Writing Assignments for Students: Ideas for Parents

Help Your Child Practice Writing at Home

No matter their grade level, students must continuously practice writing to stay current on spelling and vocabulary while also improving style. One exercise you can have your child complete on a regular basis is journaling. Some students may shy away from the idea of a journal, but it does not have to be a personal diary. Instead, ask your child to write short stories, to-do lists, activities he or she would like to participate in and books he or she'd like to read. Allowing your son or daughter to choose the assignment will encourage creative thinking and idea development.

For more formal writing practice, you may print worksheets from the Internet or allow your child to play interactive games online to improve spelling, grammar and sentence structure. For additional writing assignment ideas, review the list below.

Writing Assignment Ideas

Writing Prompts

Prompts are a great way to give students a jump start in their writing. Choosing a topic can be difficult for beginning writers, and prompts alleviate that stress, making the writing itself more enjoyable. Depending on grade level, prompts may be as simple as asking your child about his or her favorite family vacation or as advanced as having your child interpret a famous quote.

Book Review

Instead of a report that simply recaps the book your child has read, ask him or her to write a book review. This activity gives your child the opportunity to state his or her opinion about the story. Make sure the opinion is backed up with reasoning and references to the text.

Paper Bag Narrative

A fun idea to get your child thinking creatively is the paper bag narrative. Start by gathering a few odds and ends from your home and placing them in a sack of any type. The items can be anything from a pencil or an earring to a remote control or a can of soup. Once you've selected close to ten items, ask your child to randomly pull objects from the bag one at a time and write a story to include the different items in the order selected.