In the words of Albert Einstein, “Creativity is intelligence having fun,” and writing is a great way to help your child with self-expression.
But, what if your child struggles with writing assignments regardless of the length? Have you tried to remedy the situation only to be met with your child telling you how much they do not like writing? If so, you are not alone.
Statistics show that writing is crucial in the development of cognitive growth, organizational abilities, and the power to influence others through persuasion. Writing is one of the most effective ways that kids can enhance their brain.
What I hear a lot from parents is that their child does not like to write. More often than not, it’s the child that simply lacks the skills and practice needed to be a strong writer. Writing is a skill that takes time and practice to develop.
One way that many kids prefer to explore their craft is with creative writing. Unfortunately, it is something that many schools do not teach today. Instead, they focus on teaching the things that kids have to be able to write for their end of grade assessments.
Teaching creative writing is a great way to develop cognitive abilities and self-expression. I remember one middle school student who struggled with writing, especially writing in complete sentences and giving enough detail in his short answer and essays.
It turned out that he struggled with grammar and writing mechanics, and he felt very overwhelmed as a result. After working with one of our tutors one-on-one, the student grew in confidence and began to enjoy writing as we incorporated creative writing activities to help him explore his imagination freely. By the time the student entered high school, his writing improved exponentially. And, he grew to love writing!
Having your child participate in creative writing activities is a fun way to help them become a better writer. Some of the benefits of creative writing include:
- Fosters imagination and creativity and improves a child’s ability to come up with alternatives. This broadens their thought processes and can lead to success in many areas, including problem solving and analysis.
- Encourages self-expression by providing a safe place for children to explore their thoughts and feeling. Children often have difficulty understanding and expressing how they feel, and writing can be a highly beneficial tool for them to express themselves.
Encourages kids to love writing as they gain more writing skills and experience the joy of writing from their own imagination! Kids who love to write are more likely to take on writing assignments with enthusiasm.- Lays the foundation for becoming a young author, which has a multitude of advantages. This is especially helpful if a child is interested in attending a competitive school or wanting to differentiate him/herself in a particular subject area.
If your child loves to read and needs a boost in expressing his own original ideas, think about writing camps, workshops, clubs, or one-on-one writing tutoring. Creative writing builds confidence in children as it clearly helps them to communicate their point-of-view, thoughts, and feelings. It also encourages them to publish their stories on a kid-friendly site such as Scribblitt which is an awesome idea! This will allow them to go back and read their work over and over again. In the end, this builds confidence even more.
My advice to parents is to encourage your children to write, be creative, and use their imagination. Then remember to praise them when they do!
We, at Dynamis Learning Academy, are here to help your children with their academic needs including helping them become a better writer. Contact owner, Helen Panos at helen@dynamislearningacademy.com or at 770-282-9931 to schedule a free consultation and help your child reach his or her full potential.
Helen is an expert educator with over 25 years of years of experience. She believes in the importance of helping children reach their potential and become well-rounded, intelligent citizens with a positive influence and impact on society. She assists parents in accessing the best skills, strategies, tools, and resources to help children be successful and ultimately excel in the world.