How can you encourage your teen when he feels stuck?

What should you tell him when he can’t seem to get started writing?

What advice can you offer when perfectionism rears its ugly head and he has trouble accepting his own mistakes?

Typically, you can’t say or do much—especially if he’s already in a funk. But if you can bite your tongue and sit on your hands till a teaching moment arises, he might be willing to consider one of these ten truths.

1. It’s not just you. I promise.

Writing isn’t always easy. I’m sure you think you’re the only one who suffers from writer’s block, but it might help to know that even famous published authors will agonize over a word, a sentence, or a paragraph.

2. There’s no penalty for a bad first draft.

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.” ~Robert Cromier

3. If you’re stuck, explain to someone what you’re trying to write.

My adult son is a former reluctant writer. But even to this day, as a Ph.D. student, he’ll call me from time to time when he hits a writing roadblock. Often, I do nothing more than listen and offer the occasional “Mm-hmm.” But the act of thinking aloud and tossing around ideas can open up the floodgate, and he finds that the log jam of words will finally loosen.

4. Set a timer.

Having trouble getting started? Grab a kitchen timer and set it for 15 minutes. You can do anything for 15 minutes, right? And some days, you may not even hear the beep.

5. To write well, it helps to read well.

Reading teaches you how words work. You can become more attuned to detail, imagery, voice, and sentence construction. There’s no guarantee that being an avid reader will automatically make you a polished writer, but reading certainly lays a foundation for writing in many ways.

6. Style comes with practice.

Writing may not be second nature to you, but you will learn to develop your own writing style over time.

7. It’s better to write poorly than not at all.

You can always improve your rough draft. Don’t get hung up on perfection. Everyone revises!

“The first rule of writing is to write. The second rule of writing is to rewrite. The third rule of writing is the same as the second.” ~Paul Raymond Martin

8. Don’t write and edit in the same sitting.

I can’t tell you how many little errors I catch when I revisit a piece of my own writing even one day later! I know it’s tempting to just “get it over with.” But really, you’re much wiser to let that essay marinate for a couple of days. When you come back to it, you’ll be more likely to see it with fresh eyes and be willing to make changes.

[Of course, this means you can't wait till the last minute to write your rough draft. 'Nuf said.]

9. Learn to edit your own work.

This is one of the most valuable writing skills you can acquire. The more adept you become at self-editing, the less you have to rely on others to point out flaws. Before you turn your paper over to your parent or teacher, proofread and revise it first.

• Am I being too wordy?
• Repeating myself?
• Making my point?
• Varying my sentence structure?
• Using descriptive detail?
• Punctuating properly?

Your writing will always benefit from a second set of eyes, but learning to edit your own work is a lifelong skill every student needs to develop. While you’ll never be completely objective about your own writing, the ability to self-edit is equally important as having another person do it for you.

10. Edit your writing as if it were someone else’s.

Take an emotional step away from your paper. Imagine that it was written by the kid who flips burgers at McDonald’s, and begin to look for ways the writing could improve. It’s much easier to be objective when you pretend that your composition isn’t actually yours!

Copyright 2012 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

. . . . .

WriteShop  provides schedules, checklists, and detailed instructions that give teen writers direction and help them stay on task. Choosing WriteShop I and II will help you equip and inspire successful writers!

I’ve been giving you an overview of the basic writing stages and writing needs of children at various grade levels. Today I’m wrapping up the series with a look at high school.

Writing is the most important academic skill students need to develop in their secondary education.

Why? Because it’s “the most visible expression not only of what [they] know but also of how well they have learned it” (Carl Nagin, Because Writing Matters).

Use these important high school years to teach, train, guide, and direct. Provide opportunities for your child to work more independently, letting the rope out bit by bit so she has a chance to prove herself. Your goal is to produce a strong, independent writer who is equipped and confident to enter college or the workplace.

Where Should You Focus?

Secondary students need to:

• Write clearly, concisely, and correctly for both academic and personal purposes.
• Develop research skills.
• Vary their sentence structure beyond the subject-verb sentence.
• Use correct conventions (spelling, grammar and usage). Incorrect or sloppy grammar distracts the audience from the content, so continue working on grammar and punctuation throughout these secondary years until you know their skills are solid.

