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Step 1: Cultivate a Reading Habit

Step 2: encourage writing regularly, step 3: focus on vocabulary expansion, step 4: teach grammar and syntax, step 5: practice different types of writing, step 6: create a supportive environment.

Have you ever wondered why some children seem to excel at writing while others struggle to put their thoughts on paper? It’s a common concern among parents and educators alike, especially in a world where communication skills are more important than ever. Finding effective ways to improve writing skills for kids is a goal we all share, but how do we achieve it?

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This blog will cover a structured approach to developing your child’s writing skills . By the end of this guide, your child will be equipped with the tools they need to express themselves more effectively and confidently through writing.

• Start Early:

One of the most effective ways to improve writing skills in kids is to introduce them to the world of reading as early as possible. When children are exposed to reading from a young age, they not only learn new words but also understand how sentences are structured , and stories are built. This early exposure lays a solid foundation for their writing skills. 

• Diverse Materials:

To keep their interest alive and kicking, it’s crucial to offer children a variety of reading materials. By diversifying their reading materials, children explore different writing styles, learn new vocabulary, and understand various perspectives. This opens their minds to different ways of expressing thoughts, which is a key component in how to improve writing skills. SplashLearn offers a variety of books for kids to read according to their reading levels :

• Decodable Books
• Leveled Readers
• Bedtime Stories
• Story Books Featuring Fun Characters

Track Your Kid’s Reading Progress:

Talking about what they read is as important as the reading itself. When you discuss a book or any reading material with your child, you encourage them to think critically about the story, the characters, and the message. Ask them questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the character did that?”

This engages them in a way that mirrors the writing process. They learn to form opinions and articulate their thoughts, which are essential skills in writing. Engaging in discussions about reading materials is a powerful strategy as it teaches kids to connect with the material on a deeper level and express their insights effectively.

Begin with these reading skills enhancing games :

Encouraging kids to write regularly is a cornerstone in developing writing skills. When children make writing a habit, they improve their ability to express thoughts clearly and become more creative and confident. Here’s how you can support this habit:

• Creative Worksheets

Creative worksheets are a fun and effective way to engage children in writing. These worksheets can include word puzzles , word matching , and sentence completion exercises that make writing enjoyable and reinforce writing skills and strategies. By solving these worksheets, children learn to think creatively, structure sentences, and use new words, all of which are essential components of writing.

Begin here:

• Daily Journal

Maintaining a daily journal offers numerous benefits. It provides a personal space for children to express their thoughts, feelings, and daily experiences. This practice helps develop writing skills and encourages them to reflect on their day, fostering a habit of mindfulness and self-awareness. 

• Writing Prompts

Using writing prompts is a fantastic way to stimulate creativity in young writers. Prompts can range from imaginative scenarios to questions about their daily life, encouraging them to think outside the box and explore different writing styles. This exploration is crucial in developing writing skills, allowing children to experiment with their voice, tone, and narrative structures.

• Letters and Emails

In today’s digital age, teaching kids the value of writing to communicate with others is more important than ever. Writing letters and emails to friends and family members not only practices formal and informal tones but also emphasizes the importance of clear communication. It’s a practical application of writing in real-world scenarios, showing children the power and impact of their words.

Expanding a child’s vocabulary is a key factor in ways to improve writing skills for kids. A rich vocabulary allows kids to express themselves more clearly and creatively in their writing. Here are some effective methods to enhance their vocabulary :

• Vocabulary Building Worksheets

Adding vocabulary-building worksheets to your child’s learning routine is an effective method to enhance their word bank. These worksheets can range from matching words with their meanings, filling in blanks with appropriate words to creating sentences with new vocabulary. 

• Word of the Day

Implementing a “Word of the Day” strategy is a simple yet powerful way to expand your child’s vocabulary gradually. Each day, introduce a new word, its meaning, and how it can be used in a sentence. Encourage your child to use this new word throughout the day in their conversations or writing. 

Reading aloud to children, or having them read aloud to you, offers dual benefits. Firstly, it exposes them to new words in context, which is crucial for understanding usage and nuances. Secondly, reading aloud improves pronunciation and helps in retaining new vocabulary. This interactive activity also allows for immediate explanations of unfamiliar words, enhancing comprehension and the ability to use these new words in writing. 

Understanding grammar and syntax is crucial for children to write correctly and effectively. Here’s how you can help lay a solid foundation and improve their skills in this area:

• Basic Grammar

Starting with the basics of grammar is essential. This includes understanding parts of speech, sentence structure, and punctuation. Teaching basic grammar helps children form correct sentences and express their ideas clearly. By knowing how to construct sentences properly, children can communicate their thoughts more effectively, making their writing not only correct but also more engaging. 

Start here:

• Editing Practice

The importance of self-editing cannot be overstated. Encouraging children to review and edit their writing teaches them to pay attention to detail and critically evaluate their work. This practice not only helps in correcting grammatical errors but also in refining their writing over time. You can start with focused practice, such as looking for and correcting only punctuation errors, and gradually move to more complex aspects like sentence structure and word choice.

Diversifying the types of writing your child practices is key to developing well-rounded writing skills. Here’s how to approach this:

Exposing children to different writing styles and formats includes storytelling , descriptive essays , book reports, and persuasive essays , among others. Each style serves a different purpose and helps children learn to adjust their tone, vocabulary, and structure accordingly. For instance, storytelling encourages creativity and the use of descriptive language, while persuasive writing teaches them to present arguments logically. 

• Guided Writing

Structured guidance in writing is important, especially when children are exploring new types of writing. Guided writing involves providing a clear framework or outline for a writing task, which can help children organize their thoughts and focus on the task at hand. This could be as simple as giving them a template for a book report or a step-by-step guide for crafting a story. 

Through guided writing, children learn how to structure their work, develop ideas, and link thoughts coherently, which are essential skills for any type of writing. 

Constructive feedback is a powerful tool for fostering improvement in writing. When giving feedback, focus on both strengths and areas for improvement. Highlight what they did well to encourage them, and offer specific suggestions on how they can make their writing even better. 

For example, if a child writes a story, you might compliment their imaginative plot but suggest they develop their characters more deeply. Feedback should be a balance of encouragement and constructive criticism, helping children understand that writing is a process of continuous learning and growth.

Creating a supportive environment is crucial for children, especially for those who may be struggling with writing. A nurturing atmosphere can significantly enhance their learning experience and contribute to their writing development. Here’s how you can create such an environment:

• Setting Goals: The Importance of Achievable Targets

Setting clear, achievable goals is another essential aspect of creating a supportive environment for children learning to write. When setting goals, it’s important to ensure they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For a child struggling with writing, this could mean setting a goal to write a short paragraph each day, learning five new vocabulary words a week, or completing a simple story over a month.

• Encouragement: The Power of Positive Reinforcement

When you acknowledge their efforts and progress, no matter how small, you validate their hard work and encourage them to keep trying. Highlighting what they’ve done well before addressing areas for improvement can make them more receptive to feedback and eager to improve. This approach is fundamental as it builds a positive association with the learning process.

• Writing Space: Creating a Conducive Space for Writing

Designating a specific area for writing that is quiet, well-lit, and comfortable can help your child concentrate better and feel more inclined to write. This space doesn’t need to be large or elaborate; a small desk with organized supplies can make a big difference. A dedicated writing space signals to your child that writing is an important activity deserving of its own special place, thereby supporting them in their efforts to improve their writing skills.

• Be a Role Model: Demonstrating the Value of Writing in Everyday Life

By incorporating writing into your daily routine you demonstrate that writing is a valuable skill beyond the classroom. Whether it’s writing a shopping list, sending an email, or jotting down notes for a project, showing your child that writing is a part of everyday life can inspire them to explore writing outside of academic assignments. Being a role model in this way is one of the most effective ways to improve writing skills for kids, as it provides them with a tangible example to emulate.

Conclusion 

Improving your child’s writing skills is a journey that involves patience, practice, and support. By following these steps and consistently applying these ways to improve writing skills for kids, you can help your child become a confident and capable writer. Remember, every effort counts in nurturing their growth and love for writing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you help a child who is slow in writing.

To help a child who is slow in writing, encourage them with positive reinforcement, break writing tasks into smaller, manageable steps, and provide them with plenty of time to practice without pressure.

How can I get my 5-year-old to practice writing?

To get your 5-year-old to practice writing, make it fun by using colorful markers, engaging in activities like tracing letters in sand or with finger paints, and praising their efforts to keep them motivated. Incorporating writing into playtime activities can also be very effective.

What causes poor writing skills in students?

Poor writing skills in students can be caused by a lack of reading, insufficient practice, limited vocabulary, and inadequate feedback on their writing. Sometimes, it’s also due to a lack of interest or confidence in their writing abilities.

How can students improve their writing skills?

Ways to improve writing skills for students include reading regularly to enhance their vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure, practicing writing consistently, seeking feedback to learn from mistakes, and engaging in exercises that focus on different aspects of writing, such as grammar, punctuation, and style.

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How to Help Your Child Learn Writing Skills

Michele Constantini / PhotoAlto / Getty Images

Many kids just aren't that into writing, and it shows in their school work through the years.   You may save your child's cute early writings . But with the exception of homework assignments , writing isn't a big part of our kids' everyday life at home. What can parents do to help their child develop good writing skills during the elementary years?

Start Writing Early

Advancements in educational research shows that reading and writing development are intertwined in early learning.   The physical act of writing letters and early words enhances the child's ability to read. The complementary relationship between reading and writing continues long after these early efforts. Parents enhance their child's skills dramatically by encouraging the writing habit in childhood.  

Follow the lead of early childhood educators by allowing phonetic writing rather than worrying about proper spelling in preschool and kindergarten.  

Focus on the Building Blocks of Good Writing

A rich language environment is a foundation for good writing.   Games and activities that build vocabulary can help increase the range of words your child will know how to write. Word games are classic and fun for families. Now, you can find fun word games online or on mobile apps.

Checking your child's homework for spelling and punctuation errors will reinforce the skills your child is learning at school. When they have a report to write at home, help them take the time to write a first draft that you can check. Then, mark the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors for them to correct.

Most middle elementary children are able to use a word processing program to write reports. Teach your child to use the spellchecker.

Provide Tools and Opportunities for Writing

Mechanical pencils, gel pens, and plenty of paper, both lined for your child's grade level and unlined, should be available for spontaneous writing play and projects . Brightly colored note cards and stationery make writing letters and notes to friends and relatives a fun—and regular—writing habit. Let your child write the shopping list before a trip to the store. Encourage journal keeping for special times such as a family trip.   If your child has a creative streak, gifts of writing activity books will help to encourage that talent.

Learn Easy Strategies for Elementary Writing

Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, co-authors of The Well-Trained Mind , discuss a step-by-step guide to the writing process for teaching elementary students at home.   This includes practicing oral composition by encouraging your child to talk about what it is they are going to write. Children can also learn narration or dictation practice by copying sentences from books or from story dictation onto paper. This teaches sentence and paragraph structure.

Don't be discouraged by your elementary child's lack of writing skills, since every child develops at their own pace. As Julie Bogart, homeschool educator and founder of the online writing program, Brave Writer , states on her blog, "It is much more effective to look at how writers grow naturally than to focus on scope and sequence, grade level, ages, or the types of writing that ought to be done in some “established sequence.”"  

Your child will eventually develop good writing skills over the years with plenty of practice. Help them build their scope of language by encouraging them to talk about everything they're interested in—and then have them write it down. Remember, there's no need to be critical of their creative writing efforts, either. Make the process fun for them and they will foster a love for writing from an early age.

Goldstein D. The New York Times . Why Kids Can’t Write . August 2, 2017.

Lonigan CJ, Allan NP, Lerner MD. Assessment of Preschool Early Literacy Skills: Linking Children's Educational Needs with Empirically Supported Instructional Activities . Psychol Sch . 2011;48(5):488-501. doi:10.1002/pits.20569

James KH, Engelhardt L. The effects of handwriting experience on functional brain development in pre-literate children . Trends Neurosci Educ . 2012;1(1):32-42. doi:10.1016/j.tine.2012.08.001

Ouellette G, Sénéchal M. Invented spelling in kindergarten as a predictor of reading and spelling in Grade 1: A new pathway to literacy, or just the same road, less known? .  Dev Psychol. 2017;53(1):77-88. doi:10.1037/dev0000179

Rodriguez J. Scholastic. How Journaling Benefits Your Child . July 20, 2017.

Wise, Jessie, and Bauer, Susan Wise. The Well-trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home . United Kingdom: W.W. Norton & Company; 2004.

Brave Writer. Natural Stages of Growth in Writing .

By Kimberly L. Keith, M.Ed, LPC Kimberly L. Keith, M.Ed., LPC, is a counselor, parent educator, and advocate for children and families in the court and community.  

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Stages of writing development: Teach your child to write

When will my child start writing? What can I expect as she starts to develop these skills? How can I encourage my child as a writer? Find the answers in this article, where you'll learn about the four stages of writing development, plus how you can support your child as she goes from scribbling to sentences.

BabyCenter has partnered with HOMER, the essential early-learning program, to share expert advice to help children develop skills for school and life. BabyCenter may earn a commission from shopping links.

How writing develops

Preliterate stage: scribbling is good (0 to 2 years), emergent stage: letters appear in writing (2 to 4 years), transitional stage: letters start to become words (4 to 7 years), fluent stage: spelling starts to have meaning (5 to 6 years).

There are four stages that kids go through when learning to write: preliterate, emergent, transitional, and fluent. Knowing which stage your child is in – whether he's scribbling in the preliterate stage or using "dictionary-level" spelling in the fluent stage – can help you support his writing development. Your child's ability to write is dependent on his ability to master a wide variety of literacy skills including recognizing letters, interpreting sounds, and print awareness, such as the spacing of words.

Children love expressing their thoughts and ideas verbally. Putting those thoughts on paper (writing) happens in stages that kids work through at their own pace. Any ages mentioned below are "typical ranges" and should be used as general indicators. And remember: No two kids are the same. Some will develop writing skills quickly; for others, it will take longer. If you're concerned about your child's progress when it comes to writing, speak to his pediatrician or teacher.

In the first stage of writing development, any scribbling or drawing a child does is writing. As they watch you and other grown-ups write, young kids are encouraged to pick up crayons and start scribbling. This kind of pretend play shows that your child is thinking, "I'm a writer, too!"

It's a milestone moment when a child realizes her ideas can exist as writing. You'll know this is happening when you see her scribbling or drawing while saying words or telling a story. During this stage, applaud any and all attempts to write.

Tips for the preliterate stage

A great way to encourage your child as a writer – even in this early stage – is to say, "Tell me what you wrote." Kids love sharing their stories, and you'll delight in hearing the often-elaborate and fantastical thoughts that are behind those simple scribbles.

Keep paper and crayons or markers easily accessible so your child can start writing when inspiration strikes. Pens and pencils are fine too, but young children often have an easier time holding thicker writing tools.

You can also encourage your child by writing notes to her. A simple one that reads, "I love you!" waiting at the breakfast table can inspire a note in return.

Is your child scrawling lots of random letters on a page? That's excellent! This means he is in the second stage of writing development, which usually happens between the ages of 2 and 4. Kids in this stage are taking the big step from scribble writing to appreciating that the "scribbles" grown-ups use for writing are symbols called letters. They're not quite matching letters to sounds – at least not consistently – but they are beginning to understand that letters play a special role in writing. At the start of this stage, children might still use other symbols like drawings or squiggles. As they progress, kids start to use only letters and will firmly declare that they are writing.

Tips for the emergent stage

Teaching your child to write his name helps him understand that letters are used to make words. It also encourages the move from scribble writing to using letters as symbols. Once that's mastered, you can move on to teaching him to write words like "Mom," "Dad," and the names of other family members. Another fun idea: Make signs together for role-playing games, for example a STOP sign for when you're playing cars.

Reading is also important at this stage. A great way to encourage reading is to find time to read to your child everyday. In addition to encouraging him to love reading, reading aloud inspires his inner storyteller. He'll start to come up with his own imaginative tales. Reading aloud also reinforces the idea that words are made up of letters, and that words have specific meanings. When you read the same story over and over together, your child might begin to recognize some words. For many kids, this repetition isn't just a step toward reading but also toward writing. For example, once a child has seen the word "bug" in a story several times, he will start to recognize it. Once he recognizes it, he can move on to writing those three letters to tell his own story about bugs.

When kids start to realize that words are made up of sounds, and that letters represent these sounds, they stop using random letters in their writing. Instead, they start trying to match the sounds they hear in a word to letters they know. This cognitive leap often happens between the ages of 4 and 7.

A child might spell "My cat is happy" as "mi kat z hpe." This type of spelling is called "invented spelling." Evidence shows that this effort to match individual sounds in words demonstrates that a child's writing and reading skills are getting stronger.

During this stage, kids often reverse letters or mix them up. It might be tempting to fix your child's mistakes, but instead focus on the fun. Mistakes like this are common at this age and are part of the learning process. Encourage your child's writing and communication, and save the spelling lessons for when she's older.

Tips for the transitional stage

Encourage your transitional writer by making writing part of pretend play. Help her write a menu for a tea party with her toys, or a prescription for you when you're playing doctor. Hold on to these little gems. You'll both enjoy trying to decipher the invented spelling in years to come.

In this stage (which usually happens between ages 5 and 6), children begin to use "dictionary" spelling rather than "invented" spelling. The spelling may not be accurate, but children are now aware that different spellings can have different meanings. They'll even begin to memorize some words, especially tricky but common words (like "was," "and," "the"), so that they can spell them correctly.

Trying to push kids to this stage too quickly can sometimes inhibit them, as they feel the demand for perfect spelling. If you feel your child is struggling with the pressure to spell perfectly, a great way to alleviate the stress is to introduce the idea of drafts. You can emphasize that a first draft is just to get ideas out, and the second draft is to check spelling.

It is also helpful for kids to begin memorizing common sight words like "was," "the," and "of." These words occur often, and the sounds do not follow the basic rules of spelling. Memorizing them makes spelling a lot easier.

Tips for the fluent stage

Encourage your child to use writing to connect with people. Try writing short letters to each other or family and friends. Another fun way to make writing a social activity is to write shared stories: You start by writing the first two or three lines of the story. Then, your child writes the next few. After that, someone else takes a turn, and so on.

If your child isn't in the fluent stage and wants to play, he can dictate and you can write. Kids think of story ideas much faster than they can write them down, and this can cause frustration. When you write for your child, he gets to experience the delight of having his original stories documented. In time, his writing ability will match the speed of his thoughts. But until that happens, alleviate the frustration by offering assistance.

What writing stage is your child in? How are you supporting his writing future? Remember, each child goes through the stages of writing development at his own pace. He will move from one stage to the next as he develops a greater understanding of writing and his desire to write grows. Allowing your child to take his time going through the stages helps him stay excited about writing. Observe, enjoy, and encourage your child's growth within each stage.

Is your child ready to learn to read? HOMER creates a fun, personalized learn-to-read plan based on your child's skill level and interests. It’s research-backed and kid-tested to give your child the best start to the learning journey. BabyCenter parents get the first month free (and if you choose an annual membership, up to 4 months free). Opens a new window

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How To Improve Writing Skills For Kids: 14 Easy Tips

Writing — it’s an important form of communication and a key part of education. But in today’s technology-driven world, kids aren’t given many opportunities to practise and improve their ability to write. This leaves many parents wondering how to improve their child’s writing skills.

It takes time to develop strong writing skills, and it can be a tough task to accomplish. Thankfully, there are many things that parents can do at home to help improve children’s writing skills.

From fun activities to daily reading and writing sessions, these tips on how to improve kids’ writing skills will help your child build his or her skills in no time.

Improve your child’s communication skills with these simple and fun kids’ writing activities.

14 activities to improve kids’ writing skills.

Regular reading is a stepping stone to better writing and helps kids’ strengthen their writing skills. It helps expand children’s vocabulary and shows them different ways of using words. This also makes it easier for them to use these words in their own writing.

Make it Fun!

Create writing worksheets, try different materials, write letters.

Today, writing letters is a bit of a lost art. Encourage your child to write letters to friends or family members. Distant family members will especially love receiving handwritten letters and it’s a great way to work on improving writing skills for kids.

Encourage Journalling

Create a writing space, invest time, connect their interests, create story prompts.

A fun way to improve kids’ creative writing skills is to have them write short stories.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Make it part of your daily routine, praise their work, improving writing skills can be fun.

Writing is an important practical life skill. While developing great writing skills requires lots of time and patience, you can help your child with these simple writing exercises for kids.

Lots of reading, frequent writing time in a special writing area, and incorporating fun writing activities and games will all go a long way to giving writing skills a boost.

Need Extra Help?

If your child needs extra help improving his or her writing skills, Oxford Learning can help. Our English tutoring program helps develop kids’ writing and comprehension skills, from word recognition to paragraph writing. Contact us today !

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7 great ways to encourage kids’ writing

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team | Updated: December 7, 2023

Print article

It’s natural for young children to bubble over with ideas, schemes, and jokes. Unfortunately, capturing those ideas on paper does not always come as easily. Here’s how you can help your child get in the flow and learn to enjoy writing.

