Don’t panic about teaching your child to write!
Well, hello!
First we were on vacation, and then I sat down to do a post and couldn’t get into the site!
But now I’m back!
By now you’re probably thinking about the coming school year, so even though I have some “doings” around here to talk to you about, I want to address the looming, anxiety-producing, overwhelming topic of How to Teach Your Child to Write.
Of course, I have already gone on and on about this. If you are new here, you might not realize! I have a whole series about reading and writing and it’s all organized, enhanced, and presented in my book, The Summa Domestica (volume 2).
A topic like this one — which is really about the culmination of education itself, the ability to express one’s thought — takes time and pondering. Far from dreading the subject as of a terrible chore, we should be seeing it as the culmination of all our efforts, the synthesis, the crown.
But let me bring up a few things right now — as we appreciate the above photo, showing how my knitting project matches my knitting project bag perfectly!!
A child, in order to attain the skill of writing, simply must have something to say.
He must at least begin to have a mind familiar with the art of ordering things properly.
This takes time and cannot be shoved into a program.
One has to have something to say before one can write effectively.
Meanwhile, there is a world of wonder for your student to absorb.
As to methods, it was a revelation to me to read the handbook for teachers of the fine school where first our Rosie was hired to teach (Bridget teaches there now). In their well arranged curriculum, they have as their goal first, to write a good sentence in 7th grade. Let that sink in as you collect your thoughts for the upcoming season.
The following year, in that school the goal is to write a good paragraph. Not until actual high school do they settle down to expect competent longer forms, and teach methods to bring them about! {This timeline is edited from what I said before, about it all being in high school, but it’s important to realize that your curriculum demanding the synthesis of various sources into a coherent piece of writing in 5th grade is bonkers.}
And what do we mean by essays? I fear that today’s curriculum peddlers mean “a five-paragraph essay suitable for the English AP”!
But is that, ought it to be, our goal? The essays we enjoy reading do not conform to this model. Yes, sometimes it’s important to be able to convey a point succinctly. A five-paragraph essay can sometimes be that vehicle. It is one form and by no means the best one.
I truly recommend setting realistic, personalized goals as a means for uncovering what we truly desire for our children and for knowing how to get there. Sounds simplistic but makes all the difference.
The goal for the student we are sending out into the world (perhaps to higher education, but not necessarily) is to express himself clearly and appropriately, including with the exact amount of delight he would wish to convey.
In other words, he needs skills, but also not to be subjected to any sort of Dickensian methods of mental extraction. As Dickens says of one of his characters, a tutor: if he had “learnt a little less, how infinitely better he might have taught much more!”
Our method for the young child is to guide him to observe and imitate how ideas are expressed by competent and gifted writers.
Also he must learn the actual mechanics of holding a pencil or pen and producing legible script in a flowing, easy manner! How overlooked this subject of handwriting is, and yet how important!
The goal for the student ultimately learning to write has parts: First, as I say, to identify and write a good sentence. Trust me when I say this is a goal for the entire year — until it is mastered. The same goes for a paragraph. It is not unreasonable to set it as a goal for the freshman, so let your poor sixth grader have a reprieve.
Now, it’s true — some young people just have a facility for writing. Let’s affirm it where we find it and put our energy into honing their tools — grammar, usage, imitation, memorization. Ignore their output entirely, except to appreciate it (and find some way to store the best of it).
There is a lot more to be said, but maybe I can shore up your confidence by reminding you that those making you anxious have something to sell. Marketing requires creating demand. It’s in the interests of those selling programs to convince you that your ever-younger child needs their product.
But… he does not.
He needs to read and to be read to. He needs to imitate. He needs to have facility in oral expression, which is why Charlotte Mason puts so much emphasis on what she calls narration. (Here is the reason I am opposed to the seemingly helpful curriculum of the Voyages type. You are simply killing your 4th, 5th, and 6th grader by making him write out “reading comprehension” exercises — ever, much less every day.)
He needs to be encouraged to write when the inspiration seizes him with abundant notebooks, paper, good writing instruments, and old typewriters.