There are no shortcuts to improving student writing achievement in your home. Teens need:

• Skill development that builds incrementally.
• Short, relevant, high-interest assignments.
• Tools to help them refine word choice and sentence fluency.
• An involved parent!

How Much and How Often?

• Have your high schooler write regularly—4-5 days a week—for a variety of subjects.
• 2-3 short writing projects per month makes a good goal. Your child should take these compositions completely through the stages of the writing process, from brainstorming to final copy.
• In addition, assign 1-2 longer research papers, each of which can be spread out over an entire quarter. These can range from 4-15 pages, depending on age and skill level. Requirements for a 9th grader should not be as stringent as those for a senior.
• Tuck in shorter essays, journal writing, book summaries, or responses to current events along the way—assignments that only take a day or so and that don’t require much in terms of editing or revising.
• To prepare your student for college entrance exams and other timed writing situations, make sure to assign timed essays at least every other week.
• Keeping in mind her maturity and attention span, spend about 1 hour per day on writing.

Promote Independence but Remain Involved

When our children become teens, it’s easy to think: “They’re getting older. I’ll back off and let them take responsibility.” There will come a time to step back. But that time comes when your child has proven herself trustworthy and reliable.

Even with such a dependable child, you’ll still need to monitor her work. As part of your involvement:

• Break assignments into manageable chunks.
• Train your student to stick to deadlines.
• Give detailed, consistent feedback.

You need to help your teen develop self-discipline and independence, but you also need to hold her accountable. In doing so, you’re preparing her for the demands of college-level writing.  

Helping your K-2nd grader with writing
Helping your 3rd-5th grader with writing
Helping your 5th-8th grader with writing

Copyright 2010 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

WriteShop I and II are great programs for teaching and reinforcing the steps of the writing process to your junior high and high schoolers. 

Strong writing skills will help your student earn higher test scores, write quality college application essays, and become a better communicator. That’s the good news.

But as I shared recently, there’s bad news too: many college students possess dismal writing skills and are not adequately prepared for rigorous coursework.

I know this is pretty disheartening. It can be easy to give in to gloom and discouragement. Instead, let’s look at positive, practical ways to equip our teens for college-level writing. 

Cover the Basics

The requirements are pretty simple, really: focus on basic but key writing skills throughout junior high and high school to adequately prepare your student.

Make sure he regularly writes quality compositions and papers. Specifically, he should know how to write a:

• Professional email.
• Business letter.
• Résumé.
• Clear, well-organized essay (both persuasive and expository)
• Research paper.

Minimally, by the time your teen graduates from high school, he should at least know how to:

• Write clearly.
• Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Use proper sentence structure.
• Proofread and self-edit.
• Take notes.
• Cite sources.

Plan Ahead

If you teach these foundational writing skills early, you’ll still have time to introduce advanced writing and longer, more specific essays in 11th and 12th grade, including:

• Literary analysis.
• Different types of essays (cause/effect, compare/contrast, reflection, argument, definition, etc.).
• Research papers of various lengths.

So make a plan. Keep working on your teen’s grammar and writing skills, and give purposeful writing assignments on a regular basis. Otherwise, writing will keep dropping to the bottom of the stack—and your teen will be in for a rude awakening when his college years begin.

Ever heard of NaNoWriMo? Short for National Novel Writing Month, it’s an amazing writing event that takes place every November.

I love that NaNoWriMo also has a Young Writers Program that’s open to children 17 and under. The challenge? Pump out a novel in 30 days.

According to the website, “The only thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The high-velocity approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.”

Free Resources

NaNoWriMo offers some great resources to help your students along their writing journey—”new and improved, 100% awesome, non-lame” Young Novelist Workbooks.

You can download the workbooks here absolutely FREE! Choose from:

• Elementary Student Noveling Workbook
• Middle School Student Noveling Workbook
• High School Student Noveling Workbook

Ready for a crazy, roller-coaster November? Register here for the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program!

