Tag Archives: creative writing
Allowing children to risk expression of their thoughts and feelings in an imaginative way is one of the best things that you can do for them. When expressed via the written word, you have creative writing. Be it fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, well-developed or hardly so, creative writing is a fundamental tool of self-empowerment.
As the legendary Dr. Seuss noted, “I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient of living.”
Through creative writing, your child will learn how to, or gain more practice in:
- Creating something from nothing
- Publishing (should that be your choice)
Another beautiful facet of creative writing is that age isn’t much a factor. If your child can speak, then they can also express themselves through writing. How? Easy…
My four-year-old tells the story and I write it. Every now and then, I’ll toss in a prompt, asking her for the character’s name or “What happens next?” You should see her face when I read it back to her. And though my eight-year-old is a little more advanced, he requires more guidance. Given good questions, he gets the ball rolling in no time.
Be careful not to assume that pre-teens and older children will quickly grasp the skill, or be bored with it. Instead, give them an array of topics—always reserving the right to choose their own. Once they’ve latched to a story, have them zoom in on that piece. Refine it at least three times a week, according to a planned curve (e.g. lessons on depth, originality, vividness, and fearlessness) or a good old fashioned spontaneous one.
For teens—or anyone who’s ready, for that much—diversify the writing genre. Dabble in business, technical, journalism, marketing, script writing, or whichever s/he happens to want to try. For instance, they can rewrite the script of one of their favorite television episodes or create a flyer for an upcoming event (real or imagined).
The point is just to get them writing, and knowing that with time and practice, it gets easier. I’ve taught adults who were trying their hand at creative writing for the first time, learn it and love it. And by learning it, I mean finding their voice and owning it!
In turn, with consistent writing, all age ranges improved their overall communication skills and comprehension levels. Others have also experienced an upturn in their:
- Love of reading
- Curiosity of other arts
- Elected solitude
Have you tried creative writing? If so, how does it flow into your homeschooling environment?
Guest Author: Trelani D. (Homeschool Mom)
Writing does not have to be a chore–although our students often think it is. Reliance on spell-check and electronic communication is a reality–but not a full-time necessity. Pulling in some creative, fun projects is an easy thing to do! If you are careful in the presentation, they might not even know they are ‘doing school.‘
Children especially love to receive notes and cards. Pen pals are an old-fashioned idea with great potential. Explore a foreign country and culture by locating a pen pal online. Encourage a bit of history learning with ‘interview’ letters to aged family members (or friends). Very young children who are learning to read and write will enjoy exchanging notes with you! A little mailbox created for a doorway is a great way to encourage reading and writing. Leave a note each day for one another. If you have a particularly artistic student, taking the handwriting challenge up a level to calligraphy cards may appeal sometimes. Other times, cards made with cut-out letters are a way to keep the writing projects fresh and fun.
A favorite writing project in our past was called “Thankful Thursday.” Each week the children chose someone to send a card to and tell them they were thankful for something about that person. The recipients were pleasantly surprised and the children practiced penmanship, grammar and kindness!
As the children grow in ability, cards can grow into longer projects. Stories sometimes simply flow from their hearts and pencils. You will enjoy the illustrations as much as the stories! A journal that is not corrected for grammar is a useful tool. Simply writing helps the children know they can write. Grammar and punctuation can wait for the curriculum if you choose. As stories and projects increase in size, the logic of utilizing computers enters the picture. (Cards and letters do not have to leave the picture though!)
Online writing contests and forums are a great motivation when the natural desire to tell stories begins to wane. Competitions, passion-specific projects (e.g. Mustang Horses) and writing websites are tools to keep our children learning to communicate. Even in a world of texting, the ability to string sentences together remains a priority and hand-written notes are a treasure easily given.