No matter students’ career paths, writing and communication skills are essential to success. Whether a student identifies as a “math child,” a “sports child,” or even a “reading child,” writing doesn’t always come naturally.
Parents and teachers must be creative in presenting writing so students feel personally motivated to develop their skills.
“Almost any student can become a strong, passionate writer,” says Rowana Miller, founder and Executive Director of creative writing education nonprofit Cosmic Writers. “The trick is connecting writing to the activities, subjects and ideas that already excite them.”
Here are some tips from Miller to motivate children to strengthen their writing skills:
Present writing as fun
Especially for students between the ages of 8-12, who have developed basic writing skills but may not have a defined sense of what it means to be a “writer,” it is essential to create positive associations with the act of writing.
You can teach writing through gamified, collaborative and imaginative activities to accomplish this. For example, you can guide children through writing a series of “telephone stories.” With students sitting in a circle, have each one write an opening sentence on a piece of paper and then pass the paper to the student to their right. Each student should continue the story by adding a sentence to the page and then pass the paper again. This process repeats until each student has their original paper again.
Provide engaging materials
When children’s writing practice only comes from dry textbooks, creating positive associations with writing is difficult. Experts recommend using materials that are just as fun as the activities good teachers use when teaching.
For example, the 8-12 age range is well-served by such exciting activity books as “The Monster-Building Handbook,” a new publication from Cosmic Writers. “The Monster-Building Handbook” combines a narrative premise with a call-to-action for students to practice writing: fictional monster-maker Angelica Fearborne needs them to develop an original monster character who can face off against her monster-hunter twin brother. Learn more at cosmicwriters.org.
Link writing to favorite shows and video games
Students don’t usually recognize the connection between writing and the media they love. Writing becomes more exciting when they learn that writing is essential to a funny YouTube series or thrilling video game.
Students are particularly compelled by opportunities to write in the media style they enjoy. For example, practicing fantasy storytelling and writing is a natural next step if you work with children who like to play Dungeons and Dragons.
For almost any student, finding a connection between writing and something they already like is possible. A “math child” may engage most with genres that emphasize logic and problem-solving, like mystery writing. A “sports kid” may be excited to write articles about the school baseball team. And when these students practice these kinds of writing, they may discover they have been “writing children” all along.
