Exploring Creative Writing With Your Child

[Collaborative Post]

Creative writing is a fun way for children to practice their creativity and develop other important academic skills. Children have wonderful imaginations, which parents can help to nurture using these great creative writing tips from Orchard House School…

• Try to read with your child as often as possible. Regular reading will improve your child’s vocabulary and grammar skills, as well as introduce them to a variety of literary genres.

• If your child has a favourite book or enjoys reading stories by a particular author, this can help to define their preferred style of writing. As your first creative writing activity, perhaps you could ask your child to create a new ending to their favourite story? Together you can explore how changes to the storyline, could lead to a completely different ending.

• When practicing creative writing, it is important to choose a topic that really interests your child. This will help them to enjoy the activity and keep them motivated to complete their story.

• Once your child has chosen what to write about, help them to ‘mind map’ words relating to their topic. A good way to do this is by asking your child to think about how their topic affects their senses. For example, a story about the rainforest might include seeing tropical plants, feeling humid and hearing birds. Creating a mind map can also help your child to establish their story setting and characters.

• Another tip for helping your child to structure their story is by thinking of a problem for the characters to solve. This will help them to build a storyline and create an effective ending.

• Finally, one of the hardest things about writing a story is the first sentence. Help your child to get started by giving them an interesting opening line. I you need some inspiration, take a look at the first line inside some of the books on your child’s bookshelf.

Creative writing is a great way of spending quiet time with your little ones and their stories might just take you on some great adventures too!

Mummy Snowy Owl

xx