Writing With Kids
Tips to Encourage Children to Write
Just as children benefit from seeing those around them reading, they also benefit from seeing adults and older siblings writing. The writing can be as simple as putting together a grocery list or as complex, in a child's mind, as writing a letter. It's not enough to just watch others write, however. Children must be given plenty of opportunities to write themselves.
Writing Journals
One way to encourage children to write is to give them a special writer's notebook. Composition notebooks are great for this purpose and are available in all colors and designs. Another option is to let them make their own writer's notebook. Take a stack of notebook paper, two pieces of construction paper, and staple them together. Allow kids to personalize it by decorating the cover. Children will enjoy writing in their own "book."
A to Z List of Story Ideas
Most young children don't need much prompting to write a story. But for those who do, an A to Z list comes in handy. Write out the letters of the alphabet on a sheet of paper, leaving space between them. Working with your child, fill in writing topics for as many of the letters as possible. Keep it simple, like "dogs" under "D," or "monsters" under "M." There are also AlphaBoxes on the internet that can be downloaded and printed out. As children think of more topics, they can always come back and fill in more of the spaces. This becomes the child's own reference sheet for story ideas.
Draw Pictures, Then Write
Since children actually begin to learn to write by drawing pictures, it seems only natural to have them draw and color their pictures first, then write about them. Even if the story isn't detailed, many times children will add more to the pictures. Encourage children to write the whole story: What's going on in the picture? What was happening before the picture? What happened after the picture? As they are writing, have them pay close attention to their own details of color, size, and shape.
Write Stories From Photographs or Magazine Pictures
Magazines and photos are other great sources of writing ideas. Cut out pictures from magazines of anything that might be of interest. Animals, children, cars, and planes make good starting points for a child's story. Old photographs of family or vacations also work well. Glue or tape the picture down in the child's journal and have them write about it. If it's a person's face, have them make up their own character based on the picture. If it's a vacation spot, have them use it as the setting of a story.
Sticker Stories
Another enjoyable writing activity is finding some fun stickers at the local craft store, sticking one on a journal page, and have the child write about the sticker. Fun stickers might include space aliens, dinosaurs, and animals. Sticker stories alone can keep them writing for a long time, as long as there are plenty of stickers on hand.
Remember, when children share their stories with you, make sure you listen to them. Ask questions to encourage more description and compliment them on their word choice. Try not to offer too many suggestions or criticisms. For a reluctant writer, that could discourage them from expressing themselves through the written word. When provided with encouragement and opportunities, struggling writers become more confident in themselves and in their stories. When that happens, more writing journals might be necessary!
Related article: Helping Kids Write
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