Good writing skills are a valuable tool to have in today’s changing global classroom. I love writing so much that I pursued it in both my undergraduate and graduate careers. However, writing is not the easiest thing to teach. If you notice that your child is really struggling with writing, if they’re only writing a few sentences at a time, here are a few tips you can use you can use to help them out.
1. Have them read more!
Reading new and challenging material helps children become better writers. They get exposed to new vocabulary, new literary devices and writing techniques, and they develop an interest in recreating what they’ve just read for themselves.
2. Talk to them… a lot.
Whether you’re at home on the couch or running to the grocery store, talk with your child about what they see around them. Try to get them to think of all their senses as they make observations. Children often have trouble knowing just what to say if they haven’t heard much conversation. Exposing them to different conversations can even help them develop dialogue or different “voices” in their own writing.3. Let them see you write.
My dad was always writing away on a notepad or typing on the computer when I was younger, and that really sparked my interest. He already had a love for writing and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Let your child see you taking notes, making lists--even writing birthday cards. This will pique their interest in writing.
4. Give them their own tools to use for writing.
It might sound nerdy, but almost nothing was more exciting to me as a kid than a really smooth pen and a brand new notebook full of lined paper. Encourage your child to write by giving them cute pens, pencils, diaries, and journals that they can exclusively.
Being good at writing requires an interest in writing. These tips can help spark that interest in your child, and improve their skills.
