Diary writing for kids has a huge range of benefits both emotionally and educationally! But how do you spark a love for writing in your children?
Diary writing for kids – have you considered how it can improve literacy in your home?
As parents we all understand the importance of developing literary skills but how do you spark a love for writing in your children? Some kids naturally love reading before bed every night and scribbling down short stories in their lunch breaks. Others, however, may learn differently and therefore require some extra encouragement.
If you have a hard time pulling your child away from the television or sports field perhaps incorporating interactive diary writing into the daily routine may be a better fit than plain books! Major kids book franchise “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is sure to encourage some good old fashioned journaling in your household.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – a key factor in improving diary writing for kids
The “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series focuses on preteen, Greg Heffley, who uses diary writing as a way to chronicle the regular misadventures of school life; while also using his journal as an escape from reality. The series promotes diary writing as an excellent way for kids to discover the pleasure of writing in an easy, enjoyable way that they can practice daily.
Benefits of Diary Writing for Kids
Just as compact as an iPad, a diary and pen can be used at school, in bed, on the kitchen table, in the car, by the sports field… The opportunities to write and express emotions or record sparks of imagination are endless! The habitual practice of keeping a journal has in fact been linked to improving IQ, so introducing diary writing to your family may even help with test results! Diary writing is also known to promote mindfulness, assist in reaching goals and strengthen self-discipline.
Prompts and Activities
Use your imagination to help get your kids on board with keeping a diary! There are various simple daily prompts you may wish to use. For example, everyone in the family writes a diary entry about the day over a cup of hot chocolate before bed. Or perhaps your child would enjoy writing about their day at school during the car ride home to help clean their slate and wind down for the evening. Some more activities to help with diary writing include:
● Pit and Peak
Have your child write the pit (worst part) and peak (best part) of their day. This may be a great starter activity for rookie journal writers as it is quick and easy.
● “I remember…”
Each week set a new starting line for your children’s diary entries. A couple of simple words such as “I remember…”, “Imagine if…” or “Today I saw…” may be just what your child needs to spark their imagination.
● Daily topics
If you feel your child needs a little more structure for their writing maybe try giving them a topic every morning before school. Simple topics such as “family”, “plants” or “food” leave room for improvisation and will have their brains buzzing with ideas all day.
Sparking a love for writing in your kids can be made easy with the fun and beneficial ritual of daily diary writing! Do you have a budding young writer in your family? Check out Scribble Ink for a range of services for your little journalist, or see more about their workshops here!
Ideas to promote literacy
Looking for something else? Maybe Reading Eggs is just what you’ve been looking for. You can read our comprehensive review of the program right here.
