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Developing Writing Skills

There are a number of ways for teachers to help their students develop good writing skills. Encouraging
students to start writing as soon as they can is the first and most primary method.

Building Foundations
For a child to write meaningfully and with pride, he or she must first hone their fine motor skills. Activities
that encourage growth in this area include:

• art projects
• working with clay
• measuring and pouring different liquids
• practicing writing

Practicing writing includes scribbling with pencils, pens, markers, or crayons. When a child is very young
and is just beginning to show an interest in writing, make paper and writing utensils available at all times.
Doing so will encourage any and all efforts the child shows to write and allows the child a chance to
practice their newfound interest.

When a child makes circles and other basic shapes, discuss these attempts with him or her in a positive
way. Point out shapes and draw them together. Have stencils available for tracing and encourage the
child to look at and talk about their work.

Reading and Writing Go Hand in Hand

Once a child has progressed past the rudimentary writing skills mentioned above, the push to develop his
or her writing begins to include reading, too. This is because reading and writing go hand in hand. The
ability to read is influenced by the ability to write and vice versa. By encouraging reading, the student
gains a definite advantage as a writer.

Word recognition is key in developing reading skills. When teaching word recognition, try the following:

• Pick out words that the student readily recognizes in magazines and books
• Talk about the similarities and differences in words (bell and dell, wall and walk)

Once the student shows that he or she has a grasp of some vocabulary words, encourage that student to
practice writing those words. Writing improves through practice and positive feedback. Have students
write letters to family members, thank you notes, notes to or about their favorite literary characters, or
even their own poems and stories.

Developing Writing Skills in Older Students

The purpose of writing is to communicate thoughts and ideas. This very fundamental concept should form
the basis of any writing development activities you plan for your students. The following activities utilize
this idea while encouraging an interest in creative writing: