Some kids struggle when learning to write. They may find it difficult to spell words, may struggle with grammar or may just be very slow at writing. As writing is essential to so many different subjects, poor writing skills can often end up affecting a child’s entire education. Poor writing skills can have an even bigger negative impact after school – particularly in this increasingly digital world in which written communication has become essential to many jobs.
So just how do you help a child to become a better writer? In many instances, it’s a case of practice, however there are other tasks you can do too in order to promote writing competency. Below are just a few different ways to help your child become a better writer.
Encourage reading
Reading and writing go hand in hand. Reading teaches kids how to spell words and how to construct sentences. This can then be applied through writing. If your kid doesn’t read often, consider encouraging them to read more books or magazines. Let them choose the material they want to read. You can also lead by example by reading books and news articles yourself.
Write stories
Writing stories is a fun way to develop one’s writing skills. Story-writing is something kids can do alone, or it can be turned into a collaborative activity. For example, you and your child could challenge each other to write a story by taking a turn to write a sentence each. This can be particularly fun with lots of family members or friends (you can also have multiple stories on the go). You can also download free 1st grade writing worksheets and help kids build their creative writing skills this way.
Play word games
Word games are another fun way to build literacy skills. On top of wordsearches and crosswords, you can also play word board games together like Scrabble. There are also a number of word game apps aimed at kids that could be worth downloading to help your kids develop their writing skills.
Buy them a journal
You could consider buying your kid a journal to also improve their writing skills. Journalling involves writing down thoughts and feelings throughout the day. It can be a way of letting out things that you’ve been holding back, as well as encouraging you to write every day – for many kids (particularly teens) this can be very beneficial.
Know when to test for dyslexia/dysgraphia
It’s possible that your child may have a condition that is negatively affecting their ability to write. Dyslexia is a common disorder that can make it harder to interpret letters and words, often leading to misspelling or slow writing. Dysgraphia is another disorder that makes it hard for kids to do handwriting. If your child has one of these disorders, they may require extra support when learning. There are many tools that you can use to help kids with dyslexia and dysgraphia, however an official diagnosis will be needed first.
