Focus on Writing
Information for parents from School District 72
W
riting is an important skill for student’s academic
and professional success. Like reading, writing
opens the door to lifelong learning. It allows us
to express ourselves, perform daily tasks and communicate
ideas, whether it’s at school or work.
Writers are not born; they develop their skills over time.
Parents can help their children learn to write well and can
show them that writing can be fun.
Just as babies learn to speak by imitating adults, beginning
writers scribble, draw letter-like shapes, write single letters,
string unrelated letters together, and use invented spellings.
These are all building blocks for learning how to write.
As part of our Focus on Writing, School District 72 is pleased
to share with you some tips on how to have fun with writing
and nurture your child’s imagination.
For more information about literacy and helping your child
write, contact your local school.
Fine motor skills
Our fine motor skills (small movements in our fingers and
hands) allow us to grab hold of and use things like pencils,
forks, and scissors. Some children have difficulty developing
their fine motor skills, especially in Kindergarten and the
early grades.
Holding a pencil
Encourage a tripod pencil grasp by:
• Using large markers, crayons and pencils, which are
easier to grasp for little hands.
• Providing visual cues on the pencil using markers or
stickers to indicate where the child should place their
fingers.
Learning to print
• Group letters according to how they are formed. For
example, capital letters C, O, Q, G and S all begin with a
curved stroke to the left.
• Teach top-to-bottom and left-to-right strokes. Reinforce
the directions by providing starting and stopping points
such as red and green dots.
• Try writing on two or three lines instead of one.
Writing in BC schools
Writing is central to success in school and in life. The
BC performance standards for writing evaluate student
achievement in three types of writing, as described here.
Personal, impromptu writing. Students often write to
record and explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Personal, impromptu writing is generally not intended to be
read by an audience. Because of this, it is not revised, edited,
or carefully proofread. It is however, usually checked for
obvious errors.
Writing to communicate ideas and information. Student
success in and out of school is strongly related to their
ability to communicate ideas. Writing to communicate ideas
and information includes work that is intended to present
information (e.g., articles or reports), outline procedures (e.g.,
instructions), and persuade others (e.g., editorials).
Literary writing. Students learn to appreciate the power
and beauty of language as they explore a variety of literary
forms, including stories and poems. Expressing ideas and
imagination in literary forms can be a lifelong source of
satisfaction and enjoyment and helps to connect students to
the social and cultural life of their communities.
Writing is a process and the most important part comes before the pencil even hits the paper.
Pre-writing tasks allow students to think and talk about what they’re going to write, helping
beginning writers to learn how to connect their ideas. By sharing and discussing their stories
with classmates, and then writing, student writing improves and creativity grows.
Inspiring future writers
Just like reading, writing should be a natural part of daily life, and there are many things you can
do to encourage your child to write at home.
1
Make sure you have drawing and writing
materials around the house. Have items such
as crayons, pencils, markers, paper, envelopes,
labels, and dry erase boards available. Letter fridge
magnets are also a fun way to introduce letters and
words to young children.
2
3
4
5
Take an interest. Talk to your child about
what they are drawing or writing. Ask them
questions that will pull out details about the
characters, the place, and events of the story.
Give writing space. Create a special place,
in the child’s room if possible, where reading,
drawing and writing materials can be stored.
Give it time. Set aside time after school
and on weekends for reading, drawing, and
writing.
movement of their finger such as down, up or round.
Or practice spelling basic words on a cookie sheet
or wax paper with shaving cream, popcorn, macaroni, or pipe cleaners.
6
7
8
Put it to music. Make up silly songs about
everyday activities, like folding laundry or
brushing your teeth. Or choose a word and ask
your child to think of words that rhyme.
Write grocery lists. Have your child help you
write the grocery list. They can draw a small
picture and then label it by writing the sounds
they hear in the object.
Set an example. Let your child watch you
when you’re filling out forms, writing birthday
cards, notes and shopping lists.
Try tactile writing. Put cornmeal on a cookie
sheet and help your child trace letters with
their fingers. Say the words that describe the
The full performance standards for numeracy, reading, writing, and social responsibility can be accessed
through the Ministry of Education web page at www.bced.gov.bc.ca.
School District 72 — Learning to be our Best