How to Delevop Writing Skills in a Child

Grab these easy steps to improve your children’s writing skills in just a few minutes a day. You’ll see an improvement in just a few weeks.

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One of the main things teachers focus on these days is writing, since it’s critical to success whatever the subject.  There are a few things you can do at home to help your child become a more effective writer.

Tools to Improve Kids Writing

Fun Notebook– I recommend getting a fun notebook to write all their stories in so they can go back and read them. This one is really cool because it’s a fidget notebook. The prices vary.

Pencil Sharpner– Who wants to write with dull pencils. I know I dont, so make sure you have shap pencils.

Good Pencils– I love this brand and normally buy them every year for back-to-school. I always find good deals online when doing my back-to-school supply shopping.

3 Easy Steps to Help Improve your Children’s Writing Skills

Step 1

The first thing you can do is to give them a writing prompt.  Kids will have a hard time writing if you just tell them to sit down and write.  A writing prompt will help get their creative juices flowing.  The following are examples of writing prompts I’ve used in the past.

• If you could have any job in the world, what would be a typical day in your life?  
• You wake up one day and you’re famous, everyone knows you!  Why would you be famous and what happened that day.  
• You wake up and you are old enough to drive.  Where would you go and what would you do?

Sometimes younger children (Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders) may have a hard time with writing prompts if they are having to answer a question. If you see this, then start with asking to write about things that have happened.

• Describe what you did on your favorite day of the summer.
• Tell me how to make a pizza.
• What are the steps you take when you get ready for bed.

Step 2

The second thing you can teach them are transition words.  Kids get stuck because they can’t figure out how to move on to a different part of the story.  Some of these words include:  first, second, then, next, after a while, last, and soon.  These will help then move along and continue to tell their story.

Step 3

Last, add details, lots of details.  Teach your child to be descriptive and use adjectives as they write.  Try giving them examples at first.  If they are writing about a horse, ask them, “Is the horse fast, tall, smelly, strong?”  If they are writing about breakfast, as them, “Is it hot, delicious, cold?”

It takes practice to become a better writer.  Repetition is the key to their ultimate success and it’s really important to provide a constant flow of encouragement to keep them from becoming frustrated and, ultimately, discouraged.  This is great practice for summer break and it only takes 20 minutes a day.