Yes. First, I would let the children know that they will be writing every day this summer. Give them time to get used to this idea. And tell them you will be writing too. Every assignment they do, you will do too. Your commitment shows them how important you think writing is.
Set up a schedule for writing time and stick to it. Some kids think summer should be a completely unscheduled time. Dispel this myth. Let them know that at a certain hour every day they and you will write.
If the children have a computer or tablet available, let them use it. This will make the idea of writing daily more palatable. (But check to be sure they are writing and not surfing or gaming.) Research shows writers write better when they use electronic equipment, perhaps because of the ease of erasing, moving around phrases and looking up synonyms and spelling. If you have only one such device, stagger the writing times.
Since finding a topic to write about day after day will be a problem for your children, you decide on topics ahead of time. You know your children’s interests and experiences. You know what they have studied in school, what hobbies they enjoy, what trips they have taken. These are excellent topics for writing.
Insist the children create some kind of prewriting organizer for each writing assignment. Insist too that it be detailed. Let the children know you want to see the organizers before they begin their first drafts, and that you will show them yours. Monday’s writing assignment could be to develop such an organizer. Together discuss the problems and benefits of creating an organizer.
Tuesday’s assignment could be writing the first draft. Since knowing how to begin is often a problem, help your children. Make suggestions to one another. Let them help you too. Let them see you as a learner in the writing process. Prod the child to begin, even if the beginning isn’t great. It can be improved later. Allow errors and mediocrity at this point. It’s better for the writer to get into a “flow” state of mind and to continue than to stop and start to fix errors.
Wednesday’s assignment could be to write a conclusion and to begin to revise. If the child has trouble writing a conclusion, suggest possibilities. Then, read aloud your draft and self-correct as you go along letting the child hear how it is done. Ask each child to read aloud his or her draft, and let him fix the errors he hears. Suggest places that are skimpy or confusing. Insist that the children add more details, such as proper nouns, numbers, dates, sensory information, and for examples.
Thursday’s assignment could be to continue revising. Identify verbs and strengthen them. Identify sentence beginnings and vary them. Identify lengths of sentences and vary them. Older children could identify types of sentences used and vary them. Final drafts should be completed and printed by the end of Thursday’s writing time, or if revision takes a long time, have the children prepare their final drafts at the beginning of Friday’s writing time.
Friday’s assignment could be to evaluate each piece of writing. Use two columns marked “Did well” and “Needs improvement.” Start with the “Did well” column, listing things the child did well, like sticking to one idea, organizing, adding humor, writing dialog, writing clearly, using capital letters—anything which will give the child confidence. In the “Needs improvement” column, ask the child what he or she thinks needs improvement. Maybe limit comments to the two areas the child thinks he needs to improve the most, such as run-on sentences, using direct quotes, spelling it’s and its or remembering to use periods.
On Friday also you could agree on Monday’s topic. If the kids need to think about it or do research, they can do that over the weekend. Let the children suggest topics. The more they control the process, the more willing they will be to participate.
Lastly, hang up the finished final printed drafts on the refrigerator or someplace where they can be admired.
(If you need information on any of these parts of the process, scroll back through these blogs. Any blog might make a good mini-lesson.)
English Writing Teacher 