Writing has been one of the most important facets of communication and an integral part of education. In today’s technology-dominated world, where laptops and tablets are gradually replacing paper books, kids are not presented with many opportunities to practice and improve their writing skills.
Additionally, oral skills are easier to develop as compared to writing skills making the latter tougher to accomplish. Parents and teachers often wonder what can be done to improve their children’s writing skills.
From daily reading sessions to fun activities, writing is being made fun and actively incorporated into the PYP curriculum by elementary and kindergarten schools in riyadh. This is done to help young learners enhance their writing skills.
Thankfully, parents and teachers can incorporate multiple beneficial tips to improve children’s writing skills, check them out below.
Some Beneficial Tips For Improving Writing Skills In Children For Teachers
Let Young Learners Know the Value Good Writing
Teachers need to stress the need for and importance of coherent and thoughtful writing. Faculty that rewards articulate writing and reprimands poor writing is more likely to receive better-written work compared to a PYP curriculum classroom where articulation is not viewed as integral. Set the tone from the very start – young learners should know that they need to put their best foot forward when expressing themselves on paper. Keep reiterating it repeatedly, so students remember the importance of good writing.
Provide direction and guide during the writing process
After the assignment has been made, teachers should tell young learners about the value of notes and outlines, clarify how to select a topic, define plagiarism and critique the initial draft. This will give them clarity on how to start their writing assignments.
Do not read and grade each piece of the student’s writing
Instead of going through each write-up, get the class to split up into small groups or assign buddies and get the students to analyze and critique each other’s work. When students know their grade is not at stake, they become more creative and express themselves better.
Beneficial tips for parents to improve writing skills in children
Keep writing supplies handy
A child can get inspired at any time – during a trip, family getaway, while watching a movie or if something out-of-the-ordinary happens at home. Encourage children to keep a notepad and pencil handy at outings. At home, ensure there is a readily accessible writing desk with required stationery – paper, books, pencils, erasers, and a wastepaper basket.
Encourage journal writing
Parents should gift their children a journal and ask them to make a daily entry describing the highlights of their day. This can become mundane if the child does not have an eventful day; in that case parents should probe and ask questions to ignite their thinking.
Promote written to-do lists and a family message board
Children need to appreciate the purpose of writing. When making a to-do list, get the child to contribute items and actually make the family shopping list. Even if a message needs to go on the family board, request the child to do so. It can be as simple as ‘Make pasta for dinner’ or ‘Have a good day!’ and then acknowledge their involvement.
Write greeting cards and letters
Next time greeting cards, birthday cards, emails or letters need to be sent to friends and family, allocate a section for the children to write their messages too. Create a few draft versions before getting them to write on the main card. Ask them to read the cards as well as reading too, encourages writing.
Offer writing prompts
Creative writing is not all that simple. It can get tricky, which is why children evade it. Give children the theme or topic to write about to make things easy. If the child is younger, create prompts and have the child fill in the blanks. For instance, ‘If I could choose my favorite food, I would choose to eat______ every day’, or ‘I enjoyed my visit to the zoo because ____________’. Various interactive story-writing guides are available that provide helpful illustration, word and sentence prompts.
Encourage eagerness through imaginative play
Play is a brilliant and effective way to encourage children to become interested in writing. Parents and children can act out a scene at the doctor’s office, restaurant or post office and have the child ‘write’ down things. Parents can pretend to be the customers, and the child can take down the order, write a prescription, give tasks to do, write addresses etc.
Make a storyboard
A storyboard is similar to a comic strip. Parents can add a series of pictures sequentially to tell a story, and the children can write beneath every picture. This is fun, and they will enjoy reading it when it is done.
To conclude, be it a teacher or parent, children need a little encouragement and positive feedback to improve child’s writing. Praise them when they write new words, include word-based games and together have fun while teaching and improving this critical skill.