Develop your child's writing

For generations, parents have read bedtime stories to their children, hoping to help them develop language, vocabulary and creativity. But new educational research shows that writing is as fundamental to a child’s development as reading. In her new book, Your Child’s Writing, Pam Allyn outlines the five keys to help kids write:

Word power. As children’s vocabularies grow, they are drawn to new words they hear. Help them practice using new words by writing notes to each other, creating a “word jar” with your child’s favorite words and talking about new words you hear in songs.

Reading aloud. This is a great way to teach kids grammar, syntax and other structures of writing. Try all genres: poetry, non-fiction, even picture books.

Identity. Just the way your child’s favorite color changes by the minute, so will her style of writing. As she tries out new ways of expressing herself on paper, expose your child to a variety of writing styles, then let her develop her own writing identity.

Time. Make writing time sacred and consistent.

Environment. Allyn says a writing environment is just as essential to developing a great writer as a solid vocabulary and grasp on grammar. To create the ideal writing environment for your aspiring writer, you’ll need a surface, writing tools, good lighting and a little bit of inspiration.