Children are great story tellers. It’s wonderful to listen to their detail, expression, and language when they speak of important events in their lives. I often point out to my students that writing a good story is just like telling a good story.
Last week I shared three simple strategies to help your young child become a good writer. This week I want to share two easy ideas to help your child organize their thoughts, and help their stories flow. I also want to share links to graphic organizers to print and use with your child.
- A graphic organizer is a simple chart that provides spaces for organizing thoughts. Using a graphic organizer when planning a story can be a very helpful tool for your child. An organizer that charts basic questions, such as "Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How" can help a struggling writer get started.
- Children need to understand and use sequential words. Knowing and using words like "first," "next," "then," "after," and "last" helps your child keep their story on track. A sequencing graphic organizer will help your child write their story from beginning, to the middle, to the end.
Often simple visual tools like these are just what your child needs to jump start their writing skills!