To effectively teach writing, especially in a homeschooling setting, it’s important to use a variety of strategies that cater to different learning styles. Here are some great writing strategies you can use:

Start with Pre-Writing Activities

• Brainstorming: Help the student generate ideas by using mind maps, lists, or free writing. Encouraging them to get their thoughts on paper without worrying about structure is a good way to start.
• Outlining: Teach the student to organize their thoughts with a simple outline. This could include headings for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

Model Writing

• Teacher Example: Show examples of well-written paragraphs or essays. Work through writing a piece together, showing how you think through sentences, revise, and organize.
• Think Aloud: As you write, verbalize your thoughts. For instance, “I’m writing this sentence to explain why this point is important,” or “I need a transition here to connect these ideas.”

Use Graphic Organizers

Tools like Venn diagrams, story maps, and plot organizers can help students visualize and structure their writing. These are especially helpful for narrative writing, essays, or comparisons.

Break Down Writing into Stages

Encourage students to view writing as a process:

• Drafting: Allow students to write a rough draft without worrying about perfection.
• Revising: Teach them to improve content, organization, and clarity.
• Editing: Focus on grammar, punctuation, and style.
• Publishing: Celebrate their final draft by sharing it with others or creating a special format, such as a blog or booklet.

Provide Scaffolding

Break down tasks into smaller, more manageable parts:

• Sentence Starters: Provide phrases like “The reason is…” or “One example of this is…” to help students structure their sentences.
• Templates: Offer paragraph or essay templates to guide their writing.

Incorporate Writing Prompts

Use creative or reflective prompts to inspire students. These could range from personal experiences to hypothetical situations or responses to books they’ve read.

Encourage Peer or Parental Review

Peer review sessions (or a review by a parent or tutor) can help students see their writing from a different perspective and gain constructive feedback.

Focus on Writing Across Genres

Expose students to various writing forms:

• Narrative Writing: Writing stories, personal narratives, or fictional tales.
• Descriptive Writing: Using rich, sensory language to describe people, places, or things.
• Expository Writing: Teaching how to explain ideas, compare, or contrast information.
• Persuasive Writing: Formulating arguments and supporting them with evidence.

Build Vocabulary and Sentence Structure

• Introduce new vocabulary words regularly and encourage students to use them in their writing.
• Teach sentence variety—simple, compound, and complex—to make writing more dynamic.

Use Journaling

A daily or weekly journal allows students to write freely and regularly without the pressure of grades. It also fosters creativity and self-expression.

Provide Feedback with Specificity

When giving feedback, focus on particular strengths and areas for improvement. For example, rather than saying, “This is good,” say, “I like how you used a strong argument in the second paragraph.”

By incorporating these strategies, you can help your high school student build their writing skills progressively and with confidence.