Writing Activities
How can I help my child improve their writing?
1· Be positive with the attempt your child has made with writing. Don’t point out the errors. Look for what they have done well.
2· Be excited about writing! Be a good listener as your child shares something he/she has written. You can even be the reader and use your voice to show expression while reading their piece.
3· If you have suggestions – ask questions to guide revisions, brainstorm together possible leads or endings, share the correct spelling of words and use of punctuation.
4· Read to your child! Hearing and seeing the printed word helps with strengthening writing skills.
5· Provide writing materials such as various types/color pencils, different kinds of paper, markers, white boards, chalk and chalk boards, post-its, as well as a dictionary or a thesaurus.
6· Be an example – an author. Let your child see you writing. Tuck a note in their lunch/snack or leave one on the refrigerator when they come home. A positive note on the bathroom mirror may be just the right start for a school morning.
7· Opportunities for writing – a grocery list, addressing envelopes, setting up an address/phone/e-mail book, or keeping a diary.
8· Having a special family dinner? Let your child create the menu. This is a great way to use descriptive words.
9· Cards - Let your child create the card and verse for a special birthday, thank you card, or holiday card.
10· Does your child want a raise in his/her allowance? Have them put it in writing. How persuasive can they be? Respond to their request in writing. Have a family suggestion box.
11· How about a pen pal! It can be a cousin, a friend who has moved away, or a grandparent that lives in another state. Getting “snail mail” can be very exciting!
12· Going on vacation. Let your child write out the daily itinerary and send out the postcards. Once you get all your vacation pictures printed, make a family book. Everyone shares in writing the script on the pages describing the pictures. It’s a great way to keep those memories.
13· Play word games to increase their vocabulary. Categorize words, rhyme words, find synonyms and antonyms. Practice using similes – I’m as hungry as a horse!
14· Taking a long car ride? Pick out something that you all see and taking turns, build a sentence from a simple one. I saw a dog. I saw a black dog. I saw a small black dog on the front yard. I saw a small black dog on the front yard of the brick house. This will carry over into their writing, especially when they are revising.
15· Create a monthly family newsletter that is sent to relatives. Let your child be the reporter who puts together the family news.
16· Of course, using a computer is also a great way to expand your child’s writing skills. Key boarding, spell check, and grammar check are all very important, but don’t completely ignore the good old paper and pencil.
1· Be positive with the attempt your child has made with writing. Don’t point out the errors. Look for what they have done well.
2· Be excited about writing! Be a good listener as your child shares something he/she has written. You can even be the reader and use your voice to show expression while reading their piece.
3· If you have suggestions – ask questions to guide revisions, brainstorm together possible leads or endings, share the correct spelling of words and use of punctuation.
4· Read to your child! Hearing and seeing the printed word helps with strengthening writing skills.
5· Provide writing materials such as various types/color pencils, different kinds of paper, markers, white boards, chalk and chalk boards, post-its, as well as a dictionary or a thesaurus.
6· Be an example – an author. Let your child see you writing. Tuck a note in their lunch/snack or leave one on the refrigerator when they come home. A positive note on the bathroom mirror may be just the right start for a school morning.
7· Opportunities for writing – a grocery list, addressing envelopes, setting up an address/phone/e-mail book, or keeping a diary.
8· Having a special family dinner? Let your child create the menu. This is a great way to use descriptive words.
9· Cards - Let your child create the card and verse for a special birthday, thank you card, or holiday card.
10· Does your child want a raise in his/her allowance? Have them put it in writing. How persuasive can they be? Respond to their request in writing. Have a family suggestion box.
11· How about a pen pal! It can be a cousin, a friend who has moved away, or a grandparent that lives in another state. Getting “snail mail” can be very exciting!
12· Going on vacation. Let your child write out the daily itinerary and send out the postcards. Once you get all your vacation pictures printed, make a family book. Everyone shares in writing the script on the pages describing the pictures. It’s a great way to keep those memories.
13· Play word games to increase their vocabulary. Categorize words, rhyme words, find synonyms and antonyms. Practice using similes – I’m as hungry as a horse!
14· Taking a long car ride? Pick out something that you all see and taking turns, build a sentence from a simple one. I saw a dog. I saw a black dog. I saw a small black dog on the front yard. I saw a small black dog on the front yard of the brick house. This will carry over into their writing, especially when they are revising.
15· Create a monthly family newsletter that is sent to relatives. Let your child be the reporter who puts together the family news.
16· Of course, using a computer is also a great way to expand your child’s writing skills. Key boarding, spell check, and grammar check are all very important, but don’t completely ignore the good old paper and pencil.
