Writing Tips for Parents

• • • Ask your child to tell you stories, and help them structure the stories into a beginning, middle, and end format. Your interest will inspire him/her to want to add the details that make it a story, and telling stories is an important precursor to writing stories.

    • Share any form of writing you do with your child–lists, notes, letters–they all help children realize the importance of writing

    • Ask them to read their written work out loud to you or to themselves.

The ear is the best editing tool. They will hear what needs fixing.

• Readers and Writers notebooks are NOT published pieces of writing.

Notebooks are safe spaces to brainstorm and practice ideas.

• Read. Read more.Your child will pick up on craft moves and amaze you because they will show up in his/her writing. Make the question “How did the writer do that?” part of your repertoire as you read with children.

• Looking to help? Pick ONE area to fix. Leave the rest. It will come!