Helping Your Child Become a Better Writer

Creative writing expresses ideas and thoughts in an imaginative way. The purpose of this type of writing is to entertain the reader. What I am saying is being creative and pretending is part of being a human but for some, it takes a little more encouragement. At times though, children can struggle putting their words down on paper for assignments in a timely fashion. Creating an environment at home that fosters these skills can help them become a successful writer.

 Here are ways to help your kid become a better creative writer:

 1. Way to give your child enough time to be creative

Creative writing should be higher-level thinking from your child. Try looking at his or her schedule and be sure that your child has enough time to brainstorm writing ideas. Spark your child’s interest by making hime spend time writing down thoughts on the different elements of his or her piece.

 2. Developing and creating a writing environment

Developing to become a creative writer takes practice and needs interest. Creating and setting up an environment at home can help support this success. Having writing materials that are readily available and interesting are important. Keeping a writing journal handy is a great way to capture those thoughts, even in the car. One big tip is to play games at home that build vocabulary skills.

 3. Prompts are a great way to practice

Writing prompts or story starters are a great way to get your child’s writing process started. We are all familiar with the narrative “Once upon a time…” Ask your child, “What are other ways to start our creative process?” During this time take time and brainstorm a few with your child for upcoming writing sessions. Children can get pretty creative.

 4. Teachers use visual images for creative writing prompts

Images spark our imagination, so why not use them for creative writing? Because teachers should keep a collection of images from magazines and even store flyers to prompt writing when your child needs encouragement. One tip is to create a Pinterest Board filled with images for writing prompts.Scientific studies have shown that if your child is having writer’s block, encourage him or her to start writing down some of the words felt while looking at the images. These could easily become a good prompt for a poem.

 5. Write first and worry about editing later

I should focus here that creative writing requires a little bit more freedom with our thoughts. There is this step that as your child is creating, encourage him or her to just write it down and worry about editing later. If your child is having trouble keeping up with a personal creative process, use a microphone from your computer or phone to record the story and then listen and write it down in the next step.

When we assist children in a creative environment, their creative writing skills will become a part of their everyday. Creative writing needs practice and supports at all ages. As parents, it’s our job to provide materials, time and strategies to help them feel confident in their skills so that they can grow as writers. Creative writing can be a window into our children’s minds and thoughts!