Today's Tip for Families

[En español]

01-27-2022

Praise and Questions Motivate Writing Improvement

The way you respond when reviewing your child's writing can be discouraging or motivating. Avoid simply looking for mistakes and fixing them for your child. Instead, start by finding something specific to praise. You might say things like, "The beginning of your story really grabs my attention." "I like the way you organized your thoughts." "This phrase is very lively!" "Your spelling really has improved."

Next, comment on the message your child is trying to convey. Does it make sense? Has your child supported opinions with examples or evidence? How does the writing sound when read aloud?

Finally, ask questions that will help your child clarify or add detail: "What are you trying to say here?" "Do you think this logically follows that?" "Can you give some reasons why you think that?" "Do you have an example of this?"

After your conversation, let your child handle the revisions.


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Jackson County Schools

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