How Good Reading Habits Help Kids Become Confident Writers And What You Can Do to Support Both

In this post, we’ll look at how reading and writing develop together and why strengthening both can help children grow as thinkers and communicators.

Reading and writing are often taught as if they’re separate. One focuses on understanding. The other helps with expressing. But the two are closely connected. Reading provides children with the language and structure they need to write. Writing, in turn, helps them reflect on what they’ve read and express ideas in their own words. When both are supported, each one improves.

Reading Builds the Mental Framework for Writing

Long before children begin writing on their own, they’re already learning how language works.

Through stories, they hear how sentences flow, how characters speak, and how ideas connect. Even without formal instruction, they pick up tone and rhythm. This becomes the foundation they draw from when they begin to write. This is also why we talk to babies and why it’s worth continuing to read aloud to older kids who are still developing confidence.

Children who are read to often have stronger storytelling skills and a wider vocabulary, both of which are closely tied to writing growth.

 (National Early Literacy Panel, 2008; Mol & Bus, 2011)

Even in preschool, you may hear kids use what some call “book language” during play. That’s a sign they’re already internalizing structure, description, and narrative.

Writing Helps Them Find Their Voice

Writing gives kids a place to organize thoughts, explore emotions, and take ownership of their ideas. It gives shape to what they’ve been learning.

Their first efforts might be brief or inconsistent. Over time, with regular exposure to books and language-rich conversation, their writing becomes clearer and more purposeful. They begin to choose stronger words, shift sentence patterns, and care about how their ideas come across, because they’ve seen it modeled.

This process is sometimes called “reading-writing transfer.” The more kids read, the more sentence patterns and vocabulary they store in memory. That language often shows up in their own work.

(Shanahan, 2016; Tierney & Shanahan, 1991)

Writing in response to reading can also reinforce what they’ve learned. Whether they sketch a scene, tell it back, or write down facts, they’re signaling that the story meant something.

Some Kids Are Storytellers First

There are children who have big ideas and strong imaginations, but who find the physical task of writing frustrating. For them, storytelling is easy, but spelling and handwriting take more effort.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t writers. It means they may need different tools.

You can try letting them dictate while you write, use audio recordings, or have them draw stories as picture books. If they want to write by hand, avoid focusing on mistakes. The goal is creative expression, not correction.

What matters most is helping them feel heard. That sense of ownership builds confidence and encourages more storytelling over time.

Writing Helps Them Process Emotions

Writing is more than grammar practice. It can help children work through feelings, clarify thoughts, and share what matters to them.

Even at a young age, children can use writing to name what they’re feeling. A sentence like “Today I felt…” or a drawing with a few words offers a safe space to pause and reflect.

This kind of expressive writing supports emotional growth. It can also give them a sense of control or relief.

 (Verywell Health / Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005)

When children feel safe putting their thoughts into words, or even pictures, it contributes to resilience. They may not be ready to talk out loud, but they can still process what they’re going through.

Even Reluctant Writers Respond to Stories

 Some children avoid writing because they worry about mistakes. Others just haven't found the genre that speaks to them

In his memoir On Writing, Stephen King described how one sentence of praise from his mother changed everything. She told him a story he wrote at age six was good. That encouragement left a lasting impression. 

Sounds so simple and that's kind of the point I am trying to make here. It's nothing to overthink. Just keep encouraging.

When a child finds a story they love, something changes. They want to respond to it. They want to share it with you. They can't stop thinking about it. They might want to imagine what happens next, create a new character, or rewrite the ending. That spark often becomes the first step toward stronger writing.

Reading and Writing Support Every Subject

Children who read and write regularly are often more prepared in other areas of school. These skills support learning across the curriculum.

Reading helps students make sense of what they’re learning. Writing gives them a way to explain it. Together, these tools strengthen their ability to participate, reflect, and succeed.

According to research from the Institute of Education Sciences, students with higher reading achievement tend to perform better across subjects.

 (IES, 2016; Snow & Uccelli, 2009)

A child who can follow instructions, reflect clearly, and express ideas is more confident in any classroom.

You Don’t Have to Be a Teacher to Help

You don’t need a curriculum to support your child’s reading or writing. What matters most is creating a home where stories, language and creativity are part of daily life. When words are normal, writing feels less intimidating.

Small things add up and make a difference. The presence of books in the house, time spent reading aloud, reading together and opportunities to write, without critique, all contribute to future success.

Here are a few ways to build those habits:

• Ask questions while reading, like “What do you think will happen?”
• Keep pens, paper, and notebooks in easy reach
• Praise their ideas more than their spelling
• Let them write about what they enjoy
• Point out everyday writing: lists, reminders, thank-you notes

Try This at Home

• Let your child change the ending to a favorite story
• Trade notes in a small notebook
• Use pocket-sized notebooks to make mini books
• Set up a basic word processor for story typing
• Create a “word jar” and pick one new word each day
• Keep a journal with short sentences or sketches
• After reading, ask: “Would you like to write something like that?”
• Model writing by doing it yourself where they can see

Reading and writing grow together. When we support both, we’re not just helping kids build academic skills, we are giving them tools to understand themselves and share their ideas with the world.