It is a great joy to be a parent to a budding writer. Seeing a child create and express themselves through writing is an amazing experience. There are many things you can do to encourage and support your budding writer. Here are a few ideas.
Read to Your Child
This is the single most important thing you can do to spark a love of writing in your child. Reading daily to them will increase their vocabulary and give them a thirst for the written word. The time you spend reading together is never wasted, even as they grow older. You are building your relationship as well as building your child’s imagination. You will inspire your child to continue writing through the stories they hear while you read to them.
Teach Spelling and Grammar
Proper spelling and grammar are skills that will help your child feel more confident as they write. Knowing the basics of these gives them the foundation they need when writing. This will boost their self-esteem and propel them into creativity with confidence. Perfection is not necessary, but if you can give your child the basic building blocks of writing, it will be of great benefit to them.
Encourage Them to Draw
Drawing has been found to be a positive influence on early readers. This can be a wonderful way to express themselves before they are able to write. It can give them the practice they need to create a story even at an early stage. This will be to their advantage when they begin writing, because they will already have one aspect of successful writing mastered.
Encourage Them to Tell Stories
From the time your child is very young, ask them to tell you stories. This sweet time with your little one is also building a foundation for their writing. Continue this storytelling even as they get older. Telling their own stories stretches their imagination and creativity. When they have shown interest in writing, this is a wonderful exercise to stimulate their skills.
Visit the Library
The library is one of the best places you can visit with your child. Frequent library visits will fuel your child’s desire for reading and writing literature. It is full of books in every topic and writing style that your child could possibly imagine. Allow your child to have their own library card, and let them roam the library and choose the books they would like to borrow and read.
Plenty of Supplies
When your child is a young writer, be sure you have the necessary supplies. Of course, a child can write with only a paper and pencil, but give them what they need so their efforts are not thwarted unnecessarily. Let them keep a desk or drawer with all their supplies, such as pencils, erasers, paper, and pencil sharpener. As they grow older, include supplies such as a thesaurus and a dictionary.
Cultivating a love for writing in your child is one of the most worthwhile things you can do. When you are fortunate enough to have a child who is already interested, and even excels in this area, consider it a gift. Nurture that gift by doing all you can to support your child in their writing endeavours, as this is one of the greatest things you can do for your budding writer.
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