How to Make Writing Fun
Often we think of writing as an activity that involves children sitting at a table to do academic work, writing on white paper with a pencil or black pen.
But we can make writing more enjoyable and meaningful by changing:
- The position children write in
- The surface they write on
- The materials that they use
- And the purpose they are writing for
Changing Positions
1. Let children work in different positions – lying on the carpet, high kneeling, or on all fours. These positions also help develop balance and core stability.
2. Stick post it notes to the white board or walls so children can write whilst standing up – this has the bonus of working their shoulder girdle muscles to develop upper body strength.
3. Experiment with flexible seating. Try a range of different seating in the class – cushions on the floor, comfortable chairs, stools.
Changing Surfaces
4. Make a junk journal with children – a book they make out of scrap paper, card and material. This in a book they can come back to and write in and add more pages. It has the added bonus of involving scissor skills, art and design skills, and can be part of a discussion about using sustainable materials!
5. Have children decorate their own paper that they then write on.
6. Try writing on baking paper, tinned foil, glitter paper, wrapping paper
7. Provide a variety of colours, sizes and textures of paper to write on
8. Try writing on rocks with paint pens
Changing Materials
9. Provide a variety of different coloured and novelty pens and pencils for children to choose from – gel pens, scented pens, glitter pens, coloured pencils.
10. Provide different sized pens and pencils – small pens, chunky pencils, triangular pencils. Children who struggle with pencil grip and using appropriate pressure may find that thicker writing implements are more comfortable
11. Try experimenting with other materials for writing – feathers dipped in paint, small stones
Changing Purpose
12. Get involved with the Write On Campaign – children write to those who would appreciate receiving a letter – if the recipient replies this could be part of a geography or history project
13. Let children make magazines that they sell at school fete’s
14. Suggest older children write business plans as part of a Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge
15. Have children create a school newspaper in teams
Have fun and let me know how you get on. What worked well?
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