Recent research says that the more your child writes, the better he/she will write and read. Reading and writing strategies are intertwined and growth in one area is always reflected in the other. That is one reason why schools are emphasizing writing in all areas of the curriculum.
Writing also requires that the child organize his/her thoughts into understandable communication. This process not only strengthens the writer's understanding of language usage but also his/her grasp of the topic itself. That is another reason why schools are emphasizing writing in all areas of the curriculum.
But it is usually difficult for a parent to evaluate his/her own child's writing. Parents may ask "Is my child's writing typical? How much help should I be giving? What should I do about the spelling and other mistakes? What about handwriting?
The following pages include writing samples that are examples of children's writing--rough drafts, untouched, in their original (in many ways) glory. You will see a wide range of strengths. During writing time all children are challenged by working at their own level. (Hey! That's another reason schools are emphasizing writing.)
The first thing we have to do is to separate handwriting from writing. Handwriting is a physical skill. It is most influenced by muscle development. A child can be a very good writer and have terrible handwriting. Never let handwriting hold back a child's chance to write and publish. Here are some good ideas to help with your child's handwriting.
Secondly we need to understand that what we normally call writing has three distinct areas in which we typically wish to see growth. These "skill" areas of process strategies, writing conventions, and spelling conventions are very different . Generally parents focus on spelling. It is the most obvious of the three to the adult eye. Besides, few us grew up with any experience in the writing process and we don't expect much of kids in the way of writing conventions until they are older.
