Remote education will become the new normal. Since the pandemic outbreak, governments around the world imposed lockdown and quarantine restrictions, reopened schools, bars, and restaurants, and then closed them again. The truth is we do not know how this pandemic will evolve, but one thing is for sure. Kids will need to adapt to the new normal, to online classes and assignments. Because they have grown along with technology, they will have a much easier time adapting to these changes.

Instead, what will affect them will be the lack of social interaction with their colleagues. At the same time, some teachers might not be prepared to build interactive and interesting online classes, so some kids might remain with some learning gaps they need to cover. This is where parents intervene and support their kids in the process of developing their skills and gathering knowledge.

Writing skills are important for kids because they help them express their thoughts and send feelings and emotions through written texts. Writing skills are an essential part of communication, and also some skills that might be lost during remote education. So, how can you as a parent, help your kids not lose them during these tough and different times? Let’s discuss seven tips that could help you do this.

1. Encourage Reading

Reading is a nice and relaxing activity kids can be instilled to do. This is especially important during remote education when a social contact is limited. Reading comes with a lot of benefits. Kids can learn new words and different ways to use them. The more they read, the more they improve their writing skills. Having a wide and well-developed vocabulary will help kids use new words and create their own writing style. The more words they know, the more diverse it will be.

Many kids run away from reading, as they find it boring. So, how could you convince your kids that this is a good idea? The first thing and maybe the most important one is to lead by example. If they see you reading, they will follow your example. At the same time, when kids do not feel like reading, you can read to them while they listen. And the most important thing is to not skip reading days. Because children will develop a habit of everyday reading and start asking for it themselves. Doing this constantly will help your kids not lose their writing skills during remote education.

2. Writing Space

We all know that kids are easily distracted and they can easily lose focus when they are engaged in an activity. This is the case of remote education too. Face-to-face education has the advantage of being more able to catch and maintain the attention of kids. However, remote education can easily be enhanced by the support of parents who know how to help their kids.

Having a writing space where there are no distractions is important. Because your kids can focus on their assignments and online classes, and improve their writing skills. A writing space where they have everything they need, from pens or pencils to notebooks and books, will help kids keep up the pace with remote education and focus better.

3. Encourage Them to Write Letters

For sure your kids have a favorite cartoon character. Or maybe they have read a book series and they are keen on a character. Encouraging your kids to write letters to their favorite characters will allow them to put their writing skills to practice. At the same time, this is a nice exercise they can engage in repeatedly.

They can share with their favorite characters things about them or describe how they spent the last days. The topic can vary, but it is important to let your kids develop their own stories.

4. And Emails

Because remote education prevents kids from physical contact with their peers that would help them develop their communication skills, written communication might be a good replacement. Even though kids might communicate with their colleagues on social media, the way written communication happens there is not always the most elaborate.

And one way to help your kids not lose their writing skills during these times is to encourage them to write not only letters to their favorite characters, but also emails to their colleagues. Kids can easily engage in a daily habit of sending an email to their friends and sharing their latest experiences. This will surely help them develop and improve their writing skills.

5. Story Prompts

Kids have a fantastic imagination. They are so creative that they can make a story out of nothing. Creating interesting and fascinating short stories might be the tip you need to put to practice that will help your kids not lose their writing skills during remote education. You can create some story prompts, the beginning of a story, and encourage your kids to develop it further.

Then, you could have them read their story out loud, an activity that will help them improve their verbal communication skills too.

6. Journaling

Journaling might be an activity that kids will love. Having something private that only they can read can encourage them to share the most personal feelings and emotions. At the same time, writing about what they have been through will help them improve their writing skills.

Journaling is an activity they can do daily, that will bring them pleasure and help them not lose their writing skills.

7. Praise

Kids need encouragement and the closest figures to them that can do this are parents. Praising your kids’ writing pieces is important because this gives them motivation and courage to keep going. Discuss with your kids details about their stories, ask them questions, and support them in their developmental process.

Remote education might leave some kids with learning gaps they need to fill. At the same time, they need to adapt to a new learning context, so they need the support of parents. Losing their writing skills can be prevented by encouraging them to start journaling and sending emails to their friends. They can write letters or stories and read from their writing space. Use these tips with your children to enhance their writing.

Author Bio: Leon Collier is a blogger from the UK, a member of the professional essay writers community. He loves writing college essay papers about everything: parenting, history, travel, self-development, education, soft skills. When not writing, you can find him behind a book or playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12

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