If you’re homeschooling a boy (or just helping your son with his homework!) you’ve probably seen his frustration about writing. Yet the ability to put thoughts into words and words onto paper is a crucial skill for life and career. How can you get past his natural hesitation and open up that channel for communication? This episode we talk about some of the reasons why your boy may hate to write, and then, practical ways to overcome those hurdles!

Episode 250 | Making Biblical Family Life Practical

Sponsored by CTCMath.com

How do you get your boys to write — without daily battles?

In this practical episode, Hal and Melanie share encouragement and actionable strategies to help boys develop confidence and skill in writing. Whether your son struggles with handwriting, hates blank pages, or simply resists writing assignments, this conversation will help you rethink your approach and give you tools that work.

One of the biggest breakthroughs?
Handwriting is not the same thing as composition.

Many boys struggle with fine motor skills longer than girls — and that’s normal. If writing by hand is physically exhausting, it can derail their thinking.

Instead:

Allow dictation (you type while he talks)

Let him type instead of write

Use speech-to-text tools

Focus on ideas first, mechanics second

When boys see their thoughts turned into a real paragraph or essay, confidence grows quickly.

Writing becomes easier when it connects to what they already love.

Instead of generic prompts, try:

Birds of prey

Military history

Race cars

Engineering

Survival skills

Science topics

Personal hobbies

If they’re already thinking about it, they’re halfway to writing about it.

Boys often respond well to:

Writing contests

Timed challenges

Friendly sibling competitions

Submissions to magazines or local contests

Even reluctant writers may engage when there’s a challenge involved.

Nonfiction and real-life writing can be especially motivating:

Write an email to inquire about a purchase

Draft a thank-you note

Research and explain how something works

Write instructions

Explain a process

Compare tools, gear, or equipment

When writing has purpose, it feels valuable.

Instead of starting with a formal outline, begin with a content web (also called a mind map).

How it works:

Put the topic in the center.

Add related ideas in circles around it.

Connect subpoints.

Let ideas flow freely before organizing.

This method:

Matches how the brain naturally works

Reduces pressure

Encourages creativity

Makes organization easier later

Once ideas are visible, structure emerges naturally.

Structure reduces stress.

Start with a simple paragraph formula:

Introduction sentence

Point #1 + evidence

Point #2 + evidence

Point #3 + evidence

Conclusion sentence

This easily grows into:

A 3-paragraph essay

A 5-paragraph essay

Larger structured papers

Once they master structure, creativity can expand.

Teach early:

Copy and paste URLs while researching

Keep a running list of sources

Use tools like EasyBib to format citations

Learn basic bibliography skills

This prevents stress later in high school and college — and builds real academic strength.

Strong writing:

Opens doors professionally

Helps explain technical ideas

Wins funding and support

Communicates complex thoughts clearly

Builds leadership skills

Writing isn’t just an English skill — it’s a life skill.

You can teach your boys to love writing.

It may take:

Dictation

Different prompts

Practical assignments

Competitions

Patience

Creative brainstorming

But growth happens.

One son who once struggled with writing is now working on his doctoral dissertation — and loving the process.

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Thank you for joining us for another episode of
Making Biblical Family Life Practical 🎙️