It’s 2010!

And now that your Christmas decorations have (we hope) come down, it’s time to shake off the winter blues and get your homeschool into gear again. Does that excite you, or does it make you want to dive under the covers?

The January Blahs 

Sometimes, it can be tough for homeschooling families to get back into gear in January. Mom feels burned out. The kids lack motivation. Foul weather doesn’t help much either and can often lead to cabin fever and a general sense of “blah.”
 
As a veteran homeschooler myself, I really want you to succeed—and not just to survive, but to thrive—which is why I love passing on great resources as they cross my path. My friend Terri Johnson of Knowledge Quest offers two fantastic homeschool classes—Homeschooling ABCs and Upper Level Homeschool—which are sure to jumpstart your homeschooling endeavors in the new year.

Signing up for either course means lots of free bonus gifts valued at up to $275, including a January-only BOGO (buy one, get one) so you and a friend can take the class together! Here’s a brief look at each class:

Class #1: Homeschooling ABCs

Homeschooling from A to Z. Whether you’re brand-new to homeschooling or have been at it for a dozen years, this excellent 26-week class will encourage you along the journey of teaching your children. If you feel overwhelmed, unmotivated, or discouraged, this class will provide focus, direction, and encouragement,.

This is absolutely a MUST TAKE class for all homeschoolers – new or seasoned! I cannot recommend it enough! I have been homeschooling for a decade, and last year lost all enthusiasm for homeschooling. I was prepared “to ship them all off to school!” Your class has helped me to refocus my goals, remember why I wanted to homeschool, and get out of the rut we were plodding through!  –LeeAnn, homeschooling mom

It’s only $10 a month for 6 months—an amazing value! To sign up or learn more about the course, check out Homeschooling ABCs.

Class #2: Upper Level Homeschool

Homeschooling Your High Schooler. Are you daunted by the idea of homeschooling through high school? Upper Level Homeschool is an online course specifically designed for homeschooling parents of middle- and high-school students. Don’t let self-doubt or lack of knowledge rob you and your teen of these very exciting years! All you need are a few basic “how-to’s” and your high schooler can be well on his way to academic success and a very bright future.

Writing is one of those areas that can intimidate the bravest of parents, so Terri invited me to contribute the course material for Tackling the Timed Essay. Drawing from the timed-essay lesson in WriteShop II and my workshop, “Teaching the Timed Essay,” I’ve put together a syllabus for you that’s jam-packed with tips for teaching timed writing, including preparing for the essay portion of the SAT college entrance exam.

And there’s so much more to this excellent 13-week course! To sign up for the class or learn more about it, check out Upper Level Homeschool. At just $15 per month for 3 months, it’s the best money you can spend to gain peace of mind about teaching your kids through high school.

Don’t forget that each of these great courses comes with fabulous bonus gifts such as forms, checklists, maps, lesson planners, and more! Check out each class to see the different bonus gifts offered.

Another question from the WriteShop mailbag . . .

Q: Can you help? I’d like to learn how to use Write Shop II with topics from my high schooler’s history studies. For example, I’d like to give her an assignment such as: “Write a 3 paragraph paper on Gregory The Great.”

A: You will be glad to learn that you can use almost all WriteShop lessons to write about things you’re studying in history.

Writing Across the Curriculum

To write about history, you have several choices. First, take a look at Appendix B of your Teacher’s Manual, specifically TM pp. B-4 to B-7. This section, called “Writing Across the Curriculum,” gives you all sorts of ideas for using each WriteShop assignment as a springboard for writing about other subjects such as history or art (the WriteShop II ideas begin on TM p. B-6).

This way, you could give your daughter important practice writing the short report from Lesson 19, having her write a biography instead of an animal report. She could certainly write about Gregory the Great or any other figure from history. This important assignment is the first WriteShop lesson that teaches how to organize a longer composition.

History-based Essays

The remaining essay section (Lessons 25-30) will then teach a new set of skills: beginning with Lesson 25, your student will write short essays that give her opinion, compare or contrast, and describe or define. Each one of these essays can be used with history lessons.

