The Benefits of Journal Writing

As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. This is especially true when it comes to writing, an activity that many young students find intimidating, tedious or just plain difficult. However, developing strong written communication skills is a vital component of your child's overall success in middle school, high school and college (as well as later in life in many different jobs). The challenge is to make writing fun - or at least bearable - for children, yet also teach them the essentials of the craft.

How can parents encourage children to sharpen their writing skills? One activity that has many tangible and intangible benefits for children of all ages is journaling, or writing in a diary. Journal writing allows children the rare chance to write for nobody other than themselves. They can write about any topic they choose, and they are assured that their writing will be free from grading or criticism.

To introduce journaling to your child, provide him or her a small, blank notebook to use, or better yet, have him or her accompany you to the bookstore or office supply store to select one. Your child is more likely to warm up to journaling if he or she is allowed a say in how the activity is structured, including where, when and for how long. Sometimes your child may enjoy the privacy of writing in his or her room, while other times he or she may prefer writing on the couch or floor. Offer suggestions and options, but do not force anything.

Journal writing is beneficial to children in many ways, by:

• Encouraging them to explore their minds. Children who write in journals may discover a talent for or interest in creating stories, poetry or other forms of written expression.
• Helping with spelling and grammar. The more a child writes, the more likely they will be to seek the right way to form letters and spell words. Additionally, regular writing helps children practice structuring sentences and learn a variety of sentence patterns. Though grammar is certainly not a child's focus when journal writing, the act of regular writing is likely to result in improved writing abilities and communication skills.
• Helping with reading. As we all know, reading and writing go hand in hand. The mechanical process of spelling out a word letter by letter reinforces that word's construction, helping a child understand what he or she is writing and how to sound it out.
• Giving them some control over their lives. Children today lead busy lives filled with school, activities, homework and other responsibilities. Journal writing may provide a bit of much needed personal downtime in their hectic daily schedules.
• Developing communication skills. The art of written communication is one of the most important skills that a child will need throughout life. Freeform writing provides a child the opportunity to explain or communicate something-whether that's a personal experience or an invented story. Regular writing will improve this ability, even if the topic isn't for history or English class.

If children find writing and communicating difficult early in their education, they may struggle even more in middle and high school where more writing will be required. While journal writing certainly isn't the only way to help your child develop his or her writing skills, it may help show your child that writing can be a fun and relaxing activity.