Writing Tips for Kids

Writing Tips for Kids In todays competitive school environment, its critical that students know how to write effectively. Especially as children approach the higher grades, it is expected that they are not just capable writers, but that they are also able to research and gather evidence, communicate their thoughts and ideas in writing, and make connections between what they read and write. As children move through school, how can parents help them strengthen those all-important writing skills? Below are some effective writing tips for your children: Emphasize good organization. Whether children follow a loose or detailed outline, its wise to at least make sure an essay or story follows a logical flow from introduction to making its main points to drawing a conclusion. Children who follow a basic structure when writing essays and other assignments will find that their finished products are more cohesive and clear. Encourage children to break up ideas appropriately. Long, drawn-out paragraphs make for difficult reading. Children can organize their thoughts by breaking ideas into separate paragraphs. Each paragraph needs to have a focus, and when its time to venture into a different idea, its time for a new paragraph. Before starting a new paragraph, children should include a transition sentence to bridge ideas together. Teach them how to edit. Every writer will agree that editing is a vital step in the writing process. Children must review each and every sentence they write with a critical eye to identify wordy places and unclear messaging. This involves more than simply replacing a few words here or there. A good edit takes a piece from weak to strong and tightens every sentence so it is meaningful and easy to understand. Talk about sentence and word variety. Nothing makes a piece of writing more lackluster than using too many sentences with the same structure and length. When writing, children should try to use different sentence starters (as opposed to beginning every sentence with The or It). Its also a good idea to mix in simple sentences with longer, more complex sentences. Stress the importance of the final review. Fresh eyes can do wonders for the editing process. Children should make it their practice to write first drafts, set them aside, then return to them for a thorough read-through. The final review needs to include checking for spelling and grammatical errors, and children can ask themselves questions while reviewing like: Does this piece make sense? Is the flow logical? Did I follow the directions? Can another reader easily grasp what Im trying to articulate/communicate? Discuss active vs. passive voice. Strong writing uses active voice, wherein the subject of a sentence performs the action (The car hit the tree). Passive voice, on the other hand, is when the subject of the sentence is acted upon (The tree was hit by the car). Passive voice is harder to understand, as the sentences do not flow as easily. Its best for maturing writers to avoid these types of sentences. Writing skills are essential in school, and the more parents can do now to help their children improve them, the better off their children will be by the time they get to college. When writing is a source of struggle for a child, Huntington can help. Call 1 800 CAN LEARN to learn more about the Huntington program and how we help children become stronger, more confident writers. About Huntington Huntington is the tutoring and test prep leader.Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntingtons mission is to give every student the best education possible. Learn how Huntington can help. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. 2018 Huntington Mark, LLC. Huntington Learning Center, the three-leaf logo, and 1 800 CAN LEARN are registered trademarks of Huntington Mark, LLC. Each franchised Huntington Learning Center is operated under a franchise agreement with Huntington Learning Centers, Inc.

