How to Help Your Kids Improve Their Writing Skills

 

Writing is an important part of everyday life. Kids need to master it as it contributes to their future success as students. Moreover, the more proficient they are, the better they can express themselves. Besides, this skill is something they will use as adults. People who can eloquently put their thoughts into written words sound more professional. 

However, learning this skill will take time and effort. That’s right; no one is born an excellent writer. People learn it by practicing. Writing is akin to a muscle that you have to flex if you want it to grow. If you want your children to be proficient writers, you need to hone this craft early. The following suggestions can help your children become stronger writers.

 

Encourage Them to Read Various Materials

One thing excellent writers have in common is they are avid readers. After all, reading expands horizons and helps build knowledge. Thus, you must encourage your kids to immerse themselves in the written word by having a home library filled with various themed books, from illustrated board books to light novels. You can even try reading together! 

Remember, with a reading habit, your kids shall be exposed to new words, building their vocabularies. Later on, they can use the stock knowledge productively when they write. On top of that, reading exposes your children to different writing styles, sentence structures, and contexts, which they can eventually imbibe in their own work. 

 

Provide the Necessary Materials and Inspiration 

If you want your young children to write, provide materials from paper, pencils, crayons, and even a computer. Make sure a dictionary is always there and provide spelling help when necessary. Then it would help if you did fun activities together then ask your children to write about the experience. 

Another helpful trick is to consider “copying” activities. Of course, emphasize that this is different from plagiarizing. However, copying favorite quotes, passages, and poems can inspire your children. The act of writing things down also allows them to focus their attention on the form and structures used in work they transcribe. Keeping a collection of these words will encourage your children to improve their writing, too. 

Jumpstart the Journey with Cool Activities

A blank page is very intimidating, so you must always help your children to start writing. Even adults find it difficult to start! As such, you must help your children write the first few words or sentences that keep the creative juices flowing. Try the following tricks:

Ask thought-provoking questions.

* Start writing birthday cards. 

* Make a list of ideas and brainstorm together. 

* Construct a map of topics that interrelate with each other.

* Make a cool comic book. 

* Encourage keeping a journal or diary. 

The key is to encourage them to let their ideas flow. Let go of the sentence structure and just let them feel the joy of self-expression. You can worry about sentence structure, editing, and revisions later. The important thing is to crush the stigma that writing is difficult. With that, you’ve conquered half the battle. 

 

Provide Responses for Ideas

To encourage your children to keep on expressing themselves, you must respond to their ideas. You can say it out loud or write it down, too. Make it very clear that you are interested in what they have to say.

Instead of dissecting writing errors, focus on the message. It is not how it is said but what is said that matters in the early stages. Later on, as your children become older, you will notice improved grammar and even stronger idea development. 

 

Make It a Point for Mom and Dad to Write Too

Children learn best through imitation. You cannot just tell them to be a good writer if they don’t see you enjoying the craft. Thus, your children must see you enjoying this process as well, may it be through writing work reports, crafting emails, making lists, or even sending text messages.

If possible, encourage your kids to write with you, may it be making a grocery list, sending letters to grandma, or writing to a pen pal. When your kids see you doing it, they will understand why writing is critical for daily life.