How to Help Reluctant Writers

How to Help Reluctant Writers

If you have a child who hates handwriting, or maybe it’s the actual putting words together to make sentences that send them to tears I have some tip that are sure to make the task a little less frustrating.

Comfort- Keep a close eye on your child’s grip, make sure they are comfortable holding a pencil, do the need a thicker one? a grip? Incorrect grip can lead to hand fatigue quickly and cause frustration-this may be why they balk at writing.

Make it fun- Any task that is more enjoyable has a better chance of being completed right?  Writing is no different but it is a necessary part of your school day so make it fun and you will get results!

• Give them crayons, markers, or colored pencils in fun colors to write with instead of a plain old pencil.

• Let them type it up on the computer, most kids love doing this.

• Allow them to write silly sentences instead of perfectly formed grammatically correct lines sometimes. I know if my son can write the word “fart” anywhere he is a happy camper.

Get creative yourself- If you want to encourage creative writing you will need to get creative yourself.  Instead of just handing out writing prompts like “If I had 1,000,00 dollars I would…” mix it up and make it fun.

• Show them a picture of a dog walking down the street, ask them to tell what the dog is doing.

• Place random items in a paper bag, have them feel but not look. Tell them to describe the item and tell you what it is for.

• Cut pictures from magazines of scenes, ask your child to tell you a story about the people.

• Lay out odd tools and implements from the kitchen, shop, or your vintage decor and ask them to write what it is used for- an awl, citrus press, garlic masher,etc…  If they have never seen the item in use chances are you will get some hilarious explanations.

Give writing a purpose- Writing for the sake of writing is only fun for those who love it. If you want to encourage your reluctant writer to put the pen to paper give them a reason.

• Write a letter to grandma thanking her for the birthday money

• Make a comic book.

• Create labels for your toy bins.

• Have them help write out the grocery list.

• Let them make a list of things they would like to learn about, do, or see.

Don’t nitpick- While you may be tempted to point out and make them correct glaring grammatical errors and fix all their punctuation it will only leave them frustrated and even less likely to want to write. If at all possible save the grammar lessons for when you are doing grammar. If it is creative writing time let it be just that. You may also ask your child to go back over their work when they are done and make corrections- you might be surprised at how much they catch themselves.

Do you have any favorite tips that you use to help your reluctant writer?