As the student gets older, he should read and appreciate good essays. The Ambleside site has excellent recommendations in their upper levels, but be prepared for the opening of your eyes. These are no pat exercises in formulaic regurgitation. They are the generous outpouring of ideas into the written word, offered with energy for the purpose of convincing and very often, for charming. I present to you as Exhibit A, Living with a Peacock, by Flannery O’Connor. I dare say she would be marked down by the Squeers and Gradgrinds of our day.
Stay strong in your convictions. Educationally speaking, it’s counterproductive to impose a structure retroactively. Writing well is a result of a mind full of ideas and imagination. Yes, writing as an exercise can sharpen thought, in due time.
Are there associated skills to be learned? Yes. For instance, where it applies, the subject of the sentences in a paragraph should tend to be the same. Should we teach this as a rule when the child is only beginning to experiment with putting thoughts on paper? Please, no! You’d be surprised how much easier it is to achieve the result when the student’s mind has encountered many and myriad examples of writing in which the paragraphs proceed in an orderly way, versus not paying attention until suddenly it’s required of him.
The main thing is to have confidence in the proper sequence of development. Don’t let the voices take away your peace. Impatience will not give good results! Set your goals, be serene.
bits & piecesPop music is worse than junk food: Rick Beato explains
Many good thoughts in this article: The Language of Holy Communion in Medieval England: Their eucharistic words teach us about their eucharistic faith
Peter Kwasniewski’s insightful three-part inquiry into taking children to the traditional Mass finishes up here, but be sure to read the other parts, linked within.
Here is a new website for searching for children’s books. “Search Good Books is basically one big archive of books that are good enough for children to read. Each book is chosen because it contains beauty in its images, its language and its concepts.” I haven’t perused it, but I am passing it along!
Brian Shepherd has written a good essay about the world view of Elon Musk. As usual, C. S. Lewis has provided the philosophical background for analysis. C.S. Lewis, Elon Musk, and #Occupy Malacandra
Speaking of properly ordered education, Sean Fitzpatrick writes, John Senior’s Star Is Rising
Still thinking about that couple at Coldplay? Leila Miller puts it into perspective.
Did you know that St. Thérèse of Lisieux made vestments?
from the archives
Teaching a child to read, Part I (well, looks like it’s part 3 but you know how I roll)
Teaching a child to write — just a taste of what I’ve written
In this talk, I explain the importance of the icon of the nursing baby — an image withheld from those in our society. (You can skip over the first part, which is about my conversion.)
liturgical living
follow us everywhere!
Here is all the info:
Visit me at The School for Housewives and recommend it to your young friends!
My “random thoughts no pictures” blog, Happy Despite Them has moved over to Substack! — receive it by email if you like, or bookmark, so you don’t miss a thing! The old one is still up if you want to look at the comments on past posts.
There you will find the weekly podcast done by Phil and me, called On the Home Front. Do let us know what you think!
My book, The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life is available from Sophia Press! Also in paperback now! All the thoughts from this blog collected into three volumes, beautifully presented with illustrations from Deirdre, an index in each volume, and ribbons!
I keep this site ad-free, but you can support me these ways:
Using my affiliate link to my Amazon page — the only affiliate thing that goes on here on LMLD, which is why the blog loads quickly and you don’t have to keep closing pop-ups etc! It opens up an Amazon tab and anything you purchase using that tab for 24 hours sends a bit over my way without cost to you. Thank you for opening it and shopping if you are so minded — as some have asked me. If not, don’t worry one bit.
Buying me a skein or two of yarn! (This will appear on your credit card as “Domus Enterprises” — please remember!)
Thank you!
Stay abreast of the posts here at LMLD, when they happen: Consider subscribing to this blog by email. We would love to pop into your inbox! The subscription box is on this page on the sidebar!
My old podcast, The Home Truths Society, can be found on the Restoration of Christian Culture website (and you can find it where you listen to such things) if you haven’t heard them.
We share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram, Rosie’s Instagram, Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow)
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest
