I often work with youngsters who come to Harley with writing needs–not just physical act of writing and mechanics, but also clarity, sense of audience, lack of motivation for writing, and so forth.
Most of these “writing deficits” aren’t real. They are fully and naturally addressed when writing becomes more authentic.
If you’re writing a thank-you note, or writing your journal, or asking a question to a real author, you know your audience. I find kids love to write if they know it will be published and look like a real book (and we have done so through www.lulu.com and www.storybird.com and other sites).
Authentic writing happens during theme-units like we do at Harley. It’s hard-wired into the Transportation Focus Week we’re doing right now in every Lower School classroom. It’s woven into pictures of vehicles, with elaborate explanations of why you should buy their vehicle. It’s beginning to populate a timeline that runs the length of our main hall.
Sure, tools help (Dragon NaturallySpeaking, AlphaSmart, CoWriter), small class size helps, as do more hands-on projects that crowded classrooms can’t attempt. But the common thread is authenticity. Make writing as meaningful and authentic as you can, and your efforts will be rewarded.