TRUMPETERBOOKSAnimprintofShambhalaPublications,Inc.HorticulturalHall

300MassachusettsAvenueBoston,Massachusetts02115www.shambhala.com

©2010byJenniferHallissyTemplateillustration“AnatomyofanEfficientGrasp”©2010byJoyGosney

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataHallissy,Jennifer.Thewritestart:aguidetonurturingwritingateverystage,fromscribblingtoforminglettersandwritingstories/JenniferHallissy.—1sted.p.cm.Includesbibliographicalreferences.eISBN978-0-8348-2321-1ISBN978-1-59030-837-0(pbk.:alk.paper)1.Children—Writing.2.Children—Language.3.Childdevelopment.I.Title.LB1139.W7H352010372.62′3—dc22

2010023070

ToBruce,whobuiltmethelifeofmydreams.

andtoJackandGracie,mydreamscometrue.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction:FromScribblestoScriptOntheWriteTrack:ThePathtoWritingReadinessAlltheWriteMoves:PreparingYourChildtoWriteTheWriteStuff:Tools,Materials,andSpacesThatPromoteWritingMakeYourselfWriteatHome:HowtoEncourageYourBuddingWriterGuidelinesfortheActivities

52“JustWrite”ActivitiesLearn 1.Skywriting

2.What’sintheBag?3.MysteryLetters4.A-B-Centerpiece5.A-maze-ingYou6.SandWriting7.Letters‘R’Us8.EatYourWords9.Alphabox10.LuckoftheDraw

Make 11.AirMail

12.AlltheNews13.Signs14.HandmadeBooks15.CommandCentralMessageBoard16.SayWhat?WritingTablet17.Scoreboard18.TableTalk19.ScrapHappy20.FamilyTree

Do 21.Listmania

22.PlacestoGo,PeopletoSee23.DailyJournal24.FieldGuide25.Travelogue26.Inventor’sLogbook27.Show-Me-the-MoneyLedger28.TelephoneMessages29.AutographBook30.OnceUponaTime31.PoeticLicense

Play 32.PriorityMail

33.TheOffice34.PrivateEye35.What’sUpDoc?36.FoodforThought37.(Un)BoredGame38.FishTales39.InvisibleInk40.SecretCodes41.Fortune-Tellers42.TreasureHunt

Connect 43.MessageinaBottle

44.LetterWriting45.Thank-YouNotes46.Postcards47.PassingNotes48.PenPal49.GreetingCards50.PartyTime51.Coupons52.LoveNotes

TemplatesWritingResourcesAbouttheAuthorIndex

Acknowledgments

MY PROFOUND appreciation goes to my editor, Jennifer Urban-Brown, andeveryone at Trumpeter Books, for embracing a little book about learning towrite,rightfromthestart.

Thankyoutomyparents,whostarteditall.

Tomymother, who (amongmany other things) taught me to write. She alsoserved as a proofreader, consultant, and writing role model. Most of all,returningafavor,herconfidenceinmeshamedmeintocompletingthisbook.

To my father, who (among many other things) taught me to fish. Althoughseeminglyunrelated, themanyhourswespenthoning theartofbaitinghooks,castingout,waitingpatiently,untanglinglines,andhavingfaithpreparedmeforthecraftofwritingabook(andforlife).Thoughwenevercaughtmuch,Isurelearnedplenty.

Thankyoutoeveryoneelse,whokeptmegoing.

Tomysisters,MariaandMegan,whoarerelentlesslysupportiveandhaveneverletmedown.

TomydearfriendReginaBast,wholistenstomychatterandtoleratesmyquietwithincomparablegraceandunderstanding.

ToElizabeth Eskanasi andRyaLevin,my first readers (and cheerleaders). ToReneeLockhart,whose persistent question, “How canwe bemost effective?”has become my touchstone. To Nora Strecker, who shares gentle wisdom onpublishing,parenting,and life.ToAllisonGillisofWondertime, forgraciouslyinitiatingme into the real world of writing. To Christina Katz, who providedpitch-perfect advice. To the online community of bloggers and blog readers,someofthemost intelligentandcreativepeopleI’venevermet.Andtoall thechildrenI’veworkedwith,whohavebeenmywisestteachers.

Igive thanksandmyheart tomychildren,myreason tobe.Tomyson,Jack,whohasbeenwithmeeverystepoftheway,learningwithme,inspiringme,andharboringunwaveringfaithinme.AndtoGracie,fordevotedlapwarmingandbackpatting(whilealsonursingherowneditorialaspirationsbymarkingupmymanuscriptandreorganizingmypages).

Aboveall,Ithankmyhusband,Bruce,withoutwhom,nothing.

IntroductionFromScribblestoScript

MYINTERESTINTEACHINGparentsaboutwriting-skilldevelopmentstarted,likemanythingsdo,asaburningdesiretosolveaproblem.Asayoung,go-gettingoccupational therapist, I consistently had a full caseload (and ever-growingwaitinglist)ofchildrenranginginagefrompreschooltomiddleschool.Allofthese children qualified for occupational therapy services, meaning that theydemonstratedsomemeasurabledelayintheirabilitytoperformage-appropriatedevelopmental tasks.Asapediatricoccupational therapist, it ismydailyjobtohelpkidsmastertheskillstheyneedtobesuccessfulatalloftheirdailyjobs.Toaccomplishthis,IdomybesttocombineeverythingIknowaboutthescienceofchilddevelopmentwiththeartofcreatingthejust-rightactivityforeachchild’sindividualneeds.I was an itinerant therapist, which meant I traveled all around the

neighborhoodtoseekidsintheirvariousenvironments,includinghome,school,andclinicsettings.Ihadacarfulloftoysandtools,andluggedagianttotefullofgearintoeachappointment.Thespecificissueseachchildwasexperiencingvaried.Yet one thing remained consistent across the board: every child I sawstruggledwithwriting.Their teachersknewit, theirparentsknewit,and,mostimportant,theyknewit.Frompreschoolerswhostruggledtoscribble,tomiddleschoolers who struggled with script, writing problems were plentiful. Andalthough I loved everyminuteofworkingwith thesekids, anaggingquestionfollowedmetoeachstop.Whyaretheresomanyreluctantwriters?Every day as Iworked, the question resurfaced.When it comes to teaching

these kids to write, where have we gone wrong? Slowly but surely answersemerged. They showed up in the trunk of my car, in my tote, and in mytreatment activities themselves. From preschoolers to preteens, all ofmy kidswouldconsistentlygravitate to thesamestuff.Howcould thatbe?Despitemynever-ending bag of tricks and all my cleverly conceived activities, reluctantwritersofallagescontinuedtowant(andneed)togobacktothebasics.So with all of my reluctant writers, big and little, we went back to the

foundation.Foundationalskills,thatis.Bothyoungandnot-so-youngkidswereon the same page with me as we revisited pre-writing skills. How to hold a

pencil.Howtosituprightinachair.Howtouseonehandasastabilizerwhiletheotherisatwork.Howtomemorizethemovementsthatmakeupeachletterof the alphabet.Weworked on hand strengthening, postural control, and eye-handcoordination.Weevengotdownonthefloor,crawling, tobuildshoulderstability,literallyapproachingthetaskofwritingfromthegroundup.Andaswefocusedontheskillsthatsupportwriting,afunnythinghappened.

Myreluctantwritersactuallywantedtowrite.And,oh,thestoriesthatcameout!All of a sudden therewere jokes and silly signs, letters to grandparents, lovenotestoMom,diagramsforDaddy,andessaysforschool.Whentheybegantocrackthecodeofwriting,itwasasiftheyhadgainedawholenewvoice,andawealthof ideas togoalongwith it.Not tomention the confidence that comesalongwithmastery.Now theconceptof establishinga strong foundationwas something I could

reallywrapmyheadaround.Asthedaughterofanarchitect, this issomethingthatwas impresseduponme fromayoungage. I’llnever forget thedaywhenmydadcametomykindergartenclassforcareerday(wearinghishardhatandcarrying a set of blueprints) and asked the class the all-important question,“What’sthefirst thingyouneedtobuildahouse?”Allofuswannabebuilderspromptlycalledout:“Ahammer!”“Nails!”“Wood!”“Walls!”“Windows!”“Adoor!”“Aroof!”Butoneboysatquietly,handraisedhigh,andwaited formydadtocallonhim.“Ahole,”hesaidwithconviction.Andalthoughthechildrenbrokeout in laughter,my fatherbeamed. “Yes, John,”henoddedapprovingly,“tobuildahouseyoumuststartwithahole.”Childdevelopmentismuchlikethehousethatemergesfromthehole.Higher-

levelskills(likewriting)needtobebuiltonastrongfoundationofbasicskills.Lay the groundwork, and development can progress unencumbered. Proceedwithoutpropersupport,however,andwhatfollowswillbeshaky,atbest.Armedwiththisinsight, itbecamemypersonalmissiontocatchkidsbefore

theyfell.Mygoalwastospreadthewordtoparentsaboutwritingdevelopment,startingwith thefoundationalskillsandworkingmywayup. I ledworkshops,wrotehandoutsandnewsletters,andprovidedparentconsultations.AsInowhadchildrenofmyown,Iwasabletoroadtestactivitiesathome.Becomingaparentaffordedmetheadditionalinsightthatifsomethingisn’teasytoincorporateintothedailyroutine,itwon’tgetdone.SoIlearnedhowtoserveupsomewritingreadinessatmealtimes,packitintocartrips,tuckitintothebedtimeroutine,andwrap it up in holiday rituals. Because I am conscious of the developmentalimportanceofwriting,addingittothedailygrindhasbecomesecondnaturetome.And likemostparents, Iam jugglinga lot.So I assureyou, if I cando itwithverylittlefuss,Iknowthatyoucantoo.

TheWriteIdeaSowhendoeswritingstartandwhy?Fromthefirsttimeyourbabyswipescarrotpureeacrossthehighchairtray,thencatchesyoureyeasiftosay,“LookwhatIdid!” to scribbling, drawing,making squiggles, symbols, and letters, inventingspellingsandwords,notingnumbers,creatingtallymarks,diagrams,younameit, your child is writing. Writing is making marks that have meaning. Sincechildrenarenaturallycreative,theywillcomeupwithallsortsofinventivewaysto communicateordocument their thoughtsbyusingwhatevermarks theyareabletomake.Allarevalid,andallshouldbevalued.Learning towrite is amilestone of childhood, one that ranks right up there

withbaby’sfirstsmile,firststeps,andfirstwords.Whatthesemomentouseventshave in common is self-expression.Each of these events propels a child frompassivetoactive,fromthinkingtodoing.Writingisthoughtinaction.Itisoneofthefundamentalwaysachildcommunicatestotheworld,“Hey!Thisiswhat’sonmymind.”Whenyoureinforceallyourchildren’sattemptsatwriting—eventhosescribblesandsquiggles—youhelpthemlearnthat theycancommunicateeffectivelyusingthisfascinatingmedium.Children,likeallhumans,haveaninherentneedtoexpressthemselves.They

are innately interested in finding the means and methods to record andcommunicate their ideas. From their first crude marks onward, their writingsreflectthisuniquelyhumandesiretosay“Iamhere”and“Thisismystory.”And,althoughhelpingyourchildrentoachievethewritingskills thatenable

themtosharetheirthoughts,feelings,anddesiresisahugelyworthwhiletaskonitsown,thebenefitsofraisingawritergowaybeyondthat.Writingallowsustodosomuchmorethanexpressourselves—it’sanessentialtoolweuseeverydayforavarietyofpractical(andproductive)reasons.Strongwritingskillsareinextricablylinkedwithchildren’slifelonglearning,

literacy,andacademicandemploymentsuccess.Morethanever,inthis“ageofinformation,”childrenneedtotakeownershipofalltheknowledgesurroundingthem.Andwritingremainstheverybestwaytodothat.

