When you have a child, you want to be sure that they are getting the best education and best life experience possible. Writing is one of the most important skills that your child can learn in life. However, in school, they might not get to spend the time writing that they need to in order to learn to love it.
No matter what age your child is or where their writing skills are at, there are ways that you can help teach your child to love writing. Use the techniques listed in this blog to guide your children toward becoming lifelong, skilled writers.
In order to love writing, your child will also need to enjoy reading and hearing stories. As such, you will want to make reading a priority in your home. Spend time reading to your child every night or if your child knows how to read, have them read to you. If your child is already a teen, spend time with them reading silently or read the same book and discuss it as you go.
By making reading a priority in your home, and a priority for your child and for yourself, you will be making stories a focal point in your home. Reading and writing go hand-in-hand. In order to be a successful writer, your child needs to be a successful reader. That way, they can try to emulate those professional writers as well as develop their own unique writing style.
Leading by example is important in parenting and in teaching your child any skill. If your child never sees you writing, then they will not see the value of writing in day-to-day life. So, be sure that you let your child see you writing every day.
One of the best ways to achieve this goal is by keeping a daily journal. Write in your journal every day, whether you are free writing or following a writing prompt, and show your child how writing can be incorporated easily into daily life. You could also keep an online blog if you prefer writing on a computer.
The idea is to demonstrate to your child the role that writing has in life and how it can add to and benefit life. Especially for young children, seeing you write will make them want to write too.
You want your children to have as many opportunities to write as possible. One of the ways you can do that is to give your child a whiteboard or chalkboard for their room. They can use their board to leave notes for people in the household, give themselves a to-do list, or otherwise practice their writing skills. This can also help to give them a way to utilize writing in their daily life.
If you want your child to write and enjoy writing, then you want to be sure that they are encouraged to tell stories and be creative in every aspect of their life. For example, if your child is dramatic and likes to act like different characters, encourage them to act out stories and to write down what they want to say and do as that character.
Alternatively, should your child just enjoying telling stories in a world they've made up for themselves, play along. Listen to their stories and join them in the play worlds they are creating.
When you're done playing, you can also suggest that you and your child write those stories down to create your own storybook. This can give your child an idea of how writing can help their stories to stick around and be accessible later.
Now that you know a few of the ways to help your child learn to love writing, you can start making those changes at home and start encouraging your child to embrace the art of writing. If you need help getting your child to love writing, you can contact a
learning center for additional help
