Making Writing Easier: Why Visualising Comes First

Why Visualising Comes Before Writing 

For many children, the word “writing” alone is enough to trigger groans, avoidance, or even tears. 

Parents often tell us, “My child can spell.” “My child can read.” “But when it comes to writing… they just freeze.” And here’s the important thing: Writing difficulties are not always about spelling, grammar, or vocabulary. 

Very often, the real challenge lies somewhere deeper - in the child’s ability to visualise and verbalise. 

Writing Starts in the Mind, Not on Paper 

Before a child can write, they need something to write about. That “something” comes from mental images.  When we ask a child to write a sentence like: “Describe the park.” 

Some children immediately picture: 

• Green grass 

• The sound of children laughing 

• The feeling of the wind 

• The smell of food nearby 

Others? Their mind is completely blank. A blank page + a blank mind = overwhelming. So the struggle isn’t “I don’t know how to write.” It’s actually: “I don’t see anything in my head.” 

Children Know Their Senses - But Don’t Always Know How to Use Them 

Most children understand: 

• What they can see 

• What they can hear 

• What they can feel 

• What they can smell 

But knowing these senses and using them intentionally in writing are two very different skills. 

Many children are never explicitly taught how to: 

• Pull sensory details into a sentence 

• Use those details to expand ideas 

• Turn experiences into meaningful descriptions 

As a result, their writing may sound: 

• Very short 

• Repetitive 

• Flat or vague 

Example: 

“The park is fun.” 

That’s not wrong - it’s just missing the picture. 

Visualising: The Missing Foundation 

This is where Visualising & Verbalising becomes powerful. 

When children learn to: 

• Create clear mental images 

• Talk about what they see, hear, feel, and notice 

• Describe those images out loud first 

Writing suddenly becomes less scary and more manageable. Why? Because they are no longer inventing ideas from nothing. They are simply putting words to pictures already in their mind. 

When a child can say: “I see a playground with bright slides, I hear children shouting, and the ground feels hot under my shoes…” Writing is no longer a guessing game. It becomes a translation process - from image → words. 

Writing Is More Than Reading, Spelling, and Grammar 

Writing is a language skill, not just a literacy one. 

It requires: 

• Mental imagery 

• Sequencing 

• Logical flow 

• Meaning-making 

A child may: 

• Read fluently 

• Spell accurately 

• Know grammar rules 

Yet still struggle to write coherently - because the mental images are weak or missing. 

Without imagery: 

• Stories don’t make sense 

• Descriptions lack detail 

• Ideas feel disconnected 

This is why writing intervention should not only focus on mechanics, but also on how the child thinks and visualises. 

When Visualising Improves, Writing Follows 

When children are supported to strengthen visualisation skills: 

• Writing becomes less overwhelming 

• Sentences become richer and more descriptive 

• Ideas flow more logically 

• Confidence grows 

They begin to realise: “Oh… I do have something to say.” And that changes everything. 

If you are wondering whether your child’s writing difficulties warrant exploration, a conversation can be a helpful first step. 

An Invite to Connect: 

Phone / WhatsApp: +65 9115 8895  Fill our reachout form: https://www.totalcommunication.com.sg/contact 

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