Writing is an acquired skill that takes time and patience to master. Which is why it is always a good idea to hone it as early as possible. And if you are a parent who wants to hone a love for writing in your kids, it is important that you stay consistent and make writing a constant part of your child’s life.
But in order for you to truly instill a love of writing in your child, you will have to make things a lot more interesting. Writing sessions are good, but if you do it each and every day, your kid will eventually get tired of the routine. Which is why you will need to shake things up a bit. Here are fun everyday activities to develop your child’s writing skills.
- Make bed time stories a routine
If you want to develop your child’s writing skills you should first develop their love for literature. And the best way to do that is to give them good memories associated with literature. Bedtime stories are quite effective because they can be made into a routine, and if done right can be something that the child will look forward to.
Even better is the fact that once they reach adulthood, your child will still look back to those days with fondness. These are the kinds of memories that will fuel your child’s love for literature and will become a strong foundation for them, once they do take their first steps in being writers themselves. And having a close relationship with your kids is also an added bonus in this activity.
- Encourage your child to keep a diary
If you are looking for a way on how to improve your kid’s writing skills, you should encourage your child to keep a diary. By writing their day to day experiences on a journal, your child will not only be able to record and express their experiences and feelings in writing, but they will also be able to slowly develop their own writing styles. And seeing as it takes some will power to write in a diary consistently, it is also a great way to teach your kids discipline at the same time.
- Make short story writing a part of your writing exercises
As it was stated earlier, writing can get boring in the long run. This is especially true for kids because they usually have shorter attention spans than adults. Which is why you should make your writing sessions as entertaining as possible. One way to do that is to have your kid write short stories. Provide them with an interesting writing prompt and have them write short stories. Of course, writing prompts for kids should not be overly complicated. Just give them a simple writing prompt and have them craft stories out of these prompts. This is a fun and easy activity that will teach your kids how to think on their feet.
- Give them room to develop their own literary preferences
Although being active in your child’s journey as a writer is a good thing. You should also learn to back off and give them the room to grow as readers and writers. This would of course include giving them the chance to develop their own literary preferences. What you should understand is that the older your child gets, the more his or her tastes in literature changes. So give them the room to grow, support their literary interests and help them in any way you can.
- Make your writing sessions a part of your daily routine
Although this may seem obvious, not all parents seem to follow this advice. Which is to make your writing sessions a part of your daily routine. Children tend to have short attention spans and if you are not careful, they will lose interest in the writing process. Which is why you should make the writing process a part of their day to day lives. You should start as early as possible, preferably as soon as they start learning how to read. Make your writing sessions as consistent as possible, that way writing will become second nature for your kids.
- Give them your full support
Your child may have all the books to read and the best writing coach, but without your full support, they will never truly reach their full writing potential. This is because children respond a lot better to positive reinforcement. Children, especially at a very young age look to their parents for praise and affirmation. So if you want your child to truly reach his or her full potential as a writer, give them your full support. Encourage them and nurture their artistic spirit. Make writing a good childhood memory.