Purpose, the first of the 3Ps, helps parents focus on a critical aspect of what makes a successful daily paper. That critical aspect is called Topic Selection.

Instead of having topic selection become a bone of contention between what interests your student and what your writing curriculum expects, make the process of topic selection a win-win for both you and your student!

If you recall, this admittedly over-simplified graph nonetheless drives home the key to motivating your student: younger students/inexperienced writers should have more choice, more fun, and little or no grammar requirements in their writing assignments compared to older students/experienced writers.

While the idea of choice, fun, and limited grammar requirements may not always comply with all aspects of your existing curriculum, it will help motivate your student and develop in them a love for writing!

If you believe you must focus on grammar with your student, then simply separate your grammar lessons from your writing lessons. Let them sweat over, fiddle with, hone their fixing skills on a different paper from than the paper they write to develop writing skills.

But there's an even more valuable educational opportunity than the benefits of good topic selection hiding in the background for the wise to discover and take advantage of.

More important than grammar skills or even topic selection is the time you invest getting to know what really makes your kids tick. Yes, education is important--but far more important is the parent-child relationship.

Work with them to discover their unique God-given interests, skills, talents, and gifts. It will take time! It won't be easy! But once your student is grown and out of the home, you will never be able to recover those years of opportunity. Explore with your student those core motivations that are developed and shaped in their growing years.

Once, on this point, a worried mom looked up and asked, "but what if my daughter wants to write 17 papers on cats?"

You already know the correct answer to this question, don't you? It's simple: Be proud that you have a daughter than wants to write 17 papers!

The rewards will far outweigh the costs. Create an educational and relational atmosphere where you can participate with your student in cultivating and developing the special intellectual and perceptual capabilities that God gave him or her.

If you take this approach, you will foster a positive, confident attitude of life-long learning in your child, young or old. They will not only impact your family, but the community and the world around them.

That's it for this time. See you next month!