Writing in the Home School Environment

My Dog

I have a dog. He is brown with white spots. His name is Wags. He is a good dog. I like my dog.

How can you teach a student to improve the story above? What qualities make something interesting to read?
• catchy opening
• descriptive words
• vivid verbs
• interesting plot
• sentence variety

Teaching writing is teaching kids how to craft and use words in a way that expresses what they want to say. Kids need to learn how to express their voice. Their voice may be short and sweet or long and full of elaboration. Either way, they need to learn to convey their voice to a reader.

The above story of Wags is short and sweet. Using the five qualities mentioned above, teach kids to add their voice to the story.

Catch opening -
Generate an opening sentence that asks a question -
1. Have you ever seen a polka dotted dog?
2. Would you like to meet the world's best dog?

Descriptive words -
Use words that are unusual and that paint a picture for the reader -
1. My caramel-colored dog is splattered with white spots.
2. With white spots all over his brown back, my adorable dog looks like he lost a paint ball fight!

Vivid verbs -
Make the action in a sentence pop out for the reader -
1. Wags bounds through my house looking for my lap.
2. I proudly possess the world's best dog.

Interesting plot -
Build interest for the reader -
1. Wags can perform at least three unusual tricks.
2. Wags enjoys being my best friend and hanging out with me all day.

Sentence variety -
Use different types of sentences (exclamatory, declarative, interrogative and imperative) -
1. Wow! Look at my spotted, charming dog!
2. Wags is the friendliest dog on 7th Avenue.
3. Have you ever seen a more charming dog than Wags?
4. Notice that my dog, Wags, is the most charming beagle in the neighborhood.

Kids need to learn that writing is a creative process of picking and choosing exact words to express meaning. The hunt for the exact word or phrase is the fun part of writing. Make this hunt fun for kids.
1. Create a bulletin board titled Words I Want to Use. As kids read and listen to lyrics, encourage them to write down words and phrases they hear and want to use. Fill this board with a variety of words, phrases and resources.
2. Develop Writing Bucks for kids to earn each time they locate and use an unusual or exact word. After a child has earned 20 bucks, let him plan a special trip to the library or a book store.

How can kids hunt for exact words? They can use the thesaurus link on their computer, use an actual thesaurus, reference writing posters, steal ideas from books and magazines, etc.

Teach and discuss writing qualities with kids. Ask kids to skim through their favorite book and pick two sentences they like. Why are these two sentences so appealing? Pinpoint writing qualities in these sentences and try to copy them.

Make writing time active. Encourage kids to experiment with writing and to have fun with writing. Make sure kids feel that writing time is a time to try new things, to look for unusual words and phrases, and to be daring with their ideas and voice.

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