Tag Archives: writing

Yes, you can help your teen be a better writer this August – but how to do it might surprise you

I’ve talked to lots of parents who’ve tried to help their teens become better writers. Sometimes they try to explain topic sentences and paragraphs to them. Sometimes, they put on their editor hats and tut tut at their teen’s spelling and grammar mistakes. Some even try to assign their kids topics on which to write. Usually, by the time they contact me, their best efforts have overwhelmed their patience and eroded the positive relationship they used to have with their child.

If this sounds like an experience you’ve had, let me suggest a way you can help improve your teen’s writing – without ever teaching a lesson on paragraph structure at the kitchen table or picking up a red pen.

In Canadian high schools, students read and discuss stories, novels, poems, plays and visual works with a view to writing about a theme that emerges in the text. And those themes are sophisticated, ranging from power to alienation to forgiveness. Teachers look for a student’s ability to provide evidence from the selection to support their opinion, and a detailed and insightful discussion of the story’s relationship to the theme.

At the end of this school year, the teacher of one of my grade 10 coaching students told me that she and her English Language Arts teaching colleagues had noticed more students than usual were struggling with this task. Her theory was that part of this difficulty arose from COVID-related online learning, which cut students off from meaningful discussion with teachers and peers. ” Because students were all in their bubbles/ cohorts, and not able to interact in person, they weren’t exposed to the ideas and experiences of other people, which meant that they didn’t have to think as much beyond their own world.”

Her solution? Encouraging students to leave behind their virtual worlds this summer and immerse themselves in arts-based experiences, to help them “think a bit more in a holistic and abstract sense and discuss [these experiences] with as many people as possible to get their ideas and opinions, hopefully ones that are different from their own.” She believes ( and so do I) that these types of discussions will help teens to develop the skills and the confidence to write about ideas in more depth when they return to school in the fall.

If you’re a parent, or a grandparent, aunt, uncle or adult friend to a teen, consider inviting them to an arts-based event. Ask if they want to bring a friend or two. There are two parts to successfully providing these experiences: searching for events teens will enjoy, and giving them opportunities to express their opinions about what they’ve seen and heard.

Events to Attend

Of course, the first thing to find out is if your teen has ideas of their own for an event to attend. If not, here are a few to consider.

1) Barbenheimer

The two most talked about movie releases of the summer will provide lots of fodder for discussion. I’m waiting until the crowds at my local theater abate before seeing them, but after reading reviews, I’m keen to join in on the discussion, from Barbie’s feminist themes to the moral dilemmas faced by Oppenheimer.

2) A midsummer night’s live theatre adventure

If you live in or near an urban center, chances are there are live summer theatre events going on in August. In Edmonton, where I live, we have an annual Shakespeare festival that features a comedy and a tragedy performed in repertory, and a Fringe theater event with literally hundreds of plays to choose from. I plan to gather some of my coaching students as they arrive home from vacation later in the month to attend Romeo and Juliet, a favorite play of high school teachers everywhere.

3) A picture worth a thousand words

A lot of teens may perceive art galleries as boring. Maybe you hold the same impression. But it’s worth checking out what’s on at your local gallery over the summer. The Edmonton Art Gallery has a display of pop art, and when I visited, the Banksy exhibit was very popular with teens who were engaged by his anti-establishment art and a short film about his dystopian Dismaland, which pokes at the commercialism of amusement parks in general and Disneyland in particular.

Getting Them to Talk

Maybe your teen is a thousand word talker. On the other hand, maybe you’re more likely to get a one word response. I’ve got both types among my coaching students. Here are some strategies I’ve used to both get them talking and challenge their opinions:

1) Show genuine interest in and respect for what they have to say.

This usually starts with keeping your own mouth shut, at least for a while. Stating your own opinions or questioning theirs too quickly can easily shut down conversation.

2) Invite their opinions without becoming the Spanish Inquisition.

Try not to pepper them with questions in an effort to get them to talk, and remember that questions that can be answered yes/no will often get you just that. Avoid leading questions like ” Didn’t you just love/ hate….” which are really about getting them to agree with you. Instead, you can say, ” What did you think about…( a certain part/ the way an actor portrayed a character/why an artist portrayed an image as he did/ the reasons for certain choices like color, music etc.)

3) Admit you don’t have all the answers.

Don’t portray yourself as the all knowing adult. I often say to my students, ” I wasn’t that sure about….What did you think?”

