How can a child who can talk your arm off transform into a whining, crying, complaining, about-to-go-into-the-fetal-position mess when given a writing assignment? What's so hard about writing?
Most kids who say they don't like to write say that because they don't think they are good at it. Given praise and positive feedback, many reluctant writers will blossom into authors. The key is giving them the tools they need to get their thoughts on paper, and then lots of encouragement with a focus on what they did right!
Heather Radar talks about using "wows and wonders" to encourage kids to write in her article "Coaching Reluctant Writers" for ChoiceLiteracy (click here to read). Wows for, "Wow, this part is great," and wonders for "hmmmmm......I wonder what you could do to make this part even better?"
Everyone likes to do things they feel proficient at and a little praise can go a long way in getting your child to write more. But the praise needs to be specific. Tell them exactly what you think is good and why it is. Then, instead of saying, "This part isn't very good. You should change it," guide them gently to a revision by saying something like, "Gee, this is so good, but you do seem to say he said over and over. I wonder if there are other words you could use that mean the same thing as said that might make your story more interesting?"
Who knows? Maybe your child will be a published author some day, thanks to your encouragement!
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