How Writing Stories Can Boost Reading and Literacy

Encouraging your reluctant reader to create their own stories can be a wonderful way of boosting their reading and linguistic skills and igniting a lifelong passion for reading and writing.

There are many benefits to this, including:

• Enhanced vocabulary

• Improved writing, spelling & linguistic skills

• Boosted comprehension

• Enhanced creativity & imagination

• Boosted confidence

Kids Carousel

Introducing creative writing to your reluctant reader’s weekly routine doesn’t have to feel like a chore or homework as it can be added in a fun and interactive way:

• Story Starter - Suggest an engaging prompt each week and encourage your reluctant reader to write a short story based on that suggestion. You may have more success if you choose a topic around your reluctant reader’s favourite hobby, toy or character from a book or movie.

• Family Story Time - Set aside time as a family to create a ‘family’ story, with each member contributing a sentence or paragraph. You can have fun with this, with each family member adding their own twist to the previous suggestions.

• Storytelling Apps – For reluctant readers who struggle with writing, try using a storytelling app or website that offers interactive story-building tools. This can take away any fears your reluctant reader has about sitting down to write.

• Write and Illustrate – Suggest your reluctant reader creates their own story and draws the accompanying illustrations alongside. This will not only turn their short story into a mini book, but it will also take the emphasis off writing and spelling.

Call to Action

As many of you will know by now, I am an award-winning children’s author with a background in working with children who needed extra-curricular support in literacy. It was my job to assess these children and create and implement individual learning plans to suit their needs.

During lockdown, I combined my previous experiences working in school with my writing skills and created an article for children on ‘Becoming an Author’. It covered everything that I would chat to children about during school author visits and, at the time, the aim was to help parents and carers who found themselves having to home-school. It proved to be such a beneficial article, that I decided to keep it available.

If after reading through my suggestions above, you decide to encourage your reluctant reader to write and illustrate their own short story, then my article is worth a read.

All they will need is a skeleton!

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