Teen Writing Skills: 4 Easy Steps for Parents to Be Their Teenager’s Editor! by Kirstin Ahearn

As “newish” writers, teens are learning to communicate effectively with words. This is not an easy task and teens, like all writers, would benefit from the editing process. As their parent, you are perfect for the job!

• First, ask your teen to read his writing out loud. This reveals lots of places for improvements.
• Then, ask the teen to look at each verb and verb tense. Does the rest of the sentence work with the verb, or should it be rewritten?
• Is your teen using too many words that do not add value? Sometimes empty words like “that” can be removed.
• Are the sentences too long or too short? Long sentences can get mired in problems and shorter ones sometimes need more detail.

These easy editing steps will make any writing better. Your teen’s teachers will thank you!