Hello, my name is Kris. I am a person who loves to write and I have a confession to make: my oldest daughter hates to write. *gasp*
Yes, I am as appalled as you. We’ve had some things that have worked okay in the past, but nothing that has every really turned her on to writing. Some of my favorites have been our writing center and the writer’s workshop notebook that I set up for her. When those became a little “young” for my middle schooler, we switched to Jump In. There’s just no nice way to say it – she hates it.
While I realize that my daughter may never share my love of the written word, I do want her to be able to express herself in an intelligible way. I want her to be able to write without major spelling or grammatical errors and in a way that effectively communicates her thoughts and ideas.
So, here’s my cry for help: is there a fun, effective writing program for reluctant or struggling middle or high schoolers out there? What have you found that’s worked for your family?
Kris is the sweet-tea-drinking, classically eclectic, slightly Charlotte Mason, homeschooling mom to her three Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I think what pulled me into writing was the fun and creative way I could play with language through written words. So, have you tried Mad Lib type things with her? Perhaps that will give her something to do that is fun, funny, and still teaches her the basics of writing without having to come up with a story on her own.
And I’ve heard that reading, just reading, is a great tool for improving writing because the books model it for us… even if we don’t put pen to paper (or create a new document on the computer [smile]).
…that’s all I got.
~Luke
I second the MadLibs idea. You can learn sequencing and make things fun. The other thing we have toyed with is magnetic poetry. It comes in different forms-based on interests. There is even an online version. Might get the juices flowing.
If she likes to talk but hates writing, you could have her dictate into a speech-to-text program. It will type what she says, then she only has to edit her work!
We have used WriteShop Story Builders (I have a review of it on my blog). One that we are going to try in the future is The One Year Adventure Novel.
There’s a great writing program by Judith Darling called Razzle Dazzle. The program is student-directed and totally unique. It was a terrific help for my reluctant writer and such a relief for me.