Highschool English

The best thing that helped me learn to write properly was to read! Make her read and she'll pick up the right way to write by rote. ;)

I teach eighth grade English... here are some ideas...

Make her a cheat sheet of basic rules. For example, if she mixes up their, they're, there,(etc) the sheet can quickly explain when to use each. (FYI-their= possession, there= direction/placement, they're= they are) Have her tape the sheet inside her notebook & keep a copy on her desk at home.

Let her know that this is formal writing & texting lingo is not allowed.

Read whatever she's written aloud. If she is pausing, that means she'll need a comma or period. If she has said one word too many times (because, like, so, and, etc.) she can change it.

Use spell check (red squiggly line) & grammar check (green squiggly line) & follow the computer's suggestion.

Let her write about things she is interested in, we write better when we are interested in the topic.

Encourage her to use correct grammar when speaking. (ie. no "I'm gonna do my homework laters. Instead... I will do my homework later.) She'll get into the habit of using correct grammar when she writes.

Have a teacher proofread her paper... most would appreciate a "once over" before the due date.

Have her reread past corrections, so that she doesn't make the same mistakes on the next paper. If the teacher didn't correct, explain your concerns & ask that he/she does.

The more she writes, the more she improves. No overkill though, there still should be some enjoyment in writing.

Encourage her to use thesaurus.com. My students LOVE using better adjectives for their boring words. Once you know words & have a working knowledge of better words, your writing improves.

Happy writing!!

If it truly is grammar she does not know, then she will need a tutor unless you want to buy an elementary/middle school grammar book and work with her daily.
I homeschool and use Shurley Grammar, which is very elementary but teaches the basics, I also use Rod and Staff 7th grade. This is more in depth and teaches the mechanics of writing as well as grammar. These programs are expensive and if you are not homeschooling you probably want to go with a tutor.
Oh and yes yes yes, have her read quality books, not Romance Novels but classics from different eras. And by quality, I do not mean Twilight.

Practice makes perfect. Reading and writing will help. Are you able to get her into tutoring? I feel very strongly we learn from others, not just our teachers or parents, but sometimes other mentors.

Have you asked her teacher for the names of a few tutors?

Also, in my area, they have summer workshops through a local university for school aged kids. The school might know something about something similar offered in your area?

This book is a classic for all writers: The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.

I didn't really get grammer and punctuation till . . . . .3 months ago when I had an amazing teacher and I actually listened. I would really suggest a tutor!! I wish my mom cared about my education as you are with your daughter!

One thing that helps a lot is to have her read her sentances out loud. That is the one thing that always helped me know if a sentance is put together right. If it doesn't 'sound' right, it isn't written right.

Regular reading is beneficial too.

A lot of the online schools offer the ability to sign up for one class. More kids are taking online classes to improve whatever skills are needing help.

I was fortunate to have a really good English Teacher in 7th and 8th grade. But I still had issues through high school and college. I used to write run on sentences--a half page paragraph = 1 sentence. LOL It takes practice. It might help her if she started to journel daily. If you have MS Word on your computer turning on the spell check and grammer check helps too. It alerts you to a mistake then helps you to correct it. Though I admit I have sometimes totally confused spell and grammer check.

Reading quality books and maybe a tutor. There is a vast world of difference between my writing skills and my sister's -- I LOVED to read from the time I got my first book and she hated it. It can make a huge difference. However, forcing kids to read is hard. They have enough to do just with the schoolwork these days! I know they have a lot of writing seminars for adults...maybe google and see if they also have them for teens!

If there is a writing class at school, sign her up for it.
If there is a summer writing workshop somewhere, sign her up for it.
She needs to read - a lot.
She needs to write and have it critiqued... a lot.
Practice makes perfect.
Writing in a journal with someone correcting/editing/critiquing might help.
I became a good writer in 11th grade when I took Advanced Grammar and Usage... We all came out of there pretty decent writers and spellers.
LBC