More Than Meets the Eye: Daily Writing Has Long Lasting Benefits for Student-Writers

A writer’s world is often an imaginary land, filled with extraordinary characters and endless possibilities.  Even in the ugliest of circumstances, there is always hope for a happy ending, or at the very least, some sanity. Surprisingly, the creativity that students pour into the art of writing can significantly impact their well-being. The very real effects of writing travel a far distance from the fictional worlds of plots and heroes; daily writing can make long-lasting, positive impressions on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the people holding the pens. Today, most school curriculums validate the importance of writing and incorporate the process into as many aspects of the curriculum as possible.  In English classes across the country, students learn grammar, paragraph structure, and the proper support of a well-developed thesis statement.   However, without undermining the value of formulaic writing, it is important to ask if students are hearing the other voice of writing:  the voice that isn’t afraid to speak a student’s individuality, emotions, opinions, and truths. After the Story Ends When we open the hands of writing, we see it holds far more benefits for children than most parents would ever suspect.  Writing is one of the best tools for sharpening thinking skills.  In her essay “Never Too Early to Write,” Deb Bonte summarizes, “If teachers who want to encourage students to be good thinkers are not using creative writing, they are missing out on the best way to get students to process information, which is especially valuable to learning.”  Student writers analyze perspectives, formulate opinions, and speak their inner voices through the careful selection of the written word.  Student writers also enhance their decision-making skills with their selections of writing topic, tone, audience, wording, etc.   In addition, writing impacts listening skills. The process of interviewing sources, receiving criticism, and listening to other students’ stories refines students’ ability to process information (Zinkosky). Consequently, Bonte reminds parents that increased writing practice boosts achievement scores on standardized tests and the speed at which children learn; thus daily writing practice should be acknowledged as an integral part of a child’s intellectual development. Remember when a scribble was just a scribble? Research has revealed a direct connection between early writing and preparedness for literacy.  Jean Kueker, author of “Early Writing: Why Squiggles are Important,” informs parents that “scribbles and mock writing are useful early practices that lay a foundation for learning to form and recognize letters.”   Never-ending wavy lines, scribbles, pseudo-spellings, and picture drawings all stand under the umbrella of writing and are no less important to intellectual, physical, and emotional development than their neighboring, more developed essays.  Early writing sets the stage for reading readiness, and per Bonte, children who experiment with early forms of writing read earlier than those who do not. The hands of daily, creative writing can reach beyond the intellect to soothe a person’s emotions and physical well-being.  In a world dominated by the pressures of fitting in, writing can often be the only outlet for individual expression (Zinkosky).   Relieved from a lifetime of repression or inhibition, feelings of shame, guilt, anger, sadness, or extreme joy can suddenly have safe grounds to run and exhaust themselves.  Children who “should not speak until spoken to” surprisingly find they have voices and opinions that matter and speak to other people.  The liberation, power, and self-esteem that students derive from this gift of self-expression cannot be measured. Healing Words As if that were not enough, research has revealed the marvelous affects writing has on physical health. James W. Pennebaker, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas in Austin, has conducted widely acclaimed and respected research studies on the effects of writing on health.  Pennebaker claims, “writing or talking about emotional topics has also been found to have beneficial influences on immune functions, including t-helper cell growth…Behavioral changes have also been found.  Students who wrote about emotional issues showed improvement in grades…” (Schubert). So what can parents do to integrate writing into their children’s daily lives?   Parents can begin by creating writing places in their homes, filled with different styles of stationary, journals, favorite notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, paint sets, and easels.  Encourage children to write about what is on their minds, linking emotions to the details of important events.  Because parents are the best models for kids, they, too, should take the time to reap the rewards of writing (Kueker).

Works Cited:

Bonte, Deb.  “Never Too Early to Write.” 5 May 2005.  <http://beresford.k12.sd.us/December/writing%20Dec%202004.htm>. Kueker, Jean.  “Early Writing: Why Squiggles Are Important.”  LDA Newsbriefs.  July/August 2003.  LDA of America.  11 May 2005. <www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/early_childhood/writing.asp>. Schubert, Sandra L.  “Words That Heal:  Writing Leads to Wellness.”  Self-Healing Expressions.  5 May 2005. www.selfhealingexpressions.com/writing_wellness.shtml>. Zinkosky, Pamela.  “The Many Benefits of Writing.”  Partnership for Learning.  5 May 2005. <www.partnershipforlearning.org/article.asp?ArticleID=319>.