Writing skills are key to communication and to your child’s success in school. However, today’s tech-savvy kids don’t have many opportunities to develop strong writing skills.
How can Parents Help?
Developing strong writing skills takes both practice and time, which can be challenging. But, there are a few tricks that can help parents to improve their children’s writing skills at home.
Practice makes…stronger skills
Like any skill, the more time and energy put into it, the better the result. So, make writing skill development part of your family’s mission and see writing skills develop in no time!
Improve your child’s communication skills with these simple and fun kids’ writing activities.
At-Home Activities To Help Kids Build Stronger Writing Skills
Tips for Younger Students
- Read Up. Regular reading is the most important habit in developing a stronger understanding of the written language. It helps students develop a stronger vocabulary and exposes them to different writing styles and formats.
Tip: When reading with younger children, leave out words and ask them for suggestions that might work. The earlier young children develop a familiarity with the written language, the stronger their confidence in their own writing becomes. - Writing Games. Word-based board games and crossword puzzles are fun for everyone and encourage comprehension of the way words work together.
- Tracing Games. For youngsters learning to write, tracing worksheets help develop motor skills and letter-sound comprehension. Pick a letter a day, and after tracing and sounding it out, find household items that begin with that letter or sound.
- Write Letters. Penmanship and letter writing is becoming a lost art. Help your child learn about older ways of communication by writing letters. Encourage your child to write letters to friends or family members. Maybe even find a pen pal!
- Use Story Prompts. Getting started is often the toughest part! Cut out pictures from a magazine with different characters or locations, or write down different words. Place prompts in a container or glue them to cards to use as writing prompts for creating a unique story. Try these story prompts from Scholastic.
- Be Involved. Show 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.
Tips for Older Students
- Encourage Journaling. Writing about the day’s activities is a simple way to make writing a daily habit. It doesn’t have to be in-depth: journalling is the act of recording what happened in a day, even if it was mundane.
- Create a Writing Space. Find a favorite spot and designate it the writing corner. Keep pens, pencils, and a variety of papers and notebooks there and make visiting the writing corner a daily event.
- Editing. Editing is an important step in writing: ensure your child knows that proofreading and revising help make writing better. Make yourself available to check for typos.
- Write About Your Interests. Whether it’s movies or ballet, the first step in writing is being motivated! Connecting interests to writing encourages active thinking and creativity.
Writing Help at GradePower Learning!
Writing skills don’t always come easily for students. But building stronger writing skills is possible with help from the professional writing tutors at GradePower Learning! By incorporating fun writing activities and games to build vocabulary, students develop their writing abilities and learn to love writing!
If your child needs extra help improving writing skills, GradePower Learning’s customized programs can help. Find a location and enroll today!
