Writing

Writing Activities to Try at Home

To make writing accessible and fun for your child, try the following activities taken from the Scholastic writing resources site:

• Invite your child to keep a journal about special family activities. Provide large sheets of unlined paper, which will accommodate developing eye-hand coordination skills. If yours is typical of most young children, he will likely write with pictures, scribbles, random letters, or beginning phonic spellings. If he's willing to share his story (sometimes he may not be), ask him to tell you about the picture and encourage him to write it "his way." You will find that stories chronicling wonderful family experiences have an enduring interest and importance for your child.
• Play post office at home. This is an especially motivating activity. To create a simple post-office box, paint an old shoe box blue, and put a slit in the top. Then you can write a letter to your child and encourage her to write back to you. You can also put junk mail in the box, or coupons, which can be fun for pretend play. The post-office game will also encourage your child to learn how to write her name and other special family names clearly.
• Provide lots of writing materials. Since much family activity happens in the kitchen, it's an ideal place to set up a small writing area. This "center" can be a simple shelf with paper, large crayons, pencils, and other items. You can expand the concept by adding a chalkboard, a bulletin board, or other office-style items to enhance your child's dramatic play.
• Model writing for your child each day. Begin the day by writing a special morning message at the breakfast table. This gives your child the opportunity to see meaningful written language as it is being constructed. You can also leave a note on her bedroom door that tells about a significant event that will take place during the day ("Today we are going to the circus"). Or the note may focus on what you have packed for the day's lunch and snack. These messages will convey the warmth and support that writing brings to you and your family.

Visit the Scholastic resource site for parents on how you can nurture a love of writing for your child at home with writing printables, articles and blog posts!