One thing I hope to encourage as I make this journey as a writer is young children in their writing skills. From little ones learning to read, to older children who are looking to learn to write stories themselves. Reading and writing is imperative in this world, yet it is a lost art. So, as parents, teachers and mentors, what can we do to encourage our kids to read and write when all they want to do is text?
Make Reading and Writing Fun
Instead of making your kids sit down for 20 minutes each day to read or write, take time to make a game out of it! From reading fun books that get your kids’ imaginations going, to fun games that challenge their creative thinking process. From the start, it’s important to get your kids excited about reading and writing. Don’t make it a chore for them. Let them choose the books to read (even if you read the same book 3000 times). Let them choose when they want to read. (But make it at least once a day.) Let them choose. And when they do, they will open up whole new worlds.
Keep Them on Their Toes
Whether you get a mystery book from your library’s blind date shelf, or you give your children insanely fun writing prompts each day, keeping it interesting and fun will keep their attention and their hearts towards reading and writing.
Encourage Them in Every Way
When you’re child is so excited to bring their newest writing to you, or has shown you a drawing they’ve made over a book you’ve read, be excited! Frame or hang their picture up, and be sure to read their story out loud. Show them how excited you are that they are interested in reading and writing. Let them know you love their stories, no matter how bad they may be. They will love you for it all the more. And when they look back, they will realize just how much you loved them.
Do you have a child in your life that needs encouraging in the world of reading and writing, while their mind is distracted by the things of this world? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I pray that we, as parents, mentors and teachers can inspire our younger generation to fall in love with reading and writing once more.