Building Students' Writing Skills

Indeed the pen is an effective way to communicate and express our needs, views and opinions. In the classroom, teachers can issue varied assignments to students to help them hone the craft of writing through targeted writing exercises. I have listed some helpful ways that one can use to improve the student's writing skills. To make the classroom exercise more appealing allow the students to design their own notecards, postcards and stationery to use for the writing assignments. Even though today's student is well versed in the use of email and other computer operations, remind them of the significance of writing their own handwritten notes and letters for a more personal touch.

Classroom Writing Suggestions:

Have students make a list of 5 people who have not heard from them lately and would be surprised and delighted to hear from them. Students need only write a few lines and have them report on the responses of the recipients.

Make it a class project to write a serviceman/woman who may have attended their school or a nearby college in their area and thank them for their support and let them know you are praying for their safe return.

Have class members design and send a card to a classmate who has been hospitalized or has been absent because of an illness. Encourage the class to write their own sentiments inside the card.

Encourage the student to send a picture to relatives who live in another state, abroad or even in the same locale. Have the student write a short note about what are their favorite subjects, favorite activities and anything else of interest they would like to share with their relative.

Students can incorporate their geography studies with writing skills by selecting a pen pal from a particular country. They can write letters sharing their questions about their families, school activities and other appropriate topics.

Adopt a local nursing home or assisted care facility and have the students write notes to cheer the residents. Another activity might incorporate a visit to introduce the children to the residents.

The class can write special letters telling what they think is special about their parents for Mother's Day or Father's Day. Have them mail the cards.

Arrange for a Career Day and have the class write letters of request to various company officials or radio, TV personalities to volunteer to come to share their career responsibilities to the class. Afterwards, the class can write a note of thanks.

Have students write their favorite recipes and make a classroom cookbook. Possibly can be used as a fundraiser.

Create a classroom newspaper and have students interview various staff members, i.e. School nurse, Teacher's Aide, Janitor, and feature that individual in the classroom newspaper.

Choose a "Student of the Week" and have the students write congratulatory notes to that student. The honored student will feel quite pleased and of course throughout the year, every student will have the opportunity to receive that honor.

Create a classroom banner. Allow the students to design a banner and select a phrase that can be placed on the banner. The banner can be hung in the classroom. This exercise can be repeated as desired.

For students who have an older sibling attending college, assign that student to write and ask about the school, number of students in the school, courses they are taking and other interesting information.

Students are often avid collectors or have a hobby. Ask the students to write about a hobby or item they collect and present a written or oral report. Have the student explain how they became interested in the hobby.

For budding journalists, ask that they write a review about a favorite product. They can also write about a current events topic from a student's viewpoint.

Have students make a slideshow presentation about a particular topic of interest and then write the narrative to accompany the slideshow presentation.

Ask students to write a report on the holiday traditions they celebrate in their families and note what is of special significance to them.

These exercises allow the teacher to effortlessly incorporate writing exercises into the curriculum and at the same time be a productive activity designed to improve the student's effective writing skills.