Immerse Your Child in Writing

The quality of student writing in Australia continues to raise concerns (ACARA, 2020). Yet, the ability to write with confidence and clarity is a crucial skill linked to academic and future success. But more importantly, writing like drawing or taking photographs encourages our children to see and appreciate the world around them.

All too often children and adults approach writing with trepidation and a reluctance to put pen to paper. We all have the potential to be creative and storytelling is an innate skill, yet too many individuals claim to be unable to write effectively. We need to ensure that we spend time immersing our children from a very young age in the writing process, so they delight in the sound, feel and meaning of words.

Everyone can write well when they are inspired and feel supported to take risks. This can start from an early age. As parents we encourage our children to draw and paint, and love displaying their messy finger paintings and stick drawings. Yet how often do we encourage them to write? Imagine your five-year-old drawing a masterpiece of the family and then asking them to include a short poem or description. The more children are immersed in writing, the more we demonstrate that we can all write well with the right tools, encouragement, and opportunities to flex the muscles of writing.

Australian slam poet Luka Lesson advises young writers to “Completely immerse yourself in your art form. Watch, read, listen to, and consume as much of your art form as possible.” Children need to be exposed to high-quality literature so that they become the apprentices learning from the masters. When we share the artistry of writers with children, they begin to see possibilities and learn to play and experiment with words, images, and sentences. Children need to identify themselves as writers if they are to master the craft of writing.

If children are to move towards mastering the art of writing, they need to learn to harness the power of language to suggest colour, sound and texture through imagery, provoke emotions and convey meaning. Confucius wisely observed that “Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.” Enabling children to grow and expand their command of language and their ability to use effective figurative devices that evocatively capture what they see and feel will lead to an improvement in the subtlety and depth of their writing. Encourage your children to read, even if it is only an excerpt from a great novel or short story so that they experience the craft of writing.

Furthermore, as parents we can encourage our children to truly see the world around them. To notice the beauty of the patterns on leaves, the rich colours of flowers, the arduous journey of an ant traversing the challenging landscape of a garden or the antics of a cockatoo trying to break the hard shell of a macadamia nut. Australian writer and philosopher Alain de Botton wrote – “I'm constantly reminded of the difference there can be between experiencing something with one's senses open or closed. It's really the difference between looking at things like an artist and like an ordinary person”. We are all often too preoccupied to truly see the world around us. Yet, it is often the small details that bring a place or a person to life. Writers and artists look beyond the superficial and capture the minutiae of life that offers more subtle nuances and provides interesting observations. Alexandra Horowitz invites her readers to take a walk through their suburb and open their eyes to all that is around them in her book On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes. She wrote “I would find myself at once alarmed, delighted, and humbled at the limitations of my ordinary looking. My consolation is that this deficiency of mine is quite human. We see, but we do not see: we use our eyes, but our gaze is glancing, frivolously considering its object. We see the signs, but not their meanings. We are not blinded, but we have blinders.”

Writing like the finger paintings we all once did is messy. Children need to be reassured that writing in the beginning is not perfect. It takes time and effort to master the craft of writing, and the process is iterative. If children are encouraged and supported to be brave and tinker with writing, they will become increasingly confident and proficient writers.

When I was teaching at Richmond River High School, one of my former Year 7 students, Ciame, who struggled with writing produced this piece of poetry about what she can see from her bedroom window. It captures everything that I am saying about improving writing by seeing the world:

Through my Window

I’m sitting on the edge of my bed
with a large, golden dog at my feet.
The room has stained white walls
and glossy frames.
There is a bookcase full of fantasy novels
in the corner,
On top of the bookcase is a stereo
playing an old song from the eighties.
As I look out my window I see
the old silky oak with its green leaves
and yellow blossoms.
Their bright colour contrasts with the dull green of the leaves.
In the giant shadow of the oak
there is a herb garden,
and through the window I smell rosemary and lavender,
mixed with the spice of chili and the fresh sweet scent of mint and basil.
A black neighbourhood cat
stalks the lorikeets feeding on the red brush box blossoms.
As he jumps they fly away screeching
setting off a storm of bird song around the neighbouring yards.
Past the rotting back fence,
there is the elderly Italian man
working in his vegetable garden.
Further out over the town and the mountains
that form the west wall of the valley,
the golden sun sets in the purple tinted sky.
As I walk over to close the window,
the brilliant sun sunset ends
and the first star of the night appears.
Natural beauty is special.
Move into its world and feel its magic.

In 2021, I was privileged to have been awarded the Reading Australia’s national fellowship. If you would like to have a look at some of the writing ideas I have developed for teachers and see the photographs I have taken that show how I delight in the world around us please click here. 

I have also created a website for parents and students that supports students to prepare for NAPLAN. There is a link in the writing section to a booklet for writing.

I look forward to you joining me for my zoom meeting on how to support your child to improve their writing.

Karen Yager | Principal