This is not a post about Freddie 😉 It’s a home ed post. Try to remain calm.
It has probably not escaped the attention of anyone that i write about my feelings. I’m not a terribly coherent writer, nor do i think i paint pictures with my words all that well. I certainly don’t use complex language or clever words. I think my writing comes out more or less as i speak – which means it is mostly quite incoherent, i suspect!
But for someone who has always loved to write and who made stories up, on paper on in her head, from when she was very little, i’ve not done a very good job of instilling that in my daughters. I think that they mostly don’t take after me much at all, they are far more like their Daddy, who was not a reader or writer as a child. Neither Fran nor Maddy were decent readers until they were 8 and Fran resolutely refused to write well beyond then. When she went to school a year ago, she had only really been writing at all for a year and although that put her a little behind the ‘levels’ on that one thing, her teacher did remark that considering how relatively recently she had become a writer, she had achieved quite a lot in a short time. Maddy is different again; i think she has genuine learning difficulties where it comes to sounds and letters and while she reads beautifully and has a wonderful voice when it comes to putting together words to convey a meaning, the mechanics of spelling and whole words are still a massive stumbling block to her. She is a child who would have coped fine in my PNEU school, while narration was in place but would be struggling now. We work very hard on those skills for her – but it is work on a steep upward hill.
A great advantage for both of them has been that they can use laptops to write and that as home educators, we can throw off the issues of “handwriting”, particularly for Maddy as combining hand, brain and thought of what to write is, for her, simply a step too far. She writes and works on a laptop, as i am quite sure she would have been allowed to do in school. Fran works in a combination – she blogs, she writes work on a laptop and she writes with her hand when she does English. She has also, since April, written a mini diary which seems to have given her an emotional outlet and has certainly helped her to find her voice.
It is the “voice” of writing that i really want to help them with now. I’ve explored, and largely disregarded, much of the National Curriculum style programme of “write as if you are….” – yes, it works of itself, but it isn’t real and it is hard to find a real voice if the subject isn’t one you have a passion for. But on the other hand, i know i often enjoyed those exercises at school and got something from them. I know that it has allowed me, as i’ve grown older, to adopt a style for a piece of writing knowing that it is appropriate and it also helps me spot when i am mimicking a style. I have a real habit of doing that – on any day you i can see from my blog if i have read something else in a particular style first.
Along with voice as an abstract thing, being able to write for a journal, write in a time period, write in a style, write a poem, write as a person doing xyz, write a report, a letter, an article it is also important to help them find their own voice. I know it is likely they won’t want to be writers as a career choice, but i’d like them to have the opportunity to reject creative writing having tried it. It makes me sad when they say they don’t like it, because i know that is effectively just “i find it hard, don’t know how”. i find it baffling that me, the maths phobic, has created children who love maths but fear writing.
So this week and probably all month, we are focusing on writing. The mechanics of it, yes, the actual commitment of it definitely, the styles of it, yes. We’re going to write every day, all of us, trying out different ways of using written word. We’re looking at beginnings, middles and endings. We’re looking at description. We’re looking at punctuation for effect as well as for linguistics. We’re trying out creating a record and we’re trying out creating a fantasy. Fran has written about her holiday and Maddy is writing about her PGL trip. We’re looking at each others work to see what could be better.
And i’d like some ideas – what do you write about? What inspires you or your kids? What could we do here to explore writing for fun? Do you have any resources online that inspire you? Where does you voice come from? Has your child learned a writing voice because of a particular passion or experience or mode of communication?
Talk to me.
monster trucks. Dinosaurs. the end.
TBH I think it’s like anything my children do – if they see ME doing it, making time for it, getting involved then it doesn’t take them too long to want a piece of the action. Write stories in front on them; journal; paint and write poetry and they’ll be drawn in.
You could maybe put an hour aside every day/other day to sit down as a family for some quiet work – put inspirational things on the table,and let them (but make them) do something for at least 20 minutes.
this book is said to be good:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Journey-into-Bookmaking/dp/8186211241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276003305&sr=8-1
and maybe you’d like this too
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Habit-Learn-Use-Life/dp/0743235274/ref=pd_sim_b_17
Just to say that it may not necessarily be a case of *i find it hard, I don’t know how* when they say they don’t like it. I have always hated creative writing, but I always enjoyed the factual or argumentative (moi?) essays and reports I have had to write either at school or in life since. I always thought it meant I wasn’t *creative* because I couldn’t easily make up stories/poems etc, but have come to realise in later life that I do have imagination, and I am creative, but my *stories* are created in a different medium – photography mainly for me. I kind of think (going on my own children) that if they are naturally going to enjoy that kind of thing it’s something that will naturally have occurred from a youngish age. The girls have never been interested in writing stories or making books, but DS on the other hand is always making little stories, books and magazines even though he can’t spell (or read to any great degree) yet. The girls have both kept diaries to a greater or lesser degree in recent years though, which is something I am incapable of too!
Not really helpful re the question you asked I know!
“I’m not a terribly coherent writer, nor do i think i paint pictures with my words all that well. I certainly don’t use complex language or clever words. I think my writing comes out more or less as i speak – which means it is mostly quite incoherent, i suspect!”
How differently things appear from across the chasm of interior/exterior perspective. Your writing has a clarity of which I am somewhat envious.
Nothing to say except IKWYM. Hannah will avoid writing if she can (and of course, she can avoid it, so she does!) She sees me write all the time, and yet it has never generated a smidgeon of interest. I almost cannot conceive of not wanting to write – but in this aspect she takes after Bob, who is almost phobic about writing. He dictated is MBA dissertation, more or less, as the words on the page made him feel ill. On the plus side, she always has a book in her hand. She is reluctant to even type though, so it’s not simply a handwriting thing. She said once that it frightened her to see her thoughts on the paper, because how could she know she would still think them next week, but it would be too late and they’d be out. Make of that what you will :-/ She is working hard on it just now, as she wants to start taking exams next year, but that is her only motivation – there is no joy in it, which I find sad.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=aspiring+writers+journal&x=0&y=0
Came highly recommended. The caution is it did nothing for Hannah!
Both of mine still hate writing, though DD will do it occasionally for pleasure….their vocab is second to none but spelling and grammar leave much to be desired.
They do both get enthusiastic with “reporting” type writing – writing a “Newsletter” or being the eyes for someone else (creative writing about something they can or have seen, I suppose). How a sports event went, commenting on current affairs, building up an argument from different sources, that type of thing.
Rules for games were a way I engaged them once, I seem to remember…writing each of the rules on a different piece of paper and then jiggling the order around until they were logical – though I suspect this achieves a goal that you are not working towards here…..but maybe writing a gym or dance routine to keep for posterity might appeal… 😉
Oh! And “care instructions” type writing – how to care for the hamster/dog/cat/current pet – maybe yours might like to write a list of care instructions for the rabbits along with some background info – like a “my first pet” leaflet sort of thing…?
Not sure how relevant these ramblings of mine are to what you’re trying to achieve, but DD has had a character that she invented years and years ago…when feeling creative she types about his adventures and she has grown very fond of him – perhaps you could “publish” a short book, volume 1, the adventures of……. with a character or short story invented (and possibly developed in the future) by each child?
oooooh one last last thing (promise!!!) – if you have any friends whose child(ren) have specific educational needs, perhaps your children might like to tackle something which is tailored to meet those needs…..it can be quite an holistic project (education, empathy, understanding etc)….may be one to think about for the future 🙂
Hope that lot helps….still, you’re always very polite if not ;o)
Not sure I have terribly coherent thoughts on this … My children are 21, 10, and 8. I have always homeschooled them. I actually never had my eldest write: no essays, no reports, no journals. He wasn’t drawn to it, and I did not push it. He is at university now and has proven to be quite an excellent writer. *bemused*
So, two things: one is that I am a writer — poetry, short stories, novels, on- and off-line journals. I began writing — with a passion! — when I was seven years old. So my children are exposed to my writing on a daily basis. The second thing is that all four of us are passionate about story: passionate readers, passionate listeners. The more stories that fill our days the better! And I believe that that, in itself, inspires writing — on every level — because the exposure teaches us that a *wide* variety of wordsmithing is available to us, as creative beings.
Now, with the younger two, I don’t “assign” writing, any more than I did with their elder brother. Interestingly, both are coming to it on their own, writing little books (handwritten and illustrated, both of them; and the one uses Word on the computer, while the other shies away from that) and lists, and one of them enjoys copywork, and gives himself tasks, simply because he enjoys it. They are also quite a theatrical pair, spending hours a day creating stories (verbally) to act/play out. Again, that is on their initiative. And again, I believe that it is all connected and positively influencing them in terms of present and future writing, creative thought, communication skills and more.
Son (10) loves to write and has written a novel this year – 30,000 words. Daughter (13) doesn’t like story writing at all really but has written quite a few song lyrics and poems. She’s learned how to do other sorts of writing that she enjoys far more – argument mainly!
For me, and for son it seems, the urge to write stories was there from very early. He writes the sort of things he loves to read – fantasy stuff mainly. He also often combines writing and drawing – another thing he loves. One of the things that I know he would have lost had he gone to school are all the little drawings peppered over the page.
I have done quite a few creative writing courses and most teachers have a range of exercises. I once did a brilliant one where we had to keep writing whatever came as the tutor called out words – ‘purple’ or ‘arm’ or ‘curtain’ – or whatever – and we had to include them in the story. Everyone said that what they produced was very different to their usual work and some of it was really excellent. Might be good to do with children as the aim was just to see what came, rather than agonise about perfectly crafted work.
My main feeling about creative writing is that it should be a pleasure and if it’s not then don’t do it.
We have just had a training on literacy today at school, and one of the things discussed was that children were more confident in their writing if they actually discuss what they are going to write first, Or even better if you write a model answer based on their suggestions they realise they can actually do it, so building confidence and a more positive aspiration towards writing.
I hope you are getting by Merry not a day goes by that you are not in my thoughts.
x
I used to hate writing yet now it’s all I do! I think it was always the ‘perfect world’ assignments that made me want to write, perhaps this would work for your daughters? Don’t get them to write it straight away but maybe ask them to imagine it and tell you and each other about it, draw it, model it. Then introduce the idea of writing about their favorite part of it. Good luck!!!
lol! SB really not a writer, but always making stories up in her head, bb writes stories, but in bb language that we can’t read! however SB has enjoyed a few things we did because of galore park english – such as writing a pamphlet about romans, and her writing for her blue peter badge. and she did enjoy writing a story – tho looked to me more like a play script. i think we are gradually getting to a point where she doesn’t look at any task containing writing to be a disaster, and i guess i hope story writing will start to flow then? she is wanting to do the childrens nanowrimo
Same thing here – I always loved writing but they seem to find the process too difficult to be enjoyable.
So the most successful things we have tried were:
i) Choosing a title from this book of short stories http://www.amazon.co.uk/WOW-366-Speedy-Stories-Words/dp/1407107984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276036335&sr=8-1 and without reading the story we discussed what story/ideas we had (with me prompting beginning/middle/end if necessary) and when we’d had a quick discussion we read what the author had written and then decided if we liked what they had done. I looked for ages for a short story book that was a mix of styles and authors and also was short enough to be able to comfortably do reading and discussions all in one. This book was the best I found (I just flicked to the end of each one to check it wasn’t a ghost story or likely to upset anyone!)
ii) they liked entering this competition online (and even won a runner up prize once!) as it’s only 247 words so again it was achieveable http://www.bloomsbury.com/247tales/
I’ll enjoy coming back to read other peoples ideas!
Writing is an odd one. If I try and create a writing opportunity the kids aren’t keen, but today my dd spent ages writing a list of garden birds and then developed a dog training book of her own.
I strongly suspect if I had suggested either of these things she wouldn’t have been interested!
I write a lot and recently got my very own bureau but guess what…..each child has taken themselves to it and “written” because they wanted to try out the new writing place.
Lastly, Post Offices is a hugely popular activitiy with the younger two and they like to fill in forms properly, so may be that counts as writing??
Aaaaah, now this is all very interesting and helpful (not least because one thing it might have proved is my lack of clarity!) Loads of good ideas and thoughtful thoughts – thank you 🙂 Will be back later to mull.
So many many ideas you have received here, Merry!
Have read some of Fran and Maddy’s blog writings from recent times. (only when pointed out today) especially the one about Freddie 🙁 and I also enjoyed the one about Fran’s school experience.
I was able to read a PowerPoint presentation by Adora Svitak, and some people asked her the question:
“How do you deal with a fear/phobia of writing?”
Some homeschoolers of my acquaintance have started writing clubs and film clubs and history clubs. So this may help with the discussion and writing/pre-writing factor.
Picking up from the contributions above, it seems that non-fiction is every bit as appealling as fiction, and has more of an immediate effect, perhaps. It has so many instructional types!
As an English Language Learner some 20 years ago, I made a picture book about Spring, and three years after that, wrote an argumentative essay about pocket money which was praised.
Conferencing can be nervewracking as, even now.
I would say that my voice has come from BOOKS. And magazines and newspapers, especially gossip and news magazines.
I happen to think your writing is very coherent! Your post is quite a timely one for me as getting Benedict to write at the moment is akin to a teeth pulling exercise! He has good pen control and draws amazing complex pen and ink images of machines, but ask him to write a sentence about what he has done that day and he cringes.
On a good day he might write underneath a paragraph that I have written so that he is going through the mechanics of writing. If he does write voluntarily he does so phonetically. He was deregistered from school in February of this year due to complex medical needs as a result of type one diabetes. He was in year two at school and will be seven in three days. I have read that formal academics can be very difficult for boys in general so am hoping that given time he’ll slowly improve!
So no suggestions on my part… in fact I’m looking to you and yours for enlightenment!!
Hugs San x
Thinking particularly of Maddy, how about a film script seeing as she likes doing animations? Charlie’s been doing once recently for an animation he is planning on doing, so it includes the less creative stuff such as stage directions etc and the setting up of each shot and then the actual script.
Jessica (being not yet two) doesn’t really ‘do’ speaking as yet so I have absolutely no advice on writing!
I can only bemoan the whole ‘handwriting’ thing. I think you are so very right to leave that one out. I wasted hours (and no few tears) learning cursive at junior school. Result, I still print. Every letter out separately. My father still holds out hope that, one day, I will write in a joined up hand, like an adult. Being as I’m now thirty one, I wouldn’t be holding my breath if I was him.
I just came here to suggest turning a story into a play. I think that yesterday when my eldest did that (from a GP English book) it was the first time I’d ever heard him refer to any writing as fun and he spent ages on it 🙂
You’ve had lots of very good ideas here (some of which I will be adopting with my own children) but I wanted to add a suggestion in response to your “what do you write about?” You can sign up for free weekly emails from a website called BraveWriter – they give you a topic. We don’t use them every week, but I filter the emails to a separate folder and we look when we want inspiration. It addresses what I have always found the most difficult thing about writing: figuring out what to write *about* (hm, maybe that’s why I like blogging – it gives me an outlet for writing but also the material! – sounds of pennies dropping!)