We all know how writing is an essential lifelong skill. For most of us, our everyday life involves writing.
From filling out forms to even educational activities which include ToK help and examinations, writing is a fundamental requirement.
We are expected to know how to write at every stage of our lives. Completing forms is an essential element of communication.
The earlier you introduce your child to it the better. It’s a time-consuming process which will only improve with practice.
Don’t just rely on school for fostering writing habits. As a parent, you should make sure you’re helping your child write better as well.
So, how do you do that? Here are four ways to build writing habits in your children.
Support a Reading Habit
Reading and writing go hand in hand. Avid readers are bound to develop an affinity for writing and vice-versa.
Why not include reading together in your daily schedule? Also, this would be a great way to spend time together while building a fundamental skill.
Read your child’s favorite stories aloud to them and encourage them to ask questions. This helps build vocabulary, communication and inspires them to write themselves.
Encourage Journaling
There’s no “right” age to start journaling. Gift your child a diary they’ve picked along with some colorful pens and let them get started.
Give them the freedom to write about their day, school, family, friends – anything they think of. The idea is to let them express their thoughts in the form of words and get accustomed to writing.
Show genuine interest in their writing and have them read it out loud to you. Also, praise your child’s creativity and show them you care.
Not only does journaling urge people to write frequently, but it’s also an excellent tool for expression.
Suggest Writing Notes
Encourage your child to send a thank-you note to their teacher or make a birthday card for their parent. These small practices go a long way in helping a child to write more often and express their affection.
Let them unleash their creativity and whatever they come up with – make sure you showcase it. You can put it up on the fridge or the soft board in their room.
This encourages them to indulge in note-writing more often.
Play Word Games
Make writing more fun for your child rather than a strict must-do task. Instead of the usual compositions and letters, you can make it exciting and play word games with them to stimulate their interest.
From Scrabble to “complete the sentence” and unscramble words – there are a host of activities that can make learning new words and writing more exciting.
More than anything else, give them the space to get used to the habit of writing.
Slowly with time, you can start advising them on the technicalities of it. Be sure to praise them and take a genuine interest in their work.
This will encourage them like nothing else.
