People with verbal intelligence have a gift for words, whether they’re avid readers, writers, or speakers. They’re storytellers. They enjoy playing with words–puns, puzzles, humor, analogies, rhymes…you name it. Their language is expressive and persuasive. They have a way of putting things that makes you feel their message, a way of explaining things that makes concepts clearer.

If you have a wonderful wordsmith at your house, how can you encourage them to grow in their gift?

Equip them with books of all kinds–fiction, non-fiction, poetry, biographies–and let them bask in worthy inspiration.

Word puzzles can hone skills and build confidence. If they conquer these too quickly, let them design some of their own.

“Calligraphy” literally means “beautiful writing”. Let them try their hand at it. There may be a calligraphy guild in your area, and if not, you’ll find other “beautiful writers” on social media forums like Pinterest.

Provide them with writing tools–plenty of paper, pencils, pens. There’s a whole world of luxurious craft papers, handmade journals, free fonts and amazing calligraphic tools out there that will make their fingers itch and their imaginations tingle! Let them learn how to use writing tools on the computer, too–Word, Publisher, and PowerPoint are good starters.

Encourage them to keep a diary, find a pen pal, or write to an imaginary friend. (When I was a little girl, I wrote letters, wrapped them in waterproof wrapping, and dropped them down into the trunk of a hollow tree.) Just last week I read a blog post about a teacher who gave her second graders tiny notebooks hung on bright ribbon necklaces with instructions to use them to record “Tiny Topics” from their day that could later become writing prompts.

Let them start a collection of idioms, expressions, or wise and witty sayings.

Let them tell stories.

Wordsmiths aren’t always writers. Sometimes they’re speakers. It can be a challenge to find outlets to develop speaking skills, but perhaps your church or community has a civic theater. Let them volunteer for read-alouds at your local library or book store. Check out the nearest chapter of Toastmasters. Get active in a mock trial or debate program. Let them experiment with movie making, taping, and/or making CDs. And always, always discuss and dialogue within your family!