Writing prompts for your child

Here are a few prompts to help keep your child's writing skills sharp all summer:

Writing Prompt Suggestions

Kindergarten to 1st grade:

- What is your favorite animal? Why?

- Who is your best friend? How did you meet?

- What is your favorite thing to do outside?

- Did you do anything fun yesterday/ over the weekend?

2nd to 5th grade:

- What are the 3 things you enjoy most about summer? Why?

- The person/ teacher/ friend I admire most is...

- What things are you the best at doing? Are you good at math, reading, dancing, or something else?

- If you could be any animal, what would be the most fun? What kinds of things would you do?

6th to 8th grade

- Talk about a weird dream you had. Did it relate to anything happening in your life?

- Do you have any unusual talents? Or, if you could learn one skill overnight, what would you pick?

- What are you most excited about doing when you're old enough? Going to prom, learning to drive, attending college, or other events?

- If you could have any one superpower, what would it be? Would your power be used mostly to have fun, to help others, or something else?

8th Grade and Above:

- When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Has it changed?

- Have you ever broken a rule for what you thought was a good reason, or seen a situation in a book or movie where this happened? What was the end result?

- Do you consider yourself an introvert or extrovert? Was there a time you didn't feel you fit that label?

- If you were elected president, what are the 3 things you would do first?

There are countless resources for starting a journal and ideas for prompts online. The most important thing is instilling an appreciation for writing in your child, and encouraging them to think about their lives and desires. Not only will this help them learn about themselves, but also reinforce critical thinking and good time management.