Dictation
This communication will feature a writing strategy I highly recommend from Grades One and onwards (or as soon as your child can sound out simple words). The strategy is borrowed from Ruth Beechick, a very popular homeschooling advocate, who encourages the natural method for learning to write. I do not have the right to copy from her literature, so, in my own words, I will share a piece of her method I find very helpful.
Dictation
Simply, this is giving your child words orally that they are ready to spell and letting them write as you dictate to them. The beginner starts by viewing the sentence first. They then write it as the parent dictates it to them. This is a step up from copying which is another great strategy that should proceed dictation.
Ruth encourages using Bible verses to do this, or your child’s current reading material. This exercise will help develop writing skills because the way one learns to write is by exposure to proper writing.
Here is a step by step progression in the Dictation routine:
1. (Grade One) Start with one sentence, saying individual words and stopping after each word while the student writes it down. Because dictation is not “creative writing” it is recommended that gentle corrections happen as the writing is taking place. For example, dictate to your Grade One child: “The dog is not sad, but glad!” Gently remind them about capitalizing the first word, if necessary help them sound out words to get the proper spelling, and remind them about punctuation. Eventually the student will learn to self correct because they experience you helping them correct (you are teaching them how to edit). Slowly you let go on the corrections as they become more confident in the skill.
2. (Grade One -Two) Progress to two sentences. Say more than one word at a time, a short phrase or part of the sentence, and then have the student write it down. Repeat it if necessary and again correct mistakes as you go.
3. (Grade Two – Three) Progress to three or more sentences (one short paragraph). Say the complete sentence and have the student say the sentence back to you before writing it down. The goal is to develop the ability to hold a complete thought in their mind while writing it down. This skill is easily practiced by dictation and helps develop writing skills.
4. (Grade Three- Four) Progress to multiple paragraph dictation. Dictate two or more short paragraphs to the child. Through this the student will learn what is a paragraph, proper indentation, and proper punctuation. Use paragraphs with quotation marks and varied punctuation (commas, question marks, exclamation points, colons or semi colons, capitalization, etc…)