Teaching Your Child To Write

As the world becomes more and more dependent on computers, it may seem like knowing how to write well is no longer as necessary as it once was.

You likely find that as the years go on, you write less and less on a daily basis.

It might feel like making sure your child knows how to write well is a not a top priority.

But the truth is that writing is as important a skill as it ever was.

There are many reasons why your child will need to know how to write as they get older, and why you’ll want to dedicate time to teaching them.

Learning to write is not an easy skill to grasp or to teach, but it remains worthwhile.

There are lots of ways to make it fun for you, and for your child.

However, if your child is having difficulty learning to write, it could be related to a learning disability.

If that’s the case, learning impairment speech therapy can help.

But for now, let’s take a look at writing.

Is Writing Still Useful In The Modern World?

While it’s true that most people write less now in their daily lives than in the past, chances are you’re still using your writing skills day to day.

You may not write by hand very much anymore, but you probably write an email, a text, even a social media post every day.

Because so much of correspondence happens virtually nowadays, it’s as important as ever that you are able to communicate clearly and concisely.

And this trend doesn’t seem to be letting up.

In the future, people will continue to need to be able to write effectively to people, sometimes from across the world.

It’s no less important now that your child learns to write well than it was when you were a kid.

Teaching your child to write effectively, and even to love writing, will continue to serve them as they grow into adulthood.

It’s a difficult skill to teach, and a difficult skill to learn, but it can be done with dedication from both teacher and learner.

Let’s take a closer look at why writing remains a necessary skill, and some tips for teaching your child.

1. Writing Is Important For Your Child’s Education

Regardless of real world applications, writing remains essential for the completion of your child’s education.

Every day at school, kids are asked to write, whether by hand or on the computer.

Both assignments and exams can require long or short answers, necessitating a good grasp of communicating through writing.

Writing in some form is a focus from the earliest days of school through to completion of post secondary schooling.

Often advanced schooling will also require essays as part of an admission application.

Will your child seek out such schooling?

Maybe, maybe not – but it’s good to keep their options open as much as possible.

Your child will need to know how to express themselves through their writing to have the best chance at pursuing their desired education path.

2. Writing Is Important For Your Child’s Communication Skills

Reading and writing go hand in hand.

Proficiency in one supports proficiency in the other.

Both skills are necessary to make the most of the other.

Your child can use their reading and writing skills to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues throughout their life.

Whether by email or on paper, being able to write to people and express their feeling, thoughts, or needs is invaluable.

As they move into adulthood, reading, modifying, and signing work assignments, contracts, and other documents will become more and more necessary.

To do so safely and thoroughly, your child will need to have a good grasp of language.

3. Writing Will Likely Be Useful For Your Child’s Future Career

In addition to needing writing skills to finish school, your child is likely to end up in a career that requires knowing how to write effectively.

Even just their initial application, resume, and cover letter will require them to communicate effectively and efficiently.

While they may not end up writing every day at work, they probably will correspond with coworkers, clients, or even the public.

Having good writing skills can help them to do their job better, and contribute significantly to their professional success.

Even if your child does not end up as a professional writer, whichever career they choose is likely to require writing competency.

4. Writing Can Be Enjoyable

Writing is essential to educational and professional success, but writing can also be fun!

Nowadays, there are many outlets for writing as a hobby, including social media platforms, and blogging.

Even keeping a private journal can be relaxing and therapeutic.

Learning to write now will give your child options for emotional outlets as they grow.

Tips To Encourage Your Child’s Literacy

Teaching your child to read and write can feel overwhelming if you’ve never done it before.

It’s a vast and complex skillset to teach.

Making it fun now can help to keep your child engaged in literacy long term.

Helping them feel supported in their learning can encourage them to keep going.

There are some simple ways you can use to get started.

Here are easy tips to encourage your child to start, or keep, writing.

1. Engage With What They Write

Learning to write isn’t just about the quality of what appears on the page.

Being able to talk about ideas, and express them through clear speech, is important to the process.

Ask your child lots of questions as they think and write.

Worry less about what they write on the physical page, and focus more on the ideas they’re trying to communicate.

Focusing too much on errors in their writing can be discouraging.

Instead, have them elaborate on their ideas, answer questions about their writing, and even add drawings for clarity.

2. Fill Your Comments With Praise

Finding ways to praise your child’s writing is a great way to encourage them to keep going.

Look past spelling or grammatical errors, especially in the beginning stages of literacy.

Focus on the ideas they are trying to express, and find aspects of their work that they did well.

Exercise your own vocabulary, and be specific about what they are good at.

Be liberal with praise, and avoid the standard, “good job.”

If their writing is creative, descriptive, original, interesting, or thoughtful, be sure to tell them!

3. Offer Spelling Help If They’re Ready

Writing can take a lot of hard work, and focusing too much on correct spelling or punctuation can be overwhelming for young minds.

Correcting spelling errors can also interrupt your child’s train of thought.

The goal at first is just to have them get their ideas out of their head and onto the page.

In the beginning, as kids learn, it’s totally okay to let them use their own creative spellings of words.

As they get older, and their skills develop, they will start to ask more questions and be more curious about correct spelling.

Once they are more open to spelling help, you can begin offering correction.

As their more foundational writing skills become ingrained, they’ll have the capacity for more refined skills, like correct spelling and punctuation.

4. Don’t Take Over – Let Them Write It

As your child learns, and perhaps struggles, to write, it might be tempting to take over and do the work for them.

It can feel easier and more comfortable for both of you if they tell you their ideas, and you write it down.

However, they will learn more slowly, and feel less accomplished, if you do it for them.

Learning to write on their own, seeing their work improve, and completing projects are all part of the process.

5. Read With Your Child

Reading and understanding written word is essential to becoming a competent writer.

The more you read to your child when they are young, the more of a foundation they’ll have when it’s time to begin writing.

Hearing proper grammar and syntax, exposure to creative prose or rhyming, and learning how a narrative unfolds will help your child to more comfortably transition to expressing their own ideas through writing.

Reading together is excellent quality time, but it also helps to prepare your child to become a better writer later.

Book Your Appointment With District Speech Today

Teaching your child to write can be a daunting task.

It can be hard to know where to begin, and how to make it engaging for a young learner.

That’s particularly true if your child has a learning disability, like hyperlexia, dyslexia, or ADHD.

With speech and language therapy, we can help your child overcome their learning challenges.

Book your appointment with District Speech today.