How These Sisters Contrasting Perspectives Have Led to Success in Kumon

How These Sisters’ Contrasting Perspectives Have Led to Success in Kumon How These Sisters’ Contrasting Perspectives Have Led to Success in Kumon Sisters Reyshum and Naveen are complete opposites. Reyshum prefers long hair, but Naveen keeps hers short. Reyshum enjoys the challenge  of competitive swimming,  while Naveen enjoys the freedom of hip hop dancing. Reyshum loves Kumon, but Naveen dislikes having to do worksheets every day. Despite their differences, they both agree on one thingâ€"Kumon works. Naveen is a bit of a free spirit. Her favorite activity is dancing. When asked why she prefers dance to other pursuits, she said, “I really love dance because you get to let it out, you get to be free, and you get to be yourself.” Perhaps it’s no surprise that someone with Naveen’s personality would complain about Kumon. After all, daily work doesn’t exactly scream, “freedom.” However, Naveen has excelled in the Kumon Program, and acknowledges that it’s made school much easier for her. She doesn’t have to worry about schoolwork since Kumon has helped her get ahead of her peers. While her classmates are still completing their work, she gets to read or do something else she likes, since she typically finishes before everyone else. Naveen may complain about having to do Kumon every day, but she would still recommend the program to her friends. She knows it will benefit her when she’s older, allowing her to do any job she chooses. In the short term, Kumon allows her to overcome challenges, and has taught her the value of practice. She can move through the program as slowly or quickly as she needs, depending on how well she grasps what she’s studying. Ultimately, she understands that the daily commitment to Kumon will give her more time to pursue her passions, which is truly priceless. Reyshum didn’t have as much difficulty adjusting to Kumon’s daily work as her sister. In fact, she proudly flaunts her love for the programâ€"sometimes to Naveen’s detriment. When Reyshum finishes her Kumon each day, she walks past her dad with her bag clearly displayed, reminding him to check that Naveen also completed her work. Kumon has shown Reyshum the benefits of hard work and perseverance. “In kindergarten they taught me [to] try, try again. And I didnt really understand what that meant until I started Kumon,” said Reyshum. Kumon really clicked for Reyshum when she began studying concepts she hadn’t already seen in school. The first time she saw long division, she was nervous. Not knowing whether she was completing the problems correctly was intimidating, but getting the answers right was invigorating. By trying again and again, she realized she would eventually figure out the right answer, even to the most difficult problems. Even though Reyshum and Naveen approach Kumon with completely different perspectives and attitudes, they both appreciate how much the program has helped them. Their differing personalities and learning styles are easily accommodated by Kumon’s individualized approach, leading to success for both sisters. With their contrasting views, good grades might be their biggest similarity! Discover more Kumon student stories. You might also be interested in: Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Success with Kumon Meet Angela and Christina, Sisters Who Benefited from Kumon in Completely Different Ways Motivation is the Key to this Kumon Student’s Success Finding the motivation to continue learning during the summer can be a challenge. 13-year-old Kumon dual program completer shares advice on perseverance. How These Sisters’ Contrasting Perspectives Have Led to Success in Kumon How These Sisters’ Contrasting Perspectives Have Led to Success in Kumon Sisters Reyshum and Naveen are complete opposites. Reyshum prefers long hair, but Naveen keeps hers short. Reyshum enjoys the challenge  of competitive swimming,  while Naveen enjoys the freedom of hip hop dancing. Reyshum loves Kumon, but Naveen dislikes having to do worksheets every day. Despite their differences, they both agree on one thingâ€"Kumon works. Naveen is a bit of a free spirit. Her favorite activity is dancing. When asked why she prefers dance to other pursuits, she said, “I really love dance because you get to let it out, you get to be free, and you get to be yourself.” Perhaps it’s no surprise that someone with Naveen’s personality would complain about Kumon. After all, daily work doesn’t exactly scream, “freedom.” However, Naveen has excelled in the Kumon Program, and acknowledges that it’s made school much easier for her. She doesn’t have to worry about schoolwork since Kumon has helped her get ahead of her peers. While her classmates are still completing their work, she gets to read or do something else she likes, since she typically finishes before everyone else. Naveen may complain about having to do Kumon every day, but she would still recommend the program to her friends. She knows it will benefit her when she’s older, allowing her to do any job she chooses. In the short term, Kumon allows her to overcome challenges, and has taught her the value of practice. She can move through the program as slowly or quickly as she needs, depending on how well she grasps what she’s studying. Ultimately, she understands that the daily commitment to Kumon will give her more time to pursue her passions, which is truly priceless. Reyshum didn’t have as much difficulty adjusting to Kumon’s daily work as her sister. In fact, she proudly flaunts her love for the programâ€"sometimes to Naveen’s detriment. When Reyshum finishes her Kumon each day, she walks past her dad with her bag clearly displayed, reminding him to check that Naveen also completed her work. Kumon has shown Reyshum the benefits of hard work and perseverance. “In kindergarten they taught me [to] try, try again. And I didnt really understand what that meant until I started Kumon,” said Reyshum. Kumon really clicked for Reyshum when she began studying concepts she hadn’t already seen in school. The first time she saw long division, she was nervous. Not knowing whether she was completing the problems correctly was intimidating, but getting the answers right was invigorating. By trying again and again, she realized she would eventually figure out the right answer, even to the most difficult problems. Even though Reyshum and Naveen approach Kumon with completely different perspectives and attitudes, they both appreciate how much the program has helped them. Their differing personalities and learning styles are easily accommodated by Kumon’s individualized approach, leading to success for both sisters. With their contrasting views, good grades might be their biggest similarity! Discover more Kumon student stories. You might also be interested in: Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Success with Kumon Meet Angela and Christina, Sisters Who Benefited from Kumon in Completely Different Ways Motivation is the Key to this Kumon Student’s Success Finding the motivation to continue learning during the summer can be a challenge. 13-year-old Kumon dual program completer shares advice on perseverance.