|  I’ve always had an interest
in creative writing, primarily because I had a teacher who encouraged
me to express myself and gave me the skills to do it. My kids, however,
have not had that exposure. The school system just doesn’t
teach writing skills anymore. How did you come to be a writer, and
how might I give my children a nudge in that direction?
It
is true that writing skills are seldom taught today. That was evident
a while back when I was considering hiring a Ph.D. candidate from
a large university. I called her major professor for a recommendation.
He spoke highly of this woman and said he was sure she would do
a good job for me. I then asked if she was an adequate writer. He
said, “Are you kidding? None of my students have strong writing
skills. Young people don’t learn to put their thoughts on
paper these days.” He was right!
It
hasn’t always been that way. I remember diagramming sentences
and learning parts of speech when I was in elementary school. It
was a major part of the curriculum. Also, my parents encouraged
and helped me grow in this area. I wrote a letter to a friend when
I was 9 years old. My mother then suggested that we read it together.
I had written, “Dear Tom, how are you? I am just fine.”
My mom asked me if I thought that sounded a little boring. She said,
“You haven’t said anything. You used a few words, but
they have no meaning.” I never wrote those phrases again,
although that is the typical way a child begins a letter.
Looking
back, I can see how, even at an early age, my mother was teaching
me to write. In addition, I was also fortunate to have a few English
teachers who were determined to teach me the fundamentals of composition.
I had one in high school and another in college who insisted that
I learn grammar and composition. They nearly beat me to death, but
I’m glad they did. I earn a living today, at least in part,
with the skills they gave to me. I would especially like to say
“thanks” to Dr. Ed Harwood. His classes were like Marine
boot camp, but what I learned there was priceless.
It’s
not terribly difficult or time-consuming to encourage and teach
kids some of the basics of grammar and composition. One approach
is to ask a family member to correspond with your child and encourage
him or her to write back. Then when the reply is written, sprinkle
a few corrections, such as the one my mother offered, with a generous
portion of praise. Finally, entice that youngster to engage in a
little creative expression. As for what you can do to compensate
for the de-emphasis on writing in school, I really don’t know
— except to seek instruction outside the classroom.
The teaching of writing has gone out of style — much
like the old “homemaking” classes for girls. But it
is an incredibly valuable craft that your child can use in a wide
variety of settings. Don’t let him or her grow up without
developing it.
o
These
are excerpted from books written by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on
the Family and published by Tyndale House.
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