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What does it take to become a good writer? There

are, at first, the basics of grammar: nouns, verbs, sentences,

tenses, etc. But eventually, the process of writing becomes more

complicated. It becomes a matter of style. And not style in the sense

of being beautiful, but in terms of sophisticated craftsmanship:

concrete and vivid descriptions, figurative language, and effective

rhetoric. Can you form a picture in your mind from the written words?

Is the argument convincing? These elements of style are what

distinguish good writing from the merely grammatically correct. No

one becomes a good writer by talent alone. They start first by

becoming good readers.

How do you become a good, critical reader? The first thing is 

to become an avid reader, period. This starts in elementary 

school. However, while it is tempting to encourage any reading, it 

is crucial to the development of critical reading skills that 

young students be introduced to quality non-fiction books as soon 

as possible. This is not to say that a good fiction doesn’t have its 

place in a child’s reading repertoire, but it does not typically have all of 

the characteristics necessary to develop practical writing skills useful

later in life. So while their favorite fantasy or adventure novel series 

may contain some excellent descriptive passages, it is unlikely that 

these books will exhibit any sophisticated rhetoric or 

complex argumentation. The good news is that quality non-fiction for 

students of all ages is more widely available now than ever before.

This is especially important because of the different interests

of each student, boys and girls. 

When we look at a house, we might say, “This house is beautiful.” We 

might even list a few features that we find particularly pleasing. But an 

architect would want to look closer, to see how the house was 

constructed, what materials and techniques were necessary for 

achieving those features. A good, critical reader is like the architect, 

trying to understand how a written work is constructed. The effect of 

this kind of engagement is apparent, even in assignments as basic as 

book reports. Un-critical readers merely summarize the content of

what they have read. But critical readers can explain how and

why the book achieves its goals. So, becoming a critical reader

will make your child a better writer.

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