Exploring Creative Writing with Your Child
Research has found that children who are able to tap into their imaginations have better cognitive and social development, so it’s important for parents to find ways to make this happen. Exploring creative writing is one great option, as it’s a great way for them to think outside of the box and develop a range of key academic skills, such as spelling and grammar. So, if you’re wondering where to start, this girls’ prep school in Surrey have put together the following tips.
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Make sure your child has somewhere inspiring where they can write, like a nice, tidy desk with all of the relevant stationary and other equipment.
You could even help them write a short story by providing them with some visual cues, such as a photograph. Mind maps are great for this sort of thing because they encourage one thought to lead to another. It’s also wise to encourage them to plan ahead so that they have a sense of structure, otherwise things might become too complicated for them.
Granted, your child might never become the next J.K. Rowling, and you don’t need to encourage them to write an entire novel – but you can certainly start off to explore creative writing with some simpler creative writing challenges. For instance, your child could re-write the final chapter of their favourite story to see how minor changes in the plot can make a big difference to how things pan out.
Another option is to get them to pretend to be a journalist and ask them to write a review of a recent book they’ve read, discussing how it made them feel and whether or not they would recommend it to others. Perhaps your child could write character profiles to pad out what has already been created by a professional. These suggestions are far easier than starting from scratch because the fundamental ideas of a story are already there; it’s just about taking them to the next level.
For further advice on how to explore creative writing with your child at home, don’t be afraid to speak to their English teacher at school. The teacher might be able to give you some tips and suggest resources you could use to help.
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