Help your reluctant writer at home

If your child struggles with writing, practicing at home will help, but you don’t want to make it seem like another school chore. The answer is to sneak writing into play — and vice versa.

As Joseph Pearce says in The Magical Child , “The child can never learn to play without the parent playing with the child. Play … is a huge creative potential built within the child, which never develops unless it is stimulated by the adult model, the parent.”

Remember that your role as a home writing coach is to have fun and to honor your child’s imagination. You don’t have to be the drill sergeant in charge of spelling. In fact, research shows us that in the long run, it’s far more important to encourage the communication of ideas than to hamper a child’s style for the sake of correct spelling.

Here are three key lessons from research that help back up the ideas shared here. “ Three lessons from the science on how to teach writing ,” a 2014 meta-analysis in The Hechinger Report , provides suggestions based on hundreds of studies. First, they advise trying to encourage all kids to write for 15 minutes a day, with extra time beyond that being even more helpful for maximizing writing skills. Poland raised their PISA scores after they implemented a rule requiring kids to spend four hours reading and writing each week.

“Write on a computer” is the second lesson. Why? Using software with spelling and grammar correction relieves kids from these distracting and demoralizing burdens, allowing them to focus on the substance of what they are trying to communicate. The third and final tip, “Grammar instruction doesn’t work” backs up the second lesson. According to the report, six different studies showed that writing quality deteriorates when kids are taught traditional grammar rules. Their essay grades drop below those of students spared the tedium of memorizing the functions of irregular verbs, conjugations, indirect objects, future perfect tense, and the like.

The root of the word “communication” is “to commune” — in other words, to coax the ideas in your child’s brain down through the paper and up into your brain. You can help by:

• Saying, “Let’s play a game.” There’s no need to mention “writing game” if your child is a reluctant writer
• Choosing subjects your child loves, like brontosauruses or monster movies or soccer or TV shows.
• Talking through ideas, asking questions, and listening carefully to answers.
• Making drawings, notes, and story maps together, if your child can’t remember ideas.
• Taking dictation or having your child use a computer.
• Praising honestly and liberally.
• Keeping games short.
• Sharing the work! Post written work on the wall or refrigerator, or sending it to family members and friends. Writing is meant to be shared.
• Quitting if it isn’t fun for your child or for you.

Try these writing games for grades K-2

Eat your words.

The reluctant writer of any age often needs to return to the word level. Make it fun by baking dinner rolls or cookies in the shape of words that mean something to your child. For example, if your child loves comic books, bend purchased dough into “Pow!” or “Shazam!” If it’s their birthday, bake their wish, like “Gameboy II.” (And if all this is too messy, use PlayDough or craft clay for words — but don’t eat it.)

Pretend you are stranded on an island somewhere in your apartment, house, garage, or local park. You need to write “Help!” so you will be rescued by planes that are searching for you. You don’t have a pencil or paper (and if you did, the writing would be too tiny to be read from the air). Tie towels around your head and take water (it’s hot on the island). You and your child must survey your surroundings and invent non-pencil ways to write HELP! If you’re in the bathroom, you might make giant letters out of toilet paper (and hope there’s no wind). If you’re in the garage, you might find paint and brushes. If you’re in the park, you can always write with your toe in the sand box. Suggest as little as possible, unless your child needs prompting. This game allows the child who balks at writing to experience the power of a single word when it is used for a reason. And if your child’s imagination is fertile, don’t stop at the first idea. Find as many ways as possible in each room or location.

Flying messages

You’ll need a ball or Frisbee, some tape, and paper cut into six 1-1/2 – 2″- wide strips the long way. Both you and your child should write three commands, one on each strip of paper, that tell the other person to do something physical. For example, you might write, “Hop on your left foot six times” or “Squeak like a mouse.” Try not to see each other’s commands. Go outside and stand as far apart as your child can toss the ball or Frisbee. You start the game by taping your first strip to the ball or Frisbee. Toss it to your child. They read the message and follow the instructions. Then they tape their first strip to the ball or Frisbee and return a flying message. If you don’t have a place to play outside or the weather won’t cooperate, you can stuff the message in a sock, ball it up, and toss it inside. (Hint: Don’t play this game on a day when you’re pooped.) In school, a child with learning problems may not connect why ideas in their head need to land on paper and be read. But when messages fly through the air, affect the other person’s behavior (and especially make them look silly), writing makes sense to the child.

Try these writing games for grades 3-5

Fortunately/unfortunately.

The writer Remy Charlip wrote a classic children’s book called Fortunately , in which one good event happens, followed by its unfortunate opposite. The book opens with, “Fortunately one day, Ned got a letter that said, ‘Please Come to a Surprise Party.’ But unfortunately the party was in Florida and he was in New York.” You do not need the book to play this game, but it’s more fun if you first read it together. (If your local public library doesn’t have the book, they can find it for you through interlibrary loan.) Each person playing the game receives one sheet of paper. Write in large letters at the top of a sheet of paper “Fortunately.” On the reverse side, write “Unfortunately.” Talk with your child about a trip they have always wanted to take. To Disney World? Across the United States by bicycle? To the moon? Help your child think of a first sentence about the trip, starting with something like “Fortunately, we won the lottery. Our whole family decided to buy bicycles and ride across the United States. Mother quit her job.” Write the “Fortunately” sentences. Then pass each paper to the other player. Turn it over and write the “Unfortunately” part. For example, “Unfortunately, it rained every day, and our bicycles rusted.” If your child wants to play more, you can either make new Fortunately/Unfortunately sheets or you can draw a line under the first part and continue the story. Number each part on the front and back, so you can read the finished stories out loud more easily. Remember, this is not the time to fuss about spelling. If it’s easier for your child with LD, let them dictate to you. Your role is to help your reluctant writer communicate their ideas to the world.

A day in the life

Photographer Rick Smolan has published a series of books called A Day in the Life… showing 24 hours in the life of an astronaut, a country, a state. Now it’s your child’s turn to create a similar book. Buy your child a disposable camera or let your child use your phone. Page through one of the Smolan books and explain the concept. Then talk about documenting one day in your child’s life (or the pet’s or sister’s or friend’s or whomever your child wants). Start the day by photographing your child asleep just before you wake them. Then let your child take a photo every hour of the entire day. (A timer set to an hour will help you remember.) Finish by taking a last shot of your child, asleep. Print the photos and paste each one on a piece of construction paper. Help your child write the details that explain each picture — why your child picked the subject, why it is important to their day, and who was nearby but not shown. Make a title page by writing “A Day in the Life of [your child],” with the date of the photographs. Punch three holes in the left margin and tie the pages together with yarn or dental floss. Keep the book forever, and show it to everyone. Talking about your child’s ideas is a crucial part of writing. It helps your reluctant writer capture those elusive details that sometimes scramble in their brain.

Family time capsule

Start by gathering a shoebox, paper and writing tools, and an envelope for each person in the family. Tell the family that you will be making a Family Time Capsule, to be opened in one or five or 10 years (or for whatever length of time you and the family vote for). It is to be a record of who you were, who you are today, and who you want to be. Have each member of the family write a private letter, telling the world about their life. Where were you born? How old are you today? What do you look like? What are your favorite activities? Foods? Books? Movies? Colors? Vacations? What’s going on in the world today? Where do you want to be in one or five or 10 years? If you have pets in the family, have the children write letters for the pets and take pawprints. When each person is finished, seal the letter in the envelope and write the person’s name and date on it. Then add more items to the Family Time Capsule, like baby and current photos, tapes of children singing and talking, postcards from vacations, and drawings. Also include the front page of today’s newspaper. Have everyone help seal the box with tape. Then write on the outside “Do NOT open until [date]!” Stash the box somewhere and forget it until Opening Day.

If I ruled the world

Your child has been elected to rule the world. They will need to give an acceptance speech on TV to their adoring subjects, but must supply the text of this speech to the person (you) who types it for the TelePrompTer. Other members of the campaign (i.e., the family) can also help with all steps leading to the final speech — proper costumes for Sibling Subjects, setting up the TV studio, and typing the speech. First, choose the props. What hat or crown should the Ruler of the World wear? What outfit? Does your child have a personal symbol of greatness, such as a favorite stuffed toy, blanket, item of clothing, or sports equipment? Set up the TV studio. You will need something to function as a camera (it can be pretend), lights turned on the Ruler, a microphone-like object, and something to serve as a podium. You can take a video on your phone. Now plan the speech. If your child has trouble with handwriting or sequencing, talk first about their ideas for ruling the world. What needs to be changed in the world? What would make it fun for their subjects to live in his world? Is there anybody your child wants to thank for helping them reach this important position? What are their plans for the future? If your child’s learning difficulties prevent them from handwriting comfortably, you can audiotape the brainstorming, jot down the key ideas, or take dictation. Then enter it into a computer or print by hand. Tape the papers together so that they form one long sheet. Have another child or friend hold up the paper next to the “camera” and let the Ruler deliver their speech. Share the video with family, especially at a gathering if you can, for the rest of your kid’s life.

Make writing a game, not a chore

Writing has many stages before it reaches paper — generating ideas, noticing likenesses, deciding on one main idea, eliminating other ideas, choosing appropriate words, and putting them in an order that readers can follow — and these stages can all be fun!

Your child may not always love to sit down and write. But if they can learn to enjoy the creative process and write for a reason and an audience, half the battle is won. Incorporate writing naturally into play and it need not be a chore for your child or for you. Let those ideas flow into print and sparkle.

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Promoting Preschoolers’ Emergent Writing

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Emergent writing is young children’s first attempts at the writing process. Children as young as 2 years old begin to imitate the act of writing by creating drawings and symbolic markings that represent their thoughts and ideas (Rowe & Neitzel 2010; Dennis & Votteler 2013). This is the beginning of a series of stages that children progress through as they learn to write (see “Stages of Emergent Writing”). Emergent writing skills, such as the development of namewriting proficiency, are important predictors of children’s future reading and writing skills (National Center for Family & Literacy 2008; Puranik & Lonigan 2012).

Teachers play an important role in the development of 3- to 5-year-olds’ emergent writing by encouraging children to communicate their thoughts and record their ideas (Hall et al. 2015). In some early childhood classrooms, however, emergent writing experiences are almost nonexistent. One recent study, which is in accord with earlier research, found that 4- and 5-year-olds (spread across 81 classrooms) averaged just two minutes a day either writing or being taught writing (Pelatti et al. 2014). This article shares a framework for understanding emergent writing and ties the framework to differentiating young children’s emergent writing experiences.

Understanding emergent writing

Researchers and educators often use the term emergent literacy to define a broad set of language and literacy skills focused primarily on the development and significance of emergent reading skills. To better understand writing development—and to support teachers’ work with young children—researchers have proposed a framework to explain emergent writing practices (Puranik & Lonigan 2014). The framework is composed of three domains: conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and generative knowledge.

Conceptual knowledge includes learning the function of writing. In this domain, young children learn that writing has a purpose and that print is meaningful (i.e., it communicates ideas, stories, and facts). For example, young children become aware that the red street sign says Stop and the letters under the yellow arch spell McDonald’s . They recognize that certain symbols, logos, and markings have specific meanings (Wu 2009).

Generative knowledge describes children’s abilities to write phrases and sentences that convey meaning. It is the ability to translate thoughts into writing that goes beyond the word level (Puranik & Lonigan 2014). During early childhood, teachers are laying the foundation for generative knowledge as children learn to express themselves orally and experiment with different forms of written communication, such as composing a story, writing notes, creating lists, and taking messages. Children can dictate words, phrases, or sentences that an adult can record on paper, or they can share ideas for group writing.

Developing conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge of writing

Children gain knowledge of and interest in writing as they are continually exposed to print and writing in their environment. There are multiple strategies teachers can use to scaffold children’s writing, such as verbally reminding children to use writing in their classroom activities and providing appropriate writing instructions (Gerde, Bingham, & Wasik 2012). By being aware of children’s current fine motor abilities and their progress in emergent writing, teachers can use a mix of strategies to foster growth in each child’s zone of proximal development (Vygotsky 1978).

Practicing name writing

One of the first words children usually learn to write is their first name (Both-de Vries & Bus 2008). Name writing increases children’s conceptual and procedural knowledge. Names are meaningful to children, and preschoolers typically are interested in learning to write the letters in their name, especially the first letter (Both-de Vries & Bus 2008). Namewriting proficiency provides a foundation for other literacy knowledge and skills; it is associated with alphabet knowledge, letter writing, print concepts, and spelling (Cabell et al. 2009; Drouin & Harmon 2009; Puranik & Lonigan 2012).

Preschoolers benefit from daily writing experiences, so it is helpful to embed writing in the daily routine, such as having children write (or attempt to write) their names at sign-in and during choice times. Be sensitive to preschoolers’ varying levels of fine motor skills and promote the joy of experimenting with the art of writing, regardless of a child’s current skill level. Encourage invented spelling (Ouellette & Sénéchal 2017) and attempts at writing letters or letter-like symbols.

As Ms. Han’s preschoolers enter the classroom, they sign in, with parental support, by writing their names on a whiteboard at the classroom entrance. Children in Ms. Noel’s classroom go to a special table and sign in as they enter the room. Ms. Patel instructs her preschoolers to answer the question of the day by writing their names under their chosen answers. Today, the children write their names to answer the question “What are your favorite small animals—piglets, ducklings, or kittens?” Juan and Maria help their friends read the question and write their names under the appropriate headings. Pedro writes Pdr under the piglets heading, Anthony writes his complete name under ducklings, and Tess writes the letter T under kittens. In Mr. Ryan’s class, children write their names during different activities. Today, children sign in as they pretend to visit the doctor in one learning center and sign for a package delivery in another. Meanwhile, Tommy walks around the room asking other preschoolers to sign their names in the autograph book he created in the writing center.

Tips for teachers

• Develop a sign-in or sign-out routine that allows children to write, or attempt to write, their names each day. In some classrooms, or for some children, the routine may begin with writing the first letter instead of the whole name or with scribbling letterlike symbols.
• Use peer helpers to aid children with the name-writing process.
• Model writing your name and promote name-writing activities in several centers through the day, such as having children sign their name as they write a prescription or when they complete a painting.

Learning from teacher modeling

When Ms. Noel sits with the children during snack, she talks with them about the different foods they like to eat. Ben tells her he likes chicken. She writes on a small whiteboard, “Ben likes chicken.” She asks Ben to read the phrase to a friend. Later, Ben writes the phrase himself.

Mr. Ryan conducts a sticky note poll. He creates a giant spiderweb and writes the question, “Are you afraid of spiders? Yes or no.” He gives the children sticky notes so each can write either yes or no and then place it on the giant web. This activity is followed by a discussion of spiders.

• Explicitly model writing by showing the writing process to children and thinking aloud while writing. Instead of writing the question of the day or the morning message before the children arrive, write it in front of them.
• ​Label specific items in the room, and draw children’s attention to the written words. Write out functional phrases on signs related to routines, such as “Take three crackers” or “Wash hands before eating,” then read and display the signs.
• ​Have the children paint large classroom signs related to themes being explored, such as the National Weather Station, Snack Bar, Public Library, or Entomology Center.

Writing throughout the day

Preschoolers enjoy experimenting with the writing process. Emergent writing experiences can include spontaneous writing during center time and teacherguided writing activities. Writing can become an important component of every learning center in the preschool classroom (Pool & Carter 2011), especially if teachers strategically place a variety of writing materials throughout the classroom and offer specific guidance on using the materials (Mayer 2007). (See “Learning Centers: Adding Meaningful Writing Materials and Literacy Props.”)

Teachers can intentionally promote peer-to-peer scaffolding by having children participate in collaborative writing experiences. Read-alouds are also a wonderful means of promoting writing; there are a number of stories that feature characters in books writing letters, stories, messages, and lists (see “Books That Promote Writing”). Model writing stories, making lists, or labeling objects, and then encourage your preschoolers to write a response letter to a character in a story, create their own storybook, or write a wish list or a shopping list. Such a variety of writing experiences will also build their generative knowledge of writing.

Ms. Han has strategically placed a variety of writing materials throughout the classroom—a scientific journal in the discovery area so children can record their observations and ideas; a graph paper notebook in the block area for drafting blueprints with designs and words; and a receipt book, paper, and markers in the dramatic play area. Savannah sits at the discovery center looking at a classroom experiment. Ms. Han asks, “Savannah, could you write about your observations in our science journal?” Savannah begins writing in the journal.

Three boys are playing in the block area. Ms. Han asks, “What are you building?” Marcus replies, “We are going to build a rocket ship.” Ms. Han says, “Could you create a blueprint of your rocket and then build it?” The boys eagerly begin drawing a plan. Several children in the dramatic play center are drawing different types of flowers for a flower market. Ms. Han says, “In a flower market, signs tell customers what is for sale and how much it costs. Would you like to create some signs?” The children readily agree and start to create signs.

• Strategically place writing materials, such as sticky notes, small chalkboards, whiteboards, envelopes, clipboards, journals, stencils, golf pencils, markers, and various types, sizes, and colors of paper throughout the classroom.
• Provide specific teacher guidance to scaffold children’s writing. While some children may be off and running with an open-ended question, others might be better supported if the teacher helps write their ideas—at least to get them started.
• Create writing opportunities connected to your current classroom themes or topics of interest. Involve the children in collaborative writing projects, such as creating a diorama after a farm visit and making labels for the different animals and the barn. With teacher support, the class could also develop a narrative to describe their farm visit.

Home–school connection

Ms. Noel wants to strengthen home–school connections with the families in her program. She decides to introduce the children to Chester (a stuffed teddy bear). She tells the children that Chester wants to learn more about what the children do at home and to go on some weekend adventures. She says, “Each weekend, Chester will travel home with a child in our class. During the time Chester stays at your house, take pictures of the activities you do with Chester and write about them in the Chester Weekend Adventures journal. At the beginning of the week, bring Chester and the journal back to school to share what you did. We will put Chester and the journal in the classroom library when he is not on a visit, so everyone can see where he has been.” The children are excited about taking Chester home and writing about their adventures.

• Find writing opportunities that strengthen home–school connections. For example, encourage families to create books at home related to a particular theme or a specific topic. Invite children to share their books with the class and then add them to the library.
• Invite families to share the types of writing activities their children engage in at home. Encourage parents to establish routines that include writing lists, messages, stories, and letters.
• Give families postcards to mail to friends in other states and countries. Have them ask their friends to mail a reply to the preschool class. Create a display of the return messages and postcards.

Teachers play an important role in promoting emergent writing development by scaffolding writing activities that engage young children in building their conceptual, procedural, and generative knowledge. Writing can easily be embedded in daily routines as children write their names, engage in learning centers, practice writing for a purpose based on teacher and peer models, and contribute to group writing activities. Be intentional during interactions with children and incorporate best practices. Promote the development of emergent writing—and emergent literacy—by implementing purposeful strategies that encourage writing in the classroom and at home. Teachers who provide young children with a diverse array of early writing experiences lay the foundation for kindergarten readiness. 

Authors’ note:  A special thanks to all of the teachers who participated in the Striving Readers Literacy Program and shared their literacy ideas. Thanks to Barbara Berrios for sharing the Chester Bear idea.

Both-de Vries, A.C., & A.G. Bus. 2008. “Name Writing: A First Step to Phonetic Writing? Does the Name Have a Special Role in Understanding the Symbolic Function of Writing?” Literacy Teaching and Learning 12 (2): 37–55.

Cabell, S.Q., L.M. Justice, T.A. Zucker, & A.S. McGinty. 2009. “Emergent Name-Writing Abilities of Preschool-Age Children with Language Impairment.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 40 (1): 53–66.

Dennis, L.R., & N.K. Votteler. 2013. “Preschool Teachers and Children’s Emergent Writing: Supporting Diverse Learners.” Early Childhood Education Journal 41 (6): 439–46.

Drouin, M., & J. Harmon. 2009. “Name Writing and Letter Knowledge in Preschoolers: Incongruities in Skills and the Usefulness of Name Writing as a Developmental Indicator.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly 24 (3): 263–70.

Gerde, H.K., G.E. Bingham, & B.A. Wasik. 2012. “Writing in Early Childhood Classrooms: Guidance for Best Practices.” Early Childhood Education Journal 40 (6): 351–59.

Hall, A.H., A. Simpson, Y. Guo, & S. Wang. 2015. “Examining the Effects of Preschool Writing Instruction on Emergent Literacy Skills: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Literacy Research and Instruction 54 (2): 115–34.

Mayer, K. 2007. “Emerging Knowledge about Emergent Writing.” Young Children 62 (1): 34–41.

National Center for Family Literacy. 2008. Developing Early Literacy: A Scientific Synthesis of Early Literacy Development and Implications for Intervention. Report of the National Early Literacy Panel . Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.

Neumann, M.M., M. Hood, & R.M. Ford. 2013. “Using Environmental Print to Enhance Emergent Literacy and Print Motivation.” Reading and Writing 26 (5): 771–93.

Ouellette, G., & M. Sénéchal. 2017. “Invented Spelling in Kindergarten as a Predictor of Reading and Spelling in Grade 1: A New Pathway to Literacy, or Just the Same Road, Less Known?” Developmental Psychology 53 (1): 77–88.

Pelatti, C.Y., S.B. Piasta, L.M. Justice, & A. O’Connell. 2014. “Language- and Literacy-Learning Opportunities in Early Childhood Classrooms: Children’s Typical Experiences and Within-Classroom Variability.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly 29 (4): 445–56.

Pool, J.L., & D.R. Carter. 2011. “Creating Print-Rich Learning Centers.” Teaching Young Children 4 (4): 18–20.

Puranik, C.S., & C.J. Lonigan. 2012. “Name-Writing Proficiency, Not Length of Name, Is Associated with Preschool Children’s Emergent Literacy Skills.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly 27 (2): 284–94.

Puranik, C.S., & C.J. Lonigan. 2014. “Emergent Writing in Preschoolers: Preliminary Evidence for a Theoretical Framework.” Reading Research Quarterly 49 (4): 453–67.

Rowe, D.W., & C. Neitzel. 2010. “Interest and Agency in 2- and 3-Year-Olds’ Participation in Emergent Writing.” Reading Research Quarterly 45 (2): 169–95.

Schickedanz, J.A., & R.M. Casbergue. 2009. Writing in Preschool: Learning to Orchestrate Meaning and Marks . 2nd ed. Preschool Literacy Collection. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Vygotsky, L.S. 1978. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes . Ed. & trans. M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman. Rev. ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wu, L.Y. 2009. “Children’s Graphical Representations and Emergent Writing: Evidence from Children’s Drawings.” Early Child Development and Care 179 (1): 69–79.  

Photographs: pp. 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, courtesy of the authors; p. 74, © iStock

Teresa A. Byington, PhD, is an associate professor and extension specialist in early childhood education at the University of Nevada, Reno–Cooperative Extension. Her expertise includes early childhood language and literacy, social-emotional development, and professional development of teachers (coaching and training). [email protected]

YaeBin Kim, PhD, is an associate professor and extension specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno–Cooperative Extension. Her areas of specialization include emergent language and literacy, parenting education, and child development. [email protected]

Vol. 72, No. 5

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Teach Your Child To Write – 12 Step Plan

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Teaching your child to write may appear daunting, but there are many things you can do to encourage your child to become interested in writing. 

The most important part is to get them to start to really enjoy writing.

Enjoyment really is the key word for young children. 

I have taught children between the ages of about 3 to 6 for the best part of 25 years now, and I have noticed one thing again and again…

The first thing to remember is that if a child starts to feel even a whiff of pressure, they are likely to be turned off writing, and it can very quickly become a battleground.

Many children are reluctant to write because they have been put off the process at an early stage, so the key to your child becoming a successful writer is making it fun, fun, and even more fun.

Here is my guide to getting your child ready to write successfully.  Remember, you are your child’s most important role model, and so they will need to see you enjoying and modeling writing too. You are the key person who will have the most influence over your child’s attitude to reading and writing.

Here are the 12 steps. Please note – even though I have tried to put these in order, lots of these steps will be happening  simultaneously . The road to writing has many paths that join it.

Step 1 – Notice Print In The Environment

This is the first step to getting your child to become a writer, and it can start from a very early age. When you are out together, try to make an effort to notice print all around you. As you walk or drive in the car, talk about signs, symbols, billboards, and anything you can spot with letters or numbers on it.

The big yellow M sign for Mcdonalds’ is often recognizable to children from a very early age. This is the beginning of understanding that letters and symbols carry meaning, which is a very important step in the writing process.

Children will start to understand that print carries a meaning long before they learn to read and write. Talking about print all around you will help your child understand that writing has a purpose in our day-to-day lives, which will motivate them to want to write.

A few common signs you can point out when you are out and about are:

• The big yellow M for McDonalds
• The lettering on your local supermarket, e.g., TESCO or ASDA
• The street signs where you live, e.g., Crown street or Cherry Hill Avenue.
• The name of your local school
• Open and Closed signs on shop doors

You can continue this at home too:

• Read out the ingredients on a packet of food.
• Look at letters or junk mail.
• At bath time, read the labels on the shampoo or the conditioner.
• Read out the TV guide from the TV screen.
• Read aloud text messages on your phone.

Try to do this in as natural a way as possible. Just talk about it in a passing conversation. Don’t force your child to learn the letters or say the sounds. At this stage, you are just drawing your child’s attention to print in their world, which is enough.

Step 2 – Model Writing Yourself

It would be quite usual today if your child has never actually seen anyone write anything.

Most forms are completed online, and most people use their phones to write emails or texts, so picking up a pen and paper is less common than it used to be. Many young children have actually never seen an adult write anything before they start school. 

You can give your child a big head start here by modeling the writing process in your day-to-day life so that your child can actually see how writing works. You don’t need to do any more than let your child see you with a pen and paper in your hand for them to understand that you are writing for a purpose.

Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Write a shopping list before you do the weekly shopping.
• Write out a recipe before you cook a meal.
• Write a list of things you need to take on holiday
• Write down directions to somewhere you are going to visit.
• Write a note to someone
• Write a to-do list of jobs
• Draw a picture for your child and pin it up

Whatever it is, simply let your child see you writing instead of typing or texting. But remember, don’t make a big deal of it or attach any pressure to it. Just make writing as natural a part of life as you can.

3. Make Marks Everywhere

If you follow steps one and two, your child will gradually start to understand that the marks and writing you are making and the print they are seeing all around them carry a meaning. The next step is to introduce your child to mark-making. Children start to make marks very early on in their development.

Even as a baby, they will start to make marks. You may have noticed how they use their fingers to draw with their food on their high chair tray. This often happens around the time children start to feed themselves. They will push their yogurt or their spaghetti sauce in circles and make tracks in their food.

It’s very messy – but it is actually the beginning of the writing process. Your child is beginning to understand that they can make different marks.

Encourage your child to make marks in as many different ways as you can. The more experience they have in making marks in different ways, the better.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Draw with your finger in condensation on a window.
• Draw with sticks in mud or with your fingers in wet sand.
• Use a blob of shaving foam and make marks against the side of the bath or on a table.
• Splash and splatter with paint on paper (outside  is a good idea here!)
• Use branches, leaves, and twigs as paintbrushes to make marks
• Make marks in play dough with tools like a spoon, chopsticks, or toy wheels
• Roll toy cars in paint and make tracks on paper
• Use chalk to make marks outdoors on walls
• Use buckets of water and paintbrushes to “paint” the walls outside
• Make pastry and use tools to make marks on it

There are endless ways to make marks. Have fun, and don’t be tempted to start teaching your child to write letters or numbers yet. At this stage, you simply want them to have fun and understand that they can make marks.

Often, during this stage, children will scribble on walls or furniture because they are experimenting with making marks in all its different forms. It is important that they do understand that there are boundaries, so gently remove the crayons or pens and show them how to write on paper, not walls.

If you don’t have any paper to hand, you can collect old junk mail and envelopes from scribbling on.

4. Draw Together

Drawing comes before writing and is an important step. Keep an eye on your child’s mark-making, and you may start to notice that, gradually, they will move from making random marks to making more distinct lines, swirls and shapes. This is another big step forward in the writing process.

At this stage, it’s a good idea to model some drawings with your child and play drawing games with them. Start to draw a simple picture for them.

Tell your child that you will draw a picture of them and start with two simple circles.  As you draw their eyes, nose, and mouth, tell them what you are doing, and add arms and legs.

Don’t put any pressure on your child to draw themselves. Just let them see your drawing. If they ask you to add other details, like hair, show them how to draw hair. Keep going with this, modeling lots of simple pictures for your child.

You can draw things like:

• Family members
• A dog / cat

I like to use black biros and white paper when children are at this stage. Young children seem to really like the clear, precise pictures that black fine-line pens make.

Your child may want to have a go themselves, or you can invite them to add to your drawings by saying things like, “can you add more legs on the spider?” Don’t force it if they don’t show an interest. This should be a fun stage. Praise all your child’s attempts at making marks, so they feel successful.

If you are interested in the early stages of writing development and want to know more, try the following:

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2017/emergent-writing

5. Slowly Introduce Writing Patterns

Gradually, you will notice your child’s attempts at drawing starting to change. This is a slow process and can take a long time for some children, so there is no need to panic if you don’t immediately start to see clear pictures and letters emerging.  This is sometimes known as the emerging writing stage. Random marks and dots will gradually turn into scribbles, and the scribbles will gradually change into marks like straight lines, curves, and spirals. If this happens, it’s a really encouraging sign, and your child is on track to be a writer. If it isn’t  – don’t worry; you just need to keep repeating the steps above and providing lots of opportunities to draw and make marks.

When your child is ready, you can show them some writing patterns. The aim here is to help your child gain a little bit more control over their mark-making, but beware! This can often be the stage where too much pressure can turn children against writing.

Keep it lots of fun and write together in lots of fun ways. You can model writing patterns such as:

• Straight lines

This can be done in as many ways as possible. For example, draw in chalk on the wall and ask your child to copy, paint zigzags or waves and ask your child to go over yours, make wavy lines, dashes and dots in shaving foam. Keep it interesting and fun and praise all attempts, but when your child is not interested or has had enough, let them go and never force them to make marks with you.

6. Read Together

It’s often said that the best writers are readers, and that is so true. Read to your child as often as possible. You can start this as early as the day they are born. Don’t be tempted to substitute a real book for an electronic store.

Remember that you are your child’s most important role model, so if they see you reading a book, they will know that reading book is important to you, and it will automatically become important to them.  When you are reading together, you can mention things like the book’s title, big, exciting letters, or speech bubbles in a story.

Point to the writing as you read aloud, but be very careful not to “teach” reading. The most important thing to do here is to show your child how great a wonderful story can be. They will gradually begin to understand that both the print and the pictures in the story are important.

You can just “happen to notice them” as you are having a lovely time together.

7. Write For A Real Purpose

As mentioned earlier, children have fewer opportunities to see the actual writing process happening in their day-to-day lives now that there is so much technology around. Technology is great, and children also need to see how phones, laptops, and tablets work as they will be using them in the world, but they also need to see that we need to be able to write for a real purpose.

Once your child is at the emerging stage of writing (starting to scribble and make some distinctive shapes and marks), you can encourage them to write with you. The more purposeful the activity is, the better motivated your child will be.

Here are a few ideas to get started:

• Write notes for each other and hide them – play a game to find them and read them out.
• Write a letter/postcard  to a family member
• Write a shopping list together
• Write a list for Santa Claus
• Draw a simple treasure map to find some treasure in a hiding place
• Make a card for someone you love

You can also start to model typing on a keyboard at this stage so that your child can see you touching letters and numbers to communicate meaning, but try to keep the focus on writing with a real pen or pencil as well.

8. Writing Materials

Having writing materials to hand is important at this stage to keep the encouragement and momentum going.

Have a writing box filled with pens, pencils, crayons, felts, markers, and a small pair of scissors. Pound shops are a great way to pick up writing materials and paper at a good price. You can also recycle any old birthday cards, old envelopes, and scraps of recycled cardboard too.

Praise your child for all their attempts at writing (even if it doesn’t look anything like writing yet). The fact that your child is choosing to write and is beginning to hold a writing implement is brilliant.

Most children will use a fist grip when they start to write. Please don’t worry if they do – this is very normal. Praise their attempts, tell them they are a wonderful writer and keep adding to the writing box. It’s a good idea to write your child’s name on their pictures. That way, they can see you modeling writing, and they will begin to understand and gradually recognize what their own name looks like.

9. Play Games With Writing

When your child makes more defined shapes, you can start having some fun with writing.

Try these suggestions for games that will encourage your child to write for a purpose without even realizing it:

• Play noughts and crosses together, either on paper or outside, using chalk.
• Make a tally of how many birds you can see in the garden by drawing a line on paper for every one you spot. Count up all the lines.
• Go on a mini-beast hunt and draw simple pictures of what you find.
• Take your pencil for a walk and ask your child to copy your pencil. Then swap, and you copy their writing tracks.
• Have a teddy bear’s picnic and “write” name cards for all the toys.
• Use post-it notes with pictures of forfeits on, like 10-star jumps, sing a song, and touch your toes. See how many you can do in 1 minute.

10. Receive A Letter

Receiving a letter is a brilliant way for your child to understand that writing carries meaning. Write a simple letter to your child, address it to them, and post it. When the letter arrives, you can show them their name on the top of the envelope. Let them open it and see the writing inside.

You could draw a picture, too, if you wanted to. Read it out to them and encourage them to “write” a letter back. It may be old-fashioned, but there is something really special about receiving a letter addressed to you. If you have a family member that you could write to and receive a reply – even better!

11. Write Together

By this stage, your child should be enjoying reading with you, mark-making together, and having plenty of fun. You may have noticed some letter shapes or numbers starting to emerge. Children often start writing by copying the initials of their first names.

Encourage them to do this if you think they are ready, but always remember not to force it. They will do it when they are ready.  You can support them by writing their name in large letters for them to copy-write over the top. If you want to support your child to start writing letters at home, use small case letters apart from the initial of their name.

12.  Praise All Attempts

When your child starts to have a go at writing themselves, it may well look like hieroglyphics, but that is perfectly ok. The fact that they choose to have a go is the best sign in the world. Give them lots of praise and display the writing to show them that you value all their attempts. Pin it up on the fridge or noticeboard and tell them how proud you are of them.

Children go through lots of different stages before they start to write letter shapes and numbers.

Their writing will gradually emerge when they are ready. We need to provide the tools for mark-making and writing, we need to give them the enthusiasm and real-life purpose for writing, and they will do the rest themselves.

There is further information available on the Government website :

https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/literacy/writing

The Stages of Writing Development in Early Childhood

• brightwheel
• Child development

Writing is a difficult skill that children develop over time. As children learn, they progress across several writing development stages that build upon other early skills that children must master, like phonological awareness, letter recognition, and fine motor skills. For example, learning to grip a pencil and form letters helps strengthen hand and finger muscles. Additionally, learning to read and identify sounds in letters plays an important role in writing development.

In this article, we'll cover the stages of writing development and activities to promote writing skills.

Why is the development of writing important?

The development of writing skills in early childhood lays the foundation for effective communication, critical thinking, and academic success. Learning to write allows young children to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions in a tangible and meaningful way. It helps them develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness .

Writing also nurtures creativity and imagination, allowing children to explore and articulate their unique perspectives. Additionally, writing enhances cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, organization, and attention to detail. As children progress in their writing skills, they become better equipped to navigate the world of literacy, engage in complex tasks, and excel academically across various subjects. Ultimately, the development of writing in early childhood equips children with a powerful tool for self-expression, personal growth, and future achievements.

What are the stages of writing development?

Learning how to write is critical when developing emergent literacy abilities . Although children reach writing milestones at their own pace, there are various stages of writing development that all children progress through as they gradually master the skill. Below, we talk about each stage in more detail.

Drawing/scribbling or "pre-phonemic"

Around 15 months to 2 years old, children embark on the first stage of writing development. During this time, they're scribbling and drawing while also learning how to hold and grip a pencil or crayon properly. As their teacher, you can encourage them to doodle or draw whatever's on their mind and anything in front of them. 

While in this pre-phonemic stage, you may see a lot of different types of drawings. Over time, they'll progress from random scribbling to controlled scribbling, and so on.

Letter-like forms and shapes or "early phonemic"

After the pre-phonemic stage, children progress into the early phonemic stage. As their skills develop, they often start recognizing patterns and incorporating letter-like forms into their drawings. This might include lines, dots, and curves. In addition, they begin to acquire basic phonological awareness skills and understand that sounds are assigned to letters. 

Strings of random letters 

In this stage, your children understand that symbols represent letters of the alphabet. While they may not know all the letters of the alphabet, they are beginning to realize that by stringing them together, they can convey meaning. Spacing often isn't present during this stage, but you will see them stringing together letters, numbers, or even shapes in a single line. Although this writing may have little meaning to you, the child can tell you what they wrote. 

In addition to recognizing what the alphabet is used for, they're also improving their motor skills . During this stage, they have better control over their writing tool. They're also getting better at copying what they see. This is a great time to encourage your children to look around the classroom for ideas to inspire their drawings and engage with them to learn more about their illustrations. Ask them if there's a story behind what they drew, and urge them to write about it.

Invented/transitional spelling

Invented spelling is a child's best attempt at spelling a word. For example, if they're trying to spell the word "is," they may sound it out and spell it as "iz." This stage allows your children to develop a deeper understanding of phonetics and how to spell words correctly. It is essential to provide them with the support and encouragement they need to improve this skill. Don't hesitate to guide them in sounding out words, spelling, and writing them. 

The invented or transitional spelling stage is a natural progression in the stages of writing development. It allows children to gain confidence in their capabilities, control the learning process, and express themselves better. This stage also allows them to practice phonics, using letters to sound out the words they often hear. Learning the phonetics associated with words can positively impact your child's reading too, as reading and writing go hand in hand. 

Conventional writing and spelling

In the last stage of writing development, children begin to spell words correctly and understand sentence formation and punctuation. They also know the correct use of uppercase and lowercase letters. 

Preschool writing activities for writing development

By incorporating various activities and writing materials into your lesson plans, you can keep your children engaged while also helping them improve their skills. With a tool like brightwheel's Experience Curriculum , you can match flexible lesson plans for baby, toddler, and preschool age groups to the hands-on learning materials in the monthly curriculum kits. You can support child development, track progress, and keep families connected to their child's learning.

Below are some writing activities suitable for each different stage: 

Pre-phonemic

Pre-phonemic activities encourage fine muscle development and coordination and help children process sensory information.

• Finger painting: This encourages children to follow the lines of pre-drawn shapes and letters on paper.
• Play dough: Creating with play dough or clay is a great way for children to enjoy some sensory fun while also strengthening fine motor skills that will later be used to hold and manipulate writing instruments. They can roll, squeeze, or form the clay into shapes.  
• Magnetic letters: Use magnetic letters to teach your children the alphabet and letter-sound correspondence.

Early phonemic

Early phonemic activities teach children letter-sound correspondence to improve their phonological skills.   

• Rhyme time: Introduce a set of rhyming words to children. For example, if the word is " cat ," they can rhyme words like " bat ," " hat ," and " rat ."
• Sound sort: Prepare a collection of objects or picture cards with different initial sounds. Have children sort the cards into groups based on the sound they hear.
• Clap it out: Teach your children about syllables by clapping out the syllables in different words or phrases.

Strings of random letters

During the strings of random letters stage, children understand the concept of composing words with letters. They'll start with long lines and eventually progress to groups of letters with spaces that resemble actual words.

• Message cards: Give children blank cards or small pieces of paper and encourage them to write messages using their random letter strings. Emphasize the idea that their message can be understood even if the letters don't form real words.
• Name tracing: Help children practice writing their names by providing dotted lines for them to trace over. Encourage them to use their random letter strings alongside the correct letters to reinforce letter association and recognition.
• Story starters: Give children sentence or story prompts and ask them to continue the story using their random letter strings. This encourages imagination and storytelling skills while practicing letter formation.

The focus during this stage is on encouraging creativity, expression, and building confidence in writing. Transitional spellers will continue to explore sight words . 

• Writing center: Set up a writing center in your classroom with various writing materials like paper, pencils, markers, and stickers. Allow children to engage in open-ended writing activities, such as creating stories, drawing pictures, or making cards for friends or family.
• Sentence building: Provide sentence starters or simple prompts and encourage children to expand on them using invented spelling. For example, "My favorite animal is _____ because _____."
• Word wall: Create a word wall with commonly used words in the classroom. Encourage children to refer to the word wall when writing and attempt to spell the words independently.

Guide your children through the stages of writing development

Early educators play a key role in helping children develop their writing skills. By providing plenty of opportunities to scribble, draw, and trace letters, you can encourage early writing attempts. As children build upon their skills gradually, they will have a solid foundation for later reading and writing success.

Brightwheel is the complete solution for early education providers, enabling you to streamline your center’s operations and build a stand-out reputation. Brightwheel connects the most critical aspects of running your center—including sign in and out, parent communications, tuition billing, and licensing and compliance—in one easy-to-use tool, along with providing best-in-class customer support and coaching. Brightwheel is trusted by thousands of early education centers and millions of parents. Learn more at   mybrightwheel.com.

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Writing for children is often seen as a very specific form of writing: a completely separate genre. However, this is not strictly true. Writing for children is different in some ways: the length of the text, for example, and the use of illustrations. However, in other ways it is very similar to any other form of creative writing .

The best writers of books for children have often not set out to write a children’s book. It has simply been either just what happened, or the best way to express their ideas (see box).

The voices of experts

“I don’t write for children. I write — and somebody says, ‘That’s for children!’”

Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are

“The third way … consists in writing a children’s story because a children’s story is the best art-form for something you have to say: just as a composer might write a Dead March not because there was a public funeral in view but because certain musical ideas that had occurred to him went best into that form.”

C. S. Lewis, author of the Narnia stories.

This page provides some tips and ideas about how to write a compelling book for children. It mostly applies to fiction, but some of the ideas will also work for non-fiction.

Finding Your Idea—and Making It Unique

Children’s book editor Matthew John Fox suggests that one of the main reasons why children’s book ideas are rejected is because they have already been written.

To avoid this, he suggests that you should choose your best idea, and summarise it in a single phrase. You can then either search Amazon, or simply Google your phrase together with the words ‘children’s book’. This will show you what other books are out there on a similar theme.

You can then use this information to tweak your idea, and make it unique.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing if there are other, similar, books already out there. It shows that there is a market for your idea. You just have to make sure that your idea has something unique about it.

For example, you might change your main character, or write from a different perspective, or set your story in a different time period or geographical location. You need to able to articulate clearly what your book can add.

Deciding on Your Audience

Maurice Sendak may have just ‘happened’ to write a book for children, but this doesn’t necessarily work for most writers.

Instead, it is generally recommended to decide on the age of your target audience, because this has implications for the content, language and length of your book.

You can write a children’s book of any genre, for any age group—you just have to target it right.

Books for younger children generally have fewer words, and more pictures. Indeed, you do not actually need many words to make a strong story.

Stories minus words

Some of the best picture books have almost no words. They tell the story through the pictures, and perhaps a little dialogue.

Very good examples of this include Goodnight Gorilla and Jez Alborough’s series of books about Bobo, the little chimpanzee.

The absolute maximum number of words for a picture book is 1000 words—and fewer is likely to be better. Once you get onto chapter books for readers aged seven and above, the number of words increases, but you should still be aiming to keep it below about 10,000 until you get onto teenage fiction.

Developing Characters

Generally speaking, you need a good main character or two: someone whom your readers will care about. This will keep them reading to find out what happens to those characters.

You need to consider your characters’ genders and ages. This may be affected by (and affect) your audience (see box).

A matter of gender

Children’s books often have two (or more) main characters, and usually at least one boy and one girl. This seems likely to be so that they appeal to a wider audience.

Books that are only about boys are generally aimed at boys, and vice versa.

It is a generalisation, but many boys prefer to read about boys, and many girls about girls. This is, oddly enough, often particularly true of younger children, who are trying to work out gender norms from what they see around them.

However, good strong characters, and good stories, transcend these gender norms and preferences. You can also get round any gender issues by using non-human characters, such as animals, aliens or even machines—though even these are often given genders in stories.

When choosing the ages of your characters, remember that most children like to read about characters who are older than them. For example, books aimed at children aged five to eight years, generally contain characters who are 10 or 11 years old.

Plotting Your Story

Generally speaking, children want and need you to get to the point quickly .

They don’t want back-stories, or lots of detailed description. To be fair, this is also true of many adults—but it’s especially true of children.

A top tip, then is just to launch straight into your story. Make sure that the main problem or action is introduced early—preferably on the first page.

Your plot then revolves around how your main characters solve the problem, usually overcoming a series of obstacles.

The key here is to get the right number of obstacles, of the right level of difficulty—and find a way for your characters to overcome them. This may be through the intervention of someone or something, or they may simply solve the problems themselves.

Choosing Your Words

Choice of words is key in children’s books. You have to pitch them at the right level—simple enough to understand without a dictionary, but complex enough to be interesting.

Many children’s books use repetition of phrases, ideas or sounds (through rhyme) as a way of creating interest (see box). This technique is also good for creating continuity, and makes the book more memorable.

Repetition in children’s books

We all like repetition. It helps us to remember ideas and images.

Many picture books use repeated phrases, ideas or sounds, often building them up through the book. Examples include:

• Dr Seuss’s fabulous use of both rhyme and building up longer phrases.
• Popular board books for very young children such as ‘That’s not my…’, which build on a repeated phrase (“That’s not my lion/mermaid/unicorn/whatever”) before changing it on the very last page to “THAT’s my …”.
• Martin Waddell’s picture books often include a single phrase repeated in such as way as to create both humour and pathos. For example, in Owl Babies, three little owls are left alone. The two oldest try to rationalise the situation, a sentence at a time. However, each time they have both said something, the littlest owl just says, ”I want my mummy!”.

Books for older children often repeat ideas. For example, the first seven books in the Rainbow Fairies series (aimed at girls aged about 5 to 8) are about the seven fairies of the rainbow. Each one has to solve a slightly different, but related problem, with the help of two little girls. In each set of seven books in the series, there is a common problem (for example, a party that all seven fairies are helping to organise), and a common theme for the fairies, such as colours, jewels, or pets.

It is also important to choose your title carefully. Using repeated sounds such as alliteration or assonance are good (for example, The Cat in the Hat , or George’s Marvellous Medicine ). You want something exciting in the title: a reason to read on.

For example, we know straight away, just from the title, that the Cat in the Hat is not going to be your average cat. No cats wear hats. Or consider another Dr Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham : who ever heard of green eggs?

Design and Illustration

The design, layout and pictures are crucial in a children’s book.

They cannot be afterthoughts. They have to be an essential part of the concept.

That said, they also need professional input. If you are writing a children’s book, you may have an idea about the illustrations and layout. However, it is a good idea to work with a professional illustrator and/or designer to develop your ideas. They will be able to take your ideas, and really make them work.

You will also need to work with an editor.

Of course you should revise your work yourself. You should particularly cut down the length as much as possible, and cut out any long or involved phrases. However, you will also need an editor.

It is a good idea to choose an experienced editor, who has previously published successful children’s books. Don’t be tempted to skip this stage, or think that you know best about your story. An editor’s input is invaluable.

And Finally…

The most important aspect of any writing, including writing for children, is just to keep going.

Children’s author Sarah Webb advises that the main difference between published and unpublished authors is persistence and resilience. Keep writing, and keep pushing towards publication.

Continue to: Creative Writing Know Your Audience

See also: Figures of Speech Active and Passive Voice The Importance of Structure in Writing

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Learning — Writing

Helping children struggling with writing.

Marcy Willard

Ph.D., NCSP

Last modified 19 Oct 2023

Published 24 Feb 2022

What Are Writing Issues In Childhood?

Writing issues in childhood are challenges with one or more areas that impact the process of putting words to paper. 

Writing issues may include a challenge with letter formation, spelling, writing words, generating content, organizing ideas, explaining information in a coherent narrative, staying on topic, and offering creative content or elements.

The basic building blocks of letter formation and writing words relate to  “symbol recognition.” People who struggle to visually see the symbols on a page have difficulties in both reading and writing. They often mistake “b” for “d” or “p” for “q.” This difficulty can be why a child can practice for hours the night before the spelling test and then forget all the words and fail the test.

Apart from spelling, which can be aided by spell check and audio dictation, writing has other complexities around formulating your ideas, organizing them, getting those into a cohesive outline, writing the content, editing, and shaping the work. With all the steps, organization and attention are important skills in writing. 

Usually, writing progresses from grade to grade with more emphasis on beginning to write essays and paragraphs as children reach 3rd to 5th grade. The expectations are changing for different ages. It can be very tough for the brightest of children to adjust to the process of writing. Support and patience from parents and caregivers are key here. 

When a child can break writing into steps and learn what tools help them, this process will come easier.

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Symptoms of Writing Issues in Children

Writing is a major part of literacy and academic life. Struggles with writing can be crippling in school. It may be that your child loves school in general but refuses to write. They may study hard but still fail written tests.

You may wonder about your child’s memory because you practice and practice the spelling words, but they just can’t remember the words. Your child may cry every time a writing task is assigned for homework. It may be that your child does fine with writing fiction, but they have difficulty writing a personal narrative or nonfiction.

Alternatively, your child may write well conceptually but has poor grammar or punctuation. It may be that your child has poor handwriting, and although there may be good content there, no one can read it for lack of legibility.

Your child may want writing tasks to look perfect, changing their words until a hole is erased through the paper. Or it might be that your child produces minimal writing, turning in partially completed papers full of errors. They may refuse to edit work.

When you try to help your child with writing, they may become very resistant, saying, “It’s fine like it is! Our teacher told us we don’t have to fix it!”

Here are some symptoms of writing issues in children

• Hates writing
• Has meltdowns over writing homework
• Comes unglued over having to write a personal narrative
• Has difficulty completing writing work in class
• Requires lots of help to write every sentence
• Feels lost on what to write about
• Quickly feels frustrated; wrinkling up paper or erasing holes in it
• Fails spelling tests
• Sits at the table for a long time but produces very little writing
• Gets good grades in math but falls behind in language arts

Causes of Writing Issues in Children

Many of us have the experience of looking at a word and thinking, “I know that’s the right spelling, but it just doesn’t look right.” Sometimes we might have a great idea but realize, once the idea is down on paper, that it is just not as well organized or complete as we hoped. Writing takes time, focus, attention, and organization. Rewrites and edits are subjective. It is hard to know when you are finished. While a math problem is concrete, you could work on a writing assignment ten times and still have changes and adjustments you could make. Many areas of difficulty can impact writing. 

12 causes of writing issues in children

• Learning Disabilities : children who struggle with reading and writing because of underlying processing challenges will have trouble here and need extra structure, support, and tutoring to improve writing 
• Dysgraphia: this medical term is for a writing disorder that is often called a disorder of written expression. Like other learning disorders, this means that a processing deficit is impacting a child’s skills in writing. 

Dysgraphia symptoms may include slow writing speed, poor dexterity, difficulty forming letters, challenges with working memory, or the visual storage of letters and words. Dysgraphia is diagnosed by a clinical psychologist or medical professional. Disorder of Written Expression is also a clinical term, while a school identifies a ‘learning disability in written expression.’ These terms all encompass the same challenges. 

Schools tend to evaluate writing later than reading and math. Generally, this service label is not added to a child’s IEP at school until at least the 3rd grade. Parents can get a tutor earlier. However, it is best to pursue tutoring as soon as you identify the challenge.

• Attention challenges : children with ADHD or just with some difficulty in attention will struggle to manage the time, the steps, and the focus needed to write. Here the challenge may be more with putting together an essay. An essay requires steps like generating ideas, planning an outline, writing on the topic, reviewing, and editing the work. Spelling and the act of writing are also impactful here unless a child is using dictation software or typing their work and applying spell check.
• Trouble generating ideas: Other writing issues can be related to thinking of what to write about (idea generation). It may be hard for some children to think creatively and to tackle writing without a lot of upfront support to develop their ideas. Here the challenge may be creativity and abstract thinking. Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may struggle with creative writing or the personal narrative, while writing a factual essay may come easier.
• Expressive language : children who have difficulties expressing themselves orally are likely to struggle with writing. Children who have a language disorder may have this difficulty that needs treatment which will in turn help them to express themselves both orally and in writing. Children who have challenges with vocabulary knowledge and comprehension often have a language disorder.
• Generalized anxiety : children who feel very nervous about how they will do on a certain task (performance anxiety) or who are perfectionists tend to get stuck on writing tasks. 
• Handwriting : children who are struggling writers may have difficulty with the fine motor skills needed for writing. This struggle may result in a diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder, a disorder of difficulty with fine or gross motor skills. Children with very poor handwriting tend to meet the criteria for this diagnosis.
• Narrative coherence : children who have difficulty telling stories that make sense are generally not good writers. This trait can be common for some children with ASD as their stories tend to be tangential or leave out important details. This difficulty is often caused by poor perspective-taking when thinking of the listener.
• Planning ( Organizing ): children who have problems using strategies (metacognition), initiating tasks, planning, and completing tasks may struggle with writing. Motor planning is a type of planning related to forming words and letters. A child who struggles with handwriting may have this planning challenge. 
•   Rigidity : children who are inflexible may struggle with open-ended writing tasks. They may insist on knowing every detail of what to write before getting started. They might refuse to do a personal narrative, saying, “I don’t know what to write about.” This challenge is again common for children with ASD.
•   Sequential reasoning : children with difficulties understanding how to put events in order or create a mental storyboard in their heads may have trouble writing. This cause is related to narrative coherence and may go hand in hand.
•   Spatial reasoning : children with poor spatial processing (low Spatial IQ) struggle to see how letters are supposed to look and have difficulty in reading and writing.  

What to Do About Writing Issues in Children

Writing skills are extremely important, and problems often require remediation. If your child is truly struggling to get words on the page, intervene early and often. Be patient, and don’t give up.

DO offer help for reading problems: Children who struggle with the symbols needed for writing will also have trouble with reading .

In that case, intervention is needed. This help may come in the form of outside tutoring that uses a model like Lindamood-Bell or Orton-Gillingham. These multi-sensory approaches help your child learn how to see and visually represent letters and words. This help may also come from the school through special education services.

DO treat attention challenges: Attention is a huge part of writing. To write, a child must have organization, have a plan on how to tackle the assignment, and have the focus to complete each step. They need the ability to self-monitor and pay attention to their work. It takes a lot of brain function to write. 

Children with these struggles can do great with a very organized plan and guidance at each step. You may need to break writing tasks into five-minute segments with a chance to bounce on the trampoline ten times between each part. You may need to guide your child in developing their outline and allow them to dictate to the computer on the first go. Ways to break writing into manageable chunks can be very important for a child who has attention difficulties.

DO work on executive functions . Writing requires kids to be good at initiating (getting started). Your child may get stuck before they even write the first word; the uncertainty of how to begin may paralyze them.

Children with poor organizational skills and planning abilities tend to struggle with writing. Your child may not pay attention long enough to complete writing tasks. In that case, a full evaluation may be needed to determine whether a disability underlies your child’s challenges.

DO address handwriting problems: A child with poor handwriting may have a fine motor issue getting in the way of their writing. If your child is in the second grade and still struggles to form letters correctly, this challenge is a red flag for fine motor problems.

Sometimes, a child is simply being sloppy or rushing through tasks, which does not necessarily indicate a fine motor problem. However, fine motor skills should be considered if your child is working long and hard, and the work is still illegible. 

Either in the school or private setting, an occupational therapist can help with handwriting. They can work on your child’s pencil grip and offer a tool that may help them comfortably hold a pencil or crayon. They can help your child learn to work with graph paper that can help with letter and word spacing. Handwriting Without Tears is a curriculum that helps children improve skills and comfort with the physical effort of writing. You can do these things with your child as well.

If your child struggles after intensive intervention, into the third grade or above, you may consider requesting a 504 plan from your school that includes a chance to type, rather than handwrite, the written tasks in school.

DO treat expressive language problems: If the issues are with expressive language , a speech therapist, either at school or in the community, may help your child learn how to use the correct words and logical sentences to express their ideas. They can work on vocabulary and comprehension skills as well.

At home, read and talk to your child. Identify new vocabulary words in the neighborhood, at the grocery store in the park. Review pictures and vocabulary in a book and ask questions. Every couple of pages, do a comprehension check to see that your child is paying attention and picking up on the details. 

DO work on narrative coherence: this term means storytelling. Expressive language problems may go hand-in-hand with narrative coherence because children who struggle to express themselves will also not be good storytellers.

Your kindergartner or first grader may have trouble telling good stories, but this concern should be addressed if your 8-10-year-old child is still struggling to tell a sensible story. Your child may need a special education teacher to help them with storytelling and writing. If significant issues with narrative coherence are present, especially when there are academic strengths, it may be necessary to consider a psychological evaluation.

To work on this skill, practice storytelling with a storyboard. Draw out the plot, identify the characters, and do an outline with the main idea, three supporting details, and a conclusion. Make this visual, and make it a concrete process that your child can follow in telling a story and in writing it.

When to Seek Help for Writing Issues in Children

Talk to your school about your child’s problems in writing. Your child scoring below the 12th percentile or approximately two grade levels behind peers may qualify your child for special education services.

However, writing is considered an emerging skill in younger children. If your child is in kindergarten or first grade, most schools will wait to test a child for special education. The school may prefer to try interventions and support within the classroom first.

If your child still struggles significantly with writing into the second or third grade, even with intervention, it is time to request an evaluation at school. It is not enough to be good at other subjects; your child needs to learn to be a good writer too. As a parent, advocate to get the right help for your child.

Professional Resources for Writing Issues in Children

• Psychologist: to consider a full assessment and to determine diagnoses and recommendations
• School psychologist: to assess challenges with writing within the context of overall achievement. If writing skills fall at or below the 12th percentile and/or two grade levels behind peers, the child may qualify for Special Education services.
• Occupational therapist: to evaluate problems with handwriting or motor skills that impact performance in all written work, including letter and number formation
• Learning specialist or tutor : to consider and provide intervention. Those who are experts in Orton Gillingham or Wilson Reading could be a good fit. LindaMood Bell is another solid curriculum around reading. A multisensory approach that works on sounds, blends, and rules of reading works well for kids with focus or learning challenges

References on Reading Comprehension

[1] Linder Ed.D., Toni & Petersen-Smith Ph.D., Ann (2008) Administration Guide for TPBA2 & TPBI2 (Play-Based Tpba, Tpbi, Tpbc)

[2] Words their way . Writing intervention program.

[3] Handwriting without tears . Handwriting intervention.

[4] Bell, N. (2013). Seeing Stars . 

[5] Ixl: www.ixl.com . Math and language arts practice using online skill progression by grade level, grades K-12.

[6] Lindamood Bell reading and writing intervention.

[7] Orton-Gillingham reading and writing intervention.

Books for kids 

Cook, Julia (2013). Thanks for the feedback, I think (Best me I can be!) 

Deak, JoAnn & Ackerley, Sarah (2010). Your fantastic elastic brain: a growth mindset for kids to stretch and shape their brains. 

Esham, Barbara (2014) Keep Your Eye on the Prize (Adventures of Everyday Geniuses) . 

Hamm, Mia (2006). Winners never quit!

Meiners, Cheri, J. (2003). Listen and learn . 

Zentic, Tamara (2015). Grit & bear it activity guide : Activities to engage, encourage, and inspire perseverance . 

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With new vocabulary in their minds, your child will come across varied writing lessons, sentence building games, short writing challenges, and many more exciting activities to build grammar skills and help them start writing with ease!

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How Montessori Teaches Writing: Lessons & Materials

Are you interested in learning about how Montessori teaches writing to children? If so, you have come to the right place.

Handwriting is introduced to children in such a gentle and unique way in Montessori schools , as opposed to traditional schools.

Whether you are implementing Montessori homeschooling or adding Montessori learning activities to your traditional classroom, you might be wondering about how writing is taught.

(This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links costs you nothing extra, but helps with our website upkeep.)

What age does Montessori teach writing?

Preparation for future handwriting starts the moment a child enters the Montessori learning environment at around the age of 2.5 or 3 years old.

This happens in informal ways through Practical Life Activities and Sensorial Activities , as well as other areas of Montessori.

Children strengthen their fine motor skills by holding water pitchers during pouring activities and holding utensils during spooning activities .

These are just 2 examples. If you examine any Montessori activity, you'll discover several elements to them that help to develop a child's pincer grasp.

As far as when children work with writing materials and do formal writing activities, this can happen any time between the ages of 3.5 and 6 years old.

It all depends on when children are developmentally ready for writing and when they have worked their way through the sequence of pre-writing activities.

In Montessori, children work at their own pace and there is no pressure for them to read or write before they are ready.

Montessori guides do a great amount of classroom observation and are adept at introducing activities and materials only when a child shows readiness.

How do you introduce writing in Montessori?

In Montessori, writing is introduced through a sequence of activities that begins with the introduction of letter symbols, which comes after a child learns letter sounds.

While letters are being introduced, children continue to engage in activities that help strengthen their pencil grip.

Children then work with letter symbols, placing them in order to form words. (This is a writing activity, however, it contributes to a child's future reading. )

When a child is ready, they then get to work with materials that involve actual writing.

What are the Montessori materials for writing?

Unlike speaking, writing doesn't come naturally to children; for the most part, at least.

When a child's hand and hand-eye coordination is developed enough to hold a pencil, there are activities that should be done to help them perfect their pencil grip.

As I've stated a few times already, Montessori prepares a child for writing from the moment they enter the school.

When a child is ready to hold a pencil, there are a variety of materials that are used to help a child gain even more hand strength, properly hold a pencil, and sit with their bodies aligned in a healthy position.

These Montessori writing materials are listed below – the ones that have children use a pincer grasp with either a pencil-like object or an actual pencil.

If you want a more comprehensive list of language arts materials, click here.

There, you find some of the pre-writing materials and activities, like the Sandpaper Letters and the Small Moveable Alphabet.

Metal Insets

The Metal Insets are the first Montessori material that is introduced in the primary setting that has children using a real pencil.

Through this material, children gain strength and learn how to make controlled marks on paper.

• 10 metal insets with 2 stands.
• Insets are in blue color while frames are in pink color.
• The metal insets consist of five curved-line figures and five…

Geometric Cabinet

The Geometric Cabinet is a Sensorial material that helps to develop a child's visual discrimination.

With this material, children also learn to draw shapes in preparation for writing by tracing the insets with their fingers.

• The geometrical cabinet introduces the child to plane geometry.
• Encourage the child to recognize representation of shapes leading…
• Comparisons and geometrical deductions may be made.

Botany Cabinet

The Montessori Botany Cabinet is another Sensorial material that directly prepares a child for handwriting by having them trace the leaf shapes with a small wooden stick or stylus.

• A wooden cabinet with four drawers: The first drawer: lanceolate,…
• The third drawer: inverted heart shape, heart shape, round shape,…
• Purpose: Perceive the shape of the leaves to understand and…

Greenboards

Greenboards are a set of green chalkboards that allow young children to practice writing letters and numbers.

• 2 green boards measuring 12 x 20 inches or 30 x 50 cm. One side…

In addition to these Montessori materials that help children develop the ability to write, writing activities are also done on paper.

Montessori schools don't use traditional school workbooks, but they do allow kids to practice their handwriting on paper.

Montessori teaches writing in such a fun and unique way – reading , as well.

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Why Is Writing Important for Children’s Development?

Writing plays a significant role in our everyday lives. However, learning and mastering it is a challenging talent. You may assist your child with improving their writing abilities at an early age by giving them a head start with a few easy tasks. By doing this, you will help them succeed in school and life as an adult while also helping them learn how to express themselves. For our children to communicate successfully and convert their thoughts and ideas into clear and legible written replies, teaching writing skills is a crucial area of concentration. When our kids can communicate in a variety of genres and styles, it also makes the entire curriculum more approachable. By focusing on how to teach writing, children will be able to convey their message effectively and clearly.

But first, students need to be able to structure their thoughts and ideas to satisfy the demands of their audience, with a distinct goal within their comprehension of larger contexts. Giving kids the chance to explore and express themselves via a variety of genres and writing styles is also a terrific approach to provide them with transferrable abilities that are readily contextualized and applicable to the larger world around them. Here are the main explanations for why writing is crucial for children.

Writing Is Crucial to a Child’s Education

Writing is a crucial component of a child’s education at school. Children must complete homework, write essays, understand and respond to questions, and generally demonstrate their mastery of a topic on paper during their time in school. Unfortunately (or fortunately), how well kids perform in school typically depends on how intricate and nuanced their writing is. This holds from the moment kids start school until they graduate and beyond.

A Lifetime-Required Skill

Incorrect grammar, spelling, and punctuation send the wrong message to the other party right away. And guess where the likely origin of this poor grammar and spelling might be found? Yes, you guessed it: most likely in their younger, more impressionable “learn to write well” years. Because of this, it’s crucial to start developing lessons and exercises early on.

Boosts Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Abilities

Your child should consider what they want to say and how they can convey it logically before putting pen to paper. What opinions do they have on the subject and how can they say them to correctly convey their intent? All of this demands considerable mental effort! Your child will develop their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities more quickly and more effectively the more frequently they practice writing.

Improves Capacity for Inquiry

Your child has to conduct research and gather information to compose an essay. What kind of information are they going to need to go for to back up their claim? Where will they discover this data? They will need to select the most important knowledge from the numerous books and online resources accessible to them, then figure out how to combine it. Sometimes a child has a hard time doing that job! They will eventually figure out how to separate the useful information from the irrelevant, though. An even greater benefit is that they will improve as both writers and scholars.

Promotes Memory Retention

If you ask any instructor, they will tell you that taking notes is one of the finest methods for pupils to understand and study their content. Your kid will be more capable of doing this work with confidence the more comfortable they are writing. Consider how you utilize writing in settings other than the classroom. Perhaps you write down messages, take notes at meetings, or create daily to-do lists or annual lists of New Year’s resolutions. The process of writing things down significantly improves your odds of remembering the work at hand, as you will discover if you regularly perform these actions.

Encourages Creativity and Imagination

To write well, your child must first engage both their intellect and imagination. Every time they put pen to paper, it activates both the left and the right sides of their brain as they try to think of something that someone else can read and understand. Through writing, students may discover new ideas and possibilities, imagine new stories, and do anything else that young minds can think of!

Provides a Sensory Experience

Each letter, number, or symbol is made up of certain finger and hand movements that each provide a different sensory experience. Additionally, writing stimulates a variety of senses. When writing by hand, both visual and tactile (touch) senses are employed.

Helps Cognitive Development

Handwriting gives your child’s memory, motor skills, vision, and perceptual portions of his brain a good exercise and keeps them sharp as he gets older. Is teaching handwriting to kids still relevant in this day of growing technological use? According to research, teaching handwriting has advantages that extend beyond only writing. More and more research is showing a connection between the development of cognitive abilities the building blocks of future academic success and the fine motor skills needed for writing. Children learn to read more quickly because they are more adept at letter recognition when they write letters. According to research, the act of writing by hand triggers brain connections that are linked to advanced reading abilities.

The development of these brain networks, which support the growth of excellent reading abilities, is greatly aided by writing. Only when children are writing, and not while tracing or typing letters, do these neural connections occur in the brain. As a result, substituting keyboarding education for writing teaching throughout the primary school years can harm kids’ growth as readers and writers. Students’ ability to recognize letters may decline if they switch to keyboarding before they have mastered writing, which will affect their letter-writing speed and overall reading development. Children who learn to write by hand are better able to come up with ideas and retain knowledge, in addition to learning to read more rapidly. According to a kid specialist, youngsters who write by hand express more ideas and create more words than those who type faster.

Enhances Problem-Solving

According to statistics, reading helps you improve your writing, but writing also enhances your cognitive development, organizational skills, and capacity for persuasion. Simply said; writing stimulates the brain. According to studies, kids who write more frequently also tend to perform better in other academic areas like math, science, and foreign languages. Students get the confidence and discipline they need to excel in all aspects of life when they are challenged to think creatively and solve problems. Children frequently struggle to comprehend and express their emotions. Children can express their feelings in a secure environment through writing, which is a very useful skill for them to develop.

The act of writing involves the entire body and is developing. It encompasses all bodily systems, including the visual-motor, cognitive-perceptual, ocular motor (control of voluntary eye movement), proprioceptive (awareness of self-movement and body posture), vestibular (balance), and even social and emotional abilities and self-regulation. Understandably, learning to write is difficult for many kids given that these factors all need to cooperate to complete the ostensibly straightforward activity of writing.

Improves Communication Skills

Writing provides your child with additional means of expression, which they could like. By reading their schoolwork, you may frequently discover what interests your child. Learning to write can help your child communicate with the outside world in a more meaningful way since the capacity to use words to convey one’s deepest ideas is precious. Your child’s attention to phonetics and reading comprehension will increase as you emphasize the value of writing abilities. Your child may express themselves and provide others a glimpse into their worldview via writing. Children should clearly understand what they are going to write before starting to put words on paper. This entails structuring and analyzing ideas before putting them on paper. Because words must be put down in a specific sequence and structure, experts claim that writing improves problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. Thus, it is obvious that for kids to make words, build sentences, and compose paragraphs, they must process information.

Despite the inevitable exposure to writing at school and home, it can be challenging to excel at writing. Adding some extra opportunities at home can make an enormous difference. One of the hurdles as a parent or teacher is to keep the children motivated to write . It can be fun and offers an excellent opportunity to express creativity; the outcome will reinforce itself.

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How to Write a Children’s Book in 12 Steps (From an Editor)

As a children’s book editor, I’ve helped hundreds of authors write, edit and publish their children’s book.

Anyone can sit down and dash out a children’s book, and with a little help and guidance, yours can be good enough to earn the attention of thousands of children.

And nothing beats the feeling of holding your printed book in your hands and reading it to a child for the first time.  Follow these 12 steps and you’ll get there in no time.

In this article you’ll learn:

• How to generate a concept that works
• How to create a main character that children love
• How to write the right length
• How to structure the plot
• How to work with an illustrator
• How to revise
• How to publish

I also help authors with:

• Publishing their children’s book (with Bookfox Press)
• Editing their children’s book (big picture feedback, not just correcting commas)

Lastly, you can read this whole post and get a decent understanding of how to write a children’s book, but if you want the full, in-depth experience with even more information, videos, PDFs, quizzes, and exercises, you can take my 30-video course on how to write a children’s book:

Online Course: “Two Weeks To Your Best Children’s Book.”

Okay, buckle up and get ready! These are the 12 steps to writing a children’s book.

1. Find Your Best Idea

You probably have an idea already, but you should work on refining it. Here’s how:

• Google “children’s book” and a phrase that describes your book.
• Once you’ve found books that are similar, look at the summary of those books.
• Figure out how your book is different than the published ones.

This might seem commonsense to check what’s already out there before putting all your time and energy into a book, but so many authors don’t do it! This is just basic research that you can do in 2 minutes that will give you a sense of competing books.

When I lead most authors through this process, they discover that their idea has already been written about. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing — actually, it’s proof that children want to read about their topic!

The trick is to have one twist for your story that makes it different. If it’s a story about bullying, perhaps your book tells the story from the point of view of the bully! Or if it’s a story about a dog, make this dog a stray or blind in one eye.

Maybe your story is different because you have a surprise at the end, or maybe it’s different because it’s for an older or younger age group, or your character has a magical guide like a fairy or elf to lead them through their journey. Just add one twist that distinguishes it from other books.

2. Build the Character

I edit hundreds of children’s books every year, and the best books have unique characters. They are quirky in some way. They have a funny habit. They look strange. They talk differently than everyone else.

But when I see a book where the main character is indistinguishable from every child, that worries me. You don’t want a character who stands in for every child, you want a main character that feels REAL.

My advice would be to go through a Character Questionnaire and figure out how much you know about your character:

• What does your main character desire?
• What is their best/worst habit?
• Are they an extrovert or introvert?
• How do they speak differently than everyone else? (cute sayings, repeated phrase/word, dialect, high/low volume)
• Do they doubt themselves or do they have too much bravery?
• Do they have any pets? (or does your animal character have human owners)
• What makes your main character feel happy?
• Do they have any secrets?
• What would this character do that would be very out of character?
• What is one thing this character loves that most people dislike?

Now score yourself on how many you knew right away:

8 – 10

Congrats! Your character feels like a real person to you!

6 – 7

Pretty good! You have thought deeply about your character.

5 and below

Take a few more character questionnaires before you start writing.

If you’d like more questions, I have an expanded version of this questionnaire in my  course . 

I also have another post on the 10 steps to writing a memorable character .

3. Find the Right Length

What’s the right word count for your book?

This is probably the most common question I get asked, and it’s also the one that most writers get wrong.

Ultimately, you need to figure out what age range you’re writing for, and then write within that word count.

Most writers are writing picture books for ages 3 – 7 — that’s the most common category. If that’s you, then shoot for 750 words. That’s the sweet spot.

If you write a picture book more than 1,000 words, you’re sunk . You absolutely have to keep it under 1,000 words. It’s the most unyielding rule in the entire industry. Seriously, take out all the red pens and slash away until you’ve whittled it down.

4. Start It Quickly

Many unpublished children’s books fail to grab the child’s attention (and parent’s attention!), and that’s because they start too slow. If your story is about a child joining a circus, they should join on the first or second page. 

Don’t give backstory about this child’s life. Don’t set the scene or tell us what season it is.

Just have the circus come into town, and as soon as possible, have the child become a clown or tightrope walker or lion tamer. 

You have such a short space to tell your story that you can’t waste any time. The pacing of children’s stories generally moves lickety-split, so don’t write at a tortoise pace. 

For instance, look at the picture book “ HippoSPOTamus .” When do you think the hippo discovers the red spot on her bottom?

Yep, it’s on the first page.

And that event launches the entire story.

Start your book that quickly.

5. Create A Problem

Every character has a problem. It could be a mystery, it could be a person, it could be a crisis of confidence. That problem is what they will struggle with for the entire book.

The majority of the book will be obstacles the main character has to hurdle before they can solve their problem.

Here are the main mistakes beginning writers make with their character’s Main Problem:

• The character solves the problem too easily . Make your character really struggle and fail. Ideally, the main character should fail at least three times before solving this problem, and perhaps fail as many times as five (if you’re writing for older children). 
• There are not a series of obstacles . On the character’s way to solving the problem, the main character should run up against a whole bunch of obstacles. Don’t have him defeat a single obstacle and then voila, problem is solved. To build a rocket ship to fly to space, the main character should lose some parts, his mother should call him for dinner, his friend should tell him it won’t work, it should rain, etc. 
• The character doesn’t care enough about solving the problem . This has to be a HUGE problem for the child — they have to feel like it’s a matter of life and death, even if the actual problem is only a missing button. As long as the child feels like it’s a huge problem, the reader will feel like it’s a huge problem. 

6. Use Repetition

Children love repetition! Parents love repetition! Publishers love repetition!

Everybody loves repetition! (check out my post on  17 fantastic examples of repetition in literature).

If you’re not repeating something in your children’s book, it’s not going to be a great children’s book.

I mean, all of Dr. Seuss is basically built on repetition (and he’s pretty much the godfather of children’s books).

Here are three types of repetition that you can use:

• Repetition of a word or phrase on a page
• Repetition of a word or phrase across the entire book
• Repetition of the story structure

Any book that rhymes is using repetition of similar words, and I would argue that story structure repetition is even more important than language repetition. 

Click on the image below to learn more about my children’s book course:

7. Write for Illustrator s

One of the main jobs of the writer is to set up the illustrator for success. (and you can hire an illustrator from the SCBWI illustrator gallery )

But so many writers aren’t thinking about what kind of material they’re giving to the illustrator.

If you have a book that takes place inside a house between two characters, the illustrator is going to struggle to draw visually interesting images.

A good illustrator can radically improve your book, but they’re also working with what you give them. So give them more:

• Choose fun buildings for your setting (put it in a greenhouse rather than a school)
• Think of funny-looking main characters (a lemur is much more fun to draw than a dog)
• Get out in the open rather than being inside (wheat fields are more entertaining than a bedroom).

Inside locations like a school limit illustrators:

While illustrators have much more freedom with fun outside possibilities:

Remember, a publisher isn’t only evaluating your book on the words alone. They’re thinking about the combination between your words and an illustrator’s pictures. And if you don’t provide a solid half with the words, they’re going to say no. 

And if you’re self-publishing, good visuals are much more fun for the child!

Also, if you’re exhausted by trying to find an illustrator that you can trust, and is affordable, let Bookfox Press do all the legwork for you. We have trusted illustrators that we’ve worked with before, and who do incredible work.

8. End the Story Quickly

Once the main problem of the story is resolved (the cat is found, the bully says he’s sorry, the two girls become friends again), you only have a page or two to finish the book.

Since the story is done, there’s no longer any tension for the reader, which means they don’t have an incentive to keep reading. So do them a favor and end the book as quickly as possible. 

Basically, you want to provide a satisfying conclusion and wrap up all the storylines. 

One of my favorite tricks for an ending is a technique that stand-up comedians call a “Call Back.” This is when they reference a joke from earlier in their set to finish out their routine.

You can use this in children’s books by referencing something in the first 5 or 6 pages of the book. For instance, if the main character was so focused on a purple lollipop that they wandered away and got lost, then after she was found the final page of the book might say: “and from then on she only licked red lollipops!”

9. Choose Your Title

Now you may say: why are we figuring out the title after we do all the writing? Good question.

The truth is that many writers don’t know the essence of their story until after they write the book. So you can have a temporary title, but just know that you’ll probably revise it after you finish.

And revising is fine! Everybody revises. Don’t be afraid to change your title multiple times until you hit the exact right one.

Also, the title is the number one marketing tool of your book. Most readers decide whether or not to pick up your book from the title alone. That means choosing a title might be the most important thing you do (although it’s probably a tie with choosing an illustrator).

• Don’t Title: “Amy’s Adventure with Poppies.”
• Do Title: “The Mouse in the Meadow.”
• Don’t: “The Vast Library.” (Boring)
• Don’t: “The Library Hunt.” (This is better. “Hunt” is a good word, and the combo with library is intriguing.)
• Do: “How to Live Forever.” (This is the actual title, and it’s great. This is the name of the book the boy is searching for, and it lets the reader know there will be some deep topics discussed.)
• Don’t: “Johnny’s Wonderful Day.”
• Do: “Captain Johnny Defeats Dr. Doom.” (Captain Johnny makes it more playful, we have the active verb of “defeat” and Dr. Doom uses alliteration.)
• Don’t: “The Bird in the Window.”
• Do: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” (What places?)
• Do: “Olivia Saves the Circus.” (How? We want to know.)
• Do: “How to Catch an Elephant.” (Tell me more!)
• Google “Children’s Book [Your Title]” .You want to see if the title is already taken (or if there is a title that is too close). Now say your perfect title is already used. Can you still use that title? Well, yes. People can’t copyright titles. But you’ll have a hard time distinguishing your book from that book, so it’s not always the best idea.
• Test Your Title with Children and Adults . It’s important to see how children react to your title. Are they excited? Do they seem bored? But remember that children aren’t the ones buying books — parents are. So make sure to bounce it off some adults as well and get their reaction. 

10. A Revision Strategy

Most unpublished picture books are far too wordy.

In fact, if you talk to publishers and agents, they will say that children’s books being too long is one of the main things that makes them reject a book.

Here is a revision technique that will fix that problem . Make every single word, every single phrase, every single sentence “Walk the Plank.”

In other words, you highlight it and hover over the delete button (this is the “walking the plank” moment) and ask yourself: if I cut this, will the story no longer make sense?

If the story will still make sense, then PUSH that phrase/sentence off the plank and delete it.

If the story will not make sense, then that word or phrase or sentence gets a reprieve (at least in this round of editing!).

In general, the shorter your children’s book, the better chance that publishers/agents will like it and the better chance you’ll have of pleasing children and parents (not to mention shorter books are cheaper to illustrate — and illustration is expensive!).

11. Find an Editor

Once you’ve written your book, you really need to get an expert’s opinion to help you improve it. An editor will be the best investment in your book. After all, I know you love what you’ve written, but there are so many tricks and techniques to writing that can improve the experience of the reader.

There are two different types of children’s book editors.

• First, there are developmental editors (also called content editors). These editors help you improve the story concept, the plot, the characters, the pacing, the dialogue, and whatever else needs to be improved. They look at the big picture and help you revise your book (this is what I do!).
• After you use a developmental editor, then you would need a copy editor . This is the editor who fixes all the formatting, grammar, spelling, verb tenses, style, and all the other small details. They make your book look professional.

Sometimes you’ll find an editor who can do both, but you can’t do both at the same time — you have to make all the big picture revisions before you start tinkering with all the small details.

Here is a handy checklist when looking for an editor.

• Your editor should be someone who has been in the industry for a while.
• Your editor should have examples of published children’s books that they’ve edited.
• Your editor should have testimonials from satisfied writers.
• Your editor should be a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators).

The cost of editors vary widely, but if you’re not paying at least $400 – $600, you’re probably getting an amateur without a lot of experience in the industry. And you don’t want a beginner messing around with your book.

If you’d like to hire me as an editor, check out my children’s book editing page .

12. Find an Illustrator

This is the most important step of the post-writing process.

An illustrator will be the most expensive step of publishing a children’s book, but also the most essential for a successful book. The more you spend on this step, the better your book will look. I mentioned the SCBWI illustrator gallery above, but I also wanted to recommend Fiverr as an inexpensive place to hire an illustrator. 

If neither of those work out, check out the website Children’s Illustrators or for another option, Illustration X .

When you’re considering an illustrator, this is what you should ask for:

• To see examples of previous work (do you like their style?)
• To see a copy of the contract (do they keep the rights or do you?)
• How long it will take (look at the graphic below for average times)
• Whether they also do layout, type, and book design (otherwise you need to hire a book designer afterwards)

Make sure you’re really in love with the illustrator’s style, and that it matches your vision for what you want the book to look like.

WHAT FOLLOWS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

You can’t just throw words up on an illustration and expect them to look good. It’s essential to have a happy marriage between text and image. You want to think about:

• The font . This is incredibly important. I see a lot of self-published children’s books that selected the wrong font, and it’s glaringly obvious. You need an illustrator to help you choose exactly the right font to match the illustrations.
• The size of the font . This is important as well. It should be consistent across the whole book and should pair well with the size of objects in the illustration.
• The placement of the words . If you put the words in the wrong place on the image, you basically ruin the entire illustration. It needs to be carefully balanced and follow good composition guidelines like the rule of thirds. Ideally, the words should enhance the illustration rather than detract from it.
• Page breaks . What words should go on which pages? This is something you need to discuss with your illustrator before they begin. They need to have a say in this — don’t just tell them how you want the pages to be broken up. For instance, they might have the idea to have a two-page spread without any words at all, or to separate a single sentence across several pages, or to have one page with a few sentences on it and the next page with just a short phrase for emphasis. This is the number one mistake I see beginning writers/illustrators make: they have the same amount of text on every single page (usually a single sentence). 

So either hire the illustrator to do book design, or hire a book designer. But just don’t choose the fonts and placements and font size on your own — get a book designer to help you .

If you want to learn more about how to work with an illustrator, check out my post, “ 12 Tips on Working with a Children’s Book Illustrator .”

Common Questions

Q: should i copyright my book.

There are differing opinions on this, but in general I would say NO. You don’t have to worry about someone stealing your book. If you go the traditional publishing route, the publisher will copyright it for you. If you go the self-publishing route, you already own the material the instant you wrote it, so getting copyright only gives you added protection.

If you need more advice on this, read my post, “ Should You Copyright Your Children’s Book .”

Now if you’re going to chew your nails down to the nub worrying about this, then set your mind at ease. If you live in America, go to the U.S. Copyright Office website and you can register for under a hundred bucks. I walk you through the steps on how to do this in my children’s book course .

Q: Do I need illustrations before sending my book to editors, publishers, and agents?

This is a hard and fast NO.

Editors want to work with the language alone, so unless your book requires the illustrations to make sense, you don’t want to send the illustrations. Even then, you can easily put the illustration explanation in brackets [like so].

Publishers always always always hire their own illustrators, so save yourself the money and submit the text alone. This is because choosing an illustrator is a marketing decision (that they need to make, not you) and because a good illustrator can cost $20,000. You probably don’t have that kind of money lying around.

Now what if you’re the illustrator? Well, then you DO want to send the illustrations. But if you get a rejection, it could either be because of the story or because of your illustrations, and sometimes you won’t know what the weak link is.

In general, though, agents are looking to represent illustrator/writers much more often than they’re looking to represent writers alone. That’s because children’s book illustrators earn A LOT more money than children’s book writers (sorry, that’s just the way it is).

Q: Should I ask for a non-disclosure agreement? (NDA)

If you want to you can, but you have a better chance of a bear eating you than someone stealing your book.

Plus, if they steal it, you can easily sue them and take all the profits and more, so there isn’t much motivation for someone to steal your book.

The truth is that writers worry about this far more often than it actually happens. My advice would be to put all your energy toward creating the best children’s book you can create, and if you have a great book, the agent/publisher/editor will want to work with you, not steal from you.

Q: Will you be my literary agent?

No, I’m an editor, and the role of an editor and literary agent are very different. An editor’s job is to help you make your children’s book the best it can be. The role of a literary agent is to play matchmaker and find a publisher who wants your book.

However, if you sign up for my children’s book email list (via a pop-up on this page or at the bottom) I will send you a list of children’s book agents. Also, here’s another list of agents .

Q: Will you help me find a publisher?

That’s mainly the role of a literary agent, but I do have a list on Bookfox of 30 publishers who will accept submissions without a literary agent.

And if you hire me for editing , sometimes I’ll be able to recommend a few publishers where your book might be a fit, but it’s not like a handshake deal. Publishers get a large number of submissions and they have to take on the books they know they can sell.

Q: How many submissions will an agent or publisher get in a year?

A beginning agent might get 2,000 – 3,000 submissions in a year, while an established agent might receive 3,000 – 8,000 submissions.

Publishers who accept submissions get anywhere from between 2,000 submissions to 15,000 submissions, although almost all publishers who start getting too many submissions stop accepting submissions (because it costs too much to hire people to wade through all those submissions).

I don’t mean to discourage you, but just help you make an informed decision about whether you should self-publish or seek a traditional publisher. It’s really tough to land an agent or a publisher, and it can take a lot of time and work.

What’s wonderful about self-publishing is that within a week you can be holding your book in your hands.

Q: Should I self publish or seek a traditional publisher?

So for self-publishing, there’s lots of upsides : there’s no wait time, and you get complete control of the project (such as cover art and illustration), and there’s not that much of a cost if you do it all yourself.

But … you have to do all the marketing yourself, and you don’t have anyone to guide you through the process, and you don’t have the reputation of being published by a traditional publisher. You should do self-publishing if you’re a real go-getter and you think you can get the word out there about your book.

For traditional publishing, there are also many upsides: you would get an advance (money is nice!), they would handle all the proofreading, ISBN, illustrations, cover art, etc, and they would give you some guidance with how to do the marketing and promotion.

But … it can be very, very hard to get an acceptance from an agent or from a publisher. Sometimes you have to send the story out for a year or two, submitting to a hundred outlets or more. Go this route if you have a lot of patience and you want the book to reach a wider audience.

Read my post on “How to Self Publish a Board Book” if you want more info on that.

Did you want more advice on how to write a children’s book?

So let’s review the 12 main points:

• Find Your Best Idea
• Develop Your Main Character
• Write the Right Length
• Start the Story Quickly
• Figure out the Main Problem
• Use Repetition
• Write for Illustrations
• End the Story Quickly
• Choose Your Title
• A Revision Strategy: Walk the Plank
• How to Find an Editor
• How to Find an Illustrator

Please leave a comment below if this material was helpful and if you have any other questions.

Also, please check out my:

• Children’s book course — “Two Weeks To Your Best Children’s Book”
• Children’s book editing — let me help you with your book.
• Children’s book Publishing: Bookfox Press

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349 comments

This is a good article

Brilliant article. So much I never knew

The best article I’ve found on the internet on writing for children. Superb job!

This article is fantastic. Straight to the point and very clear. Thank you

I found the article to be full of good information, it gave me a lot of insight into writing a children’s book.

I searched Google on how to write a children’s book and this is by far the best information…Really helpful

Hello,I wrote a children’s book that will be a series. It’s a killer name and character.I need help and guidance cause I wrote a short story too and need a editor.

Thank you for the time you have taken to write this article. It is very informative and has given me some great tips for starting out.

The most profesional of all the articles i have read! Thank you!

Thank you…this helps me tremendously

This article has been very helpful.

Thank you for this article,it is very detailed and comprehensive .It gives a very structured insight on how a story becomes a book. The story behind the story.

Thank you a great article. I will try self publish Amazon, I have written this children’s book/true story and will illustrate as I’m a graphic designer… I can only try

Thank you. It was absolutely illuminating!

I am writing the first book of a series. Do you have any tips for this particular genre? Ie. Franklin the Turtle, Clifford, the Big Red Dog.

Wow! THANK YOU for writing this. I have always wanted to try writing children’s books. Now I know where to start. Thanks again, this is incredible.

This was so helpful for me. I am very interested in writing a children’s book. Thank you for the advice.

Professional advice for free. I am inspire, thank you for helping me structure my thoughts into something worth daring to start.

This article is so interesting and really helpful. I have a question though…. I’d like to write a book,my grandchildren are my inspiration for this!. Is it possible/usual etc to write a series of books for children to read at age 4 but grow with them til around age 10, so each book in the series is for the next age group, if that makes sense. thanks Clare

Great article I! Very helpful!!.. I have subscribed to your email list.

I agree. You gave me lots of things to think about from many different perspectives as I embark upon this adventure. Thank you so much!

Great article

Quite a good article for the beginners.

So incredibly helpful!! Thank you for your insight.

Great insight on the book writing process, from start to finish. Thank you.

Very helpful and well organized! Thank you for your insight on the writing process!

Amazing article! I’m in the process of editing my 4th draft; after that, I will be looking to hire an editor and illustrator. Thanks for writing this !

This was soo insightful and inspiring. Great guidance for my book writing

Oh, come on. Good article? No. It’s a GREAT article!

One of a kind that has quality and depth to it. This is advice borne from experience. I’ve written quite a few books for kids and this is the best breakdown of the picture book creation process I’ve seen in a long time.

Very generous too.

So sit down, get a cup of tea, and read this through – many times. Until it sinks in.

Then do what it says. (Essentially: Quality children’s books only get written when you, the author, have something worthwhile to say. And when you say it in a way that engages, inspires and entertains young readers.)

I agree -very generous, thank you!

Thank you. I have been hired to illustrate a book which is very challenging. I am also anxious to start my own. My ideas have been brewing and now it’s time to make them a reality. Your advice is great. I’ve been studying hundreds of children’s book illustrations. Some are incredible works of art! That’s the goal.

Thank you for this great info that makes me excited to get started. Im only at the idea stage so along way to go but I am excited!

Thanks for your good comments which was very helpful specially for anyone who is a begginer in this field.

This article is a godsend!

Yes, great article, inspirational and also a call to action…just what’s needed. Now, back to work people! 🙂

Thank you for this post. I am an author and illustrator who has published a kids book. And there is a lot of time consuming work involved. Word choice and the correct placement of illustrations is so important it’s not even funny.

I think that many people believe that children’s books are easier to write, because they’re for children but they’re not . Like you’ve shared, they should be written according to age group. And they have to be very engaging because they’re heavily illustrated and if the cover’s no good, no sale.

This is truly a great article to read and I was really hooked. Joslyn, I agree with you that if the cover and word choice are no good then it is a no sale. As a Librarian when selecting books to purchase for the library, it is compulsory to select covers which are eye catching. Additionally, children are excited when they see attractive illustrations with fantastic colour schemes, intriguing characters and unique settings. I am about to write my first children’s story book and I hope to draw from my experiences from spending 5 years living in Japan.

Thanks for sharing and best wishes.

Wonderful article! Extremely informative (I even took pen and paper notes) and it covers components I had no idea about nor would have even considered (first time writer here). Thank you for the point blank honesty and clear, detailed guidelines!

Wow! This was an amazing read. I’m so happy that I stumbled upon it because I learned so much! Thank you for being so thorough and transparent!

Great article thanks for sharing this info. Structure stuff is really interesting

Thank you so much. This article is very useful and informative. 🙂

This was very helpful. I have just written my first children’s book and found this article really insightful for what I need to do. Thank you

Goal: Have my HS kids write, edit, illustrate, publish a book in 180 days! Any further suggestions about pacing, clumping tasks, etc. would be greatly valued!

Absolutely fabulous article! Thank you!

Very helpful!!!! I’m starting with trying to self-publish a book my 10 year old granddaughter wrote, but after reading this and with your kind of help I may get inspired! Thank you!

I’m so glad I found your website! Thank you for this in depth post!

Lots of great info. Thanks! It really covers fiction well, but would love to see more info on writing (fun) non-fiction for kids.

very helpful

Great article. Although I have published 20 picture books, I still picked up many pointers. Thank you for your generosity. Beryl

Absolutely helpful, informative and I appreciate it.

Amazing Concept, Its very helpful for us.

This is amazingly beautiful, an article.

Thank you for sharing!

This is amazing information. I have thought about writing children’s books for years. Maybe it’s time I actually do something.

Hi, very good article, had a lot of information I never thought about before. I’m interested in writing my own children’s book but I’m 20 years old and probably won’t be able to afford agents, editors and publishers. Do you k ow how much these cost as most publishing websites don’t include costs. Also is there writing grants you can apply for? Thank you Clare

So agents are free up front (they only take 15% of whatever you make).

Publishers are also free — both traditional publishers (they pay you) and self publishing (it’s free on Amazon, and other companies that require money are kinda scammy).

If you want to get an agent or a publisher, though, your book has to be good, which is why you should save up for an editor.

Hi, I wondered what the format is for the video course. Is it in DVD or access to on line videos? Thanks, Ellen C.

Hi Ellen, the videos are all online. I don’t offer DVD access. Hope that works for you!

Excellent article, thank you

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated.

Very helpful indeed, almost finished my first childrens, was interesting to know how illustrations receive more money than writers, I’m doing both. Thank you. Dont have a website yet.

Excellent article. I am sure–without a doubt–your content will be helpful to a lot of writers. Thank you for being brave enough to share your wisdom.

This is a great article one that I need to be able to start writing a book intended for children. Thank you for sharing it.

I am getting ready to get the ball rolling on my first children’s book. I was amazed at all the things in this article that I hadn’t even thought about! What if your husband or son, who are fantastic artists in their own right, want to be your illustrators? Does that fall under editors wanting to promote illustrators/writers?

Sometimes they’ll take on a team of an illustrator/writer. You can always try.

Thank you for this article- very helpful. I’m wondering if it’s appropriate to attempt to self-publish while submitting to publishers and agents? Would a publisher not want to touch a project that is already being marketed in some other way?

Hi Benjamin, So once you self-publish, no publisher wants to touch it. It’s either/or — you can’t do both.

Excellent article and so generous that I just signed up for your video series which was reasonably priced. I’m a best selling author but my first time at a children’s book. I’m confident I will learn from you and may call on you for editing.

Thanks, Linda! Glad it was helpful and I know you’ll love the course, which includes so much more material beyond this little brief post. 🙂

Let me know when you’re ready for me to edit your book!

I am a big fan of your book, Solutionaries: You Are the Answer. Hence, I am reading John Fox’s article. I teach students with Autism and aspire to publish an educational book to create a positive impact in schools, at home, and in the community– one book at a time. Thank you for your beautiful mind. You’re an inspiration!

Sincerely, Flor G.

This article was so helpful. I’m based in Canada and I’ve just written my first children’s book…I’m definitely at the editing stage but I’m considering the traditional publishing option. I would love to work with a Canadian publisher. Can you recommend?

Hi Cindy, I don’t have a list of Canadian children’s book publishers specifically, but I do have a list of 30 publishers looking for unagented submissions.

I would love your opinion on writing an educational children’s book. Would all the same principles talked about in this article (which was WONDERFUL, by the way) apply? Thanks!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! I would think almost all of them would apply, absolutely.

There are some additional considerations with an educational book — is the teaching too heavy handed, what about the balance between fun/learning, is there a moral in addition to the learning — stuff like that.

And you definitely have to nail down the age range for a book like this, and target it to exactly what they’re learning in school.

Hello John,

Do you think it is possible to get published in a traditional way in the US for someone who is not a citizen and lives elsewhere?

Thank you so much!

Yes! Definitely possible. But some of the time it’s better to look in your own country first.

Very helpful article. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I have written four books, but never a children’s book.

Great article, I’m going to read it again and again as it covers many helpful points, thank-you!

Hi. I am an author using Amazon/Kindle. I have 11 books in different Editions. https://www.Tom-the-Atom.com is my web site and amazon.com/author/tom-the-atom.com my author’s page. Looking for a publisher on-demand to publish my book in hardcover and thicker pages. Also looking for an agency that helps to promote my books, If you offer such services please contact me. My books are copyrighted, have a Serial number registered at the Library of Congress ISSM and an ISBN number given by Amazon. The Series is Non-Fiction Science Books for Children: parents, baby to 12 years old.

Hi , I am a daughter of Holocaust survivor and my father wrote a book about it. I would like to write a children’s book based on my father’s memoirs. My father saved my cousin from a ghetto, she was only 4 years old so there is a story to tell that might appeal. I need some guidance before starting this project … can you help?

Great article, thank you! I’m at the very beginning (thinking about it!) stages of writing a children’s book and this article has given me much perspective!

Great content and well articulated. Thank you for bringing it all together.

What an awesome article! I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a children’s book for years (I’ve had a title in my head for far too long) but never had the courage to attempt it – you’ve inspired me. Can I just ask, once a book is written, approximately how long does it take to go through the editing/illustrating/publishing? I know there’s a lot of variables, I’m just wondering if you could give me a ball-park figure?

A lot longer than you would think. If you’re referring to traditional publishing, it can be a year and a half. Self publishing can be much quicker.

I was thinking around a year, so I wasn’t too far off. Thank you so much for the excellent information you’ve provided here.

This was very helpful! I plan on printing it out so I can go back over it in depth. What are your thoughts about Amazon’s e-book publishing? Also your input on using Fiver?

Fiverr can be a great source for cheap illustrators.

Amazon’s book publishing is great, but only publishes soft cover books. If you want hardcover, you need Ingram Spark.

Wow! Thank you so much for writing this article, it’s honestly helped me see writing in a different form. There are so many articles out there that only enhance the fact of beginning, middle and end, but you have literally dot pointed how it works and how each individual piece should be written, you have really done an amazing job at dissecting children’s books into a more understandable format! Now off to writing!

Extremely helpful! I’m illustrating my grand daughter’s book for children. It’s not that easy. But with your guidance I think we can make it work.

This article is an absolute godsend for my UK Year 8 Creative Writing club. There is a wealth of good advice, generously given. Thank you so much.

Thank you for this post, it’s very insightful and informative! I’m more determined to start my book after reading this.

This was very very very helpful as I am a beginner in writing children’s stories! Looking forward to enrolling for your courses! Thank you very much!

Hi Faith, Great, glad this was so helpful!

The course includes a ton of information that I didn’t have time to mention here, so I hope you enjoy it.

Wow. Thank you so much. So helpful for me. Thank you again and again and again. Now I know why I always think I’m not ready to go beyond thinking and writing the first draft. I need to know more, but honestly it’s the best article I ever read about writing. Thankssss. God bless you.

Great information, thank you. But you do assume that every children’s book is going to be a fictional story. What about if it’s an educational book in some way? No need to answer, just something to think on. All the same, there was a lot I could still take from this.

Who says educational books have to be nonfiction? Fiction can teach quite a lot. And if they are nonfiction, you still need a structure for them, even if it’s not a narrative structure.

Great article, thank you!

Extremely helpful information! As a self published author who also started a publishing company, I can attest to the time, talent and treasure required to be successful in this arena. Thank You!

Wow this information was so helpful! I’ve been wanting to write a book geared towards medically fragile children. This article gave me the reassurance I needed to stop doubting myself and just get started! Thank you

It’s very informative and useful. Thank you for sharing! I’m on my way to the first children book with self-publishing. Been trying to offer it to publisher some last few months, but still no news yet. So, I’ll try self-publish this time. Thank you!

Thank you for all your hard work to keep us informed. I’m a French author for children and would like to sell my books in US. My publisher thought we could work with Amazon but they do not print landscape books. Any tips? You can see my work at https://marinaanca.wixsite.com/ancamarina

Try Ingramspark.

Hi, I’ve just read your great post and I have a question. You have stressed how important an illustrator is and while I am not a professional illustrator I am an artist and really want to illustrate the book myself with a unique multi media technique. What are your thoughts on this. Thanks, Wendy

Well, you can give it a shot. Worst the publisher can say is no.

Could I be my own illustrator or do I have to hire an illustrator? I have many ideas for the art in my book and I have a specific style I want.

If you’re good enough, yes, you can be your own illustrator.

Thank you very much 🙂

Thank you for a thorough article. I am an English learner and my dream is to publish an educational book. I am sure you can help me achieve that dream. As per the article, I would need an editor/quality illustrator/publisher, but I am financially incapable to do so. Which one should I invest the most in? Any technical strategy on this? Also: – how many times can I resubmit my work to a publisher or self-publish the same book (after multiple no’s)? – If I submit my book to a publisher and not hear from them for over 2 years, can I self-publish instead or it will be revoked? – Say I received the manuscript from you with your corrections, is there any additional charge for resubmitting the revision?

You’re welcome for the article! Publishers don’t cost anything — you can self publish for free. Split your money between an editor and an illustrator. Find a cheap illustrator on Fiverr .

You can only submit to a publisher once. After they have passed, don’t send it again. (not answering means they don’t want it).

If you haven’t heard from them in 3 months, consider it a NO.

So when I edit, I give you a lot to revise and a lot to think about. But if you did want to revise and resubmit, I’d charge a discounted rate for another round.

Great Information there. I am from Kenya. I love children’s books and my 7 year old son loves to read. I have been having so many ideas about children’s books. Your article has really enlightened me. Thanks for sharing

This is the best information on writing children’s books that I’ve come across thus far. I am researching tips/ideas and am at the very start of my journey. Thank you so much, I really appreciate these awesome nuggets!

Hi LaTanya, great, glad you liked it! If you want a lot more information like this, my course doesn’t overlap with the information here and you get a lot more.

I’ve written a chapter book about 11-year-old characters. It’s almost 70,000 words. Is this too long?

Hi Lori, 11-year-old characters are MG (middle grade), while this length is more appropriate for YA (Young Adult), ages 13 – 18.

Ideally, a book for this age would be more like 40k to 50k.

I really appreciate this article.

Amazing article! So informative, helpful and easy to understand for first time writers. Thank you for taking time to write, this article and for providing comprehensive information without charge. I will definitely look to use your editing services and course when ready. Thanks again. 🙂

Great guidance and more than enough information to start a successful children’s book! Love you for this!

I have an idea for a children’s book series. Do you indicate that a series is the intent when you submit your work to potential publishers?

Thank you for all the great information!

Yes, I’d recommend that you include that information up front and if possible tell them you have the next two books written (if these are short picture books).

I am based in the UK – I am assuming I can still sign up for the course as the content will be transferable to those writing outside the USA? Thanks

Hi Kirstin, Yes, the content will work worldwide. There are only one or two videos that have US specific elements, but you can easily find the agents/agencies that are appropriate in the UK.

This is a fantastic post! Thank you so much!

Great article. Very informative and answers a lot of my questions. One element I’m still confused on is exactly who types the manuscript into the book? I have an illustrator who has done a lovely job of illustrating my idea. I’ve also hired a book designer who will create the fixed layout book for me to upload to distributors. I thought I was ready to send the book to them at this time but now I’m confused again. Should I ask the illustrator to insert the manuscript or does the book designer do this? I’ve written and published novels without illustrations in the past but a children’s picture book is an entirely new experience. Let’s get technical, please. (re the website – its a work in progress)

It depends on the agreement you have with illustrator or book designer. Most of the time illustrators will do it; it’s more rare for book designers to do it.

I was wondering, in general, what tense works best for a children’s picture book, Past or Present?

When in doubt, always use past tense.

You need a very good justification for using present tense.

This is such a helpful and realistic step-by-step article. I really learned a lot when reading it, so I know your course would be amazing. Looks like the next step after reading this is to take the course! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Yes, I hope you enjoy it! I made sure the course doesn’t just repeat this article — it provides a lot of info and techniques that I didn’t mention at all here.

This is absolutely an amazing article . It gave me a lot to think about . I love the step by step explanation, especially since I have never written a book before.

¡Bravo! Thank you for writing this organized, to the point, article. I learned a lot about working with my creative side and how to make a dream a reality. ¡Gracias!

Wow! Very insightful article and information provided. Thank you

The article is very, very helpful! I”m writing my first children’s book so i really needed this to help me get started.

For the 3-7 category (750 words), how many words should go on a page?

That’s a conversation you have with your illustrator. There’s no hard and fast rule. Sometimes no words at all. Sometimes a paragraph. Sometimes one word or a phrase.

It all depends on the vision your illustrator has for the pacing and images of the book.

This is absolutely a wonderful article . Thanks for sharing.

This is brilliant! The way you support your points by specific examples is eye-opening! Thank you so much! Love from Sarajevo!

I want to write a true story about my daughters dog and how the dog helped her with depression. However the dog’s name is Polly but we call her Popo. So is my title of “Popo saves the day” or “Better call Popo” going to be a huge red flag because Popo can mean police officer. Some site say it is derogatory but others say not. Its a catchy name.

I took notes for every paragraph I read. This article was very helpful to me and I can’t wait to finally begin my journey.

Great article. Very informative. I am an artist and I just completed my first children’s book. I am editing and doing the illustration work now, in watercolor. I don’t have the funds to go the expensive route, so I will probably self publish. Are there better methods or sources for self publishing.

Put it in a PDF and upload to Amazon. It’s free.

And let me know if I can help with editing before that point.

Excellent article. I appreciate it so much. I’m so glad I found it.

After reading valuable advice from this article, I wrote my first book https://amzn.to/2zovXxJ , the book is in a scientific version for children, but considering the beginning of my adventure, I am happy. It’s great that you share your knowledge.Thank you

Hi and thank you for this information! I hope this isn’t a repeat question but can you tell me if it’s best to have my book edited and then sent to a literary agent or can you go straight to a literary agent? I’m noticing all the publishers I’m looking at won’t accept unrepresented work, so it seems I have to use an agent. Would that be right?

The reason why authors get editing is because it’s extremely challenging to get a literary agent. You’re competing against hundreds of other writers for a single slot, and you want to make sure that your book is the best it can be.

Most big publishers only accept books from agents; small publishers accept work directly. Both are extremely competitive.

This is a very good and timely article. It will go a long way in helping me do my semester project work in the University.

My friends and I are all kids, and we’re in a club together writing books. I shared one of the images in your article with them (the main plot guide) and it’s been very beneficial to all of our novels. Thank you so much for writing this!

Excellent article! I was wondering if there is any sort of common understanding of the publishing industry regarding the particularities of the book for each age group. I’m finding it rather difficult to define an age group the book aim to reach. How precise should I be, and how should the language adapt? Should I try to use words and expressions already knew by the children, or can I catch their attention by using a few new words?

Most of the time authors use language the children know, but some authors want to stretch their vocabulary by pushing it. Either is acceptable, though it’s probably harder to pull off the high diction level vocabulary.

It’s not just about language, though. It’s about length, about the intensity of conflict, about the type of problem, and the complexity of the plot. So it’s more like art than science to figure out your age range.

Hi, great article, I just have a question I’m writing children’s book for my school project and it must be completely done by august, printing, writing, everything and I’m on the writing stage. Since its a school project, do I need to publish it and have an editor and everything, from what I know, I can just make my book by myself completely and print it out because its nothing fancy and I don’t plan on having it sold on markets and things. How long do you think this whole process will take? and how long does it take to get a book printed, I don’t need a lot of copies, just around 1-5 maybe. This article was a great read but I don’t which of these tips apply in my case because Im writing a simple children’s book for a school project.

Hi Miya, for a project like this that you don’t intend to sell widely, you probably don’t need to hire an editor. You can make your book yourself, and if you put it into a PDF and upload it to Amazon, then you can buy a few print copies from them.

Great help and advice I’m a grandma writing my first book, or trying to, so i found this information very helpful. Wish me luck, thinking going to need it!! … thanks again for all the info

I am also a grandma attempting to write my first book. Thank you for this information. It is helping me greatly. Please be in prayer for me as I follow God’s lead in His wisdom and guidance as I write this book. Thanks!!

Super helpful information – thanks for your generosity!

Loved this article. Well written and inspiring

Thank you so much! This was very helpful and informative.

Very helpful article. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I wrote my first book on kids

This is great advice for beginners like me. It’s the first link I clicked on when I googled ‘how to write and illustrate a children’s picture book 2020’ so you must be doing something right! Thank you so much 🙂

Hey, thanks a ton for sharing this amazing guide on the ways to write the books for the children. One of my friends has just started writing children’s books and I believe this post will be of great help to him.

This has proven extremely useful. The content is well-written and easy to follow. Thank you !

This article was awesome, very informative, I loved it. I’m ready to get started writing my book right now. Thank you so much.

Thanks, this is very well-written! Writing for children involves a lot of considerations: consider what children like; what they would feel; how they would read your book; and more.

Thanks for the great article, it really helped me focus on my idea

Excellent advice, and great that you are sharing it!

really a good article for beginners. Looking forward to finishing my first book and then will start the struggle to find a publisher. Thanks

Hi there, I’m wondering what the best format is to submit a childrens book to an editor is? How should it be laid out? In word? In powerpoint? Would love to get your input! Thanks 🙂

Word would be best. Keep it simple.

i love this. I’m a kid and i want to be a writer. i have written my first book and i need an editor so it can be published. I love this article so so so so so much

Hi, great article. Can you please provide advice/ tips on bilingual books?

Thanks for the article. It was really helpful. Is it possible to self publish first and then publish again with other publishers? I wanted to write a book based on a personal story and give as a gift, but I thought the story also has potential. I would like to do own illustration and design, and it sounded like self publishing will give more flexibility.

No, once you self publish you can’t publish with a publisher, unless you sell a gazillion copies and they come knocking.

Thank you for this comprehensive discussions. I learned a lot from it.

Great article.

One of my friends was recently seeking a new genre for writing and considered writing books for children, I am sure this article will surely help him in writing the best book fore children will surely share it with him.

Great article, very interesting and useful.

Just starting to write a children’s book. This was great article! Since this is my first time writing a children’s book I am trying to establish a timeline checklist. Please let me know if you have any advice or suggestions.

I just finished writing a children’s book and am now going through the process of assisted self-publishing, and wow I really wish that I read all of this beforehand. This information was so spot on and extremely helpful. I will be using this as a starting point/guide for my next children’s book. Thank you! #Mr.MoneyAdventures

Informative and insightful. Thanks.

Very helpful and valuable tips. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Grateful for the tips! Absolutely helpful for this African writer!

Thanks to the developer of this amazing guide. I’ve got just what I need to get started in my writing.

Very good material and most enlightening. Thank you for this journey to writing a great and exciting children’s book.

Thank you! really helpful!

Excellent post! Everyone can write a book, but not everyone can produce an amazing one. Whether fiction or non-fiction, it always takes knowledge, experience, passion, and attitude to create praiseworthy literature.

To the point. Relevant information and lots of it! I found it very helpful, thanks.

I have been writing children’s stories I call them bed time stories but I am in a country where they don’t take children’s stories as much important and I have never published any though I have written a number of them, I have no editor, no publisher so am just sitting with my stories though they may be good for children to read them and I would love to be part in children’s happiness all over the world, what should I do

Great info! Thank you so much!

Hi my daughter wrote a book 2 years ago, she is 12 years old now, she want to publish but she doesn’t know how to do? Please tell me what we do next?

I would recommend hiring an illustrator and then with the PDF they give you with the text included, uploading that to Amazon and self publishing. Self publishing is the best option for children who write children’s books.

Thanks so much for the information . I shall work do my best.

Plenty of info thanks a lot.

Great article with practical solutions that might otherwise be unclear even after an assessment. I was able to adjust my story and bring new ideas to it. Thank you

Thank you for putting your dedicated time into writing this article. I have written many books in the past but struggle to finish them because the starting is so long, but now I know to shorten things up a bit. Thanks!!!

The best interesting website I’ve visited in decade. Liked all the interactive content and ideas. Hopefully can make it for my son and daughter with all the share and knowledge you gave John. My best wishes to you and your family. Kind regards from Bali.

Such an insightful article. Thankyou 🙂

Great article, it’s very helpful. Thank you so much.

Amazing article! So helpful. Thankyou!

I found this information really helpful

when was this published?

Hello, I’m seeking an editor in Atlanta for my book. Do you have any recommendations? Your article gives a lot of insight.

I enjoyed reading the article above (Children books ), which explains everything in detail; the writing is fascinating and convincing. Thank you, and good luck with the upcoming items. Thanks, and Keep it up!

I found this site very informative and I have to say there seems to be a lot of work to getting your children’s book accepted and published. I find the tips on this site very helpful to the bigger picture of have a children’s book published and being successful. Before finding this site I thought long and hard about illustration as my book is based on a true story about a pet and his loving owner. I believe the the steps pointed out sound very good and if followed throughly I think anyone’s children’s could be very successful.

Hello, Let me start of by saying I’ve never written a book in my life, My inspiration for this children’s book is my granddaughter her name is Melanie Milagros, she is a true miracle, she was born at 15.9 oz and wasn’t expected to survive. But like a miracle she is now 5 yrs. old and going to school. My fiction book is about her and how she helped animals like rabbits, birds etc. with fairy, magic glitter, from helping a baby bird fly with its family, a bunny rabbit find friends, stuff like that. So the Story about Little Mighty Milagros and a sidekick a Lady Bug. Hmm? Still haven’t finalized that part. Again, I’ve never done anything like this. I don’t know how to find someone to make a cartoon of Melanie for the book.

Good article

FANTASTIC article! Thank you so much for this. I’m a filmmaker writing my first children’s book but I know nil about children’s publishing, so your article is amazing for me. Your generosity is MUCH appreciated.

great article & very useful

I loved all the tips you have shared, you are right when you said How to Write a Children’s Book in 12 Steps . This article was informative that I can’t wait for your next blog.

This is an awesome informative site! thank you so much!

Great article !!

My husband and I really appreciated this article. It has been such an overwhelming experience trying to navigate certain topics and we found ourselves all over the place with what to do first and last. This article has put us on the right track of what we want to accomplish with our children’s books. Wish us luck. Maybe we will update our success or lack thereof, in about 1-2 years.

I appreciate your spelling out the major steps necessary and the payment chart for illustrators. Very concise and direct. Thank you!

Your post is very interesting. Books pick their writers; the demonstration of creation isn’t a totally rational and conscious one. Thank you for sharing your blog.

Hi, Now that I know you are an editor, I would like your assistance. Please contact me by email. Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to write this article for so many aspiring writers! I thought your 12 steps were great and to the point. Hopefully I will be able to put them to use!

It’s great to learn that you should use energy when naming a children’s book. My wife is wanting to write a children’s book and she was wondering how she could effectively name the book once she’s finished. I’ll be sure to tell her to add energy to the title.

I came across your blog and thanks for being spot on. I am a publisher and also a children’s book author/illustrator. I decided to go against the norm and keep my books as picture books even though they were meant to be Chapter Books. They are all around 3k words but I opted for keeping them as PB because I was highlighting the differences between all the characters and I thought visuals were essential. Many agents and publishers didn’t like this. You are 100% correct when it comes to word count and structure. I didn’t start out wanting to be a children’s book author nor illustrator, I was just trying to fill a void in children’s lit. Children need to see themselves in the characters they read about! Anyhow, good advice! And, may the muse be with all your readers!

I recently retired from my teaching positions and I have a lot of experiences I can use in my stories. I want my stories to help students with disabilities accept their uniqueness as a strength and not something to be ashamed of. I have always been interested in writing children’s books and after reading this blog, it has given me more insight on steps to take to master this writing process. Thanks goes to you J. Fox!

Great advice, thank you! I’m writing and illustrating my first children’s book and have minimal knowledge on any of it. I assumed it was the editor that did the word placement and font, (not the illustrator?) and now I feel very nervous and overwhelmed lol. So, let me back up a little and begin by asking… What’s the best way to scan my illustrations? Or is it better to hire a professional photographer?

I’m not sure. Most illustrators work on computers, and so already have a PDF file.

I think a scan would be better than a photograph.

Ok, Thanks for replying!

I’m really glad that I came across this article. I recently decided that I want to write a children’s book about children who may have a parent, sibling or family member with a chronic pain condition. I was inspired by my own chronic pain condition, connective tissue disorder and possibly arthritis as well. I found this article very helpful, thank you.

Have acquired a lot of knowledge and advice from the article. I have a long way to go and still mulling it all over.

Thank you for sharing all this. I am seriously considering the course.

Hi Bridget, Glad you liked the blog post! I’ve gotten a ton of great feedback about the course and am sure it would help you tremendously.

Very helpful…straightforward and informative

Helpful and informative.

Thank you it was very helpful to start writing a book.

Thank you for this really interesting and informative guide. I have made a start on an idea and will definitely follow your 12 steps and then take the next steps for editor and hopefully publisher!

Thank you for such an excellent article! I’ve always dreamed of writing a children’s book, but never thought I could actually do it. I’ve set a goal for myself to write my first book this year; so far, all I have is a very general idea. However, I know what my main character looks like. I don’t want to waste words describing her appearance in the story since the book will be illustrated. When hiring an illustrator, would I have any say-so in the illustrations? Specifically, would an illustrator honor my wishes in how my main character looks?

It depends on the illustrator, but most illustrators want some basic info from you about what the character might look like. Illustrators that you hire tend to want explicit direction from you, while illustrators that the publisher hires tend to want independence and autonomy.

Interesting, but I would have liked more info on writing middle grade.

Thanks! I will be looking to rewrite classics for preteen kids. Like O Henry or Poe stories.

This was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you…this has been something I have wanted to do….time to get to it and DO IT!

hello I would Like info on how to write a children book

See above. Also, click the link at the bottom to get on my email list.

Incredibly informative – my thanks for sharing so many of the steps to success. Its a detailed road for potential success. My thanks.

Wow! What are you supposed to say when you get for free an excellent article (like this) that you know you wouldn’t mind paying for? Two words: Thank you! My only regret is not reading this article before I purchased some ‘how-to-write-a-children’s-book’ books on Amazon. All the same, I got some great ideas on how to market a children’s book. Still, I just realized that I have got work to do on my three books, which I plan to self-publish all at once this summer. I have decided to hit the pause button and take your course first. I will contact you to edit my books after I’m done with your course. Again, thank you!!

This was so to-the-point and practical advice. I am a visual arts teacher and I will use this guide in my classroom for my budding artists and writers. I also have a community arts space, and I will use this there as well.

Every aspiring author will venture out writing children’s books first since they believe that this is the easiest to write among other genres. Writing children’s books enables you to enter a different world, one that is filled with joy, excitement, and splendor. Children’s books are the pathway into other cultures, ideas, and imagination for young readers. These books enable them to be at the feet of other people and travel places unimaginable.

Hmm. One thing that is incorrect is picture book length. The vast majority of publishers now want nothing longer than 500 words (unless it’s nonfiction) – and preferably even shorter than that. Many won’t even look at anything longer anymore.

Great Advice! structure is SO important!

Thank you for the EXCELLENT overview, extensive information and helpful hints. Here is my question: I’m interested in writing a series of “educational” books that focus on African American leaders and heroes for children to read as inspiration. I’ve done my homework in terms of discovering black children read 39% less than white children and that is due in part to not connecting with the content/subject matter. I have a PhD in Education and would like to create a series of motivational/inspirational books – if he/she can do it, I can to! Any suggestions? Feedback is welcome! Thanks~

Sounds great! Go for it.

Thank you so much for your helpful “push!” I have been struggling in getting started and remaining committed to my dream of writing for children 0-5 in age. I’m an assistant Early Headstart Teacher, and reaching the minds of our little ones early with reading, is a journey that I truly wish to be a part of! Is there any way I can print out this article? I like to examine things more closely and I use a lot of highlighters!! Thank you again for giving me a starting point, but more importantly, a new vision!

Start and end your children’s picture book story quickly — and make every word, phrase and sentence “walk the plank”. That’s excellent advice on its own. Thank you. Is it acceptable to submit the same manuscript to several mainstream publishers simultaneously and should you declare this? Is “spreading the net” likely to hinder your chances?

It is acceptable to do simultaneous submissions.

But most mainstream publishers only accept manuscripts from agents.

Also, beware that you don’t submit simultaneously to multiple agents at the same agency — only one agent per agency at a time.

This is so awesome and helpful. Thanks The John Fox!

This was a great article, lots of things I would not have thought of. Thank you

Hi, I am not sure if my story is right for kids? And I don’t know what age group it is?

Thank you so much for the information. Now I have ideas on how to go about writing children’s books. I am new in this and I believe the information will go along way in building my competencies in creating readers for Children.

I respect everything that you have written in this blog. Please continue to provide wisdom to more people like me.

Thank you so much everything you talked about is very helpful. I have someone that can help me with getting my book out there, but one question is what if you write a children’s book and you can make it into a few books to continue the story, even if the main character is not in the rest of the story. Do you just keep going with the story or Do you just start the next book as if it were a new book not of the continuation

Some series can be thematic or located in a certain place, and yet feature different characters. So I would recommend you still call it a series.

I would love to do your course to get insight into my children’s book. I want it to be perfect.

Thank you so much for this invaluable information! I’m considering my first children’s book and I am an artist so I’ll do that part but I’m just starting out and I’m excited now to begin.

Amazing Amazing article! I literally jot down points and learned so much from this article. I wish to buy the children’s book course too. He is so talented and talks right on the point.

any ideas on how to write a childs forever home

An amazing post with great tips as always. Anyone will find your post useful. Keep up the good work.

Hello, I would like to know where your company is located. I am interested in taking one of your courses.

Hi Cynthia, I’m located in California. But you can take courses from wherever you are in the world — I’ve had students from nearly a hundred countries.

Thank you so much John for sharing your knowledge and insight! This is great information and extremely helpful. I do have a question. I’m working with an illustrator on Fiverr. Is it still necessary to ask if they keep the rights or do I? I would assume yes, but not sure if you recommend that based on the structure and operations of Fiverr. Thank you again!

Yes, that’s a good question to ask them. Most of the people on Fiverr would agree to giving you the rights, I believe, while the higher end illustrators hired by a publishing company generally keep the rights.

this article is gold!

This post was truly worthwhile to read. I wanted to say thank you for the key points you have pointed out as they are enlightening.

Great BOOKFOX informative and useful. Thanks.

Both the quality and quantity of the words you speak to your child matter when it comes to early literacy and language abilities. Books are a fantastic way to start chatting, telling tales, and interacting with your child. Thank you so much.

This was the exact information I was looking for as I begin my career as a writer. I appreciate all the time you have put into this amazing article regarding how to write a children’s book.

Hi! I’m curious about your course. How long are each of the videos? Or how long is all of the content put together?

Hi Andrea, most of the videos in my children’s book course are about 6 – 7 minutes. And there are 30 videos. I’ve worked hard to compress all the information you need into compact form — I don’t want to waste people’s time.

Wow! This is a great article. Do you have an article on how to write dialogue? I’m just starting my first book and I have written (and deleted) small stories for fun, but there was more action than words so the conversations were kind of boring. The main character in my book is 12 years old, so I was wondering if I should add words like, ‘literally’ or ‘like’ a lot, because the main part of my story is dialogue (my character is telling a story to her siblings.) Also, I’m a younger writer and closer to the age of my character, and I say those kinds of words frequently, but it honestly might be overkill to write them that many times in a book *if there was a laughing face emoji available I would put it here*. Your response would be greatly appreciated, Holland J

Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom and experience, John! This is excellent information that will be really useful. Anyone can sit down and scribble a children’s book, and with a little help and direction, yours could be good enough to capture the attention of thousands of kids.

Thank you so much. Based here in Ireland and I have a book idea the last 2 years and I really need to get it ready and started as I think it could be huge

Great article! I do have a question. You are speaking to picture books – where the pictures carry the story of the book and not the words. But what about if the writing carries the story and the pictures help to illustrate it? The majority of what you state would stay true but the word count would not be the same?

It’s really nice and educational for a beginner writer.

Books can encourage children to explore what they truly want to do in life. Your book could be a tool for self-discovery.

I loved reading through this. I’m working on my first children’s book series and this article brought up so many good points for my to consider when writing and publishing. Thank you for sharing!

This was exactly what I needed to come across today, very helpful and gives much food for thought. Very appreciative of your outline of the process thank you kindly

Hi. What a wonderful article and very informative too. Thank you. Lots to think about. Cheers

The high level steps, the bullet points, and the tips ar3 incredibly helpful. Thank you.

Excellent article. Very informative. Now at least I have a direction.

I’m a novice story teller with a story about adoption geared for ages 3-7. I have the basic story, photos to inspire an illustrator, but I really just want to tell the story for all of my family and friends who have experienced the JOY OF ADOPTION! I would feel so blessed if it would inspire other to adopt! We’ll see…

Extremely well-written and insightful advice. Thank you for sharing.

Great article! Thanks for the advice. Just reading this page has helped inspire me to keep moving forward with my ideas. The love I see in my daughters eyes when I read to her is my motivation to write a kids book to share that love.

Thanks for helping me “walk the plank”

I appreciate your informative article. After my son passing onto heaven he has repeatedly told me in my dreams to write a children’s book. Give little souls a chance to laugh and look more to simple tasks in a day to better one another because we are not promised tomorrow. May God bless you, Hillary D

Thanks for the honest words and great guide! Much appreciated.

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As literacy lags nationwide, Purdue researcher highlights ways to enhance reading and writing in young children

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, [email protected]

A text message from a friend. A product label at the grocery store. A street sign. Even in the most basic elements of day-to-day life, reading is everywhere.

Cammie McBride , professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science and associate dean for research in the College of Health and Human Sciences , has dedicated her career to taking a global approach toward understanding how children learn to read, exploring literacy across English and Chinese languages, among others.

“Children need to learn to read and write because it helps us navigate our environments,” McBride said. “If we can’t read, that’s more difficult. If you look worldwide, illiteracy is correlated with gross domestic product and the learning of a country’s people.”

Cammie McBride

From contributing to a massive open online course (MOOC) titled “Teaching Struggling Readers Around the World” to developing new resources and screening capabilities, McBride’s developmental psychology approach toward literacy ranges from cognitive linguistics, or how the brain processes language, to the relationships among parents, children and teachers and how those influence reading and writing.

McBride also serves as a co-lead on a $1.5 million grant to strengthen literacy preparation for Indiana teachers using science-based methods.

“My whole career, I’ve tried to look at how children read in different aspects,” McBride said. “I’m really interested in: Does reading develop from birth or before birth even? There are lots of aspects that go into reading that start at the very beginning. I’ve always been interested in those developmental models.”

McBride noted that one of her most interesting research findings has been enhancing understanding of a new cognitive-linguistic skill that has a direct impact for reading in Chinese as well as vocabulary in English, Dutch and other languages. The task requires children to put together morphemes, or the smallest unit of meaning in language, in ways that make sense. For example, if a teacher or parent gave the example that the sun going down in the sky is called a sunset and then asked the child what the moon going down in the sky would be called, the expectation would be the child would answer “moonset.” They’re putting together smaller units in ways that make sense.

“I think this task is really useful because we can test vocabulary to improve vocabulary, but this is another way, which is a focus on morphemes and how they come together,” McBride said. “If you understand how to put these together to make new aspects of meaning, you tend to be a better reader in Chinese, but also, this is a really good way to test for kids’ vocabulary development over time in every language. It’s a fun task — kids love to do that.”

McBride uses cognitive-linguistic skills like the example above in her research to understand methods for assessing children’s literacy and training teachers and families in what children need to learn to read. In order to read, McBride explained children must develop both oral language, such as vocabulary and forming sentences, as well as an understanding of print, such as understanding letters and their sounds. She explained that assessing children’s literacy skills early is important to keep them on track in their reading and writing development.

“These cognitive-linguistic skills are things we use in assessment and training,” McBride said. “Most 3- and 4-year-olds cannot read, and it would be weird to try to test them with reading materials before they can read, but you need to catch them quickly so that they don’t have a sense of failure and are always trying to catch up. If you test them at 3, 4 or 5 on cognitive-linguistic skills, this often can be a good way to determine if they’re at risk for reading difficulties and then give them some tools to help them improve.”

McBride mentioned dialogic reading is an effective tool parents can use to build up their child’s language skills. Rather than simply reading a book and looking at the pictures or testing the child on knowledge presented in the book, dialogic reading turns the process of reading into a conversation. Parents can ask open-ended questions, such as what the child thinks will happen next or if they’ve ever had a similar situation happen to them. The goal is to encourage two-sided communication.

If the child is struggling with reading, McBride’s go-to piece of advice is giving them more practice. While the same learning methods still can be effective with students who have a learning disorder, such as dyslexia, they may need to put more time and energy into practicing the reading process. McBride suggested literacy-based video games as a great tool to help children master literacy skills they may be struggling with. The important thing to keep in mind is to avoid burning the child out on reading.

“Keep it light because the other part of reading besides oral language and print is motivation,” McBride said. “You don’t want to get kids to feel like they’re being tested early; you want them to get interested themselves.”

After various nationwide setbacks toward literacy resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, McBride is currently looking to take her research one step further by making literacy tests, which screen for children’s risks for reading problems and often are expensive and require a licensed educational psychologist to administer, more accessible. Her most recent work is focusing on the development of affordable online tests for children and families — a significant step in continuing to improve children’s reading preparation.

“If we want to understand if children are maybe at risk for reading and writing problems early, it’s good to have tests that can help us to determine that,” McBride said.

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Are computers or books best for educating children?

C ommentators often pit books against computers as the best learning tools, but both are great in different circumstances. The debate distracts from the real problem in education — poverty.The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates said that writing things down would make people forgetful. Now, thousands of years later, we're in the fortunate position of being able to discuss Socrates' thinking, precisely because it was written down.

Commentators often say the written word -- books -- are best and that computers negatively impact learning, almost for the same reasons that Socrates was against writing things down: forgetfulness, when memory is a cornerstone of learning. You may wonder: What have people got against new technologies?

As more and more classrooms shift from print to digital books and other materials, researchers are looking into the impact on children's learning.

The field is new and the evidence is mixed -- there is no scientific consensus on whether books or digital devices are better for a child's learning.

One studyin elementary schools in Honduras, for example, found that substituting laptops for textbooks did not make a difference in student learning in the end -- it was neither positive nor negative.

But isn't it common sense that both forms of learning -- print and digital -- can be effective, or not, depending on the individual and the situation? Let's dig a little deeper.

Early learning rewires the brain

It's important to consider neuroscience here because it can help educators choose which tools to use at different stages of a child's development.

And neuroscientists have shown us that learning, and the formation of memory, physically rewires the brain.

The brain is "plastic" -- it grows and prunes connections between neurons as we form memories, learn and forget. This is true at all ages, but the brain is particularly plastic during childhood.

The brain's plasticity is massively dependent on our experiences and environment.

Studies have shown that the richer our learning environment is during childhood, we don't just learn more "stuff," but we also change the way our brains learns new things for the rest of our lives.

The best example here is language learning. Children learn a second language very easily compared to adults, because their brain is more plastic.

What's more, adults who learnt two languages in childhood can learn a third language much quicker than adults who learned only one language in childhood -- their brain has been trained to learn languages.

At the other end of the spectrum, sensory deprivation during childhood permanently changes the brain for the worse. Children deprived of different experiences -- less touch and interaction with adults, for instance, fewer sights and sounds, and little access to learning -- can develop smaller brains. These changes often cannot be reversed later in life.

Benefits of richer learning experiences

What does this mean for education? Children need to be exposed to as many different types of learning tools as possible, both digital and physical.

It might mean turning to books and handwriting to form lasting knoweldge on something.

Studiesshow that the act of writing requires the brain to be an active participant in the note-taking process, but that the brain is less active when typing, so writing by hand commits more of the material to memory.

Or using digital learning platforms could mean a much richer experience: a richness of animated movies, reward-based educational apps, virtual classrooms, and AI tools like ChatGPT, to motivate students to learn in interactive ways.

Research shows digital technology is effective in enhancing literacy and numeracy skills, manual dexterity, and visuospatial working memory when used in a learning context.

The beneficial outcomes of this influences all areas of a child's learning, including language, functional literacy, maths, science, general knowledge, creative thinking -- the list goes on.

Computers: Impact on physical and mental health

There are negatives linked to digital technologies, as well. Some studies show computers can have a negative impact on attention, and that children use computers passively instead of as an active learning tool that engages the brain. But it's not yet clear whether these negative impacts are short-term or long-lasting.

Some studies also suggest that over-use of computers affects physical and mental health. But that may have more to do with sitting in one place for a long time, rather than the computers themselves.

That's why running outside or kicking a ball around is vital for children's development, and their academic performance, too.

The real issue in education is poverty

There are many factors at play in a child's education. Their home environment is just as important as the materials and devices they use for learning. One of the biggest problems in education is poverty -- poor access to books and computers.

This issue became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when children from disadvantaged backgrounds had less access to computers or books at home during times when schools were closed.

A UK-based survey, for instance, found that a third of students in deprived areas did not have adequate access to home learning tools during the pandemic.

The effect was a decline in their academic performance. Learning outcomes in high school-aged children have fallen in recent years, and it's more due to socioeconomic factors than anything else, according to studies. It's a trend seen around the world and has been associated with poor access to richer educational tools.

Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany

Copyright 2024 DW.COM, Deutsche Welle. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Drake Bell calls out "Boy Meets World" stars for writing letters supporting child abuser

"on the wrong side of everything": rider strong and will friedle express regret for believing brian peck's account, by gabriella ferrigine.

Drake Bell is attempting to set the record straight regarding the involvement of "Boy Meets World" actors Rider Strong and Will Friedle in supporting Brian Peck, Bell's former dialogue and acting coach who sexually assaulted him as a minor. The former Nickelodeon star revealed the abuse in Investigation Discovery's new docuseries, "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," and has since engaged in open discourse on social media.

Strong and Friedle were among a sizeable group of individuals who wrote letters of support for Peck in 2003 after Bell accused him. In a February episode of their podcast with fellow "Boy Meets World" alum, Danielle Fishel, Strong and Friedle reportedly preemptively addressed their connection to Peck after once they learned that their letters would be aired to the public. 

In a series of since-deleted comments on an Instagram post by "Zoey 101" actor Alexa Nikolas, in which she singled out Strong and Friedle and their podcast, Bell spoke out about his understanding of the "Boy Meets World" stars' involvement. 

“Rider was 24 years old when he wrote the letter and was told by Brian what he did,” Bell wrote. "He wrote the letter anyway." Later, Bell stated that Friedle was 27 years old at the time and that Peck "told him what he did,” adding that “Many people turned away and said no I won’t write a letter, but [Strong and Friedle] did.” Bell continued, alleging that Friedle wasn't manipulated into writing the letter.

“Everyone thought the letters would be sealed forever and no one would ever see them," Bell said. "This is their publicist telling them how to get ahead of the story.” 

"We weren't told the whole story, but it doesn't change the fact that we did it."

In the episode of "Pod Meets World" last month, Strong noted how he spent a significant amount of time with Peck, asserting, "The person he presented was this great, funny guy who was really good at his job, and you wanted to hang out with. I saw him every day, hung out with him every day, talked to him every day." When Peck notified Friedle of his arrest in August 2003, he couched in such a way “where it wasn’t his fault” and that “it was clearly the fault of his victim."

"My initial instinct because of the years I've been with him was like 'Well, yeah, of course, it can't be you. Can't be. Right, you're innocent. It can't possibly be that,'" Friedle continued. "So you sidle up to the guy who now you look back on as an adult and you go, 'He's horrible.' And my instinct initially was, 'Well, my friend can't be [this person], this can't be. So it's got to be the other person's fault,' has to be the story.

"Of course, it makes complete sense," Friedle went on. "The way that he's saying it, and 'You're damn right, it's that kid's fault. How dare he?' And I look back at that now as an adult, and it makes me want to cry that I ever was that naive." 

Strong observed that while Peck “didn’t say nothing had happened," he instead implied that he was merely "a victim of jailbait." 

“Back then, you couldn't Google to find out what people were being charged with," Strong said, noting how it seemed as though Peck was “making a plea deal and admitting one thing — which is all he admitted to us — but it looks like he was being charged with a series of crimes, which we did not know.”

Friedle ultimately concluded that he and Strong were “sitting in that courtroom on the wrong side of everything.”

"The victim's mother turned and said, 'Look at all the famous people you brought with you. And it doesn’t change what you did to my kid,'" he stated. "I just sat there wanting to die. It was like, 'What the hell am I doing here?' It was horrifying all the way around."

"We weren't told the whole story, but it doesn't change the fact that we did it," Friedle added. "I still can't get the words out to describe all of the things that I'm feeling inside of myself."

about this topic

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Gabriella Ferrigine is a staff writer at Salon. Originally from the Jersey Shore, she moved to New York City in 2016 to attend Columbia University, where she received her B.A. in English and M.A. in American Studies. Formerly a staff writer at NowThis News, she has an M.A. in Magazine Journalism from NYU and was previously a news fellow at Salon.

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James Marsden and Other Stars Wrote Letters of Support for Convicted Child Molester Brian Peck

The letter surfaced in the upcoming docuseries 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV'

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Albert L. Ortega/Getty

A new docuseries reveals that James Marsden and several other actors wrote letters of support for Brian Peck when the disgraced former dialogue coach was set to be sentenced for sexually abusing Drake Bell .

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV premieres on ID on March 17. The series uncovers some of the toxic culture of children’s television shows that young actors endured in the 1990s and 2000s, including many shows produced by Dan Schneider .

Bell is featured prominently in the show and reveals that when he was a teenager, he was repeatedly sexually abused by Peck, a dialogue coach who became Bell’s manager.

In 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to charges of oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old. He would eventually serve 16 months in prison and was mandated to register as a sex offender. But at his sentencing, multiple well-known actors sent letters on his behalf to the judge and some even attended his sentencing hearing, the docuseries reveals.

It’s not clear how much about the charges those who spoke out in support of Peck knew at the time.

In his letter of support of Peck, Marsden wrote, “I assure you what Brian has been through in the last year is the suffering of 100 men,” adding that he has known Peck since he was a teenager. A representative for Marsden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

Mindy Small/Getty 

Peck, who appeared on two episodes of Boy Meets World, also received letters of support from two of the show’s stars, Will Friedle and Rider Strong . Though they did not immediately respond to requests for comment from PEOPLE, Friedle and Strong addressed the letters as well as their appearances at the sentencing hearing on their podcast, Pod Meets World . 

For more about the alleged toxic environment on the sets of Nickelodeon’s shows,  subscribe now to PEOPLE , or pick up this week's issue, on newsstands Friday.

Friedle, who played Eric on Boy Meets World, said at the time that Peck had “ingratiated himself” in his life and that he had turned them “against the victim” by misrepresenting the charges.

“So you sidle up to the guy who now you look back on as an adult and you go, 'He's horrible,'” Friedle said. “And my instinct initially was, 'Well, my friend can't be [this person], this can't be. So it's got to be the other person's fault,' has to be the story. Of course, it makes complete sense. The way that he's saying it and 'You're damn right, it's that kid's fault. How dare he?' And I look back at that now as an adult, and it makes me want to cry that I ever was that naive.”

Friedle also said that looking back, he now believes that he was sitting in the courtroom “on the wrong side of everything.” 

Strong, who starred as Shawn Hunter, expressed similar regret.

“Back then, you couldn't Google to find out what people were being charged with,” Strong said “In retrospect, he was making a plea deal and admitting one thing — which is all he admitted to us — but it looks like he was being charged with a series of crimes, which we did not know.”

David Becker/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Other actors who the docuseries says wrote letters in support of Peck include Alan Thicke — who died in 2016 — SNL alum Taran Killam , Growing Pains star Joanna Kerns and Twin Peaks actress Kimmy Robertson . X-Men producer Tom DeSanto was also named in Quiet on Set as having written a letter. Killam and Robertson could not immediately be reached for comment.

In her letter of support, according to the documentary, Robertson wrote, “I believe with all my heart that Brian was pressured and pushed beyond belief before he caved.”

Killam wrote, “I’ve seen the effects this situation has had on Brian and I know for a fact that he regrets any mistakes made.”

In a statement featured in Quiet on Set , Kerns expressed regret over having written her letter.

“I have now learned that my letter of support was based on complete misinformation,” Kerns said. “Knowing what I know now, I would never have written the letter.”

In a statement to PEOPLE issue through his representative, DeSanto said, “Having dedicated a significant portion of my career to shedding light on systemic abuse and advocating for those without a voice. These experiences have profoundly shaped my understanding of responsibility and advocacy and is at the core of who I am." 

DeSanto added, "My decisions at the time were based on incomplete information given to me, and I lacked full awareness of the gravity of the accusations. With the knowledge and understanding I possess today, I want to personally apologize to Drake and his family and emphatically state that had I been fully informed of all the accusations, my support would have been absolutely withheld. This situation underscores the critical importance of due diligence and the relentless pursuit of truth, especially when it comes to standing in solidarity with survivors of abuse.” 

The series also notes that neither Schneider nor any top Nickelodeon executives wrote letters in support of Peck.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for  PEOPLE' s free True Crime newsletter  for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Bell also recounts seeing many recognizable faces in the courtroom during Peck’s sentencing, saying he was “‘pretty shocked” to see his former dialogue coach’s side of room full.

“I addressed my statement to everyone in the room,” Bell recounts in the docuseries. “I look at all of them and I just said, ‘How dare you?’ And I said, ‘You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you are defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes.’ And that’s what I will remember.”

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, will air over two nights ID from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT on March 17 and March 18.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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Easter 2024

Former Mormon bishop highlighted in AP investigation arrested on felony child sex abuse charges

FILE - The exterior of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is shown in Hailey, Idaho, on Sept., 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen, File)

FILE - Chelsea Goodrich poses for a portrait in Ketchum, Idaho, on Sept. 19, 2023. Goodrich’s father, a popular Idaho dentist and former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, was arrested Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in Virginia after being indicted on charges he sexually abused Chelsea while accompanying her on a school trip when she was a child. Recordings obtained by The Associated Press show that instead of helping prosecutors, the church used a legal playbook that has helped protect itself from sex abuse claims. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen)

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A former bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was featured in an Associated Press investigation into how the church protects itself from allegations of sexual abuse was arrested by police in Virginia this week after being indicted on charges he sexually abused his daughter while accompanying her on a school trip when she was a child, according to court filings.

Police and federal authorities had been searching for John Goodrich after a grand jury in Williamsburg on Jan. 17 found probable cause that he committed four felonies, including rape by force, threat or intimidation, forcible sodomy, and two counts of felony aggravated sexual battery by a parent of a child.

Those charges were filed weeks after the AP investigation revealed how a representative of the church, widely known as the Mormon church, employed a risk management playbook that has helped it keep child sexual abuse cases secret after allegations surfaced that Goodrich abused his daughter Chelsea, now in her 30s, at their home in Idaho as well as on a school field trip to the Washington, D.C., area 20 years ago.

“I hope this case will finally bring justice for my childhood sexual abuse,” Chelsea Goodrich said in a statement to the AP. “I’m grateful it appears that the Commonwealth of Virginia is taking one event of child sexual assault more seriously than years of repeated assaults were treated in Idaho.”

A call Wednesday to John Goodrich’s cellphone went immediately to voicemail. Tommy Norment, a Williamsburg defense attorney for John Goodrich, declined to comment, saying he was still familiarizing himself with the case. The Williamsburg Police Department also did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Goodrich’s case.

Goodrich’s arrest in Virginia comes nearly eight years after he was arrested in Idaho on similar charges. Chelsea and her mother, Lorraine, went to Idaho police in 2016 to report wide-ranging allegations of abuse during her childhood.

Those charges were eventually dropped after a key witness in the case, another Mormon bishop to whom John had made a spiritual confession about him and his daughter, refused to testify. While the details of that confession have not been made public, the church excommunicated Goodrich.

The AP’s investigation was based in part on hours of audio recordings of Chelsea’s 2017 meetings with Paul Rytting, a Utah attorney who was head of the church’s Risk Management Division, which works to protect the church against sexual abuse lawsuits and other costly claims.

Chelsea went to Rytting for help in getting the bishop to testify about John’s spiritual confession. During the recorded meetings, Rytting expressed concern for what he called John’s “significant sexual transgression,” but said the bishop, whose position in the church is akin to a Catholic priest, could not testify. He cited a “clergy-penitent privilege” loophole in Idaho’s mandatory reporting law that exempts clergy from having to divulge information about child sex abuse that is gleaned in a spiritual confession.

Without that testimony, prosecutors in Idaho dropped that earlier case.

Invoking the clergy privilege was just one facet of the risk management playbook that Rytting employed in the Goodrich matter. Rytting offered Chelsea and her mother $300,000 in exchange for a confidentiality agreement and a pledge to destroy their recordings of their meetings, which they had made at the recommendation of an attorney and with Rytting’s knowledge. The AP obtained similar recordings that were made by a church member at the time who attended the meetings as Chelsea’s advocate.

The church also employed the use of its so-called sex abuse Helpline, which John Goodrich’s bishop had called after his confession. As AP revealed in 2022, the Helpline is a phone number set up by the church for bishops to report instances of child sex abuse. Instead of connecting church victims to counseling or other services, however, the Helpline often reports serious allegations of abuse to a church law firm.

In a statement to the AP for its recent investigation, the church said, “the abuse of a child or any other individual is inexcusable,” and that John Goodrich, following his excommunication, “has not been readmitted to church membership.”

News coverage of the Idaho case brought out another alleged victim. After learning about Chelsea’s allegations, a 53-year-old single mother accused him of having nonconsensual sex with her after giving her the drug Halcion, a controlled substance John Goodrich often used to sedate patients during dental procedures. She alleged that Goodrich drugged her the previous July after she cut off a sexual relationship with him.

In the end, John Goodrich reached a plea agreement in that case, and escaped sex crimes charges.

Chelsea Goodrich approached the AP with her story, she said, because her father remained free and practicing dentistry in Idaho with access to children.

On Tuesday, after authorities spent two weeks searching for him, Goodrich turned himself in to police in Williamsburg, a court official told Chelsea Goodrich, and he posted bond. He will be allowed to leave Virginia during legal proceedings, the court official said.

Contact AP’s global investigative team at [email protected] or https://www.ap.org/tips/ .