You are never too young to start writing

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By Anjellah Owino

To begin with, children are fast learners. They are also humorously honest, inquisitively observant and fresh in the mind. And in their sweet, innocent smiles and tiny fingers, some are born writers.

There is no need for art or writing schools to nurture that talent in those green ages, so the country’s education system is not responsible here. It is up to the parents to bring out what they observe as unique in their child, in this case writing.

According to the book, Helping Your Child With Reading and Writing: A Guide for Parents, written by the Ontario Ministry of Education: “The best time for your child to start learning to read and write is when he or she is very young. This is when your child is best able to begin developing positive attitudes towards reading and writing as well as some fundamental reading and writing.”

Amy England also supports these sentiments in The Village Voice, when she writes: “Raising a writer begins with raising a reader. Talking with young children, showing them pictures, and sharing stories with them even before they can read instils in them a love of indulging their imagination.”

This holds true for Vaishnavi Ram Mohan, whose Tales from Africa was published when she was 14 years old. Her life serves an example of how parents are contributory factors in pushing budding writers to discover themselves.

Vaishnavi had been reading short stories and articles in local newspapers. One day, when she critiqued a story, her mother dared her to write her own, and an author was born.

Asked whether her parents contributed to her discovery and growth as a writer, she responds: “Absolutely. My parents supported me at every stage, whether it was reading to me before I could read on my own or buying me books as soon as I could. They were also instrumental in the decision to compile my short stories into a book back in 2007,” adds the Storymoja editor.

Author Christopher Beale’s mother also asked him to write a story, which led to the publication of This and Last Season’s Excursions when he was six years old.

This affirms that it all starts at a young age. Routinely reading stories to children even when they do not understand a word. Creating a devoted culture centred on books as they learn to share their stories orally. Displaying posters with easy-to-read short stories or poems in the house.

As the children get old enough to hold a pen, motivate them to write their first sentence.

There is also the power of observation. This is what led Alec Greven to have a bestseller, How To Talk To Girls, under his name at only nine years of age. He had written it while observing how the boys interact with girls during recess at the school’s playground.

“Build a climate of words at home. Go places and see things with your child, then talk about what has been seen, heard, smelled, tasted, touched. The basis of good writing is good talk, and younger children especially grow into stronger control of language when loving adults — particularly parents — share experiences and rich talk about those experiences,” echoes USA’s National Council of Teachers of English’s How to Help your Child Become a Better Writer.

Getting a journal for the child is advisable. The journal does not have to be published into a memoir, though there is also nothing wrong with that, but it can also be a good source of story ideas and helps a writer get in touch with what goes on around him or her.

There are also writing contests, fairs and programmes that the budding writer can exploit. Commend the effort, even when you don’t think it is very good.

Pam Allyn, a literacy expert and executive director of LitWorld and LitLife, told Psych Central’s Margaret Tartakovsky that parents should “carving out a space where your child can be creative is important”.

As evidenced through Vaishnavi’s life, teaching the child attributes such as discipline, perseverance, confidence, and willingness to accept correction is just as important. She says that the values her parents instilled in her have seen her prosper. They never drew comparisons with others, but taught her to focus on herself and not to get complacent.

Creativity

How can parents ensure their children benefit from books and that talented writers pursue their passion?

“I think the most important thing is to emphasise that books are not just for school, but that they are fun. Even when books are hard to come by, making up stories is something that really helps creativity,” Vaishnavi replies.

Unlike in the Western world, Kenya’s education system is yet to create a space for the Arts, through which youngsters can explore their talents. While we wait, parents can build their children’s passion. It is said the youngest published female author in the world was a four-year-old from USA, whose book, How The World Began, was published in 1943. Well, you never know which record your child could break.