Family Activities to Support Writing

1. Storytelling: In this game, you need only paper and pencils so that everyone can write a story together. On a board, write the first sentence of the tale. Then, over the next two minutes, the participants will write down the next step of the story. After two minutes, the paper is passed to someone else, who will continue the story. These papers circulate a few times until the story is completed. Enjoy sharing the different and funny stories that were created.
2. Birthday Cards: Every time there is a family birthday or special event, have your children write a birthday or holiday card. This will make them speak their thoughts about their family members as well as encourage them to write.
3. Comic Strip Fun: This activity is better for older children who already know how to read and write, especially if they like storytelling. Collect some comic strips for your children and ask them to fill out the dialogue bubbles (which should be blank to begin with). Then challenge them to make it more exciting. They can also draw with crayons to make more colors and liven up the comic strip.
4. Write Until Wrong: Players start writing a list of words. They may write any words they choose but must stop when they misspell a word. If in doubt whether a player has made a spelling error, consult a dictionary. Count the number of words spelled correctly before the first mistake. That is the player’s score. When everyone is ready, start a new round and have players write new lists. Players could try to beat their previous best scores or win the game by achieving a higher score than the other players. Alternatives include choosing categories of words that may be on lists, such as five-letter words, items you could buy in a store, colors, adjectives, verbs, etc. The same basic game could be played by having participants write stories until they make their first spelling mistake and then counting the words successfully written.
5. Write What You Want: Each morning, have your child write a list of things he or she wants to do that day. The list should be in sentences. Examples: “After breakfast I want to go to Billy’s house!” or “This afternoon I want to go swimming.” Help your child spell any words as needed. When finished, have the child read the list to you.
6. Online Writing Activities: In the Hub section of iLEAD Exploration’s website, there are many recommended listening activities to support EL learners. Simply click on this link, log into the Hub, and search the EL resources by category (domain).