In part I of this series, I told you about Andrew Pudewa's incredible system to teach students how to write. In his program, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style, he teaches students how to write, not how to choose a topic.
There are a number of free writing lessons online that follow Mr. Pudewa's program. You can start any time - today, the first week of school, over summer vacation. This is a great way to help older children who struggle with writing skills. To begin, find a short story that your child enjoys. For best results, your students should be using predictable books to teach writing.
Day 1 To begin, find a simple, one-page story. Aesop's Fables are a perfect length, though you may choose any story to begin. Sit down with your child and read the story aloud. Once you are finished, create a "structure" or outline; this will help when you and your child write an outline of key words in the story. Your structure should look like this:
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
If you are an outline perfectionist, you might have a heart attack since there are no letters on my outline. The only person that will have a hard time with no letters is you. Children have no problem using an outline that has just numbers. In fact, they will find it easier to work with. There should a number for each sentence in the story.
Re-read the first sentence and have your child offer three key words from that sentence that will help him remember what is written. Underline or circle those words in the copy of the story as he tells them to you. Once he has chosen three words, write them in order on I.
Choose another three keywords from the second sentence, and write them beside the "1". It is possible to have fewer than three keywords, although there may not be more than three. Let your child choose which keywords are important to him. Remember, he does not have to remember all the details, just the highlights.
After you have your outline completed, put away the original source. Have your child use the outline and tell back to you the paragraph. Children have a much easier time verbalizing what they have read rather than writing it down. You just finished half of the writing lesson.
Regardless of the age of your children, they should tell you the story verbally, paragraph by paragraph. It is an important part of the thought process, even for older children.
In my next article, I will share the rest of these free writing lessons online. You will learn how to use this simple outline to teach your children to write in their own words.
There are a number of free writing lessons online that follow Mr. Pudewa's program. You can start any time - today, the first week of school, over summer vacation. This is a great way to help older children who struggle with writing skills. To begin, find a short story that your child enjoys. For best results, your students should be using predictable books to teach writing.
Day 1 To begin, find a simple, one-page story. Aesop's Fables are a perfect length, though you may choose any story to begin. Sit down with your child and read the story aloud. Once you are finished, create a "structure" or outline; this will help when you and your child write an outline of key words in the story. Your structure should look like this:
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
If you are an outline perfectionist, you might have a heart attack since there are no letters on my outline. The only person that will have a hard time with no letters is you. Children have no problem using an outline that has just numbers. In fact, they will find it easier to work with. There should a number for each sentence in the story.
Re-read the first sentence and have your child offer three key words from that sentence that will help him remember what is written. Underline or circle those words in the copy of the story as he tells them to you. Once he has chosen three words, write them in order on I.
Choose another three keywords from the second sentence, and write them beside the "1". It is possible to have fewer than three keywords, although there may not be more than three. Let your child choose which keywords are important to him. Remember, he does not have to remember all the details, just the highlights.
After you have your outline completed, put away the original source. Have your child use the outline and tell back to you the paragraph. Children have a much easier time verbalizing what they have read rather than writing it down. You just finished half of the writing lesson.
Regardless of the age of your children, they should tell you the story verbally, paragraph by paragraph. It is an important part of the thought process, even for older children.
In my next article, I will share the rest of these free writing lessons online. You will learn how to use this simple outline to teach your children to write in their own words.
About the Author:
Kerry Beck helps homeschool moms and classroom teachers as a writing teacher. Grab her free mini-course about writing skills today.
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