Once upon a time, a little hedgehog was wandering through a park on a hot summer day when he stumbled upon an abandoned ice cream cone. The hedgehog had never tasted ice cream before, but he knew it was a special treat for humans.
Curious and excited, he decided to give it a try. As he took a lick, he felt a jolt of electricity course through his body! Suddenly, he felt a burst of energy and began running around in circles, the ice cream cone balanced precariously on his spiky back.
To his surprise, the ice cream cone didn’t fall off. It stuck to his back like glue, and the little hedgehog found himself transformed into an unstoppable force, racing through the park with his newfound superpowers, leaving a trail of stunned onlookers in his wake.
Bekki Sayler
Kids need to be romanced into writing
Experiencing something before writing about it is important for several reasons, especially for kids. Firstly, it helps them to develop a more vivid and accurate mental image of the subject matter they are writing about. This can help them to write more detailed, descriptive and engaging stories, which can captivate the reader and bring their writing to life.
Secondly, experiencing something firsthand can help children to develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By experiencing something themselves, they can develop a greater appreciation for the nuances and complexities of the topic, which can make their writing more insightful and informed.
Always begin writing with EXPERIENCES
- Read stories
- Watch movies or videos
- Visit museums
- Share experiences
Benefits of creative writing skills for kids
- Improved communication skills: Creative writing helps kids develop their ability to communicate effectively and express their thoughts and feelings in a clear and concise way.
- Boosted creativity and imagination: Writing promotes the use of imagination and creativity, which can help kids generate new ideas and develop their creativity.
- Enhanced critical thinking skills: Writing encourages critical thinking, as kids must analyze information, make judgments, and form opinions.
- Increased self-awareness: Through writing, kids can explore their thoughts and feelings, leading to a better understanding of themselves and their emotions.
- Improved cognitive skills: Writing requires focus, attention to detail, and the ability to organize thoughts, all of which are essential cognitive skills.
- Better academic performance: Kids who excel in creative writing may also perform better in other academic subjects, as writing promotes critical thinking, research skills, and effective communication.
Overall, creative writing skills can benefit kids in many ways, helping them to develop important skills and tools that will serve them well throughout their lives.
Make it Fun with Engaging Prompts
Engaging prompts can make writing fun for kids in several ways. Here are some of the key benefits:
- Provides Inspiration: Engaging prompts can provide children with inspiration for their writing. They can spark their imagination and help them to develop unique ideas and stories.
- Offers Variety: Engaging prompts can offer children a variety of topics to write about. This can help to keep writing fresh and exciting, and prevent it from becoming monotonous.
- Encourages Creativity: Engaging prompts can encourage children to think creatively and outside the box. This can help them to develop their own unique voice and style, which can be a valuable skill in writing and in life.
- Builds Confidence: Engaging prompts can help children to build confidence in their writing abilities. By providing them with a topic to write about and encouraging them to explore it in their own way, they can develop a sense of pride in their work.
- Makes Writing Fun: Most importantly, engaging prompts can make writing fun for kids. By providing them with a fun and enjoyable activity, they are more likely to develop a love of writing and see it as something enjoyable rather than a chore.
Overall, engaging prompts can provide children with inspiration, variety, creativity, confidence, and enjoyment, all of which are essential for developing a love of writing and a lifelong passion for learning.
Steps for Using a Story Starter over a few days
- Before discussing writing at all: Enjoy the topic together with books, videos, or exploration. Engage as many senses as possible.
- Prewriting. Recall details about the topic and build a word bank.
- Read the Writing prompt, or study the Picture prompt. Brainstorm many ideas together! PROTIP- Be the secretary for your kids! The creative juices flow freer when they can simply speak their ideas!
- Draft. Begin to write the rest of the story. Do not worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation… just write!
- Break. It’s important to have the kids take a break between drafting and revising. Kids become emotionally attached to their writing and it can cause pain to have to edit and revise. When they can step away from their draft, it looses it emotional power and they are ready to “make it batter”.
- Sketch and Draw. Many kids write better in images. Give them time and space to sketch out their ideas.
- Polish and share! Have the kids write, type, or dictate the full story and share it proudly with others!
Story Starter: a Green Friendly Whale meets an Unexpected Friend
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