Ten Ways to Develop Better Writers

1. Encourage your child to tell stories and narrate/summarize what they have heard. Bible, history, or science lessons make great material for narrating/summarizing.
2. Live life.  Interesting experiences such as vacations, trips, sport games, etc. all make great writing prompts.
3. Help your child find the interesting in the mundane.  A weekly trip to the grocery store could offer many writing ideas to a keen observer. 
4. Encourage your child to write outside of school lessons.  Friendly letters, journal writings, or fictional stories can be fun as school lessons or beyond.
5. Increase your child's vocabulary.  We have always spoken to our children normally.  We have never renamed something or used 'kiddie' language with them.  If they don't understand a word we use, we take the time to explain it.
6. Keep a student or college level dictionary and thesaurus.  It helps with the large vocabulary.
7. Provide a writing formula when your child is stuck.  Writing poetry can be easier with a specific formula like a haiku or rhyme pattern.
8. Have writing prompts on hand.  A good piece of art work can provide ample ideas for stories.  A finish the story activity book may help as well.
9. Encourage your child to share some of their writing with others.  People will naturally encourage a young, budding writer.
10. Read aloud to your child as often as possible.  Good literature, poetry, and Shakespeare are great places to start.

{There are, of course, more than just ten ways to develop better writers.  The ones listed here are what we use in our home.}