Want your child to write? Find out what they love, then say, “Let’s write about it!”
Also try these playful tips:
No corrections needed: When your child writes, don’t correct anything. Ask them to explain what they wrote. Encourage them. Continue to do this to build confidence.
- Play word games: I pick a word of the week and provide its meaning. I then make up songs about the word and its meaning. Then we write a short story about it. Can’t hold a note…? Playing this game is enough. Beside, if you do choose to sing, your kid may get a kick out of how ridiculous you sound. That’s what makes it all the more fun.
- Watch a movie about words and spelling: This is such a non threatening way to introduce words and vocabulary. Looking for a movie about words and spelling? Can’t find one? No worries, I have one for you, Akeelah and the Bee. This movie not only teaches new words (which you can explore with your child), it teaches character, determination and self acceptance.
- Use Prince Garrett’s Journal as a springboard to writing. It has places for your child to draw, past pictures and of course write. Find pictures or words from your favorite magazine and paste them in the journal. Then write a sentence about it and ask your child to join in. Do this a few times and they will want to do it on their own.
Prince Garrett’s Journal
- Be sure to have color pencils and books around. Creativity sparks expression and writing is a great form of expression. Here’s a fun way to start. Put color pencils in the middle of the table. Tell your child to pick a color. Once a color is choosen, have them write something about the color. If spelling is a problem, speak into your smart phone to get the correct spelling. In this day and age, we should show our kids how to remove barriers in order to blossom.