TheLinktoLearningThinkingandlearningarenotoneandthesame.Thinkingisapassivepursuit;learning is active. In order for learning to occur, there has to be an activeexpressionofthought.Writingisself-expressionatitsmostactive.Itisthetoolbywhichwe communicatewhatwe have understood. Through the process ofwriting, children integrate knowledge andmake it their own. This is the verydefinitionoflearning.

TheLinktoLiteracyGood writers make great readers. Why? Because practicing letter formationwhen writing reinforces speedy letter recognition when reading. Writing alsoreinforcesimportantleft-to-rightandtop-to-bottomconceptsinherenttoreading.Most of all, writing gives children a tool to buildwords and stories from thesounds they already know.This emerging ability towrite down their thoughtslaysthefoundationforchildren’sdesiretoreadthethoughtsandideasofothers.You may be surprised to learn that, for developing children, writing often

precedes reading.How can this be?Becausewriting, like spoken language, isself-generated.Oncechildrenareabletolinksoundstoletters,theyarereadytowrite theirownthoughtsand thenread themback to themselves.Andchildrenwhoareabletoreadtheirownwritingarewell-equippedtoreadthewritingofothers.Betteryet,childrenwholearntoreadtheirownwritingfirstexpendlesseffortdecodingwhenreading,whichfreesupmoreoftheirattentionalresourcestofocusonmeaning.

TheLinktoAcademicSuccessGoodwritersalsomakegreatstudents.Thespeedandeaseofchildren’swritingcanhaveamajorimpactontheiroverallacademicsuccess.Timeandagainithasbeen found that children who are able to write quickly and automaticallyoutperformtheirpeersacrossthecurriculum.Theability towritewell isconsistently related toacademicsuccess,both in

researchandinreality.Andby“goodwriting”wedon’tmeanperfectcopybookpenmanship either.Effectivewriting shouldbe legible—both to thewriter andthe reader. But, even more important, effective writing should be efficient.Efficient writing flows quickly and easily from the hand of the writer. It isnatural,almosteffortless.Efficientwriters’pencilsareabletokeepupwiththeirthoughts.Apencilthatmovesfreelyandeasilyisavehicleforself-expression,communication, and learning. And, apparently, an efficient pencil canwrite achild’stickettoacademicsuccess.Efficientwriters have an edge on their peerswhen it comes to note taking,

homework, and studying for tests. This holds true in every subject youngstudents encounter across the board. Whether in a science, math, history, orlanguageclass,studentsneedtobeabletorecord,relay,andreviewinformationquickly and easily through writing in order to learn. And when it comes totesting, it is not surprising that studentswhowrite faster consistently achievehighergradesonwrittenexams.Efficientwritershaveanotherlessobviousadvantageovertheirclassmates:a

greaterability topayattention.Sinceefficientwritersdon’thavetofocustheir

attention on the mechanics of writing, they are able to focus on what reallymatters—meaning.Makingmeaningfulconnectionsiswhatacademiclearningisallabout.Studentswhowritewitheaseareabletodevotealloftheirattentionalresources to themeaning of the written words. This attention is the basis forcomprehension.It doesn’t end there. Efficient writers surpass their peers in productivity in

school aswell.Simply stated, thebetter childrenareatwriting, themore theywillwrite.Andthemoretheywrite,thebettertheywillgetatwriting.Astheirwritingimproves, theirlearningisenhanced,asis theirperformanceacrossthecurriculum.Nottomentiontheirconfidenceandself-esteem,theimmeasurablefringebenefitsofacademicsuccess.

TheLinktoHigherEducationWhenmosthigh schoolers and theirparentsbegincontemplatingcollege, theyshudder at the thought of the ubiquitous college essay. High school guidancecounselorsbeginplantingtheseedsearlyon,assuringeveryonethataknockoutessaycanopenmanydoorsforastudent.Asitturnsout,thecollegeessayisjustthefirstofmanywritingchallengesinstoreforcollegestudents.Thewritingontheivywallsisclear:goodwritingisthecornerstoneofhigher

education. Solid writing skills provide a strong foundation for students whoaspiretosucceedincollege.Andaloveofwritinglearnedearlyonwillcertainlymakeiteasierforchildrentochoosethepaththatleadstoauniversityeducation.College courses take writing to a whole new level. No longer content to

simply have students write about what they are thinking, college professorsencourage their students to write about why they are thinking what they’rethinking.Most college-level writing centers on a thesis, a focusing statementaboutwhatstudentsarethinking,followedbyevidencethatsupportstheirclaimanddefendsitagainstchallengers.Whew.Toughstuff.Butnotforchildrenwhohavebeenwritingtheirmindsforsolongthattheyarewellpreparedtorisetotheoccasion.

TheLinktoTechnologyWith over 90 percent ofAmerican children using computers on a daily basis,parentsandchildrenalikeareunderstandablyexcitedbyallthattechnologyhastooffer.Andin this technologicallyadvancedmillennium, there isnoquestionthat the computer has become a quintessential tool for communication. Asschools and homes dedicate more resources, both time and money, totechnology,writingbyhandisfallingbythewayside.Butthequestionremains,doesmoderntechnologymakewritingbyhandathingofthepast?

