9 ACTIVITIES TO HELP YOUR CHILD WRITE NATURALLY AND FEARLESSLY If we wrote as much as we speak, writing would be as natural as speech. But it is not--because we do not. As a writer and teacher of writing, I know first-hand how intimidating the process of committing a written or typed word to paper or screen can be. Most parents probably experience the same feelings their children do: avoidance based on fear of being judged. If your goal is to help your child write naturally and fearlessly, there are many things you can do. First, be sure your children understand that in written communication, there is no "right answer." Second, be sure your children understand that revision is a natural part of writing; some writers would say it is the fun part. Keeping these ground rules in mind, you can increase the amount and type of non-academic writing your children do. As writing becomes a natural activity out of school, it is a less intimidating activity in school. Thank you notes are a good beginning. I've received thank you notes from children as young as five. I appreciate these notes as much as those sent by adults. As children become older, encourage them to talk about local and national events. From these conversations, letters to the editor and to local and national politicians can flow. Create a family time capsule by having family members sit down and summarize the important events in their lives over the past year. Collect these mini-histories in a book on New Year's Eve. Ask everyone in the family to write a letter to the United States on the Fourth of July. Encourage your children to express their thoughts and feelings about their country. Before writing your letters, you might want to read about a period in American history. Collect your family's essays in a Fourth of July book with a cover designed by your child. Add to the binder each year. Begin a family almanac by asking your children to write descriptions of their home, neighborhood, and town complete with illustrated maps. Trace your family history through the various places your ancestors have lived. Compile a family entertainment guide where everyone is a critic. Every week you and your children enjoy at least one of the following: television programs, movies, video games, albums, concerts, museums, outdoor festivals. Encourage your children to describe their experience, to compare, for example, two television programs of the same type. Sports events are another area where children can describe and critique the action. Encourage your children to explain why they like certain sports figures. These essays can lead to fan letters to entertainment personalities, but explain that celebrities cannot usually answer the many letters sent to them. Remember that letters to friends and relatives do get answers and then children experience the thrill of getting their own mail. Finally, collect what your family writes and give these "books" equal space with other books you own. Pride of authorship is a strong incentive to keep writing. By Sally Siegel