Writing is one of the most critical skills required for success in the 21st century. Therefore, these skills must be imbibed and improved in children from a young age. But how to make the learning process fun? Check out the top eight tips to improve writing skills in kids:
1. Encourage Reading –
Avid readers usually turn out to be good writers since they learn new vocabulary in context. The more words kids learn to use through writing, the better writing skills they develop. Understand your child’s interests and give them the right books to stay more attentive and interested while reading.
2. Encourage Journaling –
Not only does journaling help acquire good writing skills, but it is also a good outlet for kids to vent their feelings. Give them fun and colorful stationery of their choice and encourage them to journal whatever happens throughout their day. You can help them develop an interest in journaling by asking them to write about things they like, their friends, the day at school, etc.
3. Create a Writing Space –
Kids easily get distracted. So, to prevent that, set aside a corner away from doors, people, and their toys. This would help them focus on practicing their writing skills and grammar.
4. Proofread Their Content –
Your child must know that you are ready to invest time in helping them improve their writing skills. This way, they would see that they’re not alone and will take enhancing writing skills seriously. You can proofread pieces that they write and give them more ideas to nurture their skills.
5. Create Writing Prompts –
– Encourage your kids to write, but not just anything. Give them interesting creative writing prompts to relate to the things they like, for example, their friends, a school picnic, a visit to their grandparents, etc. This way, writing won’t feel like a task to them but rather a fun activity.
6. Teach them How to Work in Drafts–
A perfect piece of writing consists of various steps, including jotting down ideas, putting them in sentences, fixing errors, etc. Children must understand that improving writing skills is a continuous process, and they do not need to get everything right in the first go. Teach them how helpful, multiple drafts can be. To make it easier, help them type on a computer to track the changes and understand what works while writing a great piece.
7. Play Word Games–
Word games, such as Pictionary, are very useful for kids in terms of storing new words in their receptive vocabulary. Moreover, word games make learning more fun and interactive.
In a Pictionary game, one player draws a word or a phrase, and the other person has to guess what it is. You can make this more interesting by asking your kid to write a story based on the word you drew as a clue.
8. Don’t Keep Correcting –
Kids can get discouraged when parents continuously correct their grammar and spelling mistakes. So, help them learn from their mistakes in a more indulging experience. You can keep a dictionary where you can together learn new words and use them in sentences and stories.
Find out what works best for your kid and use these tips to improve writing skills accordingly. Hope this helped! You can also sign up your child for a PlanetSpark writing program appropriate for them.