In addition to the suggestions on TM p. B-7, you can also find loads of recommended topics and essay ideas on TM pp. B-21 to B-25. For example, here are some ways you could use Gregory the Great as a subject for some of the upcoming essay assignments:

• On TM p. B-23, one of the suggestions says: “Discuss the significance of a famous battle.” You could tweak this topic to say: “Discuss the significance of the reign of Gregory the Great.” 
• Also on TM p. B-23, instead of describing “what made George Washington a great president,” you might suggest: “Discuss three major accomplishments of Gregory the Great.”
• On TM p. B-25, one of the suggestions says: “Compare or contrast two presidents (scientists, explorers).” Instead, have her compare Pope Gregory I with Pope Leo I.

Once you’ve completed the lessons, it would be wise to continue re-assigning essays from Lessons 25-30 on a regular basis to keep your daughter in practice. So, once she’s used up her lesson-specific checklists, you can provide her with photocopies of the all-purpose essay checklists on pp. C-3 to C-6 (Teacher’s Manual Appendix C). With these checklists, you will be able to give your own parameters for each assignment’s length, enabling you to teach longer essays if you so desire.

.  .  .  .  . 

WriteShop I and WriteShop II have a proven track record! Using the program will help prepare your teens for advanced high school and college writing. For beginning and average writers in 7th-10th grades, consider WriteShop I. For students in grades 8-11 who need a bit more challenge, take a look at WriteShop II.

Could you imagine a student telling his professor: “Can I have another week? My sister was hogging the computer.” or “Sorry I missed the test yesterday—I was too tired—but I can make it up later this afternoon.” We can all laugh at how ridiculous this sounds, but chances are, you yourselves have caved to these very requests!

But We’re Homeschooling!

For homeschoolers, it’s easy to let deadlines slide. The sense of urgency just doesn’t exist at home as it does in the public or private school setting. Homeschooling brings with it a false sense of security that says, “We have time…what’s the rush…he’s only 14…that’s why we’re homeschooling,” and so on. As a result, many homeschooling parents either don’t give due dates at all, don’t adhere to them if they do, or don’t impose consequences for late assignments.

Do you want your student to succeed in college? Of course you do! Then you need to realize that in the real world, such permissiveness will never fly.

Create a System for Keeping Track

You need a system for posting and keeping track of deadlines. The best method is to post a large monthly calendar in a prominent spot (in your school area, on the fridge). Even if you use a lesson plan book and give your student daily assignments, it is so helpful to be able to step back and see—at a glance—clearly marked essay or project deadlines and test dates.

A calendar of this nature gives your teen a quick daily review of the panorama of impending deadlines. This prevents the dreaded “due date creep,” where it suddenly dawns on a procrastinating student that he has a test, an essay, and a science project all due in the next day or two.

It also encourages the student to pace himself more carefully when working on big projects, including spreading out the work over several days or weeks, and starting the project early enough to finish without having to pull an all-nighter. A college-course syllabus is sure to include one or more long-term assignments, so developing the habit of scheduling and pacing will prepare him well for handling multiple deadlines that typify college work.

.  .  .  .  .

College prep 101: Learning to meet deadlines

College prep 101: Creating a quiet workspace

College prep 101: Limiting social networking

College prep 101: Teaching responsible study habits

Mrs. Smith teaches a weekly composition class. One evening she gets an email from one of her students.

Student: Is it okay for me to cite Wikipedia as a resource when I write my paper?
Mrs. Smith: May I ask why you waited until 6:45 p.m. to begin an essay that’s due tomorrow?

Sound familiar? You assign a report on Aztec culture, and you ask your teen to turn it in to you three weeks from now. But when will he typically start working on it? That’s right—a day or two before it’s due!

Squelching a Myth

We’ve heard it. Perhaps we’ve even said it: I work better under pressure.

But actually, studies have shown that pressure and procrastination cause myriad problems.

