Creative Writing can be a great form of expression for a number of children. To help you explore the wonders of creative writing with your child, we have teamed with a Prep School in Hertfordshire to offer some guidance on how to nurture their creative writing ambitions.
Read Regularly
Reading stories aloud, as well as encouraging independent reading, is a simple and effective means of engaging your child’s imagination. It will also help them develop their vocabulary and gain a strong understanding of story structure and character.
Discuss Their Ideas
If your child has an idea that they are thinking about writing, talk about it with them. Ask them questions about their ideas, and particularly about their characters. The more that they think about characters, the richer their stories will be. You should also encourage them to think about their own experiences and how writing can help express how they are viewing the world.
Set Up A Place to Write
If you can, give your children their own creative space in the house that can be their special area to write. Having dedicated areas can help the mind kick into gear and allow them to help make writing feel like an event. Buy them their own special notebooks and pens specifically for writing to add to the idea that writing is something special.
Give Them The Time To Write
Creative writing outside of the classroom can run the risk of starting to feel like schoolwork, and that means you could end up sapping the fun out of creative writing. You should therefore try to make specific time for writing as its own activity, away from school work. Tell them that this is a time in their day when they can just let their imagination run wild, giving more of a sense of occasion and excitement to the idea of writing.