Your Child Can Tell a Story—So Why Is Writing It Down So Hard?

You know that child.

The one who has been talking since their eyes opened this morning.

They can tell you what happened at lunch, what somebody said three days ago, why their favorite character made the wrong decision, what they would have done instead, and somehow circle all the way back to something that happened last Tuesday.

They have details.

They have opinions.

They definitely have words.

Then you put a piece of paper in front of them and say, “Okay, write about it.”

Suddenly:

“I don’t know what to write.”

Excuse me?

You have been giving me an unauthorized podcast for the last 45 minutes.

So what happened?

Talking and Writing Aren’t the Same Thing

As adults, it’s easy to assume that a child who can tell a great story should automatically be able to write one.

But writing asks the brain to do several things at once.

A child has to think about what they want to say, decide what comes first, remember what comes next, choose the right words, spell those words, form sentences, use punctuation—and somehow hold onto the original idea while doing all of that.

That’s a lot.

When children talk, they don't have to worry about any of those mechanics. They can wave their hands. Change directions. Start over. Add, “Oh! I forgot something!” halfway through the story.

And their listener helps them along.

“Then what happened?”

“Wait—who is Marcus?”

“Why did she do that?”

Those little questions help children organize their thoughts without even realizing it.

A blank sheet of paper doesn't ask questions.

It just sits there.

Start With the Talking

If you have a talkative child who struggles with writing, don't shut down the talking.

Use it.

Before asking your child to write, ask them to tell you what they want to say.

And listen for the good stuff.

If your child says:

“We went outside and this HUGE bug landed on my sister and she started screaming and everybody ran except me because I knew it wasn't going to hurt anybody.”

There is already a story in there!

Now help them see it.

What happened first?

We went outside.

What was the big moment?

The bug landed on my sister.

What happened because of that?

Everybody ran.

How did you feel?

I wasn't scared because I knew the bug wouldn't hurt us.

Look at that.

Your child who “couldn't think of anything to write” suddenly has a beginning, middle, end, details, action, and a point of view.

The ideas were never missing.

They just needed a bridge from speaking to writing.

Let Them Write Like Themselves

Sometimes we accidentally make children's writing worse by trying to make it sound “school enough.”

A child says:

“That dog was HUGE!”

And we start trying to turn it into:

“The canine was exceptionally large.”

Please give that child their dog back. 😂

We absolutely want children to develop vocabulary and learn different kinds of writing. But we also want them to discover something important:

My voice belongs on the page.

That's especially important for reluctant writers.

Before we worry about making every sentence impressive, let's help children become comfortable putting their own thoughts into words.

A Talkative Child May Already Be a Writer

This is one reason I love letter writing.

A letter gives children something a worksheet often doesn't:

a person on the other side.

Instead of:

Write five sentences about your weekend.

A child gets to think:

I have to tell my Pal what happened!

That small change gives writing a purpose.

And that's exactly what we're building through Paige's Pals and the Writing Lab.

Paige's Pals gives children someone to write to.

The Writing Lab gives them a place to practice the skills that help them figure out how to say what they're thinking.

And we're going beyond stories.

We're going to explore different kinds of writing—including research. We'll ask questions, hunt for facts, examine sources, gather evidence and figure out how to turn all that information into a piece of writing that makes sense.

Because sometimes the child who says:

“I hate writing.”

doesn't actually hate writing.

They may hate staring at a blank piece of paper and not knowing how to get everything that's already bouncing around inside their head onto the page.

And if you've got one of those children who has been talking nonstop since breakfast?

Good.

We've already got plenty to work with. 💛

Little Letters. Big Futures.

Paige's Pals Pen Pal Program — $25/monthWriting Lab — $5/month