Children’s stories are sometimes one of the most difficult things to write. This may seem a bit odd but it is true. The reason for this is because of the type of words that have to be used.

The audience is the key when it comes to writing anything. However, when writing children’s books you have to consider the fact that the intended audience has a limited vocabulary as well as a very limited attention span.

Some very well placed illustrations that are eye-catching and colorful can have a significant impact on how well a child can follow the story. However, the wording is even more important than that.

If the age group of the audience is relatively young, it goes without saying that the words used should be less than three syllables. They should also be some form of familiar vocabulary words combined with sight words.

The secret is that in order to write a story that keeps a child’s interest long enough for them to learn the words and possibly learn to read it for themselves is to delve into a child’s imagination as you write.

A child’s favorite thing to do is play which is how they learn, therefore it is a good bet that playing to a child’s imagination is the best way to keep their attention on a story long enough for them to learn to read and understand what you are trying to tell them. Consider what you would want your children to read about and what they would learn from the book you are writing. Try to incorporate some sort of life lesson or positive message that children can learn from.

Then, think about how children talk to adults and to one another and take note of the difference in their words and cues. Using this very same vocabulary and incorporating some extra sight words will inevitably keep the child trying to sound out unfamiliar words as they read the ones they already know.

The most important thing to remember is that when writing for very young readers you should try to avoid overwhelming them too much. There is rarely, if ever, a four-year-old that wants to read a seventy-five-page book. Nor do they want to sit still long enough for an adult to read to them page after page of long paragraphs that they hardly understand.

Just remember, kids do in fact have very short attention spans which give authors of children’s stories a very selective vocabulary and page count to work with. Try to keep the paragraphs short and to the point while adding in some imagination to keep the child focused on the story. Avoid using excessively large words with more than three syllables.

One of the best things to keep handy when writing children’s stories is a children’s dictionary and thesaurus. If you do not have a physical copy of a children’s dictionary, there are a number of great ones online. Miriam-Webster Children’s dictionary and thesaurus is an invaluable resource for this purpose. Another great way to see what your target audience is accustomed to reading is by looking up spelling and grammar lists by age and grade level.

Keep in mind that there is absolutely nothing wrong with writing a book that introduces kids to new vocabulary words but it can be overwhelming if every single word is unfamiliar to them. Kids are very smart and can learn to read very easily when books hold their interest as well as meet their level of intellect. Once again, just keep in mind the age group you intend to write for and utilize the appropriate words and language via dictionary and thesaurus.