Neglectingold-schoolwritingeducationinfavorof itshigh-techcounterpartis a serious mistake with far-reaching consequences. For young children, asignificant developmental opportunity will be missed if a computer is theirprimary tool for writing. Complex neurological processes occur as our brainsguide themovementofour fingers across thepage.Theprocessofwritingbyhand strengthens mind and body connections that underlie attention,coordination,andlearning.Themovementsinherenttowritingexercisethebraininwaysthatakeyboardcannot.Additionally,childrendon’tevenbegintodevelopeffectivekeyboardingskills

until around the third grade. Up until then, children’s typing abilities are notefficientenoughtokeepupwiththeflowoftheirideas.Obviously,waitinguntilthethirdgradetolearntowritewouldbeanothermissedopportunity.A final reasonwhyneglectingwriting instruction is detrimentalmay be the

onemostcompellingtotechno-enthusiasts.Computer-savvyindividualsarewellawarethattechnologyisconstantlyevolving.Whoknowswhatcomputingofthefuturewillbelike?Already,pen-basedcomputing—inwhichapen-likestylus,with the aid of advanced handwriting recognition software, interfaces with acomputer—isfindingitswayintothehandsofstudentsandteachers,aswellasbusinessesandindustries,acrossthecountry.Asitturnsout,writingmaybethenewkeyboarding.

TheLinktoCareerSuccessIn the workplace, writing skills are considered a commodity. Writtencommunication is still themost efficientway to reach the greatest number ofpeople. Employers are looking to hire candidates who can compose effectivememos, letters, proposals, newsletters, and reports. Strong writing skills arethereforevitaltobusinessandprofessionalsuccess.Betweenemployeeandemployer,goodwritingskillscommunicateclearand

purposeful thinking. Businesses in most industries screen job applicants forwritingskills,andoftendon’thirecandidateswithout them.Although it’swaytooearlyforkidstostartworryingaboutwhowillsigntheirfirstpaycheck,it’snever too early to get down to business when it comes to writing. Just thinkabout how children’s thank-you notes to Grandma and family newsletters aregreatpracticefortheirfuturebusinesscorrespondenceandcorporatereports.The bottom line? Little kidswith big aspirations can practicallywrite their

ownrésuméforsuccessbyhoningtheirwritingskillsrightfromthestart.

TheWriteWay

In order to help guide your children in the “write” direction, it helps to knowexactlywhereyou’regoing.Usethisbooktobuildyourownfoundation,astheparentofayoungwriter.Thefirstpartopensbyreflectingontheimportanceofwriting, developmentally speaking. It goes on to highlight the developmentalstages related to writing readiness, the best ways to help children build theirfoundationalskills,ideasforequippingchildrenforwritingsuccess,andcreativeways to encourage and inspire youngwriters at home.Read through this firstpart, incorporating whatever information and advice applies to your children(taking into consideration thedevelopmental stages they are at right now) andyour particular daily routine. These chapters will provide you with the bareessentials—alltheadviceandinformationyouneedtogetyourchildrenreadytowrite.Thesecondpartfeaturesfifty-twoclassicwritingactivities.Sliponeofthese

projects intoyourchildren’swriting repertoirewhenandwhere it seems to fit,adaptingittotheirdevelopmentallevelwiththehelpofthesuggestedvariations.Before long you will find that they will have gained the skills they need toaccomplish any writing task that comes their way, and the satisfaction thataccompaniestheabilitytocalloneselfawriter.Ihopeyouwillfindthereareafewdifferentwaystousethisbook.Ifyouare

pickingitupastheparentofascribbler,youcanuseitasaroadmaptohelpyouguide your child along the path towriting. If your child is already starting towritelettersandwords,youwillfindittobeahandyresourcetorefertoasyousupportyourchild’snewfoundskills.Ifyouaretheparentofareluctantwriter,the information in this book is exactly what you need to retrace your child’ssteps, so to speak. Older children, revisiting their learn-to-write days as theymakethetransitiontocursive,willbenefitfromreviewingthebook’sadviceandactivities as they practice writing in a new style. And if you have multiplechildrenofdifferentages,youwillfindthat theactivityvariationsinthisbookare ideal for when your kids are all sitting around the kitchen table—writingthank-you notes, shopping lists, pen-pal letters, or make-believe stories—andyouwanttofigureouthowtomodifytheactivitytomeetallyourkids’needs,nomattertheirdifferentagesandstages.Myhopeisthatthisisabookthatwillstayon your bookshelf a long time, growing with you and your children—yourhandbookforhelpingyourfamily’sstoryunfold.So now, let’s get started.Yourmission from here on out is to nurture your

youngwriteruntiltheyknowthistobetrue:ifyouthinkit,youcanwriteit.

OntheWriteTrackThePathtoWritingReadiness

AT SOME POINT or another most parents have wondered why our preciouschildrenweregiventouswithoutsomuchasahandbooktoguideus.Luckily,theydocomeequippedwitharoadmap.It’scalledchilddevelopment.Asourchildren’sfirstteachers,weparentsneedtobeasknowledgeableaswe

canbeaboutchilddevelopment.Althoughthereiscertainlyroomforindividualvariation,childdevelopmentfeaturessomegeneralpatternsofskillacquisition.Foundationalskillsaremasteredfirst,andsubsequentstagesofdevelopmentarebuilt upon these previously acquired skills. Each developmental stage ischaracterizedbycertainmajormilestones.Beingawareofthesereferencepointshelpsustoplotourcourseontheroadtoraisingyoungwriters.The important landmarks children will encounter on the road to writing

include scribbling, spelling words, writing stories, and learning the rules ofwriting.Scribbles are children’s first steps toward writing. As toddling becomes

walkingandbabblingbecomestalking,sodoscribblesbecomesymbols.After scribbling, the next steps for young writers include learning to form

letters,puttingletterstogethertospellfamiliarwords,andthenstringingwordstogethertomakesentencesandtellstories.Finally,theyarereadytolearnsomeoftheconventionsofwriting,suchasproperspelling,orientingwordsonaline,capitalization,punctuation,grammar,andstorystructure.Tohelpusidentifywhereourkidsareat,andtochoosethemostappropriate

writing activities, I use these landmarks to describe four broad categories ofyoungwriters:Scribblers,Spellers,Storytellers,andScholars.

