By: Dr. Raymond J. Huntington

What is it about writing that causes some children to groan and throw up their pencils in frustration? Perhaps it is the difficulty of organizing their thoughts logically. It may be the meticulous fine tuning that goes into making each and every sentence sound just right. Or maybe it is the daunting look of a blank piece of paper when an assignment is due the next day.

Clear, coherent writing is an essential skill not only for most of your child’s classes, but nearly all jobs that he or she may have as an adult. Developing strong writing skills at an early age strengthens reading abilities and helps children learn to communicate effectively. However, despite its importance, convincing your young student that writing a book report is supposed to be enjoyable may be a challenge.

Here are several writing activities that will help your child develop good writing skills and have a little fun in the process:

*Write letters. Many children’s magazines and other resources offer free “pen pal” matching, where your child will be paired with another of a similar age in another state, or even another country. Ask your local children’s librarian for recommendations, or check out the children’s magazine section at the library or bookstore for lists of legitimate and safe pen pal services.

Another perfect pen pal could be Grandma, Grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousin, or family friend.   He or she may be willing and excited to correspond with your child through letters, and the thrill of receiving mail in return may entice your child to continue writing letters to multiple people.

*Keep a journal. Journaling or writing in a diary provides children with the opportunity to express their feelings or record memories that are meaningful to them. Encourage your child to write about things he or she is excited or anxious about, dreams, friends or things happening at school. Such freeform writing will help your child explore his or her mind and develop a regular (perhaps even daily) writing habit.

*Make lists. Sitting down to write grocery or to-do lists is the perfect time for parents to encourage children to join them and make lists of their own. Creating lists promotes organizational skills and teaches your child to brainstorm. Younger children might enjoy writing lists of their favorite songs, toys, friends or books, while older children may be more interested listing academic, personal or fitness goals they would like to accomplish.

*Play word games. Open any newspaper and you will find crossword puzzles and other word games that children may enjoy. Or, visit the magazine aisle at the grocery store to find entire books of crossword puzzles as well as anagram, cryptogram and other word exercises for children of all ages. These games are perfect for road trips, plane rides or to fill your child’s time during summer or holiday break.

As parents, the easiest way to promote writing is to show our children that it is the key to many fun activities. Whenever possible, join your child in a writing project. Set aside time in the day for letter or journal writing.  Remember to arm your child with plenty of writing tools—pens, pencils, lined and unlined paper, and a dictionary (or picture dictionary for a younger child)—and make sure he or she has a designated writing spot, such as a desk or other clean, quiet, well-lit area.

If your child continues to resist writing and this aversion is contributing to school struggles, there may be other issues at play that need to be addressed. At Huntington Learning Center we can perform a diagnostic assessment of your child’s current abilities, uncovering specific areas that may be hindering his or her writing, reading or other abilities. Talk to Maggie Lage in Newark or Harriet Weiss in Wilmington for help.

Testimonial:
“I am writing to thank you and your staff for the outstanding services that you recently provided to my son, Jeffrey. As you know, he completed a sixteen week program with Huntington that was designed to improve his performance on the SAT. For several months he attended weekly classes where he received support in reading, writing, and mathematics. We were very pleased to learn that he improved nearly 200 points! While we are pleased with his academic growth at AI du Pont High School and his maturation in terms of work ethic, we attribute much of his growth in his SAT score to his Huntington experience.

During my experiences as a high school principal at AI du Pont High School and Dickinson High School, I have become increasingly impressed by the services your program offers. At a time when earning a post-secondary degree is critical, your program offers young people the opportunity to improve their chances of admittance to their choice college &/or university.
Again, on behalf of myself and my family, I thank you!”
~ Sincerely, J. A. Lawson, Ed.D.

“To the exceptional staff at Huntington, THANK YOU hardly seems like enough for all you have done for Ernest.  Not only did his grades improve dramatically, but his self confidence sky rocketed. He is actually looking forward to starting 10^th grade in the fall. We are so thankful for your honesty, your input, and your kindness. You have made a difference, and we are forever grateful. May God bless each of you as you continue to touch the lives of many other young people.”

~With our most sincere gratitude, Ed & Rachel A.

Dr. Raymond J. Huntington is co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, which has helped children achieve success in school for over 31 years. For more information about how Huntington can help your child call 1-800-CAN-LEARN.

Maggie Lage is the Executive Director of the Huntington Learning Center in Newark, 34 Liberty Plaza, Kirkwood Highway, Newark, DE  19711. For more information or to schedule a consultation at the Newark location call 302-737-1050 or visit www.newark.huntingtonlearning.com.

Jay Weiss is the Executive Director of the Huntington Learning Center in Wilmington, which is moving to 3615 Silverside Road, Talleyville Shopping Center, Wilmington, DE  19810. For more information or to schedule a consultation at the Wilmington location, call 302-478-4242 or visit www.wilmington.huntingtonlearning.com.