The Write Start (19 page)

Variations

For Scribblers:
Pre-writers can cut out pictures of family members and glue them on to their leaves, exercising fine motor skills as they snip and squeeze.

For Spellers:
Emerging writers can use alphabet stampers or markers to embellish their leaves with names.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers are able to grasp family relationships, and they can arrange leaves accordingly.

For Scholars:
Scholars can include some demographic data on their leaves, such as birth date, place of birth, age, place of residence, or occupation.

Do

 

There’s an expression that says: you are what you do. That makes perfect sense to me. It doesn’t make much difference who you think you are if you don’t do anything about it. It’s the action that counts. Writing is a perfect example. Who are writers? People who write. Day in and day out, for reasons big and small, people who pick up a pen or pencil to make a list, write a letter, or jot a note are writers.

The daily habit of recording or communicating your thoughts in writing is what defines your role as a writer. When kids learn to make writing one of their written-in-stone daily habits, like reading, brushing their teeth, eating their vegetables, and playing outside, they too are writers. The following group of activities are wonderful no-fuss ways to get writing off of your kids’ minds and on to their schedules.

 

21

Listmania

W
HEN SHE WAS LITTLE,
my sister Maria wrote about her morning routine:

What I do in the morning:

wake up

p

sharpen my wits

watch t.v.
eat breakfast

get dressed

I know, priceless. I have the list committed to memory since it’s been framed and hanging on the bathroom wall in my parents’ house for years. Ahh, the wisdom (and wit) of the young.

There’s nothing like lists to put things in perspective. That’s their intended purpose, after all. Lists organize, compartmentalize, prioritize. They make life predictable, helping children to anticipate what is coming next (kids
love
that!).

In my humble opinion, they are one of life’s most useful tools. And just in case you need more convincing, see my following list of lists.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
paper

∗
pencil, marker, or crayon

 

H
OW-TO

 

The basic gist of the list: number down the left side of the page, and record one important item at a time alongside each number.

 

Variations

For Scribblers:
Parents can write simple to-do lists for Scribblers. Keep lists for the little ones short and sweet—three to four items max. Checkmarks are hard for pre-writers to manage so, true to their name, I usually encourage Scribblers to scribble items out as they complete them.

For Spellers:
Show Spellers how to put a box to the left of each number on their list of about four to five simple items, which they write themselves. Then they can check off things as they go.

For Storytellers:
Storytellers can handle making their own list, of no more than seven items.

For Scholars:
Once children become comfortable using lists as a tool, there are unlimited list possibilities to explore. Check out some list suggestions below.

 

A L
IST OF
L
ISTS

 

shopping list:
things to buy

wish list:
things you want someone else to buy for you (please)

to-do list:
tasks that you want to get done

honey-do list:
tasks that you want someone else to do for you (please)

goal list:
important things you want to accomplish in the future

play list:
songs you want to hear

running lists:
frequently updated lists (such as books you want to read, shows you want to watch, movies you want to see, places you want to go, food you want to try, adventures you want to have, people you want to see, or travel destinations)

hot/not list:
things that are awesome and things that are so last week

packing list:
what to bring

guest list:
who to invite

homework list:
assignments to complete

forget-me-not list:
things to remember

price list:
costs of different things

phone list:
people to call

 

22

Places to Go, People to See

W
HAT DO MOST
super-successful people have in common? An aptitude for creating an agenda.

An agenda is a basic plan of what to do and where to go when. Children crave a schedule because they love to know what is going to happen, both now and later. In fact, the only thing they like better than knowing the schedule is helping to create it. Involve kids in furthering their own agendas, and you’ll find that they’re eager and willing to put their big plans in writing.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
paper

∗
pencil

 

H
OW-TO

 

1.  Put your plans for the day on paper, with your children’s help.

2.  Encourage your children to consult their agenda periodically, to check off items they’ve completed and find out what’s happening next.

 

Variations

For Scribblers:
Involve pre-writers in creating and following a picture schedule of the day (using basic line drawings or photos) and you’ll see that they’ll quickly get the hang of the routine.

For Spellers:
Using a combination of pictures and words, help Spellers make a schedule on a
big
piece of paper (it will help them get the big picture regarding the passage of time).

For Storytellers:
Storytellers can handle making a simple schedule with items numbered to indicate what happens first, second, and so on.

For Scholars:
Scholars can go by the clock, making a schedule with times going down the left side of the page and things to do alongside.

23

Daily Journal

E
VERYONE SHOULD HAVE
a trusted journal, children especially. The word “journal” is derived from the word
jurnee
in Anglo-French. And journaling is indeed a journey, a small voyage of self-discovery we can all take each day.

A journal entry documents the path our day took and our feelings about it. It can be as simple or as in-depth as children choose. Journaling doesn’t have to conform to any rules, either; children can express themselves in their journal using colors, drawings, poems, a collage, even a single well-chosen word. The only rule about a journal is to write in it regularly. Before children know it, documenting the day becomes a habit that they can depend on. By taking the time each day to follow where their thoughts are leading them, children gain a clear understanding of not just where they’ve been, but where they’re going as well.

 

M
ATERIALS

 

∗
blank journal

∗
pencil

∗
colored pencils

 

H
OW-TO

 

In the beginning, the most important thing about a journal is not what a child writes in it, but just that they visit it often. Once journaling becomes a regular habit, the words will most likely follow.