A PARENT’S GUIDE TO SCHOOL WRITING STANDARDS

If there’s one complaint we hear from parents most commonly, it’s “My biggest concern is how my child struggles in school with their writing, but I don’t know where to start."

Are you a parent who has the same question? This is a completely fair and valid concern to have when it comes to your kids' academics and creative skills. Schools often use big curriculum words that are difficult to understand. There needs to be a simpler version of their expectations and standards. 

Don’t worry, we've got your back! Here’s the simpler version- what teachers look for, students usually struggle with, and how YOU can help your child, all from the comfort of your home!

1. 3 ESSENTIAL SKILLS EVERY SCHOOL CHECKS

1. Ideas: Schools usually check papers to examine any clear and relevant ideas your child may have on the topic given. 

• There usually needs to be a main argument/point to the writing

• Details and examples that match the concept

• Original ideas or interesting facts to assist

2. Structure: One of the biggest criteria for giving marks is having a clear, cohesive structure.

• Teachers and facilitators want to see a clear beginning, middle and end to the story for it to make sense.

• Paragraphs that flow smoothly from one point to another 

• Including sentences within each paragraph that expand on the previous sentence

3. Editing: While checking, teachers specifically focus on any grammar errors made.

• Capitals, punctuation

• Spelling

• Clearer word choices; using words that make sense in a better context over big jargon.

2.  COMMON STRUGGLES EVERY KID FACES

 It’s very regular to struggle with writing, and you should never feel alone if you’ve ever experienced any of these:

• Less than 3 sentence paragraphs: It can be tough to come up with sentences that supplement or expand on the previous sentence to make your point.

• Great ideas but unable to organise: It can be tough putting your ideas into words on paper, and many established writers can have days where they face the same as well!

• Using the same vocabulary frequently: It can be very easy to use the same word you’ve used from the start to the end of a story as we get habituated to writing it, or can’t think of a better word in the moment.

• Getting overwhelmed: Many kids struggle with even starting to write their paragraphs and end up giving up in between.

These struggles are not a cause of concern, even if they seem like it at times! Don’t worry, they're all 100% correctable with the right support!

3. SIMPLE AT-HOME STRATEGIES

Without further ado, let’s get into some effortless solutions you can apply at home for your child to get better at writing their favourite stories immediately!

1. The 1-minute plan: before sitting down to write, try brainstorming by asking them a few questions like: ‘What’s your main idea?’, ‘What angle would you like your story to take?’ ‘What are some ways you feel about the topic?’

This alone can aid in building an argument/angle and then building upon a structure outline later on.

2. Talk it out before writing: No, this is not the same as the previous step. This one helps you write clearly by not only thinking about what you’ll say but HOW you’ll say it. If you can form it into sentences out loud, you can for sure write it down just as simply on paper!

3. The “Fix just 3 things” Rule: This step comes after your child is done writing. Tell them to correct only one spelling, one punctuation and one sentence. This small error-correcting editing and proofreading will help them catch bigger and more mistakes in the future! And maybe even in the next few paragraphs, if they get motivated! But it's okay if they don’t, as this small practice helps them get into the habit of checking their work.

4. Read their writing back to them: Often, young writers get so tired of writing their stories and essays, help them understand whether their writing sounds good when read out loud. This will help them correct it themselves and get a better sense of how their work feels to an audience or the teacher correcting their paper.

DID YOU FIND THIS HELPFUL? 

Help your child improve even further by booking a free 15-minute assessment with us!

OR

Join our 6-week writing program designed to build upon the 3 concepts we discussed earlier!