Writing is one of the most essential skills that children should learn and hone as they grow. However, creative writing is not only for entertainment. It allows kids to go beyond simply consuming ideas and information from others, but to become creators themselves. And that ability comes with the following benefits.
Decision making
Creative writing helps children develop better organization, planning, and ideation skills, which are necessary when building and putting together characters, and weaving ideas and feelings into stories. These skills enable kids to organize and translate their thought processes in a comprehensive manner, improving both their intrapersonal and interpersonal communication skills. With clearer thoughts and communication, they will then have the means to make better decisions and choices.
Research
Children are curious by nature, and writing creatively allows them to satisfy their curiosity. To enrich their stories or make them more believable, they will need to get facts right and research any topic needed for their tale. During this process, many kids even become experts in their field of interest — whether it is medieval societies, mining for gold, the terrain of Mars, or how to defeat vampires.
STEM learning
Multiple studies have shown that it helps the brain develop the necessary logical functions for successful science and math learning. Writing illuminates sequential procedures that children have to learn in science and mathematics, including the factoring of equations, and the chemical processes involved in photosynthesis.
Empathy and persuasion
When children create imaginary universes, they also need to imagine characters’ personalities, emotions, and walks of life that are outside of their own. This provides them with significant empathy and understanding for other people who come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, making it easy for them to accept those whose identity and experiences drastically differ from theirs.
As they develop a better understanding of other perspectives, young writers will also be able to communicate better. They can figure out how to explain and discuss topics from various standpoints. They learn how to convince people to understand their ideas and align with their points of view, which is crucial in success as adults.
Processing stress and trauma
Any kind of childhood trauma has effects that often last a lifetime. But through creative writing, children learn to process stressful or traumatic events in a healthy manner, while also speeding up their recovery from these events. According to research, writing about emotional, stressful, or traumatic experiences significantly improves the physical and psychological state of victims. This is especially important for children, who are still learning how to process different experiences.
Self-confidence
Some children doubt their own abilities and ideas or are just too shy to voice them out. Creative writing provides them with a safe space and supportive environment, where they can find and express their voices. In these settings, they can share their work with pride and enthusiasm and let them connect with peers.
Of course, building up a child’s self-confidence through creative writing requires tons of encouragement. One of the best ways to encourage them is to publish their writing, and some publishing companies like Studentreasures Publishing even publish children’s books for free.
Children are still exploring the world around them, but through creative writing, they can bring out the worlds within themselves. By encouraging them to write creatively, you help them develop the skills they need to be successful and write their own happy ending.