Get Your Kids to Write

When teaching kids how to write, it's best to make it fun. Even young children can get excited about writing if you approach it the "write" way.

1) The Bell Technique: For example, take a bright or colorful object, like a bell, and hold it up in front of your kids. You might even want to pass it around and let the children handle the object. Then, encourage them to write a story about it. Kids love stories. If they get to makeup their own tales, they will have a fun time while learning how to write better.

2) A Magic Crayon: Put several boxes of crayons in a bin and tell the children that these crayons are enchanted. Then, let them pick out a favorite color. On a large piece of paper, each child should draw a picture of something they want to write about. On the bottom, they write a simple sentence telling why they drew that particular item. This will make writing a true art form.

3) Musical Chairs: Start the music and have the kids run around the room, playing musical chairs. When the music stops, the child without a chair spells a word then rejoins the game. This way no one gets penalized and all the kids learn new words.

4) As Fast as You Can: Set a timer for five or ten minutes for a writing competition. (This can reveal all sorts of things about each child). Tell the kids that everyone gets a treat at the end when the timer goes off, but the child with the longest story gets to choose their treat first.

These are just a few ideas that may make learning to write more fun for our youth. Everyone can write...and most of us, especially when we are young and uninhibited, write with color and excitement. Encourage your children to write in any way you can. As adults, they'll thank you for it!