Help with writing for kids
How To Improve Writing Skills For Kids: 14 Easy Tips
Writing — it’s an important form of communication and a key part of education. But in today’s technology-driven world, kids aren’t given many opportunities to practise and improve their ability to write. This leaves many parents wondering how to improve their child’s writing skills.
It takes time to develop strong writing skills, and it can be a tough task to accomplish. Thankfully, there are many things that parents can do at home to help improve children’s writing skills.
From fun activities to daily reading and writing sessions, these tips on how to improve kids’ writing skills will help your child build his or her skills in no time.
Improve your child’s communication skills with these simple and fun kids’ writing activities.
14 Activities To Improve Kids’ Writing Skills
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Read Up
Regular reading is a stepping stone to better writing and helps kids’ strengthen their writing skills.
It helps expand children’s vocabulary and shows them different ways of using words. This also makes it easier for them to use these words in their own writing.
With younger children, make sure you’re reading together every day and encouraging their love of reading as they grow. Start reading early—many children who devour books grow up to become strong writers themselves. Tweet This
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Make it Fun!
Play games and activities that encourage writing. Crossword puzzles and word games are great for everyone. Little ones will especially like the “write the word” game: where they search for items and write down the word when they find each item.
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Create Writing Worksheets
For young children just learning to write, try creating a worksheet where they can trace letters and words. Write out letters and words, place another piece of paper on top, and have your child trace onto the blank piece of paper. You can also create a connect-the-dots game by having your child trace along dotted lines and then tell you which letter or word she or he finds.
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Try Different Materials
Switch it up by writing with something other than a pen or pencil. Sidewalk chalk on the driveway, finger painting, or a salt writing tray are all fun writing activities that will also help build kids’ writing skills.
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Write Letters
Today, writing letters is a bit of a lost art. Encourage your child to write letters to friends or family members. Distant family members will especially love receiving handwritten letters and it’s a great way to work on improving writing skills for kids.
Pen-pals are also a fun idea, or you can even write letters to each other and leave them around the house to find!
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Encourage Journalling
Keeping a journal is a great way to express thoughts and ideas while also working on improving children’s writing skills. Plan an outing to pick a fun journal with your child and encourage them to write in it as much as possible. Make it a part of his or her daily routine.
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Create a Writing Space
Set aside a little corner in your house that is completely devoted to writing. Having an area dedicated solely to writing will help free your child from distractions so he or she can focus on practicing writing skills.
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Invest Time
Make sure your child knows you’re available to help with spelling or proofreading whenever he or she needs it. When you make writing time a priority for you, it will make it easier for your child to improve his or her writing skills.
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Connect Their Interests
Think about your son or daughter’s favourite book series. Or maybe he or she is obsessed with dinosaurs. Whatever his or her interests, connect them to writing. Have your child write a new short story about his or her favourite characters, or let him or her create a story all about dinosaurs.
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Create Story Prompts
A fun way to improve kids’ creative writing skills is to have them write short stories.
Cut out pictures from a magazine with different characters or locations, or write down different words. Place these in a container or glue them to cards to use as writing prompts for creating a unique story. This also makes a fun activity for the whole family to join in.
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Model It
There’s no better way to learn something than to see someone else doing it. Let your children see you writing, often. When writing is a normal part of your daily life, it will come more naturally to them. Anything goes: a simple grocery list or letter to the teacher, holiday or thank you cards, or even a sweet note to your child.
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Use Technology to Your Advantage
There’s no getting around the fact that technology plays a huge part in our lives. Use it to your advantage by having your child create a blog. This can help your child work on improving his or her writing skills by encouraging frequent writing habits.
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Make it Part of Your Daily Routine
Make sure there’s time each day to do some writing in one way or another.
Whether it’s writing a grocery list, writing in a journal or composing a letter, practicing writing every day will go a long way to improving kids’ writing skills. -
Praise Their Work
Show lots of interest in your child’s writing and stories. Ask questions, celebrate when he or she brings home a good piece from school, and encourage his or her writing as much as possible.
