Authors at Work by TWE ESOL ISSTs

Top Writing Tips for Helping our ESL Learners

                                                                                

Our ESL students are working hard to become great authors!  Here are a few tips when working on writing at home:

·         Draw and label pictures- Let your child draw a picture of what they want to write about.  This helps them gather ideas about their topic.  After drawing the picture label all of the key components in English.  This will help them get ready to write their story.

 

·         Sentence frames- Give your child sentence starters and allow them to fill in the rest of the sentence.  For example:  Tomorrow we will go to __________.

 

·         Translate key words- Have a device or dictionary readily available in the writing area, so that your child can translate unknown words.

 

·         Write about familiar topics- Your child will feel most comfortable writing about what they know.  Let them choose topics that interest them.  School is often a comfortable topic, since they are exposed to English vocabulary throughout the school day.

 

·         Use books- Books often model good writing.  Your child can use the format, topic, and vocabulary to help create their own writing.

 

·         Correct, but don’t overcorrect- Choose one important error that you would like your child to improve upon.  For example:  a verb tense, punctuation or adding a descriptive detail.

 

 The most important tip is to have fun while writing!