ScribblersScribbling is essentiallyWriting Readiness 101 for little kids.While creatingeachmessymasterpiece,youngchildrenareactuallydevelopingandrefiningthefoundationalskillsthatsupportwritingsuccess.Although itmay look random,much is goingonduring scribbling.As they

scribble, children are mastering the motoric challenges of holding and

controllingawriting tool.Theyare experiencing the cause andeffectbetweentheirmovementandtheirmarks,andtheyarebeginningtocoordinatetheireyeswiththeirhands.Theyarelearningtoregulatethespeed,force,anddirectionoftheirstrokes.Andtheyarestartingtoconnectstrokestomakeshapes,pictures,andsymbolsthattheycanusetotellasimplestory.Thereareevendistinct stages that emergewithin the scribbling stage.What

makes one scribble different from another, you ask? The emergence ofrecognizable strokes, for example, is oneway to quantify scribbling progress.Usually vertical scribbles emerge first, then horizontal, and then circularscribbles.Youcanalsolookforopenversusclosedstrokes.Openstrokesarethestrokes

thatgoon forever,orbackand forth,withoutadistinctbeginningorend (youknow those circles that become endless spirals?). Closed strokes have abeginningandanend.Theyarethestartingpointformakingtheshapesthatwilllater turn into drawings and the symbols that will become the letters of thealphabet.

SpellersSpellers are hard at work learning, practicing, andmastering letter formation.Whatanimportantstage!Ican’tstressenoughhowcriticalit isforchildrentolearnthemostefficientwaytomakeeachletterduringthisstage.Otherwisetheytend to reinvent thewheel each time theymake a letter, drawing it instead ofwritingitautomatically.Thisalmostalwaysleadstobadhabitsthataretoughtobreaklateron.But, fear not!With a little know-how (see the next chapter, “All theWrite

Moves”), it’saseasyascanbetoshowemergingwriters thebestwaytoformeach letter. And rest assured, the same techniques are also useful for helpingchildren relearn letter formation if theyhavealreadybegunmakingany lettersincorrectly.AfterSpellerslearntowriteletters,theystarttostringthemtogethertoform

theirfirstwrittenwords.Whatanaccomplishment!Cherishandcelebratethesefirstwords,awkwardinventedspellingsandall.Itisveryexcitingforchildreninthisstagewhentheystarttoputthepiecesofthewritingpuzzletogetherforthefirsttime.Shareintheenthusiasm;thisiswherealoveofwritingisborn.

StorytellersIfSpellersareexcitedbyfirstwords,Storytellersaresimplyecstaticovertheir

first stories.What could be better? This is the stage where all the hard workreallybeginstopayoff.Finally,theirskillsarestartingtocatchuptotheirideas.They have nowmastered themechanics ofwritingwell enough to be able to“talkonthepage.”Storytellersarebeginningtothinklikerealwriters:“WhatdoIwanttosay?”and“HowcanIsayit?”Theygetthefirsttasteofthepowerofwriting to tell a tale, transport a reader, create a newworld, express emotion,craft a character. Once children begin to write stories, there’s no going back.They’rehooked.

ScholarsScholars are writers who have also become readers. As such, they are highlymotivated tomake theirwriting resemble the kind ofwriting they are used toreading.Enter therulesofwriting:sizeandspacingof letters,orientationonaline, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentence structure. Bringthemon.YoungScholarsarereadytolearntherightwaystowrite.And they are ready to write a lot, in little and big ways, all day long. So

prepare yourself (and stock up on paper) because once kids crack thewritingcode,theytendtobeunstoppable.

TheProactiveParentNowthatyouknowwhatyourkidsshouldbedoingineachstage,whatshouldyoubedoingtohelp?Well,herearesomeofmybesttipsforsupportingyoungwritersineachstage,gleanedfrombothprofessionalandpersonalexperience.

SupportingYourScribblerAsyouhaveprobablyalreadyguessed,Iamgoingtowholeheartedlyencourageyouto letscribblinghappen(almost)wheneverandwhereverpossible(except,of course, on the walls and furniture. Or on younger siblings.). When theopportunity presents itself, you can join in the scribbling too. Sit across fromyourchildandscribbleawayonyourownmasterpiece.Whenyoudothat,youareteachingbymodeling,whichmeansyoudon’thavetoinstruct.Justhavefunyourself,andyourchildwillgetthepicture.Butbecarefultosticktoscribbling.Whenwestartdrawingrepresentationalstuff,likeflowers,houses,ortrains,andwriting lettersandwords,ourScribblerswant to followsuit.Since theyaren’tready for thisyet, they tend toget frustratedanddiscouraged.Theymayevenloseinterestinscribblingandabandontheactivityaltogether.Andwhatashameit is when that happens, because they really were having so much fun (andworkingontheirfoundationalskillsatthesametime).Soresistthetemptationto

rushyourScribblerontothenextstageprematurely.Instead,enjoylettingyourinner child bask in the glory of scribbling together with your youngster withrecklessabandon.Remember, also, that a variety of enticing (admittedly, occasionallymessy)

mediums andmethods appeal to young Scribblers. Let them scribble in sand,shaving cream, and finger paint, with sidewalk chalk and tub crayons, whilelyingonthefloorproppedupontheirelbowsorstandingataneasel.Hey,withanassiduousScribbler,anythinggoes.Now lest you puzzle over why I don’t think it’s important to introduce

Scribblerstoletters,letmeassureyouthatIdo.Justnotwhenthey’rescribbling.Scribblerscanworkonallthefoundationalskillsthatsupportwriting,buttheyneedtoworkoneachcomponentonitsown.SocertainlyexposeyourScribblertoalphabetmanipulatives, toys,andpuzzles,andpointoutprint inbooks.Justdon’texpectthemtowritethelettersthattheyrecognizejustyet;theirscribblesaretellingyoutheyneedalittlemoreskill-buildingtimebeforethey’rereadytowrite.

