By Zacharias Allred

Learning to write is very important today. The internet is setting the pace in this new information age and writing is one of the best ways to communicate online and in many other settings. Your children learn to write by writing so you need to create a writing atmosphere in your home. Here are 6 tips to help you get started.

1. Inspire them. Show your children that writing can be very fun and exciting. Show them letters you have written. If you keep a journal show your children how rewarding and exciting it is to look back through the years in your journal.

2. Article writing competition. You can challenge your children to write a 400 word article on any subject they choose. You can then read the articles together and collectively pick the best one. You can then give an appropriate reward but the purpose is to get them to want to write.

3. Blog? Blogs are a very popular method for sharing ideas and happenings with friends, family and the internet community. Your children could help with the blog and you can even make money from it. This will give your children a big incentive to write when they realize there is a way to make money.

4. Give your children a notebook. A notebook is a necessity for any good writer so they can quickly jot down ideas as they come. They can also start composing stories in their notebooks that can later be transferred to the computer.

5. Have your kids learn to write thank you notes. You and others give your children many gifts and sometimes it is hard to just get your children to say thank you. Can you imagine the joy that will fill someone's heart if they receive a thank you note from one of your children for a gift or special outing?

6. Write letters. Writing letters is a habit we should all have. You can help you children develop a love for writing by encouraging them to write letters to grandparents and friends. They can even write letters to you complete with postage and an address. I have sent my children mail before and it is very fun.

Teaching children to write when there are so many other activities can be challenging. First you need to inspire your children by showing them how fun writing can be. Next you can teach your kids fun activities like thank you notes, blogs and writing letters that make writing exciting.