Every year on September 8, International Literacy Day is observed. It is a day set aside to emphasize the value of literacy in individuals, communities, and societies. So let us discuss about children’s literacy because they are our society’s future.
Literacy is the foundation of your child’s education. It includes fundamental reading and writing skills, as well as the capacity to comprehend and interpret written text.
To improve your child’s literacy, you must first develop basic abilities such as reading and writing.
Without further ado, here are some suggestions for developing and improving your child’s writing skills.
- Encourage reading
Reading is the bedrock of effective writing.
The more a youngster reads, the more new vocabulary, words, and even punctuation they will encounter. They will study, which may encourage them to write.
However, do not expose kids to a single genre, but rather to a diversity of genres and literature. This will help students learn different methods to employ vocabulary and sentence structures that they can use in their writing.
- Model it
There is no better method to teach a skill to your child than to set a good example.
Allow your child to see you writing frequently for a variety of purposes, including letters, notes, Christmas and birthday cards, and even shopping lists.
Explain and demonstrate to your youngster the importance and enjoyment of writing. You can also tell them about your own writing experiences and creations.
- Encourage journalling
Journaling is a fantastic approach to encourage your youngster to write on a regular basis. It encourages creative writing.
Keeping a journal allows kids to write down their thoughts, ideas, and feelings and enhance their writing skills.
Get your child a journal and encourage them to write in it as much as possible. You may also incorporate it into his or her everyday routine.
Journaling helps children develop their emotional intelligence as well as their writing skills.
Writing about their feelings and thoughts will help them recognize these feelings as well as communicate and regulate them even when it is difficult.
Your child could potentially write letters as an alternative. Encourage your child to write letters to his or her friends and relatives. It might also begin with sending out birthday and Christmas cards, as well as thank you messages and invitations.
- Provide writing materials
Make sure your youngster has access to writing items such as pens, pencils, and notes.
Having these resources at their disposal can motivate students to write.
You can also dedicate a small section of your home as well as time to writing.
Having a writing place will allow your youngster to be free of distractions and focus solely on improving writing skills.
Setting up a specific time for writing will also promote consistency, which will gradually improve your child’s writing skills.
- Use writing prompts
Because writing from scratch without advice or ideas might be tough, using writing prompts is a fantastic approach to jumpstart your child’s writing talents.
As a result, this prompt will direct their writing by giving students with a variety of ideas and themes to write about.
You can create simple prompts and have your child fill in the rest. For example, ‘If I could choose to be an animal, I would choose to be a…’, ‘If I become the president of Nigeria for a day I will do…’.
These prompts will encourage them to write as they will want to give their opinions on the ideas provided.
- Make writing fun
It can be intimidating to ask your youngster to sit and practice writing skills. Making it fun, on the other hand, can get him/her interested about learning and writing.
So engage in writing-related games and activities. Crossword puzzles, word games, and friendly writing competitions are excellent ways to help children improve their writing skills.
- Celebrate their writing
Take an active interest in your child’s writing. Ask questions, provide constructive input, and applaud when he or she completes an excellent work.
Giving constructive criticism on their writing allows students to identify and correct errors.
Celebrate your child’s writing accomplishments as much as you can. You may show off their work, encourage them, and even share it with relatives and friends.