SupportingYourSpellerWhenscribblesbegintomorphintolines,shapes,anddrawings,youknowyouwillsoonhaveaSpelleronyourhands.WhatdoesyourSpellerneedfromyoumost? During this stage, consider yourself to be a consultant. Offer yourexpertiseonthesubjectofletterformationorspellingwhenasked.(Bepreparedtobebombardedwithcountless“Howdoyoumakea. . .?”and“Howdoyouspell...?”queries.)Andwhenyoufeeltheneedforaconsultationofyourown(toansweryourcountless“AmIdoing this right?” typeofquestions), refer tothenextchapter,whichcouldbealternatelytitled“SurvivalGuideforParentsofSpellers.”

SupportingYourStorytellerEvery story needs a reader. So, naturally, everyStoryteller longs for a captiveaudience.Andwhobetter than an adoring parent to pore over every turn of aphrase,eachnewtale,orthebigmagnumopus?Storytellersarelearningtousewritingtocommunicatetheirideas.Theyneed

parentswho are receptive to their stories, nomatterwhether they are silly orsensible.Trynottocritique.Instead,laughatthefunnyparts,cryatthesadparts(sniffle,sniffle),andgaspat thesurprisingparts.Theremaybeplentyofthosethingsthatmakeyougo,“Hmmm,”butthat’sallpartofthefun.Readon.

SupportingYourScholarScholarscanbecomparedtoyoungathletes,learningtherulesofthegame.And

inthisscenario,youshouldregardyourselfasthecoach.Helpgetthempsychedforpracticingthosespellingwordsorlookingupanewwordinthedictionary.Gear them upwith some coolwriting equipment. Help them come upwith agameplanforwritingthatessayorbookreport(introduction,body,conclusion,hike!). Ifwriting becomes frustrating at any point, call a time out, give a peptalk,talkaboutstrategy,andhelpthemregroup.WhenitcomestimeforyoungScholars to tackle the transition to cursive writing, go back to basic training(revisitingsomeofthelearn-to-writeadviceinthenextchapter,thistimefromascriptperspective)andhelpthemdrilltheirnewwritingmoves.Keepawatchfuleyefromthesidelines,andcelebratetheirwriting-relatedvictorieswiththem.

ReadyorNot?

Sohowdoyouknowwhenyourchildisreadytomovefromscribblingtoactualwriting? Good question.Writing readiness is an important determining factorwhenitcomestosteeringkidstowardwritingsuccess.Ifachildisstillworkingtomasterfoundationalskills,staythereuntilthey’rereadytomoveon.Andkeepinmind the threemost importantareaswherechildrenneed to“get it,”beforetheygetdowntothebusinessoflearningtowrite.

GetaClueAclueabouthandpreference,thatis.Inordertobereadytowrite,childrenneedastronginclinationtowardamoreskillful,ordominant,hand.Thisisthehandthat isbestatexecutingprecisemovements.Itbecomesthego-tohandforanytaskrequiringcoordinationandcontrol.Ifyouareunsureastowhetheryourchildhasapreferredhand,observeyour

childeating.Withoutanypromptingonyourpart,justcheckoutwhichhandheorsheusestopickupfood,bothwithandwithoutaneatingutensil.Ifyourchildfavors one hand when feeding himself or herself, chances are your child hasdevelopedapreference.Next,watchwhichhandyourchild is inclinedtousewhencoloring.Ifyour

childstickswith thesamehand thatheorshechooses toeatwith, that’sgoodnews.Ifyourchildswitchesbackandforthbetweenhandswhencoloring,heorshemaynotyethaveaclearpictureofwho’stheboss.Activitiessuchasthrowingandcatchingaballorcuttingwithscissorsarenot

ideal for assessing handedness in young children. Kids occasionally approachthese taskswith theirnondominanthand,which is typically themorepowerfulhand,atfirst,switchingtotheirdominanthand,whichismoreskillful,lateron,

whenthetasksdemandbetteraimormoreprecisecontrol.Ifchildrenseemunclearas towhichhand tochoose, it is important thatwe

don’tdothechoosingforthem.Whatwecando,however,isgivethemplentyofopportunities to engage in bilateral activities that require them to figure outwhichhand isbetteratwhat tasks.Tasks suchasmixingbatterwithonehand(whileholding themixingbowlwith theother), spreadingbutterwithabutterknife (while holding the bread steady), or pouringwater from a small pitcher(while stabilizing the cup) give children a chance to decide how each handfunctionsbest.

GetaGripSomegraspswork (and some really, reallydon’t).The ruleof thumb is:don’twriteuntilit’sright!WhenIlookathowchildrenholdtheirpencils,Iseegraspsthatfallintothree

basiccategories:immature,efficient,andinefficient.Thegrasp thatveryyoungchildrenuse the first time theypickupawriting

toolisusuallyapowergrasp.Theygrabacrayoninafistedhand,withthumbupand therestof their fingerswrapped tightlyaround theshaftof thecrayon.Allthelittlemusclesintheirhandsworktogethertosqueezethecrayoninplaceso that it doesn’tmove.Tomakemarks, theymove their entire armas aunit,dragging the immobilized crayon back and forth across the page. (Often theirotherarm,legs,hips,andeventheirtonguemoveinunison,goingalongfortheride.)Thisdifficultydissociatingmovementsofthehandfrommovementsoftherestof thebodyisexhausting.Nowonder theirattentionspanfor thisexcitingnewworkisfleeting,atbest.Inanattempt togainmorecontrol,mostyoungchildrensoontransitiontoa

pronated grasp.With this grasp, all five fingers are still wrapped around thecrayon, but now the thumb and fingertips are pointed down toward the paper.Likethepowergrasp,everythingislockedtightlyintoplace.Again,thewholearmhastomoveinitsentiretyinordertogetthejobdone.As they grow more comfortable holding a writing tool, children may

experiment with other transitional grasps, such as a static quadrupod (four-fingered) grasp or a static tripod (three-fingered) grasp. These grasps arereferredtoas“static”becausethefingersstillholdverytightly,oftenhighontheshaftofthewritingtool,andthewholehandcontinuestomoveasonestiffunit.As children’s skills develop and mature, they are better able to isolate out

