Helping Children Develop Positive Writing
Behaviors 
Children will experiment
with writing just like they do with reading. Writing helps children organize
their thoughts so they can express themselves. It also helps them begin to
put the "puzzle" of letters and sounds together and therefore, helps
the reading process. Children who have developed positive writing behaviors
will choose to write and will share their writing with you.
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Provide a variety of writing materials for
your child (e.g., paper, note pads, cards, post-it notes, pencils, crayons,
markers, clip board).
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Provide a special place where your child can
use the writing materials (e.g., spot at the kitchen table, a cleared coffee
table, a desk).
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Accept what your child writes. Children go through
stages of writing including scribbling, drawing pictures, and random letters
(alphabet soup).
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Respond to the content of the writing, not how
it looks or how words are spelled. Writing is not just copying.
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Provide a special place to display your child's
writing, such as the front of the refrigerator or a small bulletin board.
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Provide real reasons for writing (e.g., grocery
list, reminder notes, thank you notes, stories, signs).
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Answer your child's questions about writing.
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Help your child become self-reliant. If he/she
asks how to spell a word, help stretch it out so your child can hear the
sounds. Guide them through the word; do not get in the habit of spelling
words for your child.
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Write notes to your child and put them in special
places (e.g., bathroom mirror, lunch box, under the pillow).
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Be a model. Let your child see you writing.
Remember he/she wants to grow up to be just like you!
