Writing tutoring: helping a child who struggles to write
Get tutoring help for your child →Writing asks a child to do several hard things at once: come up with ideas, organize them, put them into sentences, and handle spelling and punctuation. When writing is a struggle, it helps to find out which of those steps is the sticking point.
Common writing problems and what they suggest
- “I don’t know what to write.” Often a planning problem: the child needs ways to gather and choose ideas before writing.
- Ideas, but no order. The child needs help organizing paragraphs and connecting them.
- Very short answers. The child may need practice explaining and giving examples.
- Frequent spelling and punctuation errors that slow everything down. Basic skills may need more practice so they become automatic.
What good writing support includes
Research summarized by the U.S. Department of Education recommends teaching students a clear writing process, such as planning, drafting, revising and editing, and giving them daily time to write. Look for a tutor who:
- Teaches planning tools, such as outlines or graphic organizers.
- Uses your child’s real school assignments as well as separate practice.
- Gives specific feedback, not just corrections in red ink.
- Builds typing or handwriting fluency if that is slowing your child down.
How to help at home
- Talk through ideas out loud before your child writes anything.
- Praise one specific strength in each piece of writing.
- Encourage writing for real reasons: notes, lists, letters, stories.
Writing and reading are closely linked. See also our guide to reading tutoring.
Tell us your child’s grade, ZIP code and the subject that feels hardest. Wherever you live in the U.S., we’ll search for a tutoring provider near you. Families near Bay Ridge, Brooklyn can connect with Huntington Learning Center.
Start the questionnaireRelated guides
- Reading tutoring: choosing support and preparing for the first conversation
- How to choose a tutor for your child
- Study skills: helping a student who understands but still struggles
- All parent guides