Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

Avid reader but not that great writer

55 replies

mom17 · 24/07/2015 10:38

DS (9 years almost) is an avid reader and I keep on insisting him learning the vocabulary. Infact most of the time I read his books and make list on vocabulary.com and ask him to learn from there. I recently purchased SAT Vocabulary Cartoons books as well and ask him to go through it. I occasionally ask him all those meanings ( not as much as I would like to do because of full time working mom) but seeing that he doesn't use it much in writing. I feel learning vocab without using it defeats the whole purpose but sometimes wonder if it is going to take more time to come to that phase as it is slow process of learning, then seeing them getting use in books and finally start using it, But the way he reads books makes me wonder if that phase will come as he literally reads vertical as in he reads just to know the story. Any idea to improve writing in reluctant writer ( reluctant to write long text but as such wants to write) ??

OP posts:
Wait4nothing · 07/08/2015 09:42

At school we play a game by improving sentences using super 7
Eg The cat slept
Add in words (the lazy cat slept), drop in a chunk (the cat, who had spent the day chasing birds, slept), add on at the beginning (after a long day, the cat slept), add on at the end (the cat slept despite the mouse creeping past), change words (the feline snoozed), alitteration (the cute cat curled and slept) and simile (the cat slept as quiet as a mouse).
You could play the game, add a competitive edge by both improving the sentence and then choosing a winner, get out a thesaurus to

Wait4nothing · 07/08/2015 09:45

Posted too soon sorry
Or even have a vocab list available while you play with extra points for using words
At school we have word lists on tables which they get school points for using (correctly spelt and in the right context)
Model! Tell him stories you have made up using the vocabulary, write short stories for him to read (or openers that he can finish the story)

Original poster
mom17 · 07/08/2015 10:05

wonderful idea Wait4nothing, really liked it.

OP posts:
Original poster
mom17 · 12/08/2015 12:31

Thanks mrz. As of now I have started giving topics this book wise : Just Forest as of now. First time, I didn't show him book and asked him to write noun, adjective, verb and then sentence joining all of them. He could write couple of very good sentences on his own. Next day I gave him book and asked him to read those sentences to get idea on how to write vivid sentences and then again ask him to write more sentences without seeing and he could write few more good sentences. I also advice him to use his newly learned vocab in those sentences. I hope to do same for all chapters before we finally started writing full stories and see the final result.

OP posts:
Happy36 · 15/08/2015 21:56

As an English teacher (secondary), I want to reassure you that readers make writers. Honestly. Sometimes it takes a while.

Google Pie Corbett, who explains it much better than I can.

Original poster
mom17 · 16/08/2015 04:52

Thanks Happy36. I can certainly see benefit of reading in all aspect of his life. He doesn't see much TV ( almost NIL), doesn't get bored when alone, doesn't study much as he generally prefers to read and write on his own which is less time consuming than mugging up something ( though inferior in quality). His vocab is very good for his age and he write also well when in mood ( but he doesn't like to write long). Grammar is never need to be learned formally as somehow knows what is wrong and what is right !! At times, When I want him to learn Grammar, he says why can't I do based on my gut feeling , why I need to learn rules. Same approach is there for other things why Do I need to mug-up , why can't I write on my own which at times worries me as he doesn't elaborate as much as teacher likes to see. Can you please suggest me some good grammar site/books. Thanks in Advance

OP posts:
mrz · 16/08/2015 07:51

www.talk4writing.co.uk/resources/

mrz · 16/08/2015 10:15

Sorry but I want to disagree with happy ... From personal experience not all good /enthusiastic readers become writers no matter how many years you wait, most readers will be able to write and will have ideas from their reading experience they can call upon when writing but it's not guaranteed. It's important and can't be left to chance.