4. Don’t ask ” Why do you think that?”

” Why” can sound sort of threatening. Instead, try “What an interesting perspective. What led you to that?” From there, you can keep the discussion going with, ” I wonder if another explanation could be…” or “From another angle, what else could it mean?”

August and the arts make great partners. Summer is starting to wind down and teens might be looking for activities to keep them busy. If attending an event also sparks their curiosity and leads to discussion, so much the better. There’s a good chance your teen’s ability to write skillfully and confidently about abstract ideas will grow as a result.

” What are you reading right now?” and 10 other questions to ask a writing tutor

Once you’ve found a prospective writing tutor for your teen ( if you don’t know where to find one, see my previous post here), how do you know if the tutor you’re considering will be a good fit? Although there are no guarantees, there are some questions you can ask to see if they have the qualifications, experience, and approach to writing that might benefit your teen.

1. What type of formal teacher training do you have?

You’d be amazed at the number of tutors who hang out their shingle based on the philosophy “I see myself as a good writer, so I must be able to teach writing.” But there’s a big difference between someone who perceives themselves as a good writer ( maybe they are, and maybe they aren’t), and someone who is formally trained to teach writing to teens. Look for a person with a Bachelor of Education in English Language Arts at the minimum.

2. How much experience do you have teaching at my teen’s grade level?

The type of writing expected in high school classes is usually based on analyzing literature. If the tutor has only taught at the elementary, middle school or junior high level, they might not have a background in literary analysis writing. If their experience at the high school level is limited, they might not be familiar with the novels, plays, and films that are often taught at the high school level.

3. What teaching methods do you use?

I’m surprised by the number of tutoring services that still equate improving student writing with using worksheet drills. Filling in the blanks on worksheets has little carry-over to the actual writing students are asked to do in their classrooms. What does? Support on their actual assignments, as they do them; teaching skills as students need them, in the context of their assignments; and writing, writing, and writing some more. If students aren’t getting enough writing assignments from their teachers to improve their writing ( and as teachers get busier, many aren’t), ask the tutor how they will supplement the amount of practise your teen is getting.

4. How much individualization do you offer?

This is a particularly important question to ask if you’re considering sending your teen to a large tutoring service such as Sylvan, Kumon, or Oxford Learning. Some of these companies use “canned programs,” that offer little to no customization. Others teach in small groups. If you want a one on one experience for your teen, you’re likely better off looking for a private tutor.

5. What experience do you have with neurodivergence?

If your teen has been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, a learning disability, or is on the autism spectrum, they may need a tutor who is familiar with methods for teaching writing that are an appropriate match for their learning needs. Trying to use traditional teaching methods with students who learn in non- traditional ways can be frustrating for everyone involved.

6. What is your availability?

Teens often lead busy lives. Between school, part-time jobs, sports involvement and other activities, you’ll need a tutor who can be consistently available at the times your teen is.

6. Are you a writer yourself?

A tutor who is also a writer brings with them an understanding of how much time and effort writing takes, how individualized a writer’s process is, and all the other twists and turns involved in becoming a competent and self-confident writer. They will likely have quite a large toolbox of strategies they can share that go beyond the methods your teen is learning in school.

8. What are you reading right now?

This might seem like an odd question to ask a writing tutor. You’re hiring them to help your teen with writing, not reading, right? But reading and writing are linked processes. There’s a good chance your teen will need some reading help as well, particularly if their writing involves literary analysis. A tutor who is passionate about teaching writing will often love to read as well as write.

9. Can you provide references?

A tutor should be able to provide you with contact information from parents whose teens have worked with the tutor. If they can’t, move on.

10. How much do you charge?

Tutoring is not a regulated industry so costs can range from free to $15-$100 per hour or more. Free or very low cost tutors are attractive to parents with limited budgets, but may not offer the qualifications, teaching experience, or customization that will make a difference in your teen’s writing. Paying more does not guarantee that your teen will have a better experience, but like so many services, tutoring is often a ” you get what you pay for” service.

11. Will you meet with me and my teen before we get started?

All the qualifications, experience and customization in the world mean nothing if there’s no chemistry between your teen and the tutor. Ask for either a face to face or online meeting with the tutor so everyone has the chance to ” feel each other out” before the first paid session. Listen to your gut and to your teen’s responses. Does the tutor talk to your teen, and not just to you? Do they ask about your teen’s interests outside of school? Do they seem genuinely interested in your teen and in helping them out? If either of you sense a lack of fit for any reason, don’t be afraid to begin your search for a tutor again. The time you put in at the beginning of the tutor relationship will have important payoffs in the long run.