How I get kids to love writing
I don't think I ever loved writing as a child. It always felt pointless and contrived, like I was just doing it to impress the teacher or do well in an exam.
That was, until I started teaching on my own and encouraged my students to write about anything they wanted. I would write with them to set a good example, and wouldn't you know it, over a few months it went from being something I did for my students to something I did for myself. I honestly couldn't have imagined the impact it had on me, to the extent that I'd start a blog of all things.
In my experience, there are some kids who naturally love to write. But most kids seem to really dislike writing. Rather than rant at length about the reasons why, let me give you my suggestions on how to get your kids to love writing too.
1. Don't force them.
Writing is an inherently creative process. Creativity is hard and it can't be forced. We've all seen how time pressures kill creativity in all creative fields, from manga artists to film directors.
Children who 'have trouble writing' usually fall into one of two categories:
- They are self-conscious and don't want to look bad.
- They 'don't have any interests or ideas' to write about.