smallmovementsoftheirhandswhilestabilizingtheirwrist,forearm,andupperarmattheshoulder.Theyarealsoabletomoveonesideofthehandseparatelyfromtheother,givingeachsideofthehanditsownfunction.Thethumbsideof

thehandbecomestheskillside,with thefirst threefingersholdingthewritingtoollikeatripod.Thepinkysideofthehandbecomesthepowerside,withthefourthandfifthfingerscurlingintothepalm.Thissidestabilizesthehandonthewritingsurface,allowingtheskillsidetomovefreely.When children are able to achieve this grasp, which is characterized by

smaller, more refined movements by the skill side of the hand, we call it adynamic tripod grasp. This is considered a very efficient grasp because itaccomplishesthemostcontrolledmovementwiththeleastamountofeffort.Thedynamictripodgraspisdefinitelyonetogrowon.(See“AnatomyofanEfficientGrasp.”)Thereareacoupleofvariationsonthedynamictripodgraspthat,whileless

common, are also considered to be efficient grasps. One is the lateral tripodgrasp,inwhichtheshaftofthepencilisheldwiththesideofthethumb(kindoflikehowyouwouldholdakeytoturnit)ratherthanwiththethumbandindexfingerbeingtiptotip.Theotherisknownasanadaptivetripodgrasp,inwhichthepencilisstabilizedbetweentheindexandmiddlefingers.What do these efficient grasps have in common?All of them feature some

degreeofwhat isreferredtoasanopenwebspace.Thatmeansthetriangular-shaped space between the thumb and the index finger (which resembles the“webbing” on a duck’s feet) forms a circlewhen a child holds a pencil. Thatopenspaceiswhatgivesthefingersontheskillsideofthehandthefreedomtomaketheirtinylittlemovementsindependentoftherestofthehandandarm.Some children who are attempting to hold a pencil with a tripod grasp

collapsethatopenwebspace.Inordercompensateforalackofcontrol,strength,orstability,theyclutchthepenciltootightly,compromisingthequalityoftheirgrasp.Examplesof these inefficientgrasps include the thumb-wrapgrasp (thethumbwrapstightlyaroundboththepencilandtheindexfinger),thethumb-tuckgrasp(thethumbwrapsaroundthepencilandtucksundertheindexfinger),andtheinterdigitalbrace(thethumbandsecondorthirdfingerswraptightlyaroundthe pencil). What all of these inefficient grasps have in common is a tightlyclosed web space. This necessitates large movements of the arm and inhibitssmall,refinedmovementsofthefingers.Armedwiththisbasicgraspguide,younowhaveoneveryimportantpieceof

thewritingreadinesspuzzleonyourside.Isyourchildusinganefficientgraspwhendrawingorcoloring?Iftheansweris“Yes,”that’sonestrongindicatorinfavorofyourchildbeingreadytowrite.If, however, your child is still using an immature grasp, you have a clear

indicator that more writing readiness experiences, including plenty of hand-strengtheningactivities,areneeded.

Ifyourchildisusinganinefficientgrasp,itmaybearesultoftakingontoomuchtoosoon.It’sbest to intervenebefore thesegraspsbecomeafixedhabit.Once writing demands increase and children are expected to write more, aninefficientgrasp can take its toll.Thiskindofgrasp canmakewriting slower,moreeffortful,andattimesevenpainful.Itisstressfultothejointsofthehandsto clench a tool so tightly, often contributing to tired and achy hands. Not tomentionunhappyyoungwriters!Ifyouhaveconcernsaboutyourchildusinganinefficientgrasp,discussitwithanoccupationaltherapist(askyourpediatricianorschooldistrictforareferral)todeterminethebestcourseofaction.

DIY:PencilPictureAs a reminder to children to use a proper pencil position, consider

takingaphotographof theirhandholdingapencilusinganefficientgrasp.Placethepictureintheirwritingareatoinspirethemtousethe“justwrite”graspeachtimetheypickupapencil.Theycanalsorefertothedrawingofthe“AnatomyofanEfficientGrasp.”

GetinShapeChildrenarereadytowritewhentheyhavemasteredtheabilitytomakecertainsimpleshapes.Andnotbefore.Ifyourchildisstillshakywhendrawingshapes,it’saclearsigntohavethemdomoredrawingbeforeyouintroducewriting.Yousee, they are still working on developing what we call visual-motor control,morecommonlycalledeye-handcoordination.Andinthiscase,apicturereallyisworthathousandwords.Emergingwritersareable toconfidentlycreateverticalandhorizontal lines,

crisscrossed lines,circles,squares, triangles,anddiagonal lines.Whenyouseetheseshapesemergingclearlyinyourchild’sdrawings,youaregettingastrongsenseoftheirreadinesstowrite.Forchildrenwhosepencil isnotyetcooperating in termsofcontrol,present

some fun visual-motor activities for practice. Mazes, dot-to-dot pictures, andcoloring activities help children coordinate their eyes with their handmovements; they help kids practice taking aim with their pencils until theirvisual-motorskillsarerightontarget.

READYORNOTCHECKLISTRefer to this checklist to determine whether your child is ready forwriting.Yourchild:

DemonstratesadefinitehandpreferencewheneatingUsesapreferredhandwhencoloringIsabletousehisorhernon-preferredhandasastabilizerduringtwo-handedactivities,suchasmixinginabowlorpouringintoacupHoldsacrayon,marker,orpencilclosetothetip,withthefirstthree(orfour)fingerspointedtowardthepaperwhenscribbling,coloring,ordrawingIsabletodrawsimplelinesandshapesIsbeginningtodrawpeopleandobjectsIsstartingtomakemarksthatlooklikesymbolsIsabletocompletesimplemazesordot-to-dotpicturesIsbeginningtoshowaninterestinstayinginsidethelineswhencoloring

Sonowthatyouhaveabetterunderstandingofthelandmarkstolookforon theroad towriting,ofyourownrole inhelping toguideyouryoungwritersalongtheircourse,andofthesignsthatwillsignalwhenyourchild is ready towrite,wemoveahead.Preparingyourchild toprogressfromscribblingtospellingisthenextstop.Icanassureyoutherewillbefun,newdiscoveriesandaccomplishmentsupahead,soenjoytheride!

