Important and Powerful Ways to Challenge & Motivate Reluctant Writers

What is a reluctant writer? Is it only someone who has a hard time with the skills required of writing? How do you get reluctant writers over the ultimate writing block? Keep reading this post to find out answers to these questions and more!

What is a Reluctant Writer?

Reluctant writers can be challenging to work with. They may shut down, refuse to do work, act out, or simply breeze through writing assignments with little to no effort. With the importance of developing the skill of writing, it is imperative that teachers learn how to engage reluctant writers. Getting them to put pen to paper…or fingers to keyboards, is a matter of inspiring them and making writing relevant.

Reluctant writers don’t necessarily lack the skills to write. They may be reluctant because they need basic skills instruction, but students who are fully capable of undertaking the task of writing may also be reluctant. One thing that can contribute to a reluctance to write may be the issue of experience. Reluctant writers could be inexperienced writers or could have had bad experiences with writing in the past.

The Key for Teachers is to CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE!

Create positive writing experiences for students. Here’s how:

• Find out what the last thing was that they enjoyed writing
• Find out something they would be interested in writing aboutMake their writing authentic- give them authentic writing purposes
• Authentic writing gives students a purpose for writing beyond just the grade

Authentic Writing Purposes:

• Persuade an adult to buy you something you’ve wanted for a long time or that they said no to previously
• Edit and contribute a piece of fan fiction to a fanfic website
• Write twitter, text, or instagram stories
• Raise awareness about social justice issues or other things that are important to you
• Teach or explain something that interests you
• Write a script to a YouTube video or a movie
• Comment below with ways that YOU engage students in authentic writing tasks!