by Eva Clark

Created on: May 28, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2009

How to help your child with writing?

The key to writing success for the child is to write about what they know and like. Ask your child to write about his or her favorite video game. Tell them to describe in detail how it is played. What is the goal of the game and what is the best way to achieve the game's goal? Tell them to use the most descriptive words they can think of to make anyone want to play this game. Ask them to describe how they feel when they play this game and how they feel when they win.

Ask your child to name their favorite person. Why do they admire this person? What attributes does this person possess which makes him or her their favorite person? Modify your vocabulary to match your child's prior knowledge, or use this time to explain vocabulary words which may be unfamiliar to your child. This is an excellent time for vocabulary expansion.

You can ask your child to help you with ideas that can help everyone around the household. Have them list their suggestions and explain how each suggestion will help. Modify your list according to the child's age, but start with at least three to five items. Their explanations should be detail oriented and when necessary, explain who should do what and why.

Ask your child what is his or her major gripe about the home. Be prepared for their answers. Withhold criticisms and justifications. Let them write. Tell them to explain how this situation can be remedied. What part will they play in fixing this gripe?

What about their favorite television program or movie? Have them describe the plot in detail. Tell them to list the main characters, describing the protagonist and the antagonist, telling why each is so called. Yes, it is time to explain what each means, if you feel the child is ready. The earlier the child knows the correct terminology, the better. Of course, tell them about the climax of a story. Explain to them when this happens. Ask them to describe why they think this is the turning point of the story. Ask your child how they feel about the ending of the story. Was the outcome one that they expected? Why? What did they like or dislike about the story? Why? Newspaper articles are also good for this. You can even apply these strategies to a cartoon strip.

Whatever the strategy, please remember to respect the writer. Criticisms have to be constructive ones, delivered in a firm, but caring style. Expect the child to rewrite until they understand that writing is an art form that only gets better with work and commitment. The child has to understand that you want him or her to become a more literate person by being able to write his or her thoughts down in clear, concise language. Happy writing!

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