Improving Writing Skills Can Be Fun
Writing is an important practical life skill. While developing great writing skills requires lots of time and patience, you can help your child with these simple writing exercises for kids.
Lots of reading, frequent writing time in a special writing area, and incorporating fun writing activities and games will all go a long way to giving writing skills a boost.
Need Extra Help?
If your child needs extra help improving his or her writing skills, Oxford Learning can help. Our English tutoring program helps develop kids’ writing and comprehension skills, from word recognition to paragraph writing.
Contact us today!
Related Resources
5 Reasons Writing By Hand Is Good For The Brain
Understanding Literacy & Your Child
5 Ways To Help Kids Learn At Home
Helping Young Children Develop Strong Writing Skills
On this page
- Why is writing important?
- What Can You Do?
- Ideas for Parents: How to Help Your Child Become a Stronger Writer
Note: This article was adapted from two articles written by the U.S. Department of Education and was compiled by Colorín Colorado.
Writing is an important part of our daily lives. It is, however, a difficult skill to learn and master. By getting a head start with some simple activities, you can help your child begin to develop her writing skills at an early age. By doing so you will be contributing to her future success as a student and as an adult while teaching her how to express herself.
In this article, we provide some reasons that writing is an important skill for people of all ages, as well as a list of suggestions that will help your child become a stronger writer.
Why is writing important?
Writing is practical.
Every day, we need to write in order to complete our tasks, whether we are filling out a form at the doctor's office or writing an important letter. These tasks require us to write clearly, and organize information effectively.
Writing is an important element of a student's education.
Whether students are writing by hand or on the computer, many assignments and exams require students to write short answers or longer essays as a way of assessing what they have learned. As students get older, they will be expected to show more sophisticated writing skills, and to complete more sophisticated tasks through their writing. In addition, many colleges and universities require students to write essays as part of their admissions application.
Writing can be an important element of an employee's job.
Employees in many kinds of jobs are required to write on a daily basis.
Perhaps they are taking phone messages and doing administrative work, or writing research reports and newspaper articles. Whatever the task, their ability to do their job well may depend on their ability to write. Many job applicants also must submit a resumé and a letter of application when applying to a new job.
Writing is an important form of communication.
Writing letters and emails is a common way of keeping in touch with our friends, relatives, and professional colleagues. Writing is frequently the final stage in communication when we want to leave no room for doubt, which is why we write and sign contracts, leases, and treaties when we make important decisions.
Writing can be an important outlet.
Many people find writing to be therapeutic, and a helpful way to express feelings that cannot be expressed so easily by speaking.
What Can You Do?
It's important to remember that writing can be as difficult a subject to teach and assess as it is to learn.
Many students have trouble writing with clarity, coherence, and organization, and this can discourage them from writing if they feel frustrated.
That's where parent involvement can make a big difference. Encouraging your child to develop strong writing skills at a young age, and to become a better writer as she gets older, can have a lifelong positive impact on her writing, and may make writing an easier and more enjoyable process for her
To get you started, the Department of Education offers a number of ideas of things you can do help your child become a stronger writer. While many of these ideas apply to younger children, they can be adapted for older children as well. To learn more about ways to support your children if they continue to struggle with writing in middle and high school, read Tips for Parents of Struggling Adolescent Writers.
Ideas for Parents: How to Help Your Child Become a Stronger Writer
What You Need
- Pencils, crayons, or markers
- Yarn or ribbon
- Writing paper or notebook
- Cardboard or heavy paper
- Construction paper
- Safety scissors
Before getting started
Provide a place
It's important for your child to have a good place to write, such as a desk or table with a smooth, flat surface.
It's also crucial to have good lighting.
Provide the materials
Provide plenty of paper (lined and unlined) and things to write with, including pencils, pens, and crayons.
Brainstorm
Talk with your child as much as possible about her ideas and impressions, and encourage her to describe people and events to you.
Activities for young children
Encourage the child to draw and to discuss her drawings
Ask your child questions about her drawings such as:
"What is the boy doing?"
"Does the house look like ours?"
