When Your Child Says, "I Know What I Want to Say, but I Can't Write It"

Parents hear this sentence all the time.

And sometimes the child is telling you exactly what the problem is.

The student may understand the subject perfectly well but struggle with the complicated process of converting thoughts into written language. Writing requires the student to generate ideas, organize them, hold information in working memory, construct sentences, spell, punctuate, and monitor everything simultaneously.

Instead of saying, "Just write it down," separate those jobs.

Ask the student to tell you the answer first. Jot down key words. Organize those words visually. Let the student dictate a rough sentence. Then begin shaping the written response.

Now you are teaching writing rather than simply demanding writing.

Take-away: When a student cannot get ideas onto paper, don't immediately assume the student doesn't understand. Separate thinking from transcribing, and find where the breakdown occurs.

This particular struggle led me to create The Capable Writer: For Students Who Know What They Want to Say but Can't, a resource built around practical ways to help students move from ideas to organized writing.