Incentives for Kids Who Hate to Write

Motivational Letters to Self

• Encourage your daughter to write a special letter to herself. Provide decorative, colored paper; crayons; and markers. Make this a fun activity by having her place her neat, sealed final letter in a homemade time capsule with a few pictures and treasured mementos. The letter should mention personal dreams, goals, aspirations or anything else that might motivate the young writer at a later time in life. Be sure to sit down with your daughter as she opens the letter one year later so both of you can enjoy reflecting on all that has happened in one year.

Creative Journal Writing

• Go to a local bookstore or art store and encourage your son to pick out a unique journal book. Allow him to write anything in the book at anytime -- words, poems, raps, songs, diary entries and letters. Writing expert Catherine Killingsworth states that a top reason for a child hating writing is because he isn't allowed to write in his own voice, without fear of criticism. So be proactive and post a list of 100 fun journal topics on the refrigerator. After completely filling one journal, reward your son with a special memory, such as a weekend camping trip, tickets to a local sporting event, a visit to a music studio or a slumber party with friends.

Persuasive Essay Requests

• Use your daughter's request for a new gadget or a special privilege as an incentive for her to write a persuasive composition. Killingsworth explains that children need to be given "lots of opportunities to succeed at a writing task." And if your child is like most, she probably has lots of requests. Explain that you need a well-written formal paragraph, essay or speech to convince you of her point of view. If the piece is persuasive enough and shows great effort, consider possibly buying the video game or lengthening the curfew. Your daughter's wit and impassioned writing may end up surprising both of you.

Family Story Contests

• Include the whole family in a creative story contest. Select a seasonal theme and create a pool of family or pet names for possible characters and a second list of silly objects from around the house. The contestants must use at least one of the names and one of the objects at some point in their stories. The winner could plan a special family dinner or choose the destination for a family outing. Maybe your family can take a trip to the theater to see "Mary Poppins" or venture to the local aquarium. If you only have one child, consider inviting a few of his best friends or cousins to partake in the contest.

Word Game Nights

• Pop some popcorn and encourage your children to enjoy discovering the art of words by hosting a family game night using games like Scrabble or word card games. According to Babycenter.com, it's important to bring writing into your child's life in a pressure-free and pleasurable way, as her young mind is still developing. Word games can bring excitement to the whole family and inspire children to look for new words, and to use dictionaries.