Tips for Teaching Kids How to Write

Children learn about reading and writing by thinking about the sounds that words make and what those words look like when written out. When children are able to see that writing is another form of communication like talking, they want to explore it for themselves.

You can help your child learn writing by doing the following:

• Get them used to making the shapes of letters by connecting the dots or by using a pen to go over letters you have already written in pencil.
• In the beginning don't worry about messy writing. You don't want to criticize them because they need to have fun while learning.
• Don't worry if they cross out words when they practice writing. Many children will try out different spellings until the word looks right to them.
• Get your child to try writing out words on scratch paper, and then correct the words so they how the word is spelled correctly.
• Write a story with your child so they can watch you and see the words and spellings to use. Watching you write is a great way for children to learn how to write.
• Help your child make their own labels, cards and books.
• If your child would like to write their own story, help brainstorm ideas they can write about, what will happen over the course of the story, and how it's going to end. Help them develop the characters in the story.
• Explain to them that they need different words for the past, present, and future.