Writing is one of the most important skills that a person must have in order to survive. It is a foundation that must be solidly laid out in order for a person to learn and communicate properly. And with how much hectic and competitive our lives have become today, teaching our children how to write properly sometimes gets lost in our list of to-dos.
Fortunately, with the tips below from our friends at WritingSamurai.com, teaching and developing our child’s writing skills will be more time-efficient and effective. And without further ado, here are 4 tips that will surely get your child writing novels and letters in no time.
- Innovate with large pencils with grips or handles
One of the hardest and albeit the most important aspect in teaching your child how to write is how they hold their pencils or pens. You see, a child is a child, special attention and strategies are needed in order to arouse their interest towards writing. And you can effectively do this by giving them a special pencil that is easy for them to hold and if possible, a pencil that is fun to hold. Most experts and toddler teachers use golf pencils – large pens that are usually used in bowling alleys and in golf. Not only are they easy to grip, they are also easy to find and are durable enough no matter how many times they fall. And to make things more fun and creative, you can add a pencil holder in order to train your child on where and how they should hold their pen. You can also add some colors or fun designs in order to appease their visual appetites.
- Set aside an exclusive writing space
To further train their mind when it comes to writing, experts recommend that you set aside space in your room that is solely for their writing activities. These experts say that when it comes to child psychology, mind conditioning greatly helps in developing their focus and interest towards writing. However, in order to successfully do so, make sure that the writing space is comfortable and most of all, conducive to learning and is fun-looking. Always remember that when dealing with children, making it fun for them will always arouse their interest and will most of the time cooperate with the activity.
- Incorporate technology into your activities
As long as it is done with supervision, then using the latest gadgets and technology will greatly help improve your child’s writing skills. For example, you can use those digital pads from time to time to make things cool. There are digital pads that immediately show on the screen what your child doodles or write in their pads. You can also ask them to email their father or their friends and other loved ones in order to promote communication skills other than their writing skills. And lastly, you can also make use of sounds such as storytelling and digital spelling activities to further enhance their comprehension and listening skills. However, always make sure that you mix high-tech methods with the traditional methods so that your child will not rely too much on technology which is the mistake of most parents.
- Spend time
Last but not the least, no matter how many gadgets and resources you provide to your child, all of it will be useless, in fact, it may bring more harm than benefit if you don’t spend enough time in guiding and teaching your child the right way in writing. Always make sure that your child understands all the instructions and guide them whenever they feel confused or lose focus. Breaks are necessary, and in most cases, you will have to be very patient as children lose their focus from time to time.