“Psychologists have focused on procrastination among students because the problem is rampant in academic settings; some 70 percent of college students report problems with overdue papers and delayed studying,” according to Joseph Ferrari, associate professor of psychology at Chicago’s DePaul University. 
. . .
“Procrastinators generally don’t do well under pressure,” says Ferrari. The idea that time pressure improves performance is perhaps the most common myth among procrastinators.
. . .
[A study by Tim Pychyl, Ph.D.] found that procrastination is detrimental to physical health. College students who procrastinate have higher levels of drinking, smoking, insomnia, stomach problems, colds and flu (Psychology Today).

Obviously, there’s more than just a deadline at stake here. So what can you as a parent do to help your teen develop consistency and routine before he heads off to college?

Teach Responsibility

Weave responsible study habits into your expectations for your student’s academic performance. Make it clear that his all-nighters or similar day-before heroics do not amuse or impress you. As adults, we know what it’s like to work under pressure, and though many of us say we function better that way, in reality it is VERY stressful and counterproductive, and our families usually bear the brunt of our short tempers and long hours—even when the end result is worthwhile. Instead, tell your teen that you expect him to schedule his work in advance and tackle it with his full attention.

Divide and Conquer

Start out by breaking longer assignments into chunks and establishing mini due dates along the way. If it’s a research paper, for example, set deadlines for topic selection, brainstorming, thesis statement, note-taking and research, outlining, bibliography, and rough and final drafts. Put these on a master calendar (more about that next week). That way, he can pace himself not only with this project, but with everything else vying for his time.

If, during the same two weeks, he is working on his paper, performing at the community playhouse, taking a biology test at the homeschool co-op, and going to winter camp with the youth group, he needs to plan well—and early—so he doesn’t end up with the proverbial freeway pileup when everything comes due at once.

Secret to Success

What is the most consistent difference between the college student who is snowed under and the one who is calm, happy, and academically successful? It’s the successful student’s ability to use organization and study techniques to simplify his life, whereas the stressed-out student tends to fly by the seat of her pants—hoping she lives through the semester, one anxious assignment at a time. Building an early—and strong—association between good habits and school work will pay off in the long run.

.  .  .  .  .

College prep 101: Learning to meet deadlines

College prep 101: Creating a quiet workspace

College prep 101: Limiting social networking

Your teen lives in the modern world. Between phone calls, texting, email, instant messages, Facebook, and any other number of social networking opportunities that distract her, she has to learn to establish boundaries for herself in order to get any work done at all.

Do Not Disturb

When she’s hammering out a paper or other project, there should be none of this electronic interruption until she’s finished, and for good reason. Setting aside these distractions is sort of like hanging an e-version of the “do not disturb” sign. And now I’m going to become very unpopular with your teen—and so will you, if you take my advice!

Unplug the Internet cable during her computer time and turn off her cell phone, if she has one.

Yes, unplug. This will make it impossible to go online or get interrupted by a text message while she’s working on an essay or report. If she needs to do research online, have her separate the research process from the writing process. Let her work online . . . and then simply unplug the cable when her research is complete.

What’s the Big Deal?

When your student tries to work at the computer while chatting with friends via instant message and e-mail, she loses the ability to focus and concentrate. As a result, the quality of her work suffers. In addition, she’ll require more time to finish the project. For one, the interruptions themselves take time. But more importantly, these breaks—no matter how short in duration—require her to keep refocusing when she finally returns to the task at hand.

I regularly experience this myself. I have two tasks open on the desktop, my email open on the laptop, and a barrage of projects stacked on my work surface. When I flit back and forth among them like a restless butterfly, I often close out my day feeling like I got absolutely nothing accomplished. Instead, I end up with myriad loose ends dangling everywhere and just as much on my to-do list as when I woke up.

But when I commit myself to one project at a time, visit my inbox a few times a day instead of several times an hour, and steer clear of both Facebook and the phone during those designated working hours, I am so much more productive as I pick off a whole bunch of little tasks (or take a nice chunk out of a bigger project). The sense of accomplishment is huge for me—and your teen can experience this too.

Goodbye to Multitasking

Making electronic access difficult (or impossible) forces your student to pour all her concentration and effort into her writing. This ability to separate work from play is of the utmost importance at college where she won’t have your help making such wise choices. In your “home training center,” once your teen figures out how much easier it is to write a paper in an uninterrupted chunk of time, she’ll may never go back to multi-tasking again!

