November 16, 2020
Getting your child to write can be a frustrating experience for both of you. Depending upon the individual child, this process can seem grueling and insurmountable. But if we can take away demands and expectations and allow room for creative exploration and acceptance, we might be surprised at what is revealed.
Here are some suggestions for stimulating interest in writing. Take them for what they are, interpret them or be inspired to add your own!
- Put workbooks away. Don’t formalize writing and make it a chore.
- Read to your child as often as you can and play with fun words you come across.
- Use sand, flour, shaving cream, paint filled sensory squishy bags and more, to model and teach your child to try drawing letters, shapes and numbers using their fingers or markers or a chop stick or…Use food coloring to excite and add panache!
- Give your child pens, chalk, paint, and markers. Get big pads of newsprint, a chalkboard, and/or a dry erase board. Draw in your driveway or on the sidewalk. If you have space, create a writing/craft corner that your child can help create together with you. Fill that space with letters and words and pictures and decorations. Make writing fun and play based.
- Have your child watch you make lists, send e-mails, write thank you notes, and compose a note for their lunch box.
- Sit with your child to help write the grocery list or letters to family and friends together. Give them the pen to add a note at the end of the letter. All children can participate –a drawing, their name or a scribble.
- Let your child draw pictures and add a scribble word, write one word labels or a descriptive (if able) about the picture. Eventually they will want to say/write more and you can write what they tell you for a shared experience.
- Display any writing child does on a decorated writing board to be celebrated.
- Play games like soft darts to practice fine motor skills; grasping the dart can lead to grasping a pencil.
- Paint to practice holding the brush.
*As with everything, patience is the word. Put aside expectations and allow space for processing and discovery. No time tables. Just be🙂
Peace and Keep Rising!
Special Ed Rising 