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Raising Children Who Love Writing
by Melvin Carwin
http://www.readywriting.com
I am a writer. Even before I was paid to write, writing was
a vital part of my life. Words are living things to me, and
puzzles that can be fit together in many ways to get across
whatever meaning I choose to impart.
As a writer and a teacher, it was important to me that my
children grow up with a love of writing. This is far less a
matter of wanting them to follow in my footsteps as it is an
appreciation of the work world of today. More and more, the
best jobs are those that require an ability to express
oneself in writing.
I didn't consciously set out to raise children who love
writing. Nor, I'm sure did my mother. I simply did the
things that she did when I was growing up, the things that I
enjoyed and loved doing. The games and reading and reciting
that my mother made a natural part of my own childhood were
things that I passed on to my children. These are some of my
best tips for raising children who love writing, or at least
can manage it without pain.
Finally, correct their grammar. Gently, but correct it. In a
technological world, writing plays a bigger and bigger part
in the wheels that keep business turning. It's important
that kids know the right way to speak, even if day to day
communications with friends are barely comprehensible.
Make writing fun to do. Remember that writing begins with
scribbles. Sit down with your kids and color with crayons.
Put their name on their artwork, and encourage them to do
the same. Give them blank paper for coloring instead of
coloring books, and ask them to tell the story of their
pictures.
Classified Ad Tales Plotting is an area of writing that
children often find daunting. This activity can turn it into
fun and spark imagination. Flip the newspaper open to the
classified ads and pick one out that looks interesting.
Start the ball rolling by reading the ad aloud, then
wondering, "I wonder why he's selling his lawnmower? (or
piano, or fishing tackle)" Encourage creative thinking by
rewarding even the most absurd tales. In fact, the more
absurd the better. Who knows? Maybe his Great Aunt Katie
from Canarsie did just move to Kuala Lumpur and leave her
favorite goat in his care.
The more fun you make words, the more likely your child is
to be comfortable using them. Encourage them to use the
dictionary. Share word origins with them. Make time to hear
their stories and meandering tales. Every bit of it will
encourage them to use words to communicate, which is the
goal of all writing.
Writing from the Beginning Bringing stories to a close is
one of the more difficult writing skills to learn. Far too
ofen, students' writing efforts just 'run out of steam'. For
this exercise, YOU provide the wrapup and let the kids
collaborate on how you got there. Just to give you an idea
how it works, try this ending: By the time the plane landed,
I'd learned my lesson. As I climbed out of the cockpit, I
swore I'd never doubt my mother's word again.
Writing Down Your World This writing activity is about as
simple as it gets. Just hand out blank paper and pen with
the instruction to start writing at the word now. Write down
whatever you see, hear, taste, smell, feel or think. Don't
make any attempt to put your thoughts into sequence or even
sentences. Just warm up your writing hand and write till
you're told to stop. The point of the exercise is using
observation in writing. Try this one a few times a month
just to keep everyone in the practice of using all their
senses when describing scenes.
As I said, I didn't set out to raise children who love
writing. I simply did the things that came naturally, the
things that my mother did with me. The results, though, are
very telling. My daughter began her own writing career at
the age of eight as editor of her school newspaper. She
recently graduated with a degree in screenwriting, and
maintains a widely read and syndicated blog. My son writes
songs for a popular local rock group. Even my youngest son,
at 11, is a published writer. Instilling a love of language
and words from a young age is the very best way to raise
children who love writing. I know. I have the proof.
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