7 Ways to Maintain Your Child’s Writing Sharp This Summer

Most parents are worried about the consequences of a summer brain drain, and for a good reason. According to scientific studies, kids lose between two and three months of writing and reading skills in the summer. No matter how smart your son and daughter are, they will lose part of their knowledge until September. To prevent that, you should encourage your children to practice in writing. Here are a few tips on how to make it work.

Find a pen pal

Have your children ever received a snail mail personally addressed to them? Do your kids have pen pals? They should have one! It’s such a thrilling experience to find a real envelope in a mailbox and open it!

Today, it’s not that hard to find a pen pal for your kid. You just need to visit a website similar to PenPalWorld.com or GlobalPenFriends.com and screen the list for pen pal candidates.

You can be sure that your children will be happy to make a new friend. And they will be excited about experiencing a new way of communication.

The more letters your kids will write, the more their writings skills will be improved. So get ready to help your little ones to start correspondence: buy lots of envelopes and stamps, and offer your assistance with proofreading.

Start blogging

Social media addiction is a bad thing, but still, you can use it to your advantage. If you have a teenager, who spends too much time on social media, this tip is right for you.

Offer your children to start a microblog on social media, for instance, on Facebook or Instagram. And encourage them to create new posts daily. At the end of the summer, you will be amazed by the excellent writing skills of your kids.

Your son and daughter can write on any topic they find interesting: from music and fashion to fitness and traveling. You should only help them to come up with ideas for social media posts.

As you know, teenagers tend to be afraid of disgracing themselves in front of their peers. So if your high-schoolers will start blogging, they will do their best to write a perfect caption, and impress their followers. They will learn how to avoid grammar mistakes and how to engage readers.

Download educational apps

In 2019, you can easily find free educational apps at the App Store and Play Market. Download them and encourage your kids to practice more to beat their high score. Or, you can challenge your schoolers and ask them to beat your own score.

New educational apps and websites appear every day, so you have plenty of options to choose from. If your child quickly gets bored and lose interest in a game, you can download a new game every day.

Also, you can use online resources that aim at developing creative writing skills, such as Imagine Forest. They will take writing skills of your child to the next level.

Create a photo journal

If your child wants to become a journalist, you can assign him with a fun task. Give your son a camera (or cell phone with a good cam) and ask him to take pictures of every summer event he attends.

After that, print photos and create a collage or an album. Ask your child to share his thoughts and emotions regarding the events, and to write interesting captions for the images. It is a simple yet very effective writing exercise that your kid will enjoy.

Read more books

If you want your child to improve his writing skills, you should encourage him to read more books. Reading will help your kid to memorize how to spell words and how to use a comma. Also, it will help to expand vocabulary.

If you want your kids to get to love books, let them choose what to read. Don’t force them to read tales picked by you. It will only make things worse.

If you loved a Cinderella story as a child, it doesn’t mean that your daughter must love it too. If your little princess finds Frozen more interesting, you should take her preferences into account.

Start a diary

Another great way to prevent summer brain drain is to start a diary. If your children write short journal entries every day, they will not only enhance their writing skills but also will learn how to express their feelings. This new skill will help them to cope with stress and will benefit their mental health in the future.

Well, children do not pay attention to grammar and syntax when journaling. But it’s not a big deal. They learn how to articulate their ideas on paper, and it’s more enough for summer practice.

Write reviews

Critical thinking is as important as writing skills. To develop these skills, ask your children to write a review for the book they have read or summer event they have attended.

If this task seems to be challenging for your kids, you can simplify it. For instance, if your little son is not ready to write long reviews, he can comment on YouTube videos.

In conclusion

Kids love summer because it sets them free from school assignments and tedious tasks. And it’s not a big surprise that your schoolers don’t want to practice in writing during the holidays.

To prevent summer brain drain in your kids, use the tips given. It will help you to achieve excellent results in a hassle-free way.