There’s a funny story about Sir Laurence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman. During the filming of Marathon Man, Hoffman, a proponent of Method Acting, reportedly went 72 hours without sleep to help him get inside his character. Olivier said, “My dear boy, why don’t you just try acting?”
I feel the same way when I see articles, like the one that came across my Facebook feed today, about how to help reluctant writers. I won’t name the company that shared the article, but they publish two popular literature-based curriculum packages. Their suggestions included scribing for the student, letting them write about personal interests, using games, and writing alongside the student.
The one thing they didn’t mention? Actually teaching the student how to write.
A friend who has used both versions of the company’s curriculum tells me that the only formal instruction they provide is a single quarter in 3rd grade on paragraphs. After that, kids are expected to sink or swim. No wonder they’re reluctant to write!
Confidence follows competence. No amount of gamification or hand-holding will make up for a lack of skills. We must teach children to write, step by carefully scaffolded step, if we want them write well—or at all.
Copyright 2022 by Drew Campbell, PhD. All rights reserved.
Drew Campbell is the author of Living Memory, I Speak Latin, and Exploring the World through Story, and co-author, with Courtney Ostaff and Jennifer Naughton, of How to Homeschool the Kids You Have. Dr. Campbell is a veteran homeschooler and has worked as a classroom teacher, private school administrator, and independent tutor.