By: Jason Gerber

Homeschooling and remote learning have gained significant traction in recent years, providing families with flexible and personalized education options. With this shift, the need for effective teaching resources has become more crucial than ever. One such valuable resource is Writing by Ms. Lig, which offers practical tips and strategies to enhance students’ writing skills. This article explores how parents and educators can adapt these strategies for homeschooling and remote learning environments.

Homeschooling and Remote Learning 

Homeschooling allows parents to take direct control of their child’s education, tailoring the curriculum to suit individual learning styles and paces. Similarly, remote learning provides the flexibility to learn from anywhere, making it a convenient option for many families. However, both methods require structured resources to ensure a comprehensive and effective learning experience.

Adapting Classroom Strategies for Home Use

The strategies used in traditional classrooms can be successfully adapted for home and online education. Here are some practical ways to implement these strategies in homeschooling and remote learning settings: 

Break Down the Prompt

One key strategy is breaking down the writing prompt. This helps students understand what is expected of them and how to approach the task. At home, parents can sit with their children and read the prompt together, circling keywords and discussing their meanings. This makes the task clearer and more manageable.

For example, if the prompt is to write an essay about the causes of space debris, parents can help their child identify and highlight important words like “causes” and “space debris.” This initial step sets a strong foundation for the writing process.

Identify the Type of Writing

It’s essential to determine the type of writing required by the prompt—whether it’s narrative, informative, or opinion writing. Parents can teach their children to recognize these types by providing examples and discussing their features. For instance, narrative writing involves storytelling, while informative writing focuses on presenting facts.

To illustrate, if the task is to write a story about a day in the life of a dolphin, parents can explain that this is narrative writing and guide their child in identifying the story’s elements, such as characters, setting, and plot.

Choose the Right Strategy

Different types of writing require different strategies. For narrative writing, the Plot Elements Strategy can be highly effective. This strategy focuses on key story elements like characters, setting, conflict, and resolution. Parents can create fun activities to help their children grasp these concepts. For instance, they can ask their child to describe a favorite movie or book using these elements.

For opinion writing, the OREO Strategy (Opinion, Reason, Example, Opinion) is recommended. Parents can encourage their children to express their opinions on various topics and support them with reasons and examples. This practice not only improves writing skills but also critical thinking.

Organize the Writing Tasks

Numbering the writing tasks in the prompt is another useful tip. This helps students organize their thoughts and structure their essays logically. At home, parents can guide their children in listing the main points they need to cover, ensuring that the writing remains focused and coherent.

For instance, if a prompt asks students to explain the benefits of recycling and how it can be implemented at home, parents can help their child outline the essay by identifying and numbering the key points: benefits of recycling (task 1) and implementation at home (task 2).

Writing by Ms. Lig is an excellent resource for parents and educators looking to enhance their teaching methods. Written by Ruby Hardin Liggins, the book provides a step-by-step guide to mastering state writing assessments. It includes strategies like breaking down prompts, identifying writing types, and organizing tasks. These strategies are easy to understand and can be adapted to any learning environment.

One practical strategy from the book is the use of the Plot Elements Strategy for narrative writing. This involves focusing on characters, setting, and plot. Parents can help their children apply this strategy by discussing their favorite stories and identifying these elements.

For informative writing, the book suggests using the Boxes and Bullets strategy. This helps students organize their ideas and present information clearly. Parents can guide their children in creating a graphic organizer with the main topic in a box and supporting details in bullets.

The OREO Strategy for opinion writing is another valuable tool. This strategy helps students structure their essays by stating their opinions, providing reasons, giving examples, and restating their opinions. Parents can encourage their children to practice this by writing about topics they care about.

Conclusion

Adapting Writing by Ms. Lig for homeschooling and remote learning can make teaching writing more effective and enjoyable. The book’s practical strategies and step-by-step approach help students develop strong writing skills, making it an invaluable resource for parents and educators alike.

Published by: Martin De Juan