Happy36 · 16/08/2015 11:56

mrz I do see what you mean and I don't disagree. I guess what I've come across often in secondary is kids who do read a lot saying, "Well I've still only got [average grade] for writing, so what was the point of reading?" And my colleagues and I have to assure them voraciously that their reading has really, really helped, and there are so many things that non-readers are missing, even if they take time to have a noticeable effect on grades. Having just seen IGCSE results for my classes and students I've taught in the past, there is an obvious positive correlation between those who read regularly and those who have the A* and A for Language.

However, I concur that leaving it to chance is extremely risky. I would say that with my "readers" who don't get the top writing grades in KS3, it's often down to sloppiness (spelling, punctuation - I notice the OP has pointed out grammar) and (also as the OP says) not writing enough. Also, the frustrating thing where a student writes a great piece, but hasn't read the question properly so hasn't met the criteria and therefore isn't eligible for many of the marks available.

mom17 I will have a search for some grammar resources.

Happy36 · 16/08/2015 11:58

How about this one? I live in Spain which is why the link is in Spanish, but the book is in English: www.amazon.es/Jumpstart-Grammar-Games-activities-ages/dp/0415831105

Original poster
mom17 · 16/08/2015 16:01

Thanks mrz and Happy36. I also feel that until or unless a child work on vocab and see how vivid sentences are formed, he/she can't get much benefit from books reading.

OP posts:
mrz · 16/08/2015 16:21

We use Big Writing but unfortunately there isn't a great deal freely available on line and some of the information is inaccurate. Children work on vocabulary, connectives, interesting openings and punctuation in KS2 building on KS1 focus on grammar, handwriting, spelling (phonics) and punctuation skills then apply this in their independent writing. We do include ideas from Pie Corbett in our teaching especially in nursery and reception working on the premise that if you can't say it you can't write it.

Dina1234 · 16/08/2015 23:49

Would have to agree with what has been said above about conversation. you child is old enough to talk about politics and philosophy and to use more grown up language that goes with it. There's no point in teach your child words that he has no opportunity to use. I've noticed that you mentioned lemony snicket (this was my favourite children's series growing up) and a really good reference point for discussing more sophisticated writing (a lot literary allusions i.e. Mr Poe Edgar Allen Poe, Baudelaire). On that note poetry is a really good way of explain the significance and power of certain words and writing techniques with overwhelming a child. You would be better off reading a simple poem like Roe-Deer by Ted Hughes an explaining the meaning of every single word in that context and the effect that it has rather than making you child learn generic definitions out of context. Janos Pilinsky's Fable is also a really good one. Children can be surprisingly quck to engage if you treat them as equals having an intellectual discussion rather than setting them tasks in a manner that is both patronising and unhelpful (see lomoney snicket- he explains the meanings of rather difficult of ambiguous words within context without sounding like he is giving a lesson). Try adopting a conversational style like his. Say something to your son and clarify any difficult words that you use. Patronising him is the worst thing you could possibly do-especially if he is bright. I hated it as a child and wilfully rejected any attempts that my mother made to educate me and yet I was perfectly happy to cover the same subject matter in a way that was brought up in casual conversation with my father.

Original poster
mom17 · 17/08/2015 09:08

Lemony snicket is too good, I was li'l apprehensive when I first gave the book to DS thinking it will be too depressing but she makes it humorous by her style that you hardly think about sad part. Her style of bringing new word and explaining it is really commendable. Wish for more books like those.

OP posts:
Happy36 · 17/08/2015 15:54

Your son might enjoy the "Jennings" series; it's amusing and also has some lovely vocabulary and sentence structure. www.goodreads.com/book/show/1548563.Jennings_and_Darbishire

Also the "Jeremy James" books, by David Henry Wilson, for fun reading.

Original poster
mom17 · 17/08/2015 16:25

Thanks happy36, will try to fetch these.

OP posts:
mrz · 17/08/2015 16:37

There are some fantastic children's books

fileserver.booktrust.org.uk/usr/resources/527/piecorbettpriandsec.pdf

Original poster
mom17 · 18/08/2015 04:28

Thanks mrz, You are really very helpful. God Bless You.

OP posts: