What is your opinion of STORY STARTERS??

[boymama]

I have a 7yo and a 8yo that I cannot motivate to write a sentence, even an easy one. Where is their imagination?:confused:

[Melissa in CA]

It's fantastic and worth every penny! Something you will be able to use for years and years. Run to your nearest CBD and buy it! :D

 

Having said that, I have not used it at the ages of your children. The back of my book states that it is for grades 4-12, though I don't see why a younger child could not try to finish some of the stories...even if you just had them narrate the endings back to you while you type them out and then worked together in cleaning it up, adding in detail, etc. A great teaching device.

 

Hey, in glancing through my book, I see that she mentions this method for the younger non and/or reluctant writer! I'm feeling pretty smart right about now. :lol:

[HollyDay]

Silly. I sold it at our local consignment store (for about 1/2 what I bought it for). Both my dds, 6th and 3rd when we got it, thought it was useless. Now, they both have great imaginations. They both make up creative writing, plays, poems, etc all the time. Just this week, they were sitting outside brainstorming with neighbors about a play they wanted to write. Both my dds can look at a picture or painting and create a story around it. If you have a child who needs a help getting creative juices flowing, then you might like it. But, before spending the money, I would seriously consider if it is something you could do on your own. I like to incorporate such things into art appreciation too.

[Free Indeed]

We use it and like it. I don't use it everyday, and my 9yodd (just starting 4th) really likes to write her own stuff, but this has been helpful to my son who had writing block for awhile.

[Melissa in CA]

I have all boys so perhaps that is why Story Starters was so helpful for us. It seems that girls, on average, are better writers, whereas boys are reluctant and have a harder time putting thoughts on paper.

 

Story Starters is not exactly a writing "program" that one would use daily. It is more in-line with a creative writing supplement to use weekly, biweekly or whenever. ;)

 

We like it and don't find it "silly" at all. :001_huh:

[chanda7]

I'm not sure if this will be helpful because I haven't seen the program you are talking about, but I'm assuming it is mostly writing prompts? Some people don't believe in doing creative writing in the earlier years, so I'm also not sure what your goal is.

 

I've been immersing myself in books about teaching writing lately, and they all seem to agree that writing prompts tend to be detrimental to young writers when used for creative writing purposes. It seems to be acceptable to use them no earlier than 4th grade only for practicing target skills like grammar. What seems to be more helpful is to assist them in brainstorming what they like to do, places they have been, etc., to give them ideas from which to choose. In the beginning, kids need to write about themselves and what they know, not how they would spend the day if they were a bird (if you know what I'm getting at). It seems to make a lot of sense in theory, but I don't know how well it translates to real life yet ;) I'll let you know after this school year!

 

Trying to get my 1st grader to write a short 2-sentence journal entry last year about "anything" was like pulling teeth...

[VaKim]

I own it, but it just sits on the shelf. Personally, I LOVED stuff like this from the time I was in 4th grade and up. However, my children are definitely not me, lol. My youngest cannot stand to try to "create" anything on her own, not even a sentence. And my oldest is a great writer just from the reading she has done, and prefers to do all of her own creating without help.

 

It is a really neat book, for someone who likes such stuff (like me). It has beginnings of stories, and also some really neat pictures to write stories about. Like I said, I would have loved it. I am hoping maybe my youngest will in the next couple years.