Description: In this article, English tutor Susie explores simple, effective ways parents can help their Key Stage 2-aged children overcome writer’s anxiety and build lasting confidence in their ideas and expression.
I’ve worked with Key Stage 2 children who write with complete freedom.
Sentences flying everywhere, no punctuation in sight, and a storyline that involves a teddy bear opening a bakery on Mars.
And I’ve worked with others who freeze completely, staring at the page like it’s mocking them. Both are totally normal.
Most kids by Key Stage 2 have already decided what kind of writers they are.
“I’m good at it” or “I’m hopeless” – and that belief tends to stick, especially if it’s been backed up by a red pen or sighs during homework.
But actually, every child has something to say.
The secret? Help them feel courageous enough to say it.
That’s where confidence kicks in. Without it, writing becomes an imposition.
With it, you get ideas, ingenuity, and a voice that feels like them.
So, how do you build it? Here’s what works (without turning it into a grammar marathon).
Writing Nerves are Real
Some children genuinely adore writing. Others ice over at the sight of a blank page.
By the time a child reaches KS2, they’ve already decided if they’re “good” at it or not.
That mindset sticks. As a parent or tutor, your job isn’t to drill grammar rules and regs.
Instead, it’s to help them enjoy expressing themselves.
Once they feel safe to write whatever comes into their head, the confidence starts tiptoeing in.
Bin the Red Pen
If your youngster has poured their whole heart into a story, the unhealthiest thing you can do is hand it back, red-penned with corrections.
Not a lot slays confidence faster.
Of course, punctuation and spelling count for a lot.
But not right away. Concentrate on what they did well. Was there a sentence that made you smile? A clever twist? Or maybe a character that felt incredibly realistic?
Focus on that.
The rest can come later. And it will, probably once they feel safe to write in their own way.
Confidence comes from feeling heard, not from immaculate sentence structure.
They’ll learn more from one encouraging chat than ten spelling lists.
Give Them Legitimate Reasons to Write
Would you want to write a diary entry as an Edwardian boot polisher? Didn’t think so.
Children write more effectively when the task feels real… or fun.
Get them writing:
- A letter to their future self
- “If I ruled school for a day…”
- Directions for making the world’s grossest sandwich
- A day in the life of their pet
Anything goes.
Pop it in an envelope. Read it out over dinner. Plonk it on the fridge next to last term’s certificate. Give it a cheer, even if it makes no sense at all.
Suppose it’s a bit mischievous or peculiar, even better. And confidence? That creeps in quietly while they’re too busy chuckling to notice.
Try Out the ‘Finish My Sentence’ Trick
Blank pages are the nemesis. They just sit there. Staring back.
And for a child who’s already a bit uncertain, that’s enough to shut things down entirely.
So, give them a head start.
One little sentence opener can be all it takes. Something odd, something humorous, something they don’t expect:
- “The biscuits were missing, and the only clue was a soggy sock.”
- “I thought the dog looked devious.”
- “Everything was okay until Mum put the pasta in the toaster.”
See what they come up with. Encourage them to let their ideas run riot. No rules apply.
Let them build silly, strange or serious stories… but let them start small.
Praise Effort, Not Just the Grammar
You don’t have to love their writing to show you’re proud of it.
That half-page about a talking rock? Stick it on the fridge. Read it out at breakfast. Tell Grandma.
Make a fuss over the trying. Overthinking. Over the fact they sat down and wrote anything.
Because confidence doesn’t grow from being flawless. It grows from being bold enough to give it a go.
And once a child starts to believe their ideas are relevant (really relevant), they stop second-guessing every word. They write more. They smile more. And bit by bit, their voice gets louder.
By tutor Susie.
