My Child’s Writing Is Too Simplistic. Help!

Explicit Writing Instruction Can Transform Your Child's Writing.

Many middle school students are able to produce paragraphs and essays, but their writing style may be overly simplistic. Yes, they follow the prescribed essay outline. They have thesis statements, topic sentences, supporting details, and textual evidence. The organization is there, but something is missing. The writing seems basic. Elementary. 

If this describes your writer, they might be struggling with their sentence writing skills. Thankfully, this can be fixed through explicit writing instruction. 

They Need A Variety Of Sentence Structures

Students with an overly simplistic writing style tend to rely heavily on simple sentences and compound sentences. They overlook more complex sentence types because they are not comfortable using them. They can still write paragraphs and essays, but their writing sounds stilted because they do not have enough variety in the types of sentences they use in their writing.

This struggle can be overcome by providing students with explicit sentence writing instruction. Teach students how to add appositives to their sentences. Show them how to use subordinating conjunctions to create complex sentences. Model different ways that they can expand their simple sentences. Put paragraph writing on hold for a while, and give your students practice writing sentences about the texts that they read. Once students gain confidence and proficiency in their sentence writing, they will be able to transfer these skills to their paragraphs and larger writing assignments. 

They Struggle With Common Sentence Structure Errors

Writing can also sound simplistic when students struggle with understanding sentence structure. This can lead to common errors such as fragments and run-on sentences. Even in middle school and high school, it is good practice to take the time to review the structure of a sentence. Use explicit writing instruction to show students how to identify and fix fragments. Give them sample paragraphs with fragments, and have them rewrite the paragraph correctly.

Similarly, students should be taught the correct ways to combine simple sentences. They should be taught how to recognize and correct comma splices and run-on sentences. These errors are common in middle school and high school, but they can be easily fixed through explicit instruction and practice.

Conclusion

If your student’s writing seems simplistic, but you’re not sure how to help them, take a look at their sentence structure. Do they use a variety of sentence types? Do they rely too heavily on simple sentences and compound sentences? Do they struggle with run-on sentences or fragments? If the answer to these questions is yes, then your student needs explicit sentence writing instruction. Invest more time in building their sentence writing skills, and watch their writing soar.

If you are looking for pre-made resources to help you implement explicit sentence writing instruction in your homeschool or classroom, check out some of my resources here.

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