Program to Improve Writing Stamina

[Kalmia]

Are there any writing exercises that have as a part of the program a gradual increase in output designed to increase a student's writing stamina over time? Starting perhaps with getting as much information in one sentence as possible and then with practice to expand that packed sentence into a paragraph or more?

 

Thanks.

[nansk]

How about daily dictation using a book such as Dictation Day By Day.

[Kuovonne]

Do you want to increase handwriting stamina, or work on longer pieces of original writing.

 

To increase handwriting stamina, you can do longer and longer copywork or dictation.

 

Increasing the length of original writing is a completely different matter.

Of course those muscles need to be developed enough to write those longer sentences.

However, the key is getting a writer to come up with more ideas to put in those sentences,

which is not a handwriting issues, but rather a thinking issue.

One way of coming up with more ideas is to have an oral conversation.

Get the student used to coming up with ideas without the extra difficulty of putting

them on paper. Then transition to writing down the ideas.

[Tanikit]

For creative writing I have my child write a piece that she wants to write. I use it to teach different styles of writing - at the beginning I told her to write anything she liked and then gradually moved to let her write what she wanted but as a friendly letter, or to "make up" a newspaper article, or to write an instructional piece. What I found was that the style of writing where she would lengthen the amount she wrote was usually poetry (maybe being able to start a new line after only a few words/syllables spurred her on. She still prefers to write short pieces though.

 

At the same time I am trying to teach her how to do persuasive speeches. Again at a very basic level starting with: "Persuade your mother why you need a sweet straight after doing this speech. Give at least 3 reasons, have an introduction and an ending." The reward (if she persuades me) seems to spur her on to do a good job. The speeches must be longer than what she is writing in the pieces above. We also get her to lie on the floor and imagine a scene (I usually start these for her) and then describe it to me in as much detail as she can even if I ask specific questions during the exercise to help her adds to her descriptive vocabulary and ability to see/hear/feel and later write down these scenes.

 

And then for handwriting stamina she is doing longer grammar worksheets as well as writing out full sentences for Math word problem answers, being taught how to write paragraphs in some of the critical thinking exercises she is doing which literally teach which sentences to write and give an adjustable example in the teaching.

 

None of these get done everyday though, but she is probably penning at least 2-3 paragraphs a day (minimum) in the combined exercises above. The variety works for my child - she needs constant change and always has. I guess you have to decide what you want your child to accomplish and then find a way to do it that works for both of you.