When Writing is Too Boring
but it is essential to a well-rounded human. Isn’t it? But how do you teach creative writing in homeschool when it’s such a struggle? 5 Tips for Teaching Creative Writing in Homeschool
- Stop making them hand write their thoughts and expressions.
- Try allowing dictation. Let them tell you their stories, ideas and/or thoughts and you hand write exactly what they are saying.
- Illustration. Ask your student to illustrate a story. Let them draw the images that are in their mind. After they have completed an illustrated story booklet, have them tell you the story out loud. Then, ask them if they are willing to write the story in the booklet so others can read it. If not, ask them if they will help you to write it by re-telling the story. Re-telling and seeing it written out will help them to understand the process of “writing.”
- Let them type their story. Let’s face it, our children are growing up in the digital age. So let them explore that keyboard and learn to type in the process of creatively expressing their thoughts. (This option has worked wonders for my sons desire to participate in “writing”).
- Set up the speech recognition software on your computer and allow your child to speak their story into a word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Notepad. Since the computer doesn’t automatically add in punctuation, the student either learns to speak those, or must manually go back in and add them.
Here’s How To Set Up Speech Recognition on a PC using Windows 7.
How to Set Up Speech Recognition in Windows 10
I’m not saying handwriting isn’t important. I think it is very important and should be taught, I’m suggesting that a creative or expository writing assignment isn’t necessarily the time to focus on handwriting.
This is especially true if you have a struggling, reluctant, hesitant or bored student.
Whatever way you choose to allow your child to creatively express thought, remember that your goal is to prepare them for the future ahead.
Take a look at this Hangout with me and my friends from the iHomeschool Network Teaching Writing Google + Hangout for more encouragement for teaching writing.
What creative ways do you encourage your children to express themselves?
I think that if you use this technique it needs to be moderated. I am a young teenager and a writing teacher – there is nothing better than hearing the scribble of a pencil on paper! But I do think that voice recognition stuff would be a fun mixup every once and a while.
For me personally, I agree nothing beats pencil and paper. But for a struggling writer the goal isn’t about mechanics, it’s about letting them learn to express their voice. Writing can be found in many forms, esp. in the age of the computer.
Thanks for your opinion.