Time and again, The Write Journey hears comments from parents about the overwhelming expectations for their children when it comes to writing. They are expected to simply know how to write many words on any given topic. The expectation also demands that students find themselves naturally able to write because they read many books, or simply because they are older. These often misguided or unfair expectations may leave a student feeling as if they did something wrong, or as if they are not smart enough to complete the task. We come against this methodology with our Writing Foundations classes. Our goals aim to equip and empower the writer to address a writing assignment with specific skills to complete the task. The writer’s toolbox that we help students fill enables them to pull out the correct tool at the appropriate time.
Our focus for students is that they would gain mastery over the skills. This means that they need instruction, time, and practice. An athlete may begin with some natural abilities, but properly learning the fundamentals, plus hours of practice make a professional athlete stand out. The same is true with writing. A student may begin with some natural skills such as good ideas, eloquent phrases, and correct spelling. However, these are just parts of the whole. A student trained in the writer’s craft we teach will be able to pull all of their skills together to form a well-written, thoughtful, skillful composition. It simply takes the proper instruction, time, and practice.