Activities for young children
Encourage the child to draw and to discuss her drawings
Ask your child questions about her drawings such as:
"What is the boy doing?"
"Does the house look like ours?"
"Can you tell a story about this picture?"
Show an interest in, and ask questions about, the things your child says, draws, and may try to write.
Ask your child to tell you simple stories as you write them down
Copy the story as your child tells it, without making changes. Ask her to clarify anything you don't
understand.
Encourage your child to write her name
Practice writing her name with her, and point out the letters in her name when you see them in other
places (on signs, in stores, etc.). She may start by only writing the first few letters of her name, but soon
the rest will follow.
Use games
There are numerous games and puzzles that help children with spelling while increasing their
vocabulary. Some of these may include crossword puzzles, word games, anagrams, and cryptograms
designed especially for children. Flash cards are fun to use too, and they're easy to make at home.
Turn your child's writing into books
Paste her drawings and writings on pieces of construction paper. For each book, make a cover out of
heavier paper or cardboard, and add special art, a title, and her name as author. Punch holes in the
pages and cover, and bind the book together with yarn or ribbon.
Day-to-Day Activities
Make sure your child sees you writing
She will learn about writing by watching you write. Talk with her about your writing so that she begins to
understand why writing is important and the many ways it can be used.
Encourage your child to write, even if she's scribbling
Give your child opportunities to practice writing by helping her sign birthday cards, write stories, and
make lists.
As your child gets older, write together
Have your child help you with the writing you do, including writing letters, shopping lists, and messages.
Suggest note-taking
Encourage your child to take notes on trips or outings, and to describe what she saw. This could include
a description of nature walks, a boat ride, a car trip, or other events that lend themselves to note-taking.
Encourage copying
If your child likes a particular song, suggest that she learn the words by writing them down. Also
encourage copying favorite poems or quotations from books and plays.
Encourage your child to read her stories out loud
As your child gets older, ask her to share her stories with you. Listen carefully without interrupting, and
give her positive feedback about her ideas and her writing!
Hang a family message board in the kitchen
Offer to write notes there for your child. Be sure that she finds notes left there for her.
Help your child write letters and emails to relatives and friends
These may include thank you notes or just a special note to say hello. Be sure to send your child a letter
or card once in awhile too so that she is reminded of how special it is to get a letter in the mail. Consider
finding a pen pal for your child.
Encourage keeping a journal
This is excellent writing practice as well as a good outlet for venting feelings. Encourage your child to
write about things that happen at home and school, about people she likes or dislikes and why, and
about things she wants to remember and do. If she wants to share the journal with you, read the entries
and discuss them together.
Task Based Language Learning
The main aim of this approach to learning is task completion. Usually, relevant and interesting tasks are
set by the teacher and students are expected to draw on their pre-existing knowledge of English to
complete the task with as few errors as possible. Build lessons around tasks.
A task is a meaning-focused activity that requires learners to draw on and use their existing linguistic
resources to complete a task, such as drawing a picture from oral instructions, or working in pairs or
groups and sequencing a series of pictures to complete a story. The key features of classroom tasks for
young language learners are:
They have coherence and unity for learners (from topic, activity and/or outcome).
They have meaning and purpose for learners.
They have clear language-learning goals.
They involve the learner actively.
