Many children are reluctant to write. They often find it hard to sit still, to concentrate, to actually use the pencil. These difficulties can all be overcome with practice, encouragement and the establishment of good work habits, along with lots of outdoor physical play and activity. However, when your young person has established all those good writing habits he might still find it hard because he doesn’t know what to write about.
One way to handle this is to give your child a diary. She can write a sentence in there each day, and maybe draw a picture. However, even this can become a chore and an imagination drainer.
It’s on those days that I use my “Sentence Starters”. These are attractive cards with the first half of a sentence on each card. The child looks through and picks out one he likes. He copies the first half of the sentence and then adds the ending himself.
Some “Sentence Starter” sentences to help you start your own collection are here. Type them or write them really neatly onto card. Use different colours to make the set more inviting. Put your set in an interesting box. (Old chocolate boxes, covered, make good containers for games like this)
- If I were grown up, I would…
- If I could give one piece of advice to any person in history, that advice would be…
- The best thing my dad ever taught me was…
- On my next birthday I would like to…
- In 20 years, I will be…
- I was most angry when…
- My perfect holiday would be…
- My worst mistake was…
- A country I would like to visit is …
- If I were Prime Minister I would …
- If I had $100,000 to give away; I would …
- The qualities that make a best friend are…
- If I were two centimetres tall….
- If I could meet anyone in the world….
- If I were invisible…
- If I had 3 wishes, I would wish for…
- When Mummy bakes muffins…
- When I play Lego…
- What I would really like to do is …
- When it is sunny…
- The thing I like best about my bed…
- I like it when…
- When Dad comes home…
Persist with this. Insist with this. Encouraging your children, to write with a pencil/pen on paper is teaching them a skill which develops thinking abilities beyond what you get with speaking or typing on a computer. Trust me, you will be giving your child a wonderful lifeskill if he can write his thoughts and opinions.
“A habit becomes morally binding in proportion to the inspiring power of the idea which underlines it.” Charlotte Mason Volume 3 page 110
Don’t forget that my online courses guiding you to successfully homeschool are here for just a short time more, so if you are wondering about joining me on a course now is the time to do it. I look forward to seeing you on a course. Check out Successful Homeschooling Made Easy to start with.