April 10 is Encourage a Young Writer Day. Writing can be a challenge. Some may have a hard time knowing where to start. Others may struggle with spelling and punctuation. And then there’s the dreaded “writer’s block”. Here are 5 strategies to help get students to start writing.
1. Engagement.
It’s all about the topic. Give them something exciting to write about. Get to know their interests. Limit their options to just a few that speak to them. If they’re excited about the topic, they’ll be excited about writing.
2. Tools.
What’s needed to start writing? A pencil and a paper. Those are the basics. Go a little deeper and supply some more tools that will help with their writing. A dictionary and thesaurus are great additions. It will also help boost their vocabulary.
3. Brainstorm.
Hold a brainstorming session. Either use this to narrow down a topic. Or, if a topic is already chosen, use this to organize your thoughts. Download this free sample Brainstorming List activity for inspiration.
4. Graphic Organizers.
These tools are great when preparing to write. A General to Specific graphic organizer will help students narrow down their topic. A Prewriting Framework graphic organizer will help students focus their thoughts into a structured format. A Spider Web Map graphic organizer will help students list important details about their topic. A Concept Map graphic organizer will help students sort out the Who, What, When and Where of a topic.
5. Discuss.
Hold a discussion with your students. Maybe include a few more people for different view points. Discuss the topic, what writing means to them, how they get motivated. Come up with a plan for writing. Set up small goals that will be easy to reach.
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