"Can you tell a story about this picture?"
Show an interest in, and ask questions about, the things your child says, draws, and may try to write.
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 her to clarify anything you don't understand.
Encourage your child to write her name
Practice writing her name with her, and point out the letters in her name when you see them in other places (on signs, in stores, etc.). She may start by only writing the first few letters of her name, but soon the rest will follow.
Use games
There are numerous games and puzzles that help children with spelling while increasing their vocabulary. Some of these may include crossword puzzles, word games, anagrams, and cryptograms designed especially for children. Flash cards are fun to use too, and they're easy to make at home.
Turn your child's writing into books
Paste her drawings and writings on pieces of construction paper. For each book, 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.
Day-to-Day Activities
Make sure your child sees you writing
She will learn about writing by watching you write. Talk with her about your writing so that she begins to understand why writing is important and the many ways it can be used.
Encourage your child to write, even if she's scribbling
Give your child opportunities to practice writing by helping her sign birthday cards, write stories, and make lists.
As your child gets older, write together
Have your child help you with the writing you do, including writing letters, shopping lists, and messages.
Suggest note-taking
Encourage your child to take notes on trips or outings, and to describe what she saw. This could include a description of nature walks, a boat ride, a car trip, or other events that lend themselves to note-taking.
Encourage copying
If your child likes a particular song, suggest that she learn the words by writing them down.
Also encourage copying favorite poems or quotations from books and plays.
Encourage your child to read her stories out loud
As your child gets older, ask her to share her stories with you. Listen carefully without interrupting, and give her positive feedback about her ideas and her writing!
Hang a family message board in the kitchen
Offer to write notes there for your child. Be sure that she finds notes left there for her.
Help your child write letters and emails to relatives and friends
These may include thank you notes or just a special note to say hello. Be sure to send your child a letter or card once in awhile too so that she is reminded of how special it is to get a letter in the mail. Consider finding a pen pal for your child.
Encourage keeping a journal
This is excellent writing practice as well as a good outlet for venting feelings. Encourage your child to write about things that happen at home and school, about people she likes or dislikes and why, and about things she wants to remember and do.
If she wants to share the journal with you, read the entries and discuss them together.
Things to remember
Allow time
Help your child spend time thinking about a writing project or exercise. Good writers often spend a lot of time thinking, preparing, and researching before starting to write. Your child may dawdle, sharpen a pencil, get papers ready, or look up the spelling of a word. Be patient — this may all be part of her preparation.
Respond to your child's writing
Respond to the ideas your child expresses verbally or in writing. Make it clear that you are interested in what the writing conveys, which means focusing on "what" the child has written rather than "how" it was written. It's usually wise to ignore minor errors, particularly at the stage when your child is just getting ideas together.
Praise your child's writing
Take a positive approach and find good things to say about your child's writing.
Is it accurate? Descriptive? Original? Creative? Thoughtful? Interesting?
Avoid writing for your child
Don't write a paper for your child that will be turned in as her work, and don't rewrite your child's work. Meeting a writing deadline, taking responsibility for the finished product, and feeling ownership of it are also important parts of the writing process.
Help your child with her writing as she gets older
Ask your child questions that will help her clarify the details of her stories and assignments as they get longer, and help her organize her thoughts. Talk about the objective of what she is writing.
Provide your child with spelling help when she's ready for it
When your child is just learning how to read and write, she may try different ways to write and spell. Our job is to encourage our children's writing so they will enjoy putting their thoughts and ideas on paper. At first, your child may begin to write words the way that she hears them.
For example, she might write "haf" instead of "have", "frn" instead of "friend", and "Frd" instead of "Fred." This actually is a positive step in developing her phonemic awareness. Keep practicing with her, and model the correct spelling of words when you write. As your child gets older and begins to ask more questions about letters and spelling, provide her with the help she needs.
Practice, practice, practice
Writing well takes lots of practice, so make sure your child doesn't get discouraged too easily. It's not easy! Give her plenty of opportunities to practice so that she has the opportunity to improve.
