How to Encourage Your Child to Write
One of the things children find most difficult in school is completing writing assignments. Many come to associate writing with pain, the same way many adults feel about public speaking or trips to the dentist. If you'd like your child to be able to learn to write well, the best thing you can do is to try to make writing seem like less of a chore and more like fun.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencils/pens/markers
- Notebook or journal
- Grocery lists
- Paper pockets for notes
- Computer with word processing program
Instructions
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Get involved in "writing" books together with your child, even from a very young age. Children as young as two or three will enjoy drawing pictures, then making up a story to go with them. Even though you're the one writing down the actual words, your child has done the "hard" part, i.e. thinking up what to say.
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Buy your child a special notebook or journal to use when she first starts learning how to write-have her write a few words on a page and then make a special picture to go with the words. These journal entries can describe a special event or just talk about something she likes, i.e. ballet class or pizza or her dog.
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Have your child help you write up your grocery list. This way he will see the practical application of writing, i.e. write "popsicles" on the list, get popsicles in the freezer. If your child is older and can write most words without difficulty, get him to write down the entire grocery list as you dictate-adding in his own suggestions too, of course.
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Make a special pocket for your child in which you can leave her short notes you write. Make a pocket for yourself as well, and leave plenty of paper and a pencil for her to write similar notes in response to yours.
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Allow your child to practice writing on a computer, as well. This may be especially good for children who recognize letters and how they form words, but may have trouble with the mechanics of actually forming the letters. Children who struggle to write individual words by hand may well be able to type complete sentences on a keyboard, and should be encouraged to do so.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to give your child lots of praise for his writing efforts - criticism will not improve his efforts, only discourage him from trying
