Encouraging Creative Writing

[Tracy]

DH and I have been talking about what philosophy of teaching writing to embrace as dd turns 6yo. We both are really persuaded by the SWB's philosophy in WWE. But DH really wants to make sure that dd has opportunities for creative writing since he has many great memories of doing creative writing as a child.

 

I understand that SWB's position is that not all people are wired for creative writing. Consequently, she advises to encourage creative writing in children that show an interest but not to require it.

 

Sooooo. . . I am wondering what you all do to encourage creative writing. Here are a couple of ideas that I have.

 

1. In Nebel's Elementary Education, he describes "story circles" in which the adult starts a story and each child adds to it. Younger children would do this orally while older children could write it down when the story is finished.

 

2. I recently got the book How to Make Books with Children that shows lots of fun formats for books (like flaps and pop-ups). I thought that dd might enjoy making these together. (At this age, I would scribe for her.)

 

Anything else that you do that is just fun but not required?

[2_girls_mommy]

My kids like writing the letters to pen pals as WTM suggests. This has elapsed into them writing stories and poems and drawing maps of their yards and such to each other. It is very creative. My ydd started by drawing pictures and her name to hers and has grown to sending a few sentences and pictures.

 

We also do the PBS Go!Writers writing contest each year. That would be a good thing to enter with some of the books you create.