How do you raise a writer? Make writing meaningful and fun.

Here is a recent question from a homeschooling mom of a 6 and 8-year-old.

I think I have the other subjects figured out, but how do I work on writing? They really don’t like writing.

Four Steps to Raise a Writer

First: Play with Writing–relax and make writing meaningful and fun!

At 6 and 8 years old, all you need to do is have writing be real, meaningful and FUN!!!! Think about playing with writing rather than teaching writing.

Think about playing with writing rather than teaching writing.

One of our favorite ways to play with writing was to make clue hunts. My child loved to find things, so we would hide a treasure and write clues, a little kind of riddle – sometimes they rhymed – that would lead to the treasure. There might only be five clues total, each clue leading to the next with the final clue leading to the hiding place.

At first,  I wrote clues for my child; later we wrote them together for friends and family. Eventually, he would write clues independently. I can’t remember if our clue hunts started as a rainy day game or a way to make having just a few presents seem like more fun. We would hide the birthday cake and party favors, or the breakfast ingredients on Easter morning.  The Easter Basket would contain the first clue.

Students I tutored and struggling readers also enjoyed practicing reading and writing using clue hunts. The focus was on an activity they enjoyed that they felt confident about. Instead of being forced to fill out a skills sheet, they wanted to work on the writing skills they needed to complete the hunt.

We also loved to play with writing riddles, jokes, silly poetry, Haiku, alternate song lyrics, rhymes for cards and letters, and love notes to hide in a lunch or under a pillow.

Second: Stay present and focus on writing strengths and purpose

Focus on thinking about where they are now instead of the future and whether they will ever be writers. Don’t worry about judging and measuring or comparing their writing.

BTW my son did not like to write when he was in school, and there were times when he hated writing – which usually corresponded to me pushing it in a “you’re not doing it right” way.

Start a daily writing practice that is fun and meaningful such as keeping a gratitude journal. You can have a family journal, but there is great power in each person having their own and writing in it once a day as a daily ritual all at the same time.

If children can’t write yet, let them scribble, draw, or write in whatever they can. Begin with just a few minutes- make it short and sweet and then allow each person to share if they want to. You go first. They can tell you what they wrote. Please, don’t kill the moment or their motivation with praise, which is unnecessary and counterproductive. Just listen to what they are saying and acknowledge that you hear and see them. You can say, thank you for sharing if you need to say something.

 

Third: Model writing and reflection.

Demonstrate the joy and purpose of writing: to share our ideas and to connect.

Show them that you love to write. Model how you use writing to help you think and make things in the course of daily living.  Our actions speak louder than words

“Hey, let’s make the shopping list.”

“What should we have for dinner this week? Let’s write a menu.”

“I miss Grandma, let’s write her a letter.”  “I love this _______, let’s write a thank you note.” “Let’s make a plan for what we want to do today.” “I’m going to write a list of where I want to go this year, how about you?”

Start a blog and let them see you writing and sharing and getting feedback.

Instead of always asking them to participate, try waiting until they want to contribute or start their own projects.

Fourth: Pay attention.

Try to notice, without judging or emphasizing, if they are struggling. Can you pinpoint where the difficulty lies: is it handwriting, generating ideas, or getting the ideas from the heart to paper?

The more you write and provide real, meaningful opportunities to write, the more your kids will see the value of writing and want to join in the fun.

Good luck! What ideas do you have for making writing fun and meaningful?

Please add your ideas in the comments, I’d love to hear them.  Thanks, Lisa.