supporting Writing at home

Reading Rockets shares these ideas for parents on how to help your child become a stronger writer:

1. Encourage the child to draw and discuss the drawings. Ask questions such as "What is the boy doing?", "Does the house look like ours?", "Can you tell a story about this picture?"

2. Ask your child to tell you simple stories as you write them down. Copy the story as your child tells it, without making changes. Ask for clarification on anything you don't understand. Your child can illustrate the story after it is written.

3. Use games and puzzles that help children with spelling while increasing their vocabulary such as simple crossword puzzles, word games, or word searches designed especially for children.

4. Turn your child's writing into books by pasting her drawings and writings on pieces of construction paper. Make a cover out of heavier paper or cardboard, and add special art, a title, and her name as author. Punch holes in the pages and cover, and bind the book together with yarn or ribbon.

5. Make sure your child sees you writing so that he or she begins to understand why writing is important and the many ways it can be used.

6. Encourage your child to practice writing by signing birthday cards, writing stories, and making lists.

7. Suggest note-taking in notebooks on trips or outings and to describe a nature walks, a boat ride, a car trip, or other events that lend themselves to note-taking.

8. Encourage copying favorite lyrics, poems or quotations from books and plays.

9. Encourage your child to read her stories out loud

10. Hang a family message board in the kitchen

11. Help your child write letters and emails to relatives and friends

12. Encourage keeping a journal

For more details including things to remember when working with your child on writing, check out the complete article.

Reference

Colorín Colorado. (2008). Launching Young Writers. Reading Rockers. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/launching-young-writers

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