That’s it for now—I’m off to take a dose of my own medicine.

Please do not disturb.

.  .  .  .  .

College prep 101: Learning to meet deadlines

College prep 101: Creating a quiet workspace

Writers of all ages need an audience. And what better way to gain one than to enter a writing contest? It’s so satisfying when a child receives a reward for his writing—whether it’s a cash prize, a special gift, or simply a chance to get published.

So why should you encourage your kids to enter a writing contest? Here are three important reasons.

1. Writing Contests Provide Boundaries

Most students need—and work well within—boundaries. Writing contests provide strict limits in the form of deadlines, word count, and subject matter.

Deadlines: Students, particularly teens, need to begin the practice of working within time limits, as they’ll face all sorts of deadlines throughout high school and college. Contest deadlines help them pace their writing so they can develop, write, and proofread the piece with time to spare.

Word count: Writing contests usually have some sort of word limit. Cutting a story or essay down to its most essential core will result in a tighter composition. It takes skill to whittle away excess verbiage in order to make every word count, but it’s a skill well worth developing.

Subject matter: Because most contests ask for a specific kind of writing—a short fictional story, a patriotic piece, or a poem, for example—students get to fine-tune their skills and focus their writing while practicing with a variety of themes. Writing on a given topic, even if it doesn’t especially interest them, is good practice for future writing assignments. Students won’t always have a choice, and practicing with different genres broadens their base of writing experiences. 

2. Writing Contests Provide An Audience

When your child enters a contest, he is writing for two audiences: real and intended.

Real audience: These are the people who will read and/or judge the poem, essay, or story.

Intended audience: These are the people your student’s composition aims to address. They could be children, teenagers, elected officials, senior citizens, young mothers, homeschoolers, etc.

Writing with an audience in mind makes the writing clear and concise. Each writing contest requires your student to keep a certain audience in mind, which in turn helps him hone his skills. For practice, encourage your child to enter different contests with varying themes and audiences.

3. Writing Contests Improve Confidence

Your student may not want to enter writing contests because she doesn’t think she’s good enough to win, or she worries that everyone is better than she is. Encourage her to try anyway—it’s a great learning experience! And the more your child writes, the better her writing will become.

Writing Contest Tips 

Now that you’re convinced writing contests are great opportunities for your kiddos, take care to guide them in the right direction by finding appropriate contests and steering clear of scams and rip-offs.

Finding Good Writing Contests

It can be a challenge to discern between legitimate contests and crooked or suspicious ones. While contests aren’t automatically legit just because they’re free, entry fees don’t necessarily spell scam, either. Some contests, for example, might charge a fee to help offset the cost of prizes or to help support a literary organization. If a contest looks legitimate, and the fee is low (under $10), you might consider it for your student. Here are a couple of resources for children’s writing contests.

Homeschool Writing Contests offers one-stop information about a number of writing contests, most of which are free.

The Old Schoolhouse Storytime Contest  offers a Stirring Fiction contest for adults 16 and up, and a fiction story contest for kids 15 and under.

Avoiding Scams

Some writing contests are, indeed, scams. Scam contests typically serve as fronts for generating income and are not legitimate outlets for student writing. Here are a few articles that will help you identify and avoid scams.

Avoid Writing Contest Scams 

Beware of Writing Contest Scams

The Seduction of Poetry Contest Scams

Writing Contests to Avoid

Finding Story Ideas

Choosing a topic depends entirely on the contest requirements. But if your child simply needs help with story ideas, check out WriteShop‘s fabulous StoryBuilders—printable card decks that make great writing prompts for silly, whimsical, humorous, or serious stories. By picking one card from each category—character, character trait, setting, and plot—she’ll have the foundation for her winning story in no time!

Look for StoryBuilders under E-books in the WriteShop store. They’re only $3.95-$7.95, and they come with either 96 or 192 writing prompt cards. (You can read over 70 reviews of StoryBuilders here.)