How to Teach Kids to Love Writing (Even Reluctant Writers!)
(Yes, even the ones who claim they “can’t think of anything” every. single. time.)
If you’ve ever handed a student a pencil and a blank page and watched sheer panic spread across their face like you just asked them to recite Shakespeare while skydiving, you know the truth:
Not all kids love writing.
In fact, some kids would rather reorganize your classroom supply closet than write a single sentence. Others will spend ten whole minutes crafting the perfect heading and then declare, “I’m done,” as if they didn’t just produce the literary equivalent of a sneeze.
But here’s the good news: every kid has something to say. They just need the right tools, the right space, and definitely the right snacks (let’s be honest).
So let’s talk about how to teach kids to love writing, or at the very least, not actively groan when you say, “It’s writing time!”
Why Some Kids Hate Writing in the First Place (It’s Not You. Probably.)
Before we fix it, let’s name it.
Here’s why writing feels like pulling teeth for some students:
Perfectionism: “If it’s not perfect, I don’t want to try.”
Fear of judgment: “What if people laugh at my story about talking cats?”
Executive function struggles: “I have 100 ideas and zero clue how to organize them.”
Fine motor fatigue: “My hand hurts. And no, I don’t want to type either.”
Writing has always felt like work: “If this ends in a red pen and a rubric, I’m out.”
The truth? Writing is vulnerable. It’s thinking, organizing, spelling, creating, editing and all at once. No wonder they shut down. But that’s where we come in.
Step 1: Start With Joy, Not Grammar
You know what doesn’t make a kid fall in love with writing? A five-paragraph essay about “What You Did Over Summer Vacation” graded for subject-verb agreement.
Writing is storytelling. Self-expression. Humor. Weird facts. Dumb jokes. Strong opinions about Minecraft.
Start with that.
Try:
“Write about a time you laughed so hard you snorted.”
“Invent a holiday and describe how the world celebrates it.”
“Write a letter from your socks to your shoes.”
“Convince me that pineapple does or does not belong on pizza.”
Let them be funny. Let them be weird. Let them be THEM.
Once they see writing as a vehicle for their voice, the structure can come later.
(Promise.)
Step 2: Lower the Stakes…Like, Way Lower
Not every piece needs to be a polished masterpiece ready for publishing. In fact, most shouldn’t be.
Make space for:
Journals that only the writer reads
Quick writes and free writes
“Messy middles” and unfinished thoughts
Doodles and diagrams as part of brainstorming
Give kids permission to explore language without the pressure of perfection. Because guess what? Adults don’t write polished drafts on the first try either.
Step 3: Make Writing Social
Writing doesn’t have to be lonely and silent (unless you want it to be, in which case, we support your “Quiet Writing Friday” movement).
Try:
Writing circles
Peer storytelling
Partnered comic creation
Group “pass-the-pen” stories where each person adds a sentence
When writing becomes something shared, not judged, kids lean in. They learn from each other’s creativity. They laugh. They get ideas. They stop seeing writing as a solo mountain climb and start seeing it as a campfire.
Step 4: Give Them Choice (Like, Actual Choice)
Imagine being forced to write about things you don’t care about, every single time.
That’s the fastest route to “I hate writing.”
Let kids:
Choose the format (poem, comic, blog post, short story, podcast script)
Choose the topic
Choose the audience
Even within structured lessons, build in wiggle room.
You can teach informative writing and let one student write about sea otters while another writes about Bigfoot.
Choice = ownership = engagement.
Step 5: Celebrate the Writing, Not Just the Writer
Instead of only praising the student who writes five pages in cursive before lunch, find something to celebrate in every piece.
“I love this sentence, it made me laugh out loud.”
“Your ending was powerful. It stayed with me.”
“You described the smell of the cafeteria in painfully vivid detail. Well done.”
Display work. Share it. Publish it. Create a classroom blog, zine, or gallery.
Make writing feel seen, not just graded.
Bonus Tip: Write With Them
Want students to take writing seriously?
Show them you do, too.
Model the process. Share your rough drafts. Tell them when you get stuck.
Let them see you revising in real-time—not just producing perfect examples.
Because when kids see that even grown-ups struggle to find the right words?
They stop expecting themselves to get it right on the first try.
Final Thoughts: Writing Shouldn’t Feel Like a Punishment
When we strip away the red pens, rigid rubrics, and repetitive prompts, we’re left with something truly powerful:
Kids, with ideas. Big ones. Silly ones. Brilliant ones. Our job is to help them find their voice, shape their words, and trust that what they have to say matters. So hand them a pen. Or a keyboard. Or a crayon, if that’s their vibe.
And say:
“Tell me something only you can write.”
Then watch the magic happen. (Even if it starts with a story about a farting unicorn. That’s still writing, baby.)
