Introducing Your Child to the Arts: Words to Stories (continued)

This approach gives children the freedom to concentrate on the ideas, an important aspect of writing. As children mature and writing is acknowledged as a means of communication, it is important to help your child explore and understand the associated standards. It is helpful to emphasize that rules or standards increase everyone’s ability to be able to read the same written words.

Supporting Young Writers

Your response to your child’s writing is crucial. When you take pride in your child’s efforts and accomplishments as a writer, your child will also do the same. A positive experience sets the tone for future efforts and often leads to a desire to continue writing.

For the beginning writer, early attempts should be acknowledged simply for the effort. Showing genuine interest in a child’s writing is one of the most productive ways of encouraging young writers. As children develop more sophisticated skills, ask them to talk about their writing and consider alternatives within their storyline. Encourage the child to rethink ideas and descriptions. “What other words can you use to describe the game that the boys are playing in your story?” “Do you think that adding interesting words will help me to imagine what’s happening?”

For six- to eight-year-olds, editing and revising should be taught not as criticism but as additions to the writing process. Children’s initial efforts as writers focus primarily on expressing ideas on paper. As children begin to think about their work in terms of communicating with others, new skills such as editing and revising should be introduced. A good writer ultimately has to be able to express ideas in thoughtful and creative ways, and meet the standards of writing so that others can enjoy the work.

Educational Programs for Nurturing Young Writers 

Preschoolers and kindergartners can gain valuable experience from programs that emphasize the world of writing. When preschools and libraries invite professional writers and poets to share their love of writing, young children learn about the process of writing that ultimately contributes to the necessary skills of the trade. This personal interaction often encourages inquiry about the author’s approach to telling a story or about the selection of topics. Look for such encounters for your child that will build a strong foundation for more formal writing of the future.

For elementary students, writing instruction should be lively, engaging, and supportive. It is important to recognize the different talents and styles of children and to provide a mix of approaches and forms of writing. Every child should be given an opportunity to write poetry as well as stories or book reports. Exercises in grammar should be complemented by imaginative assignments. Topics should range from nature to history to personal experience.

Writing programs outside of school should be reserved for older children. Some schools offer writing as part of after-school programs. These can be a wonderful opportunity for your child to hone his or her writing skills, but make sure the program sparks your child’s natural interests and abilities and makes the process engaging!

Resources

Children's Books

On the Wing: Bird Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Nathaniel Talking by Eloise Greenfield

Web Sites

Teachers and Writers Collaborative
www.twc.org
Teachers and Writers Collaborative was founded by a group of writers and educators in 1967 to send writers into schools and to publish and distribute materials about teaching writing. T&W writers work with children and teachers, giving them an understanding and appreciation of literary traditions and a sense of the methods and motives of writers. T&W houses the Center for Imaginative Writing, a resource library and meeting place.

The Horn Book Parents' Page
www.hbook.com/parents
This Web site provides lists of recommended books for children of all ages. Parents can print out a comprehensive list of classic and recent books to take with them to the library or bookstore.

Children's Book Council

www.cbcbooks.org
The Children’s Book Council (CBC) is a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to encouraging literacy and the use and enjoyment of children’s books. The Web site provides information on children’s books authors and illustrators
categorized by age groups and other resources.