Read together
Reading and writing support each other. The more your child does of each, the better she will be at both. Reading can also stimulate your child to write about her own family or school life. If your child has a particular favorite story or author, ask her why she thinks that story or that person's writing is special.
As you read and write more with your child, you will be building an important foundation, and taking steps that will help your child to become a better reader, writer, and student. Your efforts now will make a difference — and it may be just the difference that your child needs to succeed!
References
U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Archived Information. "Help Your Child Learn to Write Well." http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Writing/index.html.
U.S. Department of Education. Parent Section: Helping Your Child Become a Reader. "Write On!" http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part5.html#write.
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Major support provided by our founding partner, the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.
With generous support provided by the National Education Association.
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5 Ways to Teach Children to Read the Bible Regularly
03.12.2017 ieshua.org months, regular Bible reading is one of the top 10 things that will help young people keep the faith as they grow older. In fact, the report points out that reading Scripture is the most important indicator of "spiritual health" among young people.
Ed McKenzie, author, co-host of "Together with God" podcast, named five ways to help my children interact with the Bible, according to Christian Megaportal invictory.com, citing Christian Today.
1. Notice that God speaks to us through the Bible.
The minister recalled the words of the psalmist that God's law is "better than a thousand gold and silver" to him (Psalm 119:72).
“It is important that our children understand that the Bible is supremely precious as the Word of God. This does not mean that we ignore his humanity, but it does mean that our minds and our hearts are open to hear God when we read the Bible,” emphasized Ed Mackenzie.
2. Help the young people understand how the Bible works.
Rachel Turner, author of Education for Faith, explained in her podcast interview that it's important to give children an understanding of the "whole story" of the Bible from an early age. It can be expanded and added to as they grow up, but understanding how Scripture works can help children understand the different passages they read.
3. Read the Bible together as a family.
“During family worship or daily reading, read a verse or passage—or even a chapter—from Scripture.
This shows that the Bible is your family treasure, and gives you the opportunity to reflect on what this or that passage means,” Mackenzie advised.
4. Help the children learn the Scriptures for themselves.
“We are blessed with many different kinds of Bibles these days, and my sons love the Lego Bible and the Follower's Diary: Luke's Story, for example. It is also good to gradually transfer children from the Bible with pictures to a more complete translation, ”said the minister.
5. Memorize key Bible verses.
Mackenzie expressed his suspicion that the memorization of Bible verses is neglected in many homes, but keeping portions of Scripture "in the heart" reflects its value as God's Word.
"In our family we work on memorizing a number of different verses and find that returning to a verse already memorized can sometimes lead to a rediscovery of its truth," he added.
“I don't want to say that helping children study the Bible is always easy.
There are such busy days in our family that it is difficult to understand at all whether we have learned anything, and we are faced with the usual task of finding time in the midst of busy schedules, the minister emphasized. “Still, teaching children to read and study the Bible is one of the best investments we can make. Scripture has a fundamental role to play in spiritual transformation—even for the youngest church members.”
Parents, Help Your Children Gain Wisdom for Salvation — Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY
"From infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation" (2 TIM. 3:15).
SONGS: 141, 134
1, 2. What can parents worry about when their children want to be dedicated to God and be baptized?
EVERY year, thousands of Bible students dedicate their lives to Jehovah and are baptized.
Among them are many young people who grew up in families of Jehovah's Witnesses and chose a better way of life.—Ps. 1:1-3. If you have children, you certainly look forward to the day they are baptized. (Compare 3 John 4.)
2 But perhaps your heart is restless. Maybe you know Christians who were baptized at a young age, but then began to doubt whether it is worth living the way God wants. And some have even ceased to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Because of this, you may worry that your child, having become a Christian, will then change his mind and cool off to the truth. What if he goes the same way as the Christians who lived in Ephesus, about whom Jesus said: “You left the love that you had at the beginning”? (Rev. 2:4). What can be done to try and prevent this? How can you help your child achieve salvation? (1 Pet. 2:2). We will discuss these issues by looking at the example of Timothy.
