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7 Tips for Developing Your Kids' Writing Skills During Remote Education

January 19, 2021 | by Leon Collier, guest contributor

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed a lot of things about society. As physical interactions were deemed a risk, schools around the world transitioned from in-person learning to remote education. If you have kids, odd are that you are experiencing what many parents are experiencing when it comes to remote education. Learning gaps.

As we continue to navigate the challenges of remote learning, there is a chance that some of your children’s skills have taken a hit, their writing skills, for example. To ensure their writing skills aren’t slipping through the cracks, we’ve got seven tips to bolster your kids’ writing during remote learning.

Make writing a fun activity

Writing may not seem like an exciting activity for your kids and they may not take to it immediately. To ease them into outside-of-school writing, make it fun. You can involve games in their writing such as grammar games or spelling games. You can even involve the entire family to help them practice writing. 

For example…

• After a family movie night, you and your kids can sit down and write about the movie you saw.
• Play crossword puzzles or Scrabble with them to improve their vocabulary.
• Do a treasure hunt where your kids have to find clues around the house to form a sentence.
• Kids have wild imaginations so use that to your advantage.

Remember that your time and attention is the biggest motivation for your children.

Give them the freedom write about what they want 

If you are having a hard time motivating your kids to write, give your kids the leeway to write about whatever they want. Forcing them to write about a certain topic is not the best idea. Instead, let them choose their topic and allow them to write freely. (Or search goofy writing prompts for kids to jumpstart the process).

According to parenting essay writers and bloggers, kids can write about their favorite movie, favorite ice cream flavor, favorite games, whatever inspires them. Give them the freedom to write because they may have a lot to say when given a blank page and the boundless limits of their imagination. 

Have your kids write regularly

To make sure that their writing skills remain in great condition, it’s important to make writing a habit. Set a schedule where your kids get to write. For example, you can have them write every day, every week, or on the weekends. You can even set how much time they have to write, setting aside as little as 30 minutes for their writing time.

Talk to your kids and see what arrangement best fits. Since they are young, building up the habit of regularly writing will help it become a part of their lives and make writing more like a hobby than a have-to.

Give them a journal

An excellent place for kids to start practicing their writing is in a journal or diary. Encourage your kids to write whatever they want in their journal, whether it be about their day or their most personal thoughts and feelings. Let them know that their journal is a safe space for them to write regularly.

They do not even have to write essays; it can just be bullet points or short sentences. This way, your kids can have a place to practice writing and let out their thoughts. Journaling will be good for them mentally and emotionally.

Encourage the reading of good and interesting writing 

As they say, you cannot write good sentences if you do not read good sentences. Reading is a great way to help your kids in writing because it exposes them to new worlds, words, and ways to write. This can also help develop their vocabulary which will help them in their writing. 

Give your kids their own space to write

The best writing is done when you are in a place where you can concentrate and not get easily distracted. Give your kids the best writing experience you can by setting aside a certain area around the home for them to write in peace.

This space should be free from distractions and have everything they need to let their creativity flow. 

Be a supportive parent 

Be a motivating influence in your child’s writing journey. Do what you can to ensure that they feel like writing is worthy of their time – let them know that their words and thoughts matter. If your child invites you to read what they wrote, do not hesitate to read it. Show interest in their writing and be supportive and engaged in their writing.

Remember, they are just kids, not award-winning writers. If they need help, use the internet to your advantage as there are many websites to help with writing, vocabulary, and grammar. If your kids feel supported, they will be motivated to continue writing. With uncertainty about when the pandemic will have a definitive end, remote education may become the new normal for a while. 

Remote learning is not perfect and it’s a very real concern that it could leave kids with learning gaps. What we’ve shared here are just a few ways that you might help fill any writing gaps your child might be experiencing. On that note, encourage your child to be engaged with their teacher(s) and to ask questions. (Their teacher might have some excellent ideas for fun writing exercises that can be completed at home). Writing may seem like a boring activity, but there are ways to make it fun and engaging for your kids. 

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