Did you know that creativity is one of the things that distinguish humans from other forms of life on earth?
Our world may revolve around adhering to rules and regulations, but we also flourish with our creativity and innovation. Thus, it is vital that we inject a dose of creativity into the lives of our children right from the start.
Nurturing creativity from the earliest age is vital, as we are creating experiences that nurture and develop the right brain. Some examples of activities that enrich the right brain of children include drawing, role-playing, reading and writing. In particular, creative writing is especially useful as it is a skill that will come in handy throughout their lifetime.
Keep reading to find out how creative-based activities, especially creative writing, can help with the development of your child’s right brain – and the lessons that they can learn from the process.
Building up their confidence
Creative writing opens up a world of possibilities to children as they experiment with their “voices” without worrying about consequences. Not only will they gain the confidence to explore how they feel about various topics, but they will also get to learn more about themselves through their thoughts as they write – as creative writing often draws from one’s personal experiences.
Through creative writing, children will be able to turn their feelings into works of art, which gives them a sense of accomplishment after doing so. In fact, 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 then develop a passion for writing which they will take with them for life.
Is your child learning the right way when it comes to creative writing? Find out here!
Creative Writing teaches kids how to problem solve
A good piece of writing needs to be structured well, and a good English creative writing class takes kids through the process of organising their ideas and enhancing their thought processes.
Creative writing encourages children to think outside the box and look at things in a new light in order to come up with innovative ideas and craft up their stories. Kids will learn how to turn their creativity into something with sound structure and learn different ways to solve problems.
English creative writing classes teach kids how to receive constructive feedback
Various sources have brought up the issue of how the children of today are overprotected and generally do not receive feedback well. This is where English creative writing classes could help, as the kids will have opportunities to work in a group and receive feedback from teachers and peers about their work.
Apart from providing them with a good foundation in the basics of creative writing, children will learn to appreciate the critique they receive during their English creative writing classes and work on improving themselves from there. On the other hand, they will also learn the value of teamwork and what it means to give constructive feedback and put it into good use.
Learning about empathy and communication
Creative writing requires a large dose of empathy – the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person in order to write a compelling story about them.
While writing usually taps on personal experiences, it is not sufficient to just rely on that. Writing good stories involve listening to others and building a bank of tales that could inspire the next story. Children will learn how to communicate their ideas and feelings to their peers and teachers.
Beyond learning the art of conveying their ideas effectively, they will also find out what it takes to convince others on why their ideas will work and see things from the viewpoints of others.
Kids will learn how to focus and persevere to write a good story
In a world where distractions from technology are everywhere, writing “forces” kids to sit down, stay focused and think as they write until they complete their story. Oftentimes, this may turn out to be easier than they thought possible as they immerse themselves into the excitement of creating the world which holds their story together. Moreover, the writing process also teaches children about perseverance as they work through multiple edits until they get the flow of their story on the right track.
Indeed, activities such as creative writing that taps on the brilliant ideas and creativity of children go a long way to develop their right brain and gives them the opportunity to pick up valuable lessons along the way. If you are looking to nurture a love in 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.
Written by Steffi Wee
Find out how your child could benefit from the MindChamps Writing programme during the primary school years.