Introducing Your Child to the Arts: Words to Stories

"One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern
at the right moment."

- Hart Crane, poet

All young children love to play with words. They love to make jokes and puns, sing silly songs, make up rhymes, invent names, and tell stories. This same joyful and creative spirit can help children develop as readers and writers. Learning to write can be as natural for a child as learning to sing, run, and play games. It begins even before a child has the ability to represent ideas with standard symbols of writing. In the initial stages of writing awareness, young children understand that written symbols represent ideas and are a means of communication. It is common that first attempts at writing are frequently categorized as scribbles with little or no meaning. It is at this early stage, however, that adults can nurture a young child’s interest in the written word, inspiring a deep and fulfilling relationship with this creative endeavor that will last a lifetime.

A child who becomes a confident and creative writer will reap the benefits in countless ways. In school, children who write well find that they excel in almost every subject. Becoming a better writer means becoming a better reader; it gives children the skills to evaluate and appreciate the work of others. In addition, a child who likes to write is a child who usually has something important to say. As they get older, children find that learning to express themselves on the page, and to revise and refine this expression, are talents valued in many endeavors. Becoming confident writers makes it possible for children to grow into active, critical participants in our culture and society.

Engaging Children in Reading and Writing

With a little support, children can move from the crude play of early childhood to a full engagement with writing. From your children’s earliest days, you should read them stories, demonstrate that reading and writing are meaningful aspects of your own life, and encourage your children to explore the wonders of the written word.

Telling a story can take a variety of forms. Preschoolers and kindergartners can be active in the process. They love to create storylines and develop characters or ideas. Stories take on new meaning when children dictate their tales to older siblings, teachers, and parents. Seeing their words in print has a powerful impact. An active approach to story writing also provides the opportunity to add illustrations, another form of early representation.

Children learn the nuances of narrative simply by listening to stories. Before children learn actual words, they grasp the tone and intonation proper to different stories and imitate that speech pattern in babbling or nonsense syllables. Preschoolers acquire a sense of story sequence, recognizing the importance of beginning a tale with the familiar words of “once upon a time” and bringing closure to a narrative with the words “the end.”

Reading and listening to stories make writing easier. Children develop a natural understanding of how sentences, ideas, and narratives work, and have an easier time later when these elements are taught to them in school. Reading also can make your child more eager to write. Just as young sports fans long to play the games they watch, children who love reading want to create their own stories and poems.

Young Children As Readers

A strong foundation for writing begins with an interest in books and a love of reading. Here are a few ways to include reading in your child’s life:

• Read aloud to your child, even to infants and toddlers. As you read aloud, children get not only a good story, but also a chance to be close to you. Continue to read to your children even after they have developed independent skills. You can read more advanced books than your child is capable of reading, or enjoy old favorites together. Build a reading time into your daily routine so that it is a natural part of everyday life. Play with words through rhyming or alliteration. Read examples from children’s books and then let your child make up rhyming words or think of sentences in which each word begins with the same sound. Children enjoy Dr. Seuss’s unique style of storytelling with silly, made-up words with lots of rhyme and rhythm.
• Visit the library with your child. Take advantage of programs offered by the library and local bookstores where your child can enjoy stories read by seasoned storytellers or meet an author or illustrator of a favorite book.
• Give books and subscriptions to children’s magazines as gifts. The most successful book gifts are those that reflect a child’s personal interests. If your child loves nature and animals, then books on those subjects or a subscription to a nature magazine may be a perfect choice.
• Engage your child in the reading process by asking questions about ideas in the book. Young children often surprise adults by recounting a favorite story ord for word or correcting the reader when a word in the text is skipped. Allowing your child to “read along” with a familiar text gives him or her a sense of confidence and excitement about being a reader.
• Acknowledge print in the environment. Engage your child in conversation about signs and symbols that you encounter in
  everyday life. Respond to your child’s curiosity about what signs say and what words mean. This simple task helps young children realize the importance of the written word and also builds a framework for reading and writing.

Young Children as Writers

Children are eager to imitate those around them. They learn about the world and make sense of it by mirroring the actions of others. Writing is something that is a natural part of the child’s environment and typically approached by children with curiosity. For some, exploring writing will be a natural outgrowth of that curiosity. Others may need encouragement.