How is your writing skills? Book recommendation on writing well.

[Anonymous]

DD is still young but I Dread the report writing years. Can anyone recommend a book that is straight foRward- bullet style- do this not this, here is an example, etc. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Are you looking for a book to help you or a book for her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you looking for a book to help you or a book for her?

Ha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is still young but I Dread the report writing years. Can anyone recommend a book that is straight foRward- bullet style- do this not this, here is an example, etc. Thanks

Elements of Style (Strunk & White) is the standard.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Elments of Style is a great book to start with. It should be how are your writing skils.

[Anonymous]

I really liked this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Mightier-Than-Sword-Powerful-Profession/dp/0964824701/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329331852&sr=1-1

It was written by a lawyer to help other lawyers write better but is very readable and useful for anyone high school or older.

[Anonymous]

Eats, Shoots & Leaves is an outstanding and accessible book on punctuation (and thus, grammar).

The best way to become a better writer? Keep writing, and read writers whose style you like. And whatever you do, don't have the "writing is dreadful/awful/painful/a chore/stupid and worthless!" attitude. That will only result in a child who hates to write.

[Anonymous]

Make sure your kid has a rich vocabulary and reads or is read to a lot. Read non-fiction. Play games that build ideas and vocabulary. So if you go to the zoo and have to climb up the hill play a game that describes all the different ways you could describe climbing up the hill i.e. we trekked, hiked, stalked etc. Part of the reason people hate to write is that they don't know enough or have a rich enough experience level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure your kid has a rich vocabulary and reads or is read to a lot. Read non-fiction. Play games that build ideas and vocabulary. So if you go to the zoo and have to climb up the hill play a game that describes all the different ways you could describe climbing up the hill i.e. we trekked, hiked, stalked etc. Part of the reason people hate to write is that they don't know enough or have a rich enough experience level.

Op here- Everyone, thank you for the referenced books. I also appreciate this advice with an example on how to think creatively.

[Anonymous]

OP, to actually teach an elementary school aged child how to write organized paragraphs and reports, check out "Pattern Based Writing" -- downloadable book.

http://patternbasedwriting.com/

The website looks cheesy, I admit, but the actual book is fantastic.

[Anonymous]

"On Writing Well" by Zinsser. It may be better suited for a middle Schooler and older. However, That book, coupled with S&W, is a great foundation.