“I do not know what to write.” It is a sentence many children say when given a blank page to write. But children have ideas all the time. They may just not know where to look for them.
A child comes back from school and tells you about a funny thing that happened in class. They notice a stray dog near their building. They get upset when a friend does not share a toy. They spend ten minutes watching ants carry a piece of food.
All of these can become stories.
Steps to write a handwritten story
The first step is curiosity. Encourage your child to ask questions. Why was the dog sitting there? Where were the ants going? What do you think happened next?
The second step is observation. Rather than asking a child to write about a generic topic, ask him or her to describe something that they have actually seen or experienced.
The third step is a simple starting point.
- What if your school bus could talk?
- What would you do if you woke up and everyone in your house had disappeared?
- Tell me about the most unusual thing you saw today.
A good opening idea does not give a child the story. It simply gives them a place to begin. And once they begin, one idea leads to another.
Writing does not always have to start with a blank page and a big topic. It can start with a question, a conversation or something a child noticed on the way home.
So, the next time your child says, “I do not know what to write,” try asking, “Tell me something you noticed today.” You may be surprised by what comes next.