when it comes to a love for writing, it is important that parents set a good example. “Children need to see that what they are learning in school is relevant to their lives,” Bavaria says. “Whether they see their parents writing for work or for pleasure, children should understand that writing is a major form of communication.” Here are eight ways to encourage your child to write and have fun doing it. The Right Resources. If possible, invest in an up-to-date computer and software so that your child can focus on writing and not have to worry about computer crashes or slow hard drives. The School Paper. Many middle schools offer students the opportunity to work on a school newspaper or yearbook. Encourage your child to take advantage of these opportunities, because they will strengthen his writing skills as well as his interviewing and design abilities. Journals. Encourage your child to begin a journal as the new school year starts. Journal-writing is a great way to express pent-up middle school feelings, and it’s a way for your child to be expressive without fear of a grade. Movie Reviews. Have your child write mini-reviews for the summer’s best and worst movies—you can even distribute them to family and friends to keep around for when the summer blockbusters hit the rental store. Politics. This fall’s election season is the perfect opportunity to expose your child to the political process and help him work on letter writing skills. This is a great way to practice a different form of writing and to learn more about the upcoming elections. Have your child pick their favorite candidate, either local or national, and write a letter stating their stance on a controversial issue and what they think the candidate can do to help. “The whole purpose of writing is to be read,” Bavaria says. “When children write to the people who they see on the news, they almost always get a response back. The written word carries a weight that the spoken word sometimes doesn’t.” Goals. These can be educational, such as getting a B in math, or personal, like learning to play a difficult piece on the piano, but either way, coming up with a list of goals is a great way to practice writing. Internet. E-mail and instant messaging are great ways for your child to practice communicating through writing. Even though these forms of communication do not always foster conversational grammar skills, they are a great way for your teen to practice expressing herself on paper. Read. As always, being well-read is a key step to being a good writer. Readers just have a better sense of what sounds correct in their writing, and tend to be better at expressing themselves. Supply your child with plenty of varied reading materials, and get ready to see the words flow. Bavaria says a regular reader is more likely to take up writing as a hobby. “Just like children emulate their favorite sport starts and heroes, they frequently emulate their favorite writers,” Bavaria says. “Most authors will tell you they were inspired by a favorite writer.”