Creative writing has been known to help improve grades across different subjects. This could be because writing helps to improve critical thinking skills whilst allowing students to learn more about the subject and themselves. If you are looking for ways to boost your child’s language development, one of the best things you can do as a parent is to encourage them to write creatively.
Read on as we discuss how creative writing can help improve your child’s development in the English language.
1. Broadens your child’s exposure to the English language
English creative writing provides an opportunity for students to experiment with different types of words, formats and sentence structures. It also broadens their understanding of the world by exposing them to a language encompassing more than just reading a story.
2. Improves their comprehension skills
Reading helps children empathise with a story’s protagonist and better understand their feelings, motivations and actions. Hence, it becomes easier for your child to get inside a character’s head when tasked to write a story creatively. In addition, reading also allows your child to improve their reading comprehension skills as well as grammar and vocabulary knowledge – having a strong foundation in these aspects helps them form better and more coherent thoughts in their creative writing endeavours.
3. Improves communication skills and self-expression
How your child writes directly impacts their communication skills. Therefore, improving their English writing skills can lead to stronger communication in the language. For instance, when your child finds a new word in a story or a poem, they unknowingly engage the same parts of their brain that are active in everyday writing and speaking. As such, your child may find ways to start using that new word in their writing or everyday speech to express themselves better.
Creative writing also opens up a world of possibilities to children as they experiment with their “voices” without worrying about consequences. They will gain the confidence to explore their feelings about various topics and learn more about themselves through their thoughts as they write, especially since creative writing often draws from personal experiences.
Through creative writing, children can turn their feelings into works of art, giving them a sense of accomplishment after doing so. One of the most important “tools” in the MindChamps Writing Programme toolbox involves building confidence in children. By starting the process with confidence building, children will develop a passion for writing which they will take with them for life.
4. Better articulate their emotions
Your child may face circumstances that may leave us with pleasant or unpleasant emotions. These are the times when they may want to let their feelings loose yet keep them private simultaneously. Journaling can come in handy during times like these. Falling under the category of creative writing, journaling involves writing down thoughts, doubts, fantasies and other emotions that can help reduce stress and anxiety within your child. This allows them to use different words and expressions to describe their feelings – expanding their vocabulary.
Encourage a love for creative writing with MindChamps Enrichment
Creative writing has many benefits for children and adults. This extends from cognitive benefits like improved comprehension skills to encouraging creativity and imagination. If you are looking to nurture a love of creative writing in your child and to help them navigate through the basics in a fun way, a good English creative writing class such as the MindChamps Writing programme could help to steer you towards that goal.
Developed around the core idea that writing is fun and exciting instead of being a chore they are forced to complete, the MindChamps Writing programme complements Singapore’s primary school English curriculum to help nurture in your child a deeper love for the English language. This course also allows your child to express their imagination and thoughts through the written word whilst solidifying the foundations of sentence construction, grammar, vocabulary and narrative techniques.
Reach out to us today to learn more about our creative writing programmes or arrange a visit to any of our enrichment centres in Singapore near you.