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Creative writing is a great pastime children should get involved in for a number of reasons. It can help them engage in stories more effectively, build their vocabulary skills, and even unlock creative potential in the future.
In this guide from a private school in Oxford, we explore some ways you can encourage your child to get involved in creative writing, so they can see the benefits for themselves.
To initially get your child into the groove with creative writing, you can look to explore your child’s favourite hobbies, interests, food, clothes and music, among many other things. Does your child have a favourite toy they like to play with? Or do they love a certain band and can’t get enough of them? Use these as prompts for your child to start writing about them as they’ll feel they have a lot to say, and it makes them feel happier about the process of writing.
Senses are a great way for a child to think more outside of the box. When they’re in a certain setting, ask them to think about what they can smell, what they can hear and what they can see around them. If they’re holding things, ask them how it feels – is it slimy or is it more rigid and harder to hold onto? Even asking your child these things in public will get them thinking more critically about the world around them and how they can be used to describe things in the future.
If your child really struggles to concentrate on writing and reading, you can look at ways to make it more relatable to their situation. For example, you can look at things they know from their own surroundings, like talking about their brothers or sisters, mum and dad, and other relatives.
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