Like other academic subjects, writing is best learned when it’s integrated with a child’s education after school. Encouraging children to write outside of school not only gives them more practice, but also teaches them writing’s practical uses and increases the likelihood that they’ll reap its indirect benefits.

The key to encouraging children to write as part of family home activities is parents’ participation.

“I think the best way for parents to encourage kids to write is to write with them and to them,” says middle-school teacher Sherrie Gentry.

She says that she and her husband used to write letters to each other when they worked opposite shifts, and that she read a magazine article about a parent who does something similar with her children.

If the children have a difficult question to ask or dilemma, they write a letter and leave it on their mom’s bed. She, in turn, writes back to them, leaving the letter somewhere in their rooms. The practice not only gives kids — especially teenagers — an alternate means for communicating with their parents, but also turns writing into a meaningful exercise.

“Parents should help their kids see that writing is real and purposeful and fun,” Gentry says.

Develop Fun, Family Activities That Encourage Writing

In addition to writing to their children, parents can engage their children — and themselves — in fun, practical activities that improve writing skills. Here are some suggestions from Roy Peter Clark’s book, “Free to Write”:

  • Interviews. Encourage children to ask family members about life experiences, take notes and write short articles or stories based on what they learn. This can be especially fun if they ask a grandparent about a historical anniversary or an activity that is no longer common, like listening to radio shows. 
  • Journals. Buy your child a special notebook to write in. Encourage him to write about daily activities, important life events, feelings and other personal topics. 
  • Television. Turn watching television into an educational activity by asking children to write about a program they’ve seen. They can retell the show’s story, or better yet, explore the values and meanings it expressed. 
  • Reading. Read aloud to your children. This will improve their writing by exposing them to well-written sentences and well-expressed ideas. 
  • Proud displays. Have a place in your home where you display your children’s writing. This will build their confidence and encourage them to write more often. 
  • Dictation. Encouraging very young children to generate ideas and think in complete sentences. This will help prepare them to write alone when they get older. Encourage children to dictate stories and ideas to you, and keep them so they can read them later. 

Improve Writing Skills with Questions, not Criticism

All parents want to see their children do things well, and writing is no exception. However, the personal nature of writing makes it difficult to provide constructive criticism without discouraging children.

If you take a “right vs. wrong” approach, you’ll stifle a child’s individuality and creativity, which are essential to good writing. A more constructive approach is to ask questions and offer suggestions, Gentry says.

“First, say something you like about the writing, then ask a question about something that confuses you or that you would like to know more about,” she suggests.

While grammar and spelling are important, parents and teachers should be careful not to focus only on these topics when discussing a child’s personal writing. If you overlook what the child is trying to express with his or her writing and hone in on spelling and grammar, the child will also focus on writing’s mechanical elements instead of its creative and expressive qualities and may begin to dislike it.


 

Pamela A. Zinkosky is a freelance writer.