Thinking back, I remember as a child I asked my dad why some people were smart and others were not. My father was an avid reader and picking up one of his books he placed it into my hands and opened it. It was full of words, no pictures at all. He said, "See these words, words are why people become smart, they read them."

As a 5 year old, my fathers words had a massive impact on my life, as well as the way I thought about things at the time. You see I not only wanted to be smart but even back then I wanted to be a writer so taking the initiative I read as much as I could and by reading it helped me to develop. I learned about a great many things but to me the most important was how to use my creativeness in words. Reading also taught me how to write properly as a child and the more I read the better I became at writing.

As a parent, I can honestly say to those who want to help their child develop both mentally and emotionally, creative writing can be an excellent way to move forward with your child. I believe that all children love stories but not all children are the same. Some children just like to sit and listen while others like to take the lead and tell the story. I will be honest if your child is the one that likes to do the telling, this process is going to be much easier than with those who like to listen but they too can be taught and eventually do the telling as well.

Be supportive and do not force them to read or write but inspire them to want to read and write. An easy way to do this is by reading and writing yourself or by taking them to the library and letting them see other children reading and writing on their own time. By doing this your giving incentive to those that already do read and write while those who do not just may be curious enough to want to try.

As a kid I loved to read and was drawn to the written word so it's quite easy for me to say that if your child is a writer at heart it is highly probable they are already a reader or will definitely become one. In order to get your child to write you absolutely must get them to read first. If they love books they will also love the fact that you take them to the library on a regular basis. The library is not only a great place to start but it also has many resources that can quickly become available to your child. This is not only good for the child but it is also good for the parent as it is a great way to spend time together.

Start while they are still young. Most parents read to their children already and it really is as simple as that, make sure you read to them at least one story per day and as they grow older read with them. Have an open communication process with your child about the books they have read as well as what you have both read together. Perhaps begin a story with them, taking turns reading and ask them their views on it. If the child cannot read, ask them what they think the next page should say. This helps them with their own creativeness and it also gives them the incentive to find out what the next page actually does say.

As a parent you should be proud to read whatever your child writes and let them know that you are proud of them as this encourages them. When you do this they will never have a problem sharing with you.

All children tend to write differently from one another so try not to compare it to someone else's work and though they may change how they write a great number of times, it is because they are experimenting to find out what best suits them, so again be encouraging and go with the flow. Eventually they will find their own unique style.

In every sense and manner support your child's passion to write and show them you are there to help and listen. Who knows, you may have a little novelist on your hands but remember that no matter what your child wants to be in life, writing is always a great skill to have and will prove itself useful everytime!

Copyright © 2008 Tanya Kime-Wallace