I begin with an interview and writing sample review, to assess the writer’s challenges, strengths, and goals. Then we set up a project schedule to match. Clients can choose from the following options:
- Creative projects. Options include book publishing, comic books, and miniature museums. These fun projects allow writers to try out new strategies in the context of their own interests, without academic pressure. They are excellent for reducing anxiety and building confidence.
- Weekly coaching related to schoolwork. This is particularly useful for writers who have difficulty with time management and organization, or who experience a lot of frustration with homework.
- Written evaluation. This is an assessment that explains the causes of your writing challenges, and describes tools you can implement at home and at school.
- Intensive. We meet daily to see a single school project through to completion.
- Personalized curricula for homeschooled students.
Writers receive customized strategies that they can take home, practice, and apply to future work.
As needed, I meet with parents, teachers, and other providers to coordinate support.
For students attending college out of the area, I am able to set up meetings via phone or video chat.
Writing Consultation for Kids
(3rd grade through college)
- Anxiety
- Perfectionism
- Lack of focus
- Concrete thinking
- Disorganization
- Trouble getting started
Writing Consultation
Kids are very clever, and they're usually able to come up with "workarounds" for their writing challenges. If a challenge is significant, though, the workaround will eventually fail, as assignments become more and more complex. At this point, students may start to develop anxiety, avoid challenging tasks, and lose confidence. My goal is to help young writers discover problem-solving strategies that work with their learning style, and can be applied beyond the classroom to any task requiring analysis, planning, or communication.
How the process works:
Erika Clowes, Ph.D.
COMMON
WRITING CHALLENGES: