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Writing Parent Support
Supporting readers at home, adults can:
Emerging Writers:
- Read aloud to your child on a regular basis. Reading provides the foundation for writing and builds vocabulary.
- Encourage developmental spelling.
- Encourage your child to label things in their room or around your house.
- Encourage your child to add pictures and a few words to thank-you notes or cards.
- Demonstrate the many ways you use writing.
- Write a story together.
Fluent Writers:
- Read chapter books aloud to your child. Reading provides a model of story structure.
- Introduce your child to new authors and genres.
- Read a poem once a week.
- Play word games such as Junior Scrabble, Yahtzee, or informational word games with similes and word alliteration.
- Provide blank books for a personal journal. stationery, or writing materials.
- Be a supportive audience for your child and display your child's artwork and writing.
- Talk about root words, prefixes, and suffixes that help children see the patterns of English spelling.
Adolescent/Young Adult Writers:
- Read young adult and adult novels aloud to your child and discuss them. Talk about point of view and author style.
- Discuss the writers decisions and choices.
- Do crossword puzzles together.
- Encourage your child to send editorials or contribute to blogs.
- Ask your child to share his or her writing with you.
- Have your child collect family stories and make them into a book as a gift.