How does good penmanship happen? How do you write a story or an amazing scholarship essay? Just like any skill, writing requires practice, practice and more practice. Encouraging your child to write well can be a daunting task if they don’t care for it. At A Grade Ahead, we know that making writing fun can help. The following is a list of ideas for making writing – both handwriting and writing with a purpose – more fun.
Are you interested in more enrichment for your child? A Grade Ahead has fantastic English classes that teach your child to write well at every age. They are both thorough and interesting! Take a free assessment today!
Handwriting
Buy or print some Picture Box with Primary Lines Paper. Give one sheet to your child each day to draw and write about their day.
Make handwriting exercises more fun with art. One way is to get a book that teaches art and writing. A great series I have used with my children is the Draw * Write * Now series by Marie Habitzel and Kim Stitzer. This is a theme-based drawing and writing system. They have 8 volumes covering farm animals, American history, Geography and Animals and their habitats. They all use block manuscript.
For cursive handwriting, we used Draw & Write Through History by Carylee Gressman. There are six volumes.
Copywork
Copywork is where you take a pre-selected passage and copy it down in your best handwriting. Not only does copywork help children practice their penmanship, but it also helps them see how well-written and memorable sentences are crafted. Some ideas:
- Copy favorite book passages.
- Copy the Declaration of Independence.
- Copy portions of great speeches.
Writing
There are so many options for writing creatively! Based on your child’s own interests, try some of the following:
- Write about a fun summer adventure.
- Start a journal.
- Keep a diary.
- Make a comic book.
- Write a tall tale.
- Write a fable. Join A Grade Ahead and learn more about how!
- Create greeting cards for your friends and family.
- Make a magazine.
- Write an acceptance speech for an award for bravery. A Grade Ahead covers speeches in the 7th Grade English curriculum!
- Make up a poem.
- Start a novel.
- Write a letter to a special family member.
- Get a pen pal.
- Create a newspaper.
- Write a blog post.
- Make a recipe book.
- Make up a scavenger hunt for your friends or siblings.
- Make a joke book by writing down all of your favorite jokes.
- Make a list of all your Lego creations or Minecraft strategies.
- Go on a walk and write about what you saw.
- Write a letter to your future self about your aspirations and dreams.
Want an even deeper dive into writing? Consider an enrichment camp that focuses on the skill! A Grade Ahead offers several different camps that may suit the needs of your child.
I hope this list has inspired a reluctant writer near you! Did it spark any ideas for your reluctant writer? Have you had success with any of these ideas? Let us know in the comments.
Author: Holly Manlove-Schaad, Teacher at A Grade Ahead, Inc.