“YOU .
(b) What three aspects of learning did Paul bring to Timothy’s attention? 3 In all likelihood, Timothy began to learn about Jesus Christ in 47 CE. when the Apostle Paul first visited Lystra. Although Timothy was most likely still a youth at the time, he applied what he learned to his life. Two years later, he began to accompany Paul on his missionary journeys. About 16 years later, Paul wrote to Timothy: “Abide in what you have learned and what you have been convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned, and that you have been acquainted from infancy with the sacred scriptures [Hebrew Scriptures], which may make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14, 15). Note that Paul says: 1) about knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, 2) about conviction and 3) about gaining wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
4. What tools do you like to use to teach your children the Bible? (See the illustration at the beginning of this article.
)
4 Parents, you certainly want your children to know the sacred Scriptures, which today include both the Hebrew and Christian Greek Scriptures. Even the youngest children can memorize stories from the Bible and learn about the people it speaks about. Through the efforts of Jehovah's organization, parents have many tools at their disposal to help teach their children the Bible. Which ones are available in your language? Remember that without knowledge of the Scriptures, it is impossible to develop a strong friendship with Jehovah.
"RESIST IN WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN CONVINCED OF"
5. a) What does it mean to be convinced of something? (b) How do we know that Timothy was firmly convinced of the truth of the good news about Jesus?
5 Knowing the scriptures is very important.
But simply knowing what people and events the Bible tells about is not enough. Timothy dwelt in "what he was convinced of." In ancient Greek, the word "convinced" conveys the idea of absolute certainty about the truth of something. Timothy knew the Hebrew Scriptures from infancy. Later, he found undeniable evidence for himself that Jesus was the Messiah. In other words, a firm conviction was added to his knowledge. Timothy's confidence in the truth of the gospel was so strong that he decided to be baptized and later became Paul's companion in missionary service.
6. How can parents help their child have strong faith in what they have learned from God's Word?
6 How can you help children develop the same conviction that Timothy had? First of all, be patient. Conviction does not arise overnight, and it will not be passed on to your children simply because you yourself are firmly convinced of something.
In order for a child to develop strong faith, he needs to use his mind. (Read Romans 12:1 .) Parents, you can help your child more than anyone else, and this is especially important when he asks questions. Let's look at an example.
7, 8. (a) How does one Christian show patience in teaching his daughter? b) When do you think such patience is most needed?
7 A brother named Thomas has an 11-year-old daughter. He says: “A daughter may sometimes ask, 'Couldn't Jehovah have used evolution to create life?' or 'What's wrong with participating in society, like going to the polls? After all, this is how you can make the world a better place!“ Sometimes you need to control yourself in order not to give a categorical answer. After all, conviction does not come from knowing one fact. It builds on a lot of little evidence."
8 Thomas is well aware that teaching children requires patience, a quality that is essential to all Christians (Col.
3:12). He understands that sometimes it is necessary to return to the discussion of certain topics several times. It takes time for his daughter to have a firm conviction. You also need to reason with her with the help of Scripture. Thomas says: “My wife and I pay special attention to important issues to make sure that our daughter actually believes in what she learns, and that it seems reasonable to her. And if she asks questions, that's good! To be honest, I would be wary if she silently agreed with everything.
9. How can you put the Word of God into your child's heart?
9 As parents patiently teach their children, little by little they learn the "breadth, length, height, and depth" of faith (Eph. 3:18). Discuss issues with children that are appropriate for their age and developmental level. Over time, they will be more convinced of the truth of their views and will be able to defend their faith in front of others, including their classmates (1 Pet.
3:15). For example, can your children use the Bible to explain what happens when a person dies? Does this explanation seem logical to them?a So, it takes patience to put the Word of God into the heart of a child, but the result is worth any effort! (Deut. 6:6, 7)
10. What else is very important when teaching children?
10 Parents, your example is very important for your children to grow in their convictions. A sister named Stephanie has three daughters. She says: “When my girls were young, I began to ask myself these questions: 'Do I tell my children why and I believe that Jehovah exists, that he loves us, and that his ways are right? Do my daughters see that Do I really love Jehovah?
