Ready to Write...?

So your child is ready to get stuck into their creative writing piece and produce that written work of art. If your child is raring to go, this is great news

In as much as you may now know what to / how to go about writing your piece, there are still a few more tips we’d like to offer, to make sure your child is fully equipped to produce the best write-up that he/she can.

Creative writing can be quite enjoyable and rewarding even though it isn’t always an easy feat. For some children, this may also fall well outside their comfort zone for different reasons – perhaps you aren’t sure of how to start or you have a very horrible case of writer’s block.

We have already given you tips on how to achieve that in a previous blog, so we won’t go into all of that again. But if you haven’t read our blog on that topic, click on the link below to have a read.

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/the-4-step-process-for-great-creative-writing

Your child may now be more confident in the process, which is great, but he/she will also need to make sure they are well equipped to carry out the process; after all they don’t want all of their hard work to be in vain because they didn’t have the right tools to carry it out now, would they...?

Before your child begins writing, he/she will need to make sure they have the right gear, to help them achieve their aim. We have put together a list of what we believe to be the 4 most important tools to have in your writing arsenal.

1. Pencil case

This goes without saying, you should have your pencil case complete with all of the contents in full working order – the pencils well sharpened. This is important because a blunt pencil might be the difference between a good-looking piece of work and a not-so-good-looking piece.

Sharpeners, rulers, pens (if your child has started using a pen), erasers etc There should also be back-ups in case one fails to do the job.

1. Dictionary

In addition to a pencil case, your child should also make sure he/she has access to a good dictionary. The dictionary can be a very useful resource if your child learns how to use it properly.

The dictionary can be used for looking up the definition of a word that is most appropriate to the given context.

The dictionary can also be used to confirm the following:

• The part of speech of a word
• How to pronounce a word
• The synonym/antonym
• Spelling
• Example of a sentence in which the word was used

All of the above can greatly help in providing a richer vocabulary to your child’s write-up

1. Thesaurus

A thesaurus can be a great tool for improving your writing. It can also provide that valuable assistance in inspiring words that are more vivid, imageful and to the point. This, in turn, will enable you to cut out the adverbs and adjectives that may overcrowd your write-up.

The thesaurus will enable your child to produce a piece with stronger and clearer language. Your child must, however, use the thesaurus with caution as it also has the ability to lead one to use language that is bogus and unnecessary.

The general difference between a dictionary and a thesaurus would be the former for spelling and the latter for variation and specificity.

A thesaurus can be used for the following:

• To help you recall a word you can’t remember
• Present the many options of a word, for you to be able to accurately choose from and not settle for the first word you think of
• To find strong and exact verbs and nouns that a reader can experience with their senses

It is important to note, that the thesaurus is there to enrich your child’s writing and not to fill it up with bogus and unnecessary words.

1. Descriptosaurus

The last in our list will be the Descriptosaurus. This is a great creative writing resource which will definitely expand and improve your child’s descriptive vocabulary. This is an area where children tend to struggle a lot –to come up with ideas to accurately describe settings, characters and creatures. The content in this book enables children to try their hand out with the language and sentence structure; to build up narratives around the already mentioned areas.

Your child will be reminded every step of the way to double check if their sentence paints a vivid picture for the reader. Now, how helpful is that...? Greatly, wouldn’t you agree?

With the above tools in your child’s writing kit, your child will definitely be able to produce a great write-up every time he/she puts pen/cil to paper. Happy writing!

For more posts on writing, have a look at the links below:

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/ten-tips-to-help-your-child-enjoy-writing

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/5-at-a-glance-essentials-of-story-writing

Leaders are Readers also have a writing workshop as part of the Language Sense Programme which would also greatly benefit your child. Click on the links below to find out more.

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/find-your-centre

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/english-programme