Teach teens that writing skills pay off in the real world

December 17, 2018 | Patricia Droz, Lorie Jacobs

Do you have a teen at home who hates writing, convinced they don’t need that skill because they want to be an engineer, welder, or hair stylist? Maybe you have a kid who thinks that being a “good writer” requires the ability to write sappy poems or stories about lovestruck vampires, two skills your child proudly doesn’t have. Congratulations! Your kid is normal. Still, you’ve got a problem: if you want your son or daughter to mature an adult who is taken seriously and gets promotions--no matter the job--you need to convince them that it pays to write well.

But don’t just take our word for it: The 2004 National Commission on Writing, which surveyed over 1,000 national employers on the quantity and value on writing ability at work, even went so far as to claim that “writing ability could be your ticket in, or your ticket out.”  They were referring to people’s ability to write effective workplace documents. Recently, we conducted a study of our own asking Clear Lake and Houston area employers to weigh in on the value of writing on the job. Just like the national study, Clear Lake area employers repeatedly emphasized that good writing is important for all salaried employees, it’s specifically evaluated during the hiring process, and writing well is essential for promotion. They also pointed out that email is the number one way business gets done in today’s workplace.

So, how do you get your child to begin thinking now about the future and its link to writing?  Here’s what you can do: 

Tell them they’re already proficient writers and do more writing than any other generation before them. It’s true-- 18-24 year olds send an average of 72 text messages a day, according to Experian Marketing Services. And Ring Central found that 80 percent of professionals currently use text for business purposes. Now, most communication is written: Email, texting, posting online, and app-to-app messaging. If they don’t “hate texting,” they don’t “hate writing.”

Rather, what they probably don’t like is having to respond to arbitrary prompts provided by their teachers in preparation for standardized tests. Reassure them that those canned prompts will go the way of the dodo bird when they enter college and are asked to write original papers on topics of their choice. “Good writing” is, after all, just good explanation and argumentation skills. So, how can you help them develop these important skills outside school?

First, it’s important for both parents and teens to remember that writing is thinking on paper. If you’re a weak writer, it tells people you’re a weak thinker, and whether that’s actually true is irrelevant. Help them see the connection between thinking and writing by helping them develop their thoughts. Ask open-ended questions when they are expressing their viewpoints: What makes you think that? How could you prove it?

Here’s a useful exercise: Next time you and your teen get into an argument about a privilege you’re unwilling to provide, have your teen write you a letter stating their case and reasons. The argument they write will be similar to the type of writing they’ll be doing in their first year of college and the rest of their lives when they have to argue for pay raises, persuade coworkers to share resources, and convince a car dealership to provide a deeper discount on a car of their own.

Next, get teens to think about who’s receiving their messages. A text message to a friend should look very different than a message to the boss. Encourage your teen to imagine who will be reading the message and tailoring the language accordingly. Play some games: Tell them to explain to grandma how/why to use a technology they’re familiar with, such as their smartphone. Then explain the use of the same technology to their boss, and lastly, to their best friend. Then observe the differences in word choice and style.

The reading and writing connection is a real thing. If you want to raise a writer, you have to raise a reader. Their reading selections don’t need to be Shakespeare; it’s okay if they want to read comic books. Reading will help them develop their word power, knowledge of current trends and events, and a general understanding of the world.

Lastly, write daily, just for fun and for real purposes. Encourage your child to keep a journal on a topic of their choice. It’s okay if the choice seems trivial to you. If it’s important to them, it works.

Lorie Stagg Jacobs, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at University of Houston-Clear Lake, where she co-directs the First Year Composition program. She specializes in workplace communication, student retention, writing program administration, and academic labor issues. Patricia Welsh Droz, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Writing, Linguistics, and Women's & Gender Studies at UHCL, where she co-directs the First Year Composition program. She specializes in workplace communication, working-class identity, and gender & discourse.