Improve Writing Skills using Conventions

TutorGiant.com

     What are conventions?

     Conventions are the fancy educational word for the ‘mechanical’ correctness of writing.

     This refers to the proper spelling, paragraphing, the use of capitals, punctuation, and overall grammatical structure (pretty much everything besides the actual content).

     A good piece of writing consists of 2 major components. The first is obviously the content of the work (i.e. the message, the story, or the facts).  The second is the structure of the writing (i.e. the conventions).  Students can improve their writing skills (specifically regarding conventions) through practice.  They must consistently proofread and edit their writing with care (and not rely so much on a word processing program).  Since the improper use of conventions disrupts the flow of the writing, it thus has an affect on the message (which we know is part of the content).

     After your child writes his/her rough draft of a piece of writing, review the following tips in order to check for the correct use of conventions.

·         Make sure spelling is correct.  Students shouldn’t completely rely on word processors because word processors do not always take in account the ‘context’ of the word (therefore the word processor might give a homonym, which may be the incorrect word in the particular context).

·         Students should have a thorough understanding of the rules of capitalization, quotation marks, grammar, paragraphing, etc (I can’t resist plugging the Tutorgiant videos for this one).

·         Make sure that your child’s writing conventions are at grade level (you can easily go online to see the curriculum standards for your child...simply search for your child’s state/province and ‘curriculum’).

·         Give your child an editing checklist (you can get one from your child’s teacher or find one online) and have him/her choose 1 convention at a time to check.  For example, assume your child is ready to edit.  Have him/her start off using a green pen or pencil crayon to check all capitals.  Then, use a blue pen or pencil to correct all spelling mistakes, and so on.  It is important to use different colors compartmentalize each convention when making corrections.

     You can use these strategies to help develop your child’s writing skills and improve grammar skills.

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