One of the subjects many parents like myself find it difficult to teach to our kids is creative writing.
Back in the past, creative writing was not included in the school curriculum due to the academic focus of many schools. It was seen as an extra-curricular activity and only a few excel in it.
Creative writing is actually pretty important as it enables kids to express themselves and use their imagination. Well, I couldn’t have written so many articles for my website if it wasn’t with creativity and imagination!
With this in mind, parents need to know how they can help their children with this activity. To help you out, here’s our guide to help you introduce the value of creative writing to your preschooler.
Reading is fundamental for creative writing
Helping your child build a passion for reading is a good way to get them started to become a good writer. You can develop this passion at home by reading them fairytales and short stories. There are age appropriate books for preschoolers like Usborne and Ladybird series that is easily available in major bookstores.
Even if they are too young to understand these books at first, they will become familiar with stories and books. It will inspire them to learn how to read and understand these stories.
Reading books will help build their vocabulary and also improve their grammar skills naturally. In addition, reading the stories aloud will help your child pick up how each word is pronounced. They will also develop their style in determining the spelling and grammar without having to study them closely.
Finally, they will also get to understand how a story is structured. They will understand that every story needs a good intro, a plot, climax and conclusion. They will also understand the importance of characters and the dialogue to build a story.
Questioning techniques are useful
Another great way to help your child pick up on creative writing is by asking them about the books or shows they have seen.
Even if they learn the information from TV shows or books, it is possible they do not understand it. Take some time to read or watch the show and ask your child questions about what they saw. They may have some difficulty in processing their thoughts into words, so don’t rush them and give them time.
Ask them questions like what the story is about, what characters do for the story and what is the story trying to teach. Your children will be able to determine these facts as they begin to understand the effects of their decisions. They will also start understanding the emotions of others.
Of course, if you are teaching your little ones, maximize the photos in the picture books. Since your child is still learning how to read, these pictures will give them an idea of how the story is going. It will also help them get an image of the characters in the story.
You can stop at these pictures and ask your child what they think about the picture. It will help your child start thinking critically about the stories they read. It is a good foundation to begin training in creative writing.
Enrol into a Creative Writing Class or Private Lesson
If you think your efforts are not enough, you can enrol your child in creative writing classes.
A lot of schools offer these classes as enrichment classes during summer break. There are also learning centres offering creative writing classes for all ages. Alternatively, you can get private lessons with an English tutor scheduled for your child at the comfort of your own home.
These lessons are structured to introduce the elements of creative learning. Teachers will also help students write down their ideas and how to structure them to build a story. These classes are often fun to inspire students to pick up points on creative learning.
Make it fun!
Whether you help your child get inspired by reading to them or get them enrolled in a special class, you should make sure these sessions are fun.
If your child finds these classes or sessions too boring, they will not enjoy creative writing. If you add a bit of fun, they will think it is not so bad and accept these lessons openly.
At home, you can inspire them to pick up creative writing by playing word games with them. This will build up their vocabulary and even pick some ideas on what they can write about.
You can also create an inspiring writing space for your child. Make sure that the area is quiet and filled with interesting and inspiring pieces that will help them with their writing. You should also not rush them when they are writing. Sometimes, the best ideas come at odd times.
Of course, you can make it fun by letting them have a storytelling session for the family. You can encourage them to write their stories and have it read before the family. You can even hold role-playing sessions based on these stories. It will inspire your child to write more and create new stories.
Once they are done with these stories, collect them and bind them into a book. When your child is older, you can share these books to let them look back when these stories were created.
When picking classes, research which schools will give your child a fun lesson in creative writing. Check reviews from students and see how well these classes are conducted. You can also look into the type of topics these classes will discuss.
Final Thoughts
Creative writing has a lot of good benefits for children if they are taught at an early age. It allows them to express themselves and see the world at a different angle.
While it may be difficult for parents to teach it, do not immediately give up on it. Simple things like reading to your child and inspiring them to write will go a long way. They will pick up the skills necessary to improve in this art as they improve in writing.
If you need to enrol them to special classes, don’t be afraid to do so. Just make sure that you do not make these lessons forced because children will not like it.
Of course, you have to encourage them if they show a passion for it.
For more learning tips for young children, check out these:
What are the Changes in Babies to Toddler Attention Span?
Fun Physics Hands On Activities for Young Kids That You Can Do At Home
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