Grade 7 Fall Writing

Manchester Public Schools

Office of Equity and Partnerships

Here are some of the things you can do to help your child learn…

Make Letter Writing a Habit

Make letter writing a habit for your child. Encourage him/her to write thank you cards, fill out invitations, send get well cards or send postcards.
Conduct Reviews

Conduct regular reviews. After watching a movie, playing a new game (even a video game) or trying a new recipe, ask your child to write a review. In the review they should give specific things they liked or didn’t like. This can be done verbally to promote speaking and listening skills as well.
Journal

Keep an ongoing journal of family activities (especially when on vacation). Take turns with your child and write about what you did together that day.
Make a Menu

Make a menu with your child. Encourage him/her to plan out in writing dinner and dessert for the week. Have them Google a recipe for their favorite take out dish.
Follow Their Lead

Follow your child’s lead, if they want to discuss a topic in more depth, go with it. Go online to help your child find articles, magazines or books on topics that interest them. Order a subscription to your child’s favorite magazine.
Write Lyrics

Have your child copy the lyrics of their favorite songs. Ask them to write their own lyrics.
Be a Writing Role Model

Be a writing model. Leave notes for your child around the house. Encourage them to write back.
Write Stories Together

Write stories with your child. Take turns writing different parts or adding to each other’s stories.
Call a Teacher or Literacy Coach

Your child’s teacher or a school/district literacy coach are available to answer questions about your child’s progress and what they are learning in class. Click now to access the Manchester Public Schools employee directory!
Visit the Illing Middle School Website

Click now to go to the site!
Look at Your Child's Writing

Ask your child to see his/her writing from school. Ask them to read it to you. Ask them what they are most proud of and where they think they could do better. Give them areas where you were especially proud or impressed by what they wrote.
Focus on Content

Focus on the content (story or main point) instead of the mechanics (grammar, spelling, etc.).

Use Resources

Connect with School Staff

Other Ways you Can Help

Make literacy and creative thinking part of your family by engaging in regular game nights. Games like Sorry, Uno, Risk, Clue and Stratego (just to name a few) promote thinking and problem solving. Games like Scategories, Taboo, Scrabble, Boggle, Rory’s Story Cubes and Balderdash (just to name a few) are great ways to get your child thinking about words and expanding vocabulary. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time together.
For your reluctant readers graphic novels are powerful tools. Check out this video and this article about the benefits of reading a graphic novel. If you’re still not convinced... watch this !
Just for Teens - Teen Ink is an online resources for teens where they can read and comment on writing, art and videos posted by kids their own age. They can even post their own work. (Explore the site with your child to ensure the content is appropriate for them and comfortable for you.)

Connect with the School

Keep the lines of communication open.

Ask the teacher some of these questions:

Where is my child excelling? How can I support this success?
What do you think is giving my child the most trouble? How can I help my child improve in this area?
Can you show me examples of work at this level? May I see samples of my child’s work?
What can I do to help my child with upcoming work?

Check your child’s agenda nightly.
Email or call the teacher when you have questions.
Visit the school’s webpage frequently to see updates posted by your child’s teacher.

Write at Home

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