We, as adults, can write and explain stuff to the world out there. A little kid cannot do that in initial years. We will have to tell them that writing is a fine skill that is an apprehended state of education. It is only when we learn to write which makes us fix our official signature. Thus, it is important to tell a child that why they need to develop skill and love for writing.
Let’s Read on how can parents and teachers together can facilitate development of writing skills in kids:
- Instill a habit of reading
A child must be encouraged to read books full of illustrations. These illustrations help illume the imagination power and a child thinks of new words at the back of his mind. Reading is the first step to develop writing skills in a child. With the power of reading comes the power of words.
- Learn a new word everyday
Dictionary is important. Not the literal dictionary! Child’s vocabulary is in the making till they reach an age of 10. This is when the child will acquire the basic words and their meaning. Try to introduce a child with a new word everyday but remember to use the word throughout the day so the child remembers it good enough to be used at anytime later.
- Try to make sentences from a given word
The new word which is learnt or read somewhere has to be used in daily course of life. Just reading a word isn’t enough. Make the child know its meaning and attach the importance of that particular word with the everyday life. Say, ‘Cap-a-pie’ is a fun word which means ‘From head to toe’. Tell the child to make a sentence using such words.
- Write a paragraph on a topic daily
Paragraph writing is not complex if sentences are short and they make sense. Connectivity in a paragraph is important. Say, a child write a paragraph on festivals then, they should stick to the same topic and not start talking about forests or Indian Culture.
- Maintain a secret notebook
Gift your child a diary. Tell them that it’s their secret notebook and no one is going to read it. Child’s flair and capacity to write is often discovered when they see no barrier to judge them and mark them correct. This secret notebook will be a true barometer of how much the child has learned.
- Write a daily diary
Tell the child that expression is important. Whether happy or sad, expression needs to vent out. A daily writing is an amazing way to do this one. If a child at this stage learns to express freely through words, they will handle all possible issues coming their way just by enriched writing skill.
- Practice writing in a cursive exercise book
Writing skills also involve the handwriting and it ensures that it is cursive all along. Schools today make a child practice cursive writing at a very initial stage. Buy kids a cursive writing book at an early age of 3-4 years so that soon their scribbling becomes a writing dialect.
- Converse in the language you write in
It is important to know what we write and what we speak. The language we speak is generally the language we master. Try conversing in English so that the child gets a hint on usage of proper words at an appropriate place. This shall surely enrich the writing skills in your child.
Keep assisting and guiding the child in the creative writing skills. Do this not at the last, not at the middle, but at the very onset of a child’s formal schooling.
