Unleashing the Writer in Your Child
By Judy Ware

Dinner conversation comes to a halt when 10-year-old Sam stands behind his chair, takes hold of both edges of a typed paper, clears his throat, and begins reading.

Why?  By Sam Kassman

The majestic wolf so sleek and keen,
furry young one, rough middle-aged males to bristling respectable seniors.
Young to old, soft to rough-all eventually the same. In strife or relaxation, always the pack stays together.
Why wolf, are you so ever-changing in mood and life all together?

His voice remains strong, as seven adults at the table plus his 12-year-old brother are entranced by his words. The final verse of his poem asks one more time:

Why? Day to day, year to year, season to season, the old die while the young are born.

Why do you fear dying when others are born, bringing life to the world?  Why?

Sam breathes deeply and smiles in satisfaction. Applauding dinner guests feel enriched by the sharing.

Sam and his brother Ben live among shelves, baskets, and bags of books. This family reads, writes in personal journals, and makes weekly visits to the library. After reading published books, the boys are inspired to write their own stories. Whenever the mood hits them, writing paper and computers are there to capture their words.  Because writing is a way of life, these boys will undoubtedly pass on their love of reading and writing to future generations. J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame, and E.B. White, who gave birth to Charlotte and Wilbur in the timeless Charlotte's Web, were once child writers. They began writing when they realized the joy of creating stories.

Being famous isn't every writer's dream. Many writers write for other reasons. Typically they write to see a story develop or to learn something through their exploration of words. Only after others read their writing do they discover the audience dimension. The reader has a reaction to what was written and, much like actors on a stage, the characters in a story come alive and relate to the reader's thoughts and experiences.

Parents frequently ask why writing is important for their child. Furthermore, they want to know what they can do to encourage their child to write. Some parents don't ever write for pleasure. They may still feel the sting of bleeding correction marks on their school papers. Not all teachers promote writing. They may realize its importance, but not feel prepared to create a writing atmosphere in the classroom. This is why it's important for parents to provide a home environment that treats writing as a fun and stimulating way to communicate.

The writing world opens communication at many levels. It partners easily with other forms of expression such as art, music, dance, plays, literature, photography, or film-making. It enhances our appreciation of words, dialogue with others, and sometimes public exposure of our work.

Gabriele Rico, in Writing the Natural Way, invites readers to think about a child's earliest discoveries. Perhaps it's a furry black spring caterpillar that causes him to recoil or to come closer for a better look. She writes, "We are surrounded by images of everyday experience. Only when we really open the mind's eye to see what is unusual about one of these ... can we write about it in such a way that we and the reader perceive it as an illumination ... a new awareness of what life is all about."

Sam received inspiration for his wolf poem while stretched out on his bedroom floor. He says the ceiling showed him shadows shaped like the head of a wolf, and he started thinking about how wolves live and how they die.

Given a blank piece of paper, even nonreaders can tell us what they see, hear, smell, or feel. They have emotional reactions that transfer to words and, with assistance, can dictate what we should write for them on their paper. These beginnings are easily accomplished at home. Parents who nurture these early language experiences will plant seeds that produce enthusiastic readers and writers.

The biggest challenge we have is to not become the classroom teacher, but to nurture the experiments our children make with the written word. It's only when children feel they don't have to be perfect that they're willing to write more freely.

Lucy Calkins writes brilliant books about the writing process and how parents can provide an atmosphere for writing. In her book, Raising Lifelong Learners: A Parent's Guide, she uses her own family and years of experience as a writing teacher to help parents feel empowered to establish a learning, risk-free place to write. She says, "We teach ... even when we don't realize we're doing so." By providing a few key ingredients, parents can demonstrate their willingness to invest time and interest in a child's learning. She advocates creating a healthy learning environment through the everydayness of a shared home life. She believes that parents should encourage their children to be thoughtful, curious, resourceful, and imaginative. Writing is a perfect vehicle for developing these qualities.

What Parents Can Do:

1. Turn experiences into words. By sharing what you do with your child, you are building language. Meaningful talk leads to meaningful writing.

2. Involve your children in making lists for groceries, adding notes at the end of your letters to friends or relatives, making birthday cards, taking down telephone messages, writing for information before a vacation, or designing invitations for parties.

3. Model the writing process. When children see you write letters, notes, or entries in a journal, they see writing as an important part of your life. Share what you write so that children can see how you approach writing. Don't be afraid to share less than perfect examples. When you fix up your writing, you are demonstrating the importance of revision.

4. Let your children's words light on the page unchanged. React appropriately to the writing. Whether humorous, suspenseful, or informative, give children the feedback that allows them to continue writing. Consider grammar and spelling later. The message is the most important part of writing. Real writers know when to get the words/ideas out and when to revise. Your child will learn this too, with practice and support from you.

5. Place writing tools in a handy location, making them available at all times. Essentials are:  pens, pencils, markers, different colors and sizes of paper, a personal journal, an age-appropriate dictionary, and a thesaurus for older children.

6. Encourage (but do not force) frequent writing. Be patient and create a light atmosphere. Consider sitting together to write collaboratively. Start a story and have your child add the next line. Take turns creating something you can enjoy and share with other family members.

7. Share letters from friends and relatives with your child. Treat such letters as special events. Urge others to write notes, letters, and postcards to your child. After receiving gifts, help your children write a thank-you note. It's fun to decorate paper, draw pictures, and write a brief, personal message. This kind of writing is often overlooked in today's world of emails, but when a person receives a personal, handwritten note, it makes their day.

Parental support is key to helping children appreciate and experience the written world. By offering a nurturing, accepting atmosphere where children can experiment with words and ideas, parents prepare children for success in the writing process.

Judy Ware is a Boise writer who once taught writing in the Boise Schools. She was also a Writer in the Schools (WITS) for The Cabin and continues to be on the lookout for promising young writers.

Sidebar:

Activities That Stimulate Writing
•  Sign up for writing classes and summer writing camps
•  Hang out with other writers. Several school and after school programs promote writing groups or writing clubs where kids write and share their writing with each other.
•  Frequently visit the library. Encourage children to choose the books they want to read.
•  Help children submit stories, plays, or poems to children's magazines. Take a look at www.stonesoup.com.
•  Attend author events that are age-appropriate. Book stores and The Cabin often host readings and book signings. See the ad on this page for the Children's Literature Festival, and event activities.
•  Make copies of children's writing for relatives and friends.
•  Discuss favorite authors with your children. What do they most appreciate about the writer? Is it their choices of words, characters, or plot? This builds an awareness and appreciation of different writing styles and an author's voice.