Writing at Home

Make writing fun

• Help your child write an alphabet letter, then go letter hunting in your house or in a book to find that letter.
• Let your child see you writing.
• Encourage them to write shopping lists or make birthday cards.
• Water and a paintbrush on a dry path and a stick on sand are fun ways to write letters and words.

Give them reasons to write

• Write to each other. Write notes to your child and leave them in interesting places, like their lunch box. Ask them to write a reply.
• Help them email, text or write to family or friends.
• Work with them to put labels on special things – like the door to their room or their toy box.
• Display their work.

Talk about their writing

• Talk about the letters in your child’s name.
• Help them create a scrapbook with pictures. Encourage them to write stories under the pictures and talk to you about them.
• Ask them to write about pictures they draw - on paper or on the computer. Or get them to tell you the story and you write it under the picture.

Encourage writing

• Have felt pens, pencils, crayons and paper available.
• Put magnetic letters on the fridge – ask what words they can make with the letters.