Have you ever given your child a prompt for (1) writing an essay or (2) giving an impromptu or expository speech in your homeschool? In this first post of a four part series on effective oral and written communication, I’ll explain why writing prompts can be very useful because they:

 

Just like the name implies, prompts assist or inspire. We’ve been using writing prompts effectively in our home school for several years. Whether you have elementary age kids or teenagers, prompts can be tailored to the skill level of the child. For instance, the same prompt could be used for siblings…let’s say you have a 9 year old who is just learning how to write a good paragraph and a 15 year old who is writing five paragraph essays. Give them the same prompt, but adjust the required length appropriately.

Prompts Spark Ideas

It is much easier to write a paragraph or give a speech if you have a fresh idea to start with! Think of prompts in terms of eating: when you go to a buffet-style restaurant, the culinary choices are virtually unlimited. Just like the diner can select a prepared entree instead of cooking from scratch, so too, the budding writer or speaker gets a head start on the “meal.” The child doesn’t have to wrack his brain trying to come up with a subject; rather, the prompt tells him what to write about. This also helps eliminate the occasional whine that homeschool moms hear occasionally: “But I don’t know what to write about!”

You can select from several types of writing prompts for your home school writing assignments. In our home, we primarily use topical, thematic, and famous quote prompts. Topical prompts can be spontaneous (”what you had for breakfast” or “what you dreamed about last night”) or planned in advance like the topic that is intentionally related to the subjects currently being studied. For instance, If your child is reading about the planets in science, pick a topic from her reading like planetary temperatures or planetary rotation as a prompt.

Thematic prompts are triggered by an abstract theme like liberty, happiness, or responsibility. Pick a theme from the book he is currently reading like “growing up” in Peter Pan. It might also benefit your child to select a thematic prompt related to a character trait that you want to instill in him like courage or faithfulness.

Quote prompts are basically the same as topical or thematic prompts because most famous quotes can be reduced to at least one idea. For example, the actor Paul Newman once said, “If you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character” which can be simplified to 3 possible ideas: enemies, character, or Paul Newman! Scripture is full of potential quote prompts like “Those who trust in their riches will wither, but the righteous will flourish like green leaves.” (Proverbs 11:28) Wealth, trust, and righteousness are all themes that could be explored from this quote prompt.

For a host of free prompts, consult BrainyQuote, or if you would like to have your own copy of a handy paperback around, consider the handy Reader’s Digest book, Quotable Quotes.

 

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In my next post, I’ll examine how topical, thematic, and quote prompts can encourage more frequent writing and speaking. Narrowing the focus and improving organization skills are the subjects of posts three and four. Please feel free to share any helpful tips that you have discovered in the comments section below.