Improving writing skills in young children

Mums Tips

Schooling

Published on Saturday, 19 February 2022 11:03

Last Updated on 21 February 2022

Emily Henry

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Writing is a part of human interaction. No matter your career, no matter your background, and no matter your age, writing is essential for all. As for young children, now is especially the time for them to grow their writing skills. Understandably, learning how to write is a process in of itself. That’s why it’s important for young children to start learning as soon as possible.
This article will explain why writing is essential for young children to learn, and then share great tips on how to teach them to improve their writing skills.

Why Writing Is Important For Young Children

While young children might not understand much about writing, it’s still important to teach them how to write.
Writing is practical. Like speaking, writing is something that needs to be done daily. It’s a part of human communication; and it’s only a matter of time until children can use writing to further their communication skills.
Additionally, writing is a part of education, meaning that all students might be capable of writing in order to succeed. Schools will task young children with writing assignments, arts and crafts, and so on. Therefore, a young child must be competent and confident in their writing practices.

Tips On Helping Young Children Improve Their Writing Skills

Now that there is justification for young children to start writing, it’s important to know how you can teach them to write. Here are 6 effective tips on how to improve writing skills in young children:

1. Have Young Children Read

First, have your child to enjoy reading. The more a child reads, the more exposure to new words and vocabulary they’ll get. Once a word uses used to reading certain words and vocabulary, children will understand them more, and might try to incorporate them in the real world.

2. Encourage Drawing And Scribbles

Does your child love to draw? Do they love to scribble? Let them!
Drawing and scribbling allows young children to express themselves. You’ll be surprised to see what they come up with. Who knows? Maybe they can tell a story using their creations.
One thing to remember here is to talk to your child about their drawings and scribbles. Have them show you what they’re doing. For example, if a child draws a dog, then ask them why they did so. Maybe he or she saw a dog that day while playing outside? Maybe they saw a dog when watching TV? Be sure to ask them questions, so that they can get a good sense of how to express themselves.

3. Start Integrating Reading And Writing

Soon, young children will be exposed to books. Children’s books often have words, along with corresponding illustrations. Young children will love to see the pictures, but then they’ll start noticing the words. Once they start seeing words, they might ask you what they mean.
Therefore, make it a point to integrate reading and writing. You can read aloud to your child, while pointing at the words that you read out. Do this often and soon, your child will want to read the book themselves!

4. Allow Free-Writing

Once they see the connection between reading and writing, young children might want to write stories of their own. Here, you can let them free-write. Don’t give them a writing prompt, unless they ask for something to write about.
When young children are allowed to free-write, that’s where self-expression can come in. Essentially, free-writing lets children get creative and tell stories that they want to tell. You’ll be surprised to see what your child will come up with!

5. Don’t Ever Write For Young Children

This is especially important, when your child is going to school. While it’s tempting to write for your child, don’t. Not only will that jeopardize your child’s academic integrity, it also robs them of their creativity that comes from their own writing. Plus, it’s important to give your child that sense of ownership whenever they write something.

6. Give Young Children Time

Finally, it’s important to give your child time, as they develop and grow their writing skills. There’s no need to rush things.
Give your child time to do the following when writing:

• Preparing
• Thinking, AND
• Researching (e.g., looking up a word to spell)

Conclusion

As you can see, writing can benefit children at a young age. By helping them improve their writing skills now, then not only will they do well in school, but they’ll also do well in the real world.