Exploring Creative Writing With Your Child

When it comes to your child’s learning journey, creative writing can be very beneficial, and it’s also a lot of fun. Children naturally have very active imaginations, which parents should help to foster using a variety of activities at home. Here are some tips from an independent prep school in London.

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To help your child become better writers, it’s a good idea to encourage them to read as much as possible. This will help expand their vocabulary and grammar skills, while also introducing them to various elements of a great story. If heading to your local library isn’t an option, perhaps considering ordering a few books online. Once your child finds their favourite book or an author they like, you could encourage them to write a book review. Ask them what they liked or didn’t like about the story and anything that stood out to them. Another option is to ask your child to re-write the ending to one of their books. 

If your child wants to challenge themselves and write a whole new story of their own, you could help by suggesting a problem for their characters to solve. The hardest part is usually getting started, so you could also help by writing the first line of the story, taking inspiration from the other books on your shelf. Encouraging your child to use mind maps will help, as this will allow them to think of all of the common elements of a particular genre.

Keep a dictionary and a thesaurus nearby so that your child can find out what different words mean and use them in their writing. Once they’re a little older, you can teach them about similes and metaphors as a way to make their stories more descriptive. Make sure they choose a topic that truly interests them otherwise they will get bored and give up. Don’t be afraid to contact your child’s teachers if you are looking for additional advice on how to help them with their creative writing.

This is a collaborative post.