Improving Child's Writing Skills

Is there a way that I can improve my 9-year-old daughter's writing skills? She is a brilliant reader, but her writing skills are below average according to the teacher. She never is "in the mood" to write, even on my laptop. - No Writer
Answer: The secret for children becoming better writers is for them to write a lot. Unfortunately, writing simply does not appeal to many children. Poor handwriting skills may stop some from writing. Others may not be able to think of anything to write about. Teachers have had great success in getting children to write by having them write briefly in a journal every day. They can even supply the topic.
Just asking or even requiring your daughter to write every day is not too likely to be successful in improving her writing unless she is motivated to do so. You might talk about how being a good writer leads to future success in school. Plus, when you read to her each night, you should talk about such things as how the author describes the characters and the setting as well as begins and ends a story. Another approach would be to have a relative write a brief e-mail to her every day with the expectation of her responding. Grandmothers can be especially good at this.