How to Help Children With Their Reluctance to Write
Getting a reluctant writer to put pencil to paper takes a mix of patience and writing activities that motivate. The writing assignments he gets at school often miss the motivating factor that makes the task interesting for your child. Getting your child to practice writing at home, strengthens this essential literacy skill and helps him build the connection between written and spoken words. If your child does everything he can to avoid writing, there are ways to ease the pressure and encourage the skill.
Things You'll Need
- Blank greeting cards
- Sticky notes
- Journals
- Notepads
- Colored paper
- Dry erase boards
- Pens
- Pencils
- Colored pencils
- Crayons
- Markers
Instructions
Keep writing materials readily available to encourage your reluctant writer to use them. Collect a variety of materials in one spot. Include blank greeting cards, sticky notes, journals, notepads, colored paper and dry erase boards. Stock the area with pens, pencils, colored pencils, crayons and markers. Changing up the materials may seem more appealing to your child than the plain materials she uses at school. Incorporate writing into family life to make it relevant. Set up a family message center where your child can leave messages for other family members. Let him write the grocery list or menu for family meals. Point out ways you use writing as they come up in daily life. Offer writing prompts that appeal to his interests. For a comic book fan, try a prompt such as "describe the superpowers you would have if you were a superhero". Write the prompts on strips of paper or large craft sticks. Let your child pick out one of the prompts to start her writing. Write with your child. Take turns writing lines of a story. Write the first sentence before passing the paper to your child. Letters also work well as a collaborative writing activity. Write letters to family members -- those who live in the house and those who live elsewhere. Combine art and writing to encourage your child to practice. Have him draw a picture and write about it. Make comic strips together. Find a piece of artwork him enjoys to serve as an inspiration for writing. Family keepsakes also give your child a reason to write. Encourage him to write captions for a family scrapbook. Put together a time capsule with samples of his writing. Display your child's writing to show him you are proud of her efforts. Hang writing samples on a bulletin board or the refrigerator. Keep your favorite examples of her writing in a binder. Praise your reluctant writer's efforts instead of pointing out his mistakes. He likely has his writing critiqued and corrected at school. At home, praise him for taking the initiative to write on his own. Previous:How to Deal With a Preschooler With Frequent Emotional Outbursts Next:What Can Happen to a Child Left in a Running Car in the Winter Time?
