Reading and writing are closely connected. While you might enjoy one activity more than the other, both can help boost cognitive abilities, brain health and intelligence. There is a literacy crisis in America. One of the ways to eradicate the problem is to encourage kids to write and read. This can be challenging in a world where children spend exorbitant amounts of time on social media and playing video games.
There are several things you can do, however, to encourage kids to write. Such activities might be more enjoyable for your child if you do them as a family. You might consider creating a weekly or monthly tradition similar to ”game night,” where instead of playing a board game, you engage in a writing activity together. This post features three fun writing ideas for you to try.
Encourage kids to write with story dice
This activity requires you to construct cubes, like dice, with various images on each side. You could either make large dice by using cardboard or wood, or simply paint over or glue images to an existing set of dice. The idea is for each person to take turns rolling the dice and then writing a sentence or story about the two images that are showing.
If you want to simplify the game for a younger child, you could roll one die at a time. When players in multiple age groups are participating, you might allow younger kids to roll one die while older players roll both or perhaps even more than two!
Bring back old customs to encourage kids to write
If your child receives a gift from a relative or has been invited to someone’s home for a sleepover or party, have him or her write a thank you note to the gift-giver or party host. Long ago, it was a common etiquette norm to send a thank you card to someone who had given a gift or had done something nice for another person. Today, kids tend to say thank you or send a text message, which is at least a gesture of gratitude. However, if your goal is to encourage kids to write, you might want to restore the tradition of writing thank you notes.
Use picture prompts for creative writing time
Children are imaginative by nature. To encourage kids to write, create pictures that contain numerous images. Hold up one picture at a time and set a timer. Each child can then write a story about the images that he or she sees. This activity is especially fun because each child’s story will be unique even though a group of children will be looking at the same picture.
These are just a few samples of ideas for fun ways to encourage kids to write. You might also find that the more you read aloud to your children, the more willing they might be to try creative writing activities. Reading and writing are keys to learning success, which is why all concerned parents will want to make them priorities for their children. Who knows? You might have a future best-selling author in your household!
