How to Help Your Child Learn to Write

It is never too early for your children to begin writing.

According to a finding by the U.S. Department of Education, "Children who are encouraged to draw and scribble 'stories' at an early age will later learn to compose more easily, more effectively, and with greater confidence than children who do not have this encouragement." If you'd like to help your child learn to write, peak their interest in writing at an early age, encourage their love for creativity and help your child learn new words.

Instructions

1. Read to your children every night to peak their interest in reading and writing. California's Children & Families Partnership recommends that you start reading to your children when they're babies. Use board books for babies, point to colors and words and say their names. This will help your child recognize words early on.

2. Encourage your child to write and scribble in their free time. International Children's Education writes, "Even toddlers, who can hardly hold a crayon or pencil, are eager to 'write' long before they acquire the skills in kindergarten that formally prepare them to read and write." Remember that your children's scribbles hold meaning for them.

3. Teach by example. If your child watches you writing, than they will be interested in learning to write themselves. Write a letter to your mother or father and have the child include their own letter to grandma and grandpa. Write notes in birthday cards and let your child include their own message. Write together.

4. Give your child the freedom to write what they like. Once your child enters kindergarten, have them start a journal. Don't read the journal, simply observe to see if your child is writing. International Children's Education writes, "Children become more effective writers when parents and teachers encourage them to choose the topics they write about, then leave them alone to exercise their own creativity."

5. Accept your child's writing mistakes. In kindergarten, children tend to invent their own words and spelling. International Children's Education reminds us that learning to write is like learning to talk."The important thing for parents to do is to focus on the content more than on the form. Now is the time to help your children put their thoughts into words and feel the sense of empowerment that comes from being able to do so."

6. Help your child learn new words. It's never too early to expand your child's creativity. Use songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider," practice clapping out sounds to new words and explain the meaning of new words to children in ways that they can understand.

References

• California Children & Families Partnership: Ready to Learn
• International Children's Education: Teaching Writing-Preschool, Kindergarten & First Grade