Students who say they don't like writing often have trouble getting their thoughts on paper. They may even make excuses about why they can't write ranging from writing takes too long or is too difficult. They tend to lack confidence in their writing abilities. To the non-writer, writing can be a tedious chore. By starting with simple activities, students will become more interested in the writing process.
Some students may have a difficult time writing because they suffer from dysgraphia. If that is the case, than these writing activities may or may not work for them.
Have Students Label a Diagram or Figure for Extra Practice Writing
This a great activity for learning and memorizing Science, History, or Geography facts. Have students label a diagram, such as the ear, brain, plant cell, the Earth and its layers, etc. Students can also define the terms as they label them. The use of visual aids has been proven to make the learning process easier and faster.
Make a Food ChainHave students create a food chain by drawing plants and animals and labeling them: producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers. The students can make their food chain from different ecosystems.
Have the Students Write Their Own Gettysburg Address
Read and study the Gettysburg Address. Have students write their own presidential speech. To write a good presidential speech, students need to consider:
- The purpose of the speech
- The audience
- The historical content
- A conclusion that clearly summarizes the purpose of the speech
Use Story Starters to Get Students WritingA story starter can be a sentence or a picture. Pictures from magazines or newspaper headlines are great prompts for creative writing. The best part about using story starters is that no two students will write their story exactly the same way. For an added bonus, have the students share their stories with the class. Talk about the similarities and differences between them.
More activities to get students writing
- Create a crossword puzzle
- Make up your own quotes
- Draw a picture and write a story to go with it
- Write a poem
- Make a comic book
- Design a greeting card
- Write a "thank" you note
- Narrative activities
- Make up silly sentences
- Keep a journal
- Write a script
- Write a letter to yourself
- Make a list of words and write a sentence for each
Not every child can be a natural born writer, but there are many activities out there to get the non-writer's creativity flowing. With a little bit of patience and persistence, even the most reluctant writer can improve their writing skills.
Marie Liberty - I'm author of two books, Scorched on a Vine and Little Miss Right Now. I have a M.A. in Psychology from Troy State and am certified to ...
