<p>There are several different skills needed to be a good writer. In my experience, practice and constant feedback are essential to improve writing.</p>
<p>Grammar: I wholeheartedly agree that grammar instruction is lacking in so many schools. I think it is important to have at home an excellent grammar text, so that when you work with your son, you can open the book and review with him the rules regarding any mistakes he makes. I found one very cheap at a used bookstore. It was an English composition and language high school or college text. These types of books are excellent resources just to have in the house as you would have a dictionary. </p>
<p>Organization: It is very important and often very difficult for kids to organize their thoughts. I think that unless there is some type of organization, it is hard to write coherently. Depending on the type of writing, a graphic organizer of some sort can be helpful. </p>
<p>Editing: It is very hard for those who don’t enjoy writing to review their own work, but it is helpful if you can remind your son that any writing should be edited before handing it in. Some teachers require drafts and many don’t, and I know it is not easy to prepare a first draft if it isn’t required. But it would be good if he can try to find his own errors first. And editing should address not just grammar but also organization, flow, vocabulary, etc.</p>
<p>I’ve never done this, but I wonder whether it would improve someone’s writing if they had to practice editing other’s work and going over the edits with someone who knows how to write. And I don’t mean simply the “peer editing” that is done in class. There is no guarantee that the other kids are better writers, they often don’t want to make too many corrections on a classmate’s paper, and even if they know something is wrong, they often can’t articulate the grammar rule or reason that something is incorrect. </p>
<p>I think these things would would be the minimun to make a decent writer. I’m not sure you can make a creative writer out of someone who just doesn’t have talent as a creative writer.</p>
<p>(I hope I don’t have any mistakes in what I have written.)</p>