When I worked in public relations, I remember having such fun when the team would get together in the conference room to brainstorm. We would get some goodies from the vending machine or local bakery, get out the flip chart and big markers and start flinging ideas. Help your child get started on an assignment by facilitating a “corporate” brainstorming session. You can get flip charts at Office Depot or Staples, but they can be expensive. Oversized sheets of drawing paper from Target will work great, but any unlined piece of paper will do.

Unlined paper is best because not all kids think well linearly or in lists. You can help with brainstorming by just logging ideas on the paper, asking pertinent questions or commenting (positively) on his ideas. Brainstorming works well for any writing assignment, from character analysis and controversial topics to science experiments and current events. Here are basic rules to good brainstorming:

1. No idea is a bad idea. Allow a flow of all ideas related (or not so related) to the topic. And you should do the writing so your child is freer to think.
2. Messy is good. Unless your child asks you to write ideas neatly in a list, write all over the page, and in different colors. It is very “non academic” and may actually ease anxiety about the assignment.
3. A moment of silence. When you think you are done. Give your child some time to look over the notes quietly. Write down any additional comments.
4. Save all brainstorm notes until the assignment is graded. You never know when a discarded idea may be useful for a revision draft later on.
5. Don’t forget the snacks.

When the session is over, give him the sheets of paper and let him take it from there. You both know that he has stuff to write about. Let him grapple with his ideas and the assignment on his own. He will come back to you if he needs more help.