GET WISDOM FOR SALVATION
11, 12. What is wisdom, and why does it not necessarily come with age?
11 So Timothy: 1) knew the scriptures and 2) was firmly convinced of their truth.
But how are we to understand Paul's words that the scriptures could "make [Timothy] wise unto salvation"?
12 Insight on the Scriptures says: “...wisdom helps you use knowledge and understanding skillfully to solve problems, avoid or prevent dangers, achieve goals, and help others do the same. Wisdom is often contrasted with foolishness...” According to the Bible, “foolishness was attached to the heart of a boy” (Prov. 22:15). So wisdom, which is the opposite of stupidity, is a sign of maturity. Spiritual maturity is determined mainly not by years, but by whether a person has a healthy fear of Jehovah and a desire to keep his laws. (Read Psalm 112:10 .)
13. How can young people show they have the wisdom to be saved?
13 Young people who have reached a sufficient level of spiritual maturity are not like “babies tossed about like waves” (Eph.
4:14). They do not follow their own desires and do not succumb to peer pressure. Such young men and women succeed by training “their mind to discern good from bad” (Heb. 5:14). The wise acts they perform even when neither their parents nor other adults see them clearly indicate that they are steadily moving towards Christian maturity (Philippians 2:12). This is the wisdom necessary for salvation. (Read Proverbs 24:14 .) Parents, how can you help your children gain such wisdom? First of all, clearly explain to the children by what principles you live. Show by your words and actions that you value biblical standards (Rom. 2:21-23).
You can't raise a child to be convinced overnight (See paragraphs 14-18)
14, 15. (a) What questions should young people who want to be baptized think about? (b) How can you help your child consider why it is good to keep God's laws?
14 However, it is not enough just to tell children what is right and what is wrong.
They should be helped to reflect on questions such as: “Why does the Bible sometimes forbid something that might seem very attractive? Why am I so sure that following Bible standards is always good for me?” (Isaiah 48:17, 18)
15 If your child wants to be baptized, there is another important question to discuss with him: what does he think about the responsibility that will fall on him if he decides to become a Christian? What are the advantages of this solution and what difficulties may arise? Why do the pros far outweigh everything else? (Mark 10:29, thirty). These questions are extremely important to answer before baptism. If you help your child think deeply about why it's good to obey God and what the consequences of disobedience are, then he'll be more likely to develop a personal conviction that keeping Bible standards is always the best way (Deut. 30:19, twenty).
IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS AFTER BAPTISM
16.
What should Christian parents remember when their baptized child begins to have doubts?
16 What if your son or daughter has already been baptized, but suddenly doubts arise? For example, you notice that your teenage child is attracted to something in the world of Satan, or he is no longer so sure that living the Bible is worth it. Parents, remember that how you behave in this situation may determine whether your son or daughter becomes firmly on the path of truth or, on the contrary, leaves it altogether. No matter how old your child is, in no case take up arms against him. Let the children know that you love them and want to help them.
17, 18. How can parents help a child whose faith has wavered?
17 If a child was baptized, it means that before that he dedicated his life to God. He solemnly promised Jehovah that he would love him and that doing his will would be the most important thing in his life.
(Read Mark 12:30 .) Jehovah takes such promises very seriously, and no one should take consecration lightly.—Eccl. 5:4, 5. Kindly remind your son or daughter of this at the appropriate time. But before doing so, study what Jehovah's organization provides to help parents. This will prepare you to talk about the responsibility of baptized Christians and the blessings that come with dedicating your life to Jehovah.
18 Good advice can be found in Volume 1 of Your Questions Answered. It says at the end, in the Parent Questions appendix, “Don't jump to the conclusion that your child is rejecting the truth. Maybe it's something else." Perhaps he is pressured by peers or he is just lonely. Or maybe he compares himself to other young Christians and feels that he will never be able to keep up with them. The appendix goes on to say: “You must agree that such reasons have nothing to do with Bible truths .
