Writing for fun is something that may sound incredibly boring to students. Too many students fall into the trap of saying, “I have to write for school, why should I spend my free time writing?” However, often the type of writing students do for school is not always the most energizing form of writing, and is not always responsive to, or aware of, student needs. A recent Pew Research study{1} indicates that teens actually do, on average, enjoy writing. It’s simply a matter of having a reason to write.
So how can you give your student a reason to write? Well, the better question is how to help your student find their ownreasons to write. Much of this is based on their own needs, interests, wants, and tastes. It’s important to be open to all kinds of writing. Maybe your student has a predilection towards song- or screenwriting. Maybe they’re interested in a particular “fandom” and would be interested in writing fanfiction. Or, maybe they’d be interested in creating a blog where they can write about their other interests, such as cooking, knitting, video gaming, or sports. Maybe they’d like to write reviews of movies, books, or music albums. In the end, interest in any kind of writing is good and worth encouraging.
The Power of Positive Feedback in Writing Development
As a matter of fact, the first step to encouraging your student’s writing is to provide supportive feedback for what they’re already doing! Good feedback was one of the primary motivators of teen writing in the Pew study. Be interested in reading the things your child is already writing for school, and encourage them to keep at it, or to expand on the work they’ve been doing. At the same time, help them carve out space in their undoubtedly busy day for writing. Having a supportive, actively interested audience does wonders for a student’s enthusiasm for writing.
Journaling, whether by hand or on a device, is also a great way for students to get comfortable expressing themselves. Studies show that journaling, particularly for teenagers, can be a great outlet for stress, reduce depression, alleviate anxiety, improve memory, and promote healthy emotional processing. Be sure to assure your student that if they choose to take up journaling no one in the family will violate their privacy.
Nurturing Creative Writing Skills Beyond the Classroom
Some students will naturally gravitate toward creative writing: fiction, creative nonfiction or memoir, poetry, playwriting, or screenwriting. Sadly, many students have few chances to try their hand at creative writing in their English curriculum unless they elect to take a creative writing elective (which many students do not have room for in their schedules). In addition to encouraging your student to read novels, short stories, poems, and plays, take note of any narrative assignments your student is given.
Ask them if they’d feel comfortable sharing their narrative writing assignment with you and praise their storytelling abilities or use of their own personal voice. If you have young students in elementary or middle school, (when narrative assignments are most common) this can be a really effective way to build confidence in their writing abilities.
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If your student has a strong interest in writing, suggest they participate in NaNoWriMo, an annual program that encourages writers to write an entire novel in the month of November. It also has a strong online community where your student can connect with fellow writers and receive encouragement. You could also suggest your student submit some of their pieces to their school’s literary magazine or join the school newspaper club.
The Art of Handwriting: A Unique Approach to Written Expression
If your student prefers working with their hands or making art, you might consider encouraging them to explore the art of handwriting, whether calligraphy or letters, or something else entirely—maybe they even have an interest in recreating illuminated manuscripts! The sky is the limit. Handwriting is a vanishingly rare skill, but one that often makes writing a more physical and embodied experience and encourages a certain kind of thoughtfulness in word choice.
Another revelation of the Pew Research study is that students have minimal opportunities to write longer research papers. Because of this, they typically receive minimal instruction in doing this kind of writing. If university is in their near future, it’s especially vital that your student have the chance to build up skills in making an extended argument.
One way you might do this is by gamifying it. For example, you might frame it as an oration game, in which every participant gets a lighthearted topic a few days or a week in advance. They then have to write out, and deliver, a persuasive presentation about something related to that topic. This will test their ability to make an extended argument as well as their writing skills, while not feeling like either of those things. Other options include having them write and present about why a certain band, movie, holiday, family recipe, or trend is better than another, or why your family should go to a particular place for the next vacation. Technically, every time they ask you for something, there’s an opportunity to request they craft and deliver a compelling case to you.
You could also spark their interest in more extended research-based writing in a less direct way, by sharing somewhat more popular versions of this type of writing. Long-form journalism typically combines skill in writing with a focus on presenting the results of a certain kind of research. Publications like The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Vox, and countless others highlight pieces exhibiting exactly these skills. More exposure to good writing will help your child improve their own writing, while also exercising their critical thinking faculties and making them more aware of issues shaping the world around them. You could try having everyone in the family read the same article and then discuss your thoughts together.
The Long-term Benefits of Developing Writing Skills
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that doing any kind of writing, no matter the topic or format, will, over time, improve a student’s understanding of grammar, sentence mechanics, nuance, subtext, and vocabulary. Students who learn to find joy in writing for themselves will also enjoy the benefit of entering university or the workforce with strong writing skills.
{1} https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2008/04/24/what-teens-tell-us-encourages-them-to-write/