AlltheWriteMovesPreparingYourChildtoWrite

AREYOUASexcitedasIamtosetupyourkidsforwritingsuccess?Ifyouarereading this book, the answer is probably yes.Well, I have good news; sinceyou’re looking for information, you’re already ahead of the game. Preparingchildren towrite isn’t veryhard at all, but it does require a littlebit ofknow-how. Luckily, this chapter can be your everything-you-ever-needed-to-knowguidetohelpingyourchildprogressfromScribblertoSpeller,andbeyond.Soifit’ssupposedtobesimple,what’stheretoknow?Basically,it’samatter

ofpointingourkidsintherightdirection.Whenitcomestoteachingtheskillsthat support writing, my motto is this: teach them right, right from the start.Learningthebeststrategies,rightfromtheget-go,preventschildrenfromgettingintobadhabitsorexpendingmoreeffortthannecessaryonwritingtasks(and,asa result, thinking thatwriting is hard or that theydon’t like it). Steering themontotherightpath,however,makeslearningtowritesonaturalthatchildrenwillthinktheywereborntowrite.

WriteNowAsparents,wewantthebestforourchildreninmanydifferentways.Whynotgive them thebestpossible starton their journeyaswriters?Starting themoffright canmean thedifferencebetween struggleand success. It canalsobe thedeciding factor between childrenwhowork hard at writing and childrenwhowrite so effortlessly that their ideas all but leap onto the page. Happily, forchildrenwhoembracewriting,alifetimeloveoflearningisliterallyrightattheirfingertips.Herearethetoptenthingsyoucandotogetyourkidsreadytowrite.

1.YouCanTeachaChildtheBestWaytoHoldaPencil(Yes,

You!)Myson showedan interest inpencils earlyon.He liked to feed them into thesharpener,wearonebehindhisear likeacarpenter,andmarkhiswoodblocksbefore“cutting”themwithhispretendsaw.Butwhenitcametimetowritewitha pencil, his enthusiasm was tested. Why? Because holding a pencil is an

acquiredskill,onethatrequirespractice.Mostchildrenlearntouseapencilbetweentheagesof threeandahalfand

five. More important than age, however, are signs of readiness. Look for aconsistent hand preference, interest in coloring and drawing with crayons,coordinated use of eating utensils, and ability to handle clothing fasteners.Masteryofthesetasksmeansthatyourchild’slittlefingershavepencil-holdingpotential.When teaching your child to get a grip, demonstrate these important pencil

pointers:

∗Pinchthepencil(lowontheshaft,justabovethezigzagpart)betweenthepadofthethumbandthetipoftheindexfinger.Thespacebetweenthetwofingersshouldformawide-opencircle.Checktoseethatyourchildisusingalighttouch(nowhiteknuckles!).∗Tuckthethirdfingerbehind,sothepencilleansonthesideofthefirstjoint.∗Squeezethefourthandfifthfingersintothepalm,andrestthissideofthehandonthewritingsurface.

Atfirst,it’sbesttohavechildrenpracticethisnewgraspbydoingthingsother

thanwriting.Forexample,tracingstencilsanddrawingactivitiessharpenpencilskillswithouttheaddedchallengeofformingletters.Childrenwhocan’tgettheirfingersintherightpositionmayneedmoretime

withtoolsthatencourageathree-fingeredgrasp.Thebestpencilprepishavingyourchildusetinybrokencrayonsorpiecesofchalktocolororscribble.Otheractivities that strengthen the pencil-holding muscles are: stringing beads,sprayingaspraybottle,manipulatingplaydough,andcuttingwithscissors.What’s the point of all this practice? An efficient pencil grasp lays the

groundwork for fluidwriting.And holding a pencil right, right from the start,prevents a child from getting into bad habits that may interfere with writingsuccessdowntheroad.Let’sjustsay,it’sabigstepinthe“write”direction.

DIY:GiveMeaBreakCrayonsIfyourchildhasashakygrasponpencils, itmaybe timefora little

break.Timeforalittlecrayonbreaking,thatis.Scribbling, coloring, drawing, orwritingwith crayonsbroken into

smallpiecesencouragesathree-fingeredgrasp.Simplypeelandbreaksomecrayonsintopiecestogivethelittlemusclesinvolvedinholding

a pencil a fun (and colorful) workout. (Caution: tiny tools can be achokinghazard,soexercisecarewiththeunder-threecrowd.)

2.TweaktheRulesforLefties

I amoftenasked if thereareanyspecialconsiderations for left-handedwriterswhenitcomestoholdingapencil.Theanswerisaresounding“Yes!”BecausetheEnglishlanguageiswrittenlefttoright,writingwiththelefthand

isnotsimplythereverseofwritingwiththerightone.Whenitcomestowriting,leftiesencounteracoupleofuniquechallenges.Firstofall,theirhandscoverupthewordsastheywrite,makingitdifficultforthemtoseetheirownwork.Andsecond, theyhavea tendency to smudge theirwritingwith theirhandsas theymoveacrossthepage.Tohelpleft-handedchildrenovercomethesechallenges,teachthemthethree

importantrulestoimprovetheirview(andpreventsmudging):

∗Pinchithigher:Pinchthepencilslightlyfartherupontheshaft(aboutonetooneandahalfinchesfromthetip).∗Positionthepaper:Shiftthepapertotheleftofcenterinfrontofthemandtiltitslightlytowardtheright.∗Pointit:Holdthepencilsothattheeraserpointstowardtheirleftshoulder;thishelpstokeeptheirhandbelowthewritingline.

Thesesimplewritingruleswillmakeabigdifferenceforlefties,helpingthem

writewithgreatercomfortandease.And if it seemsa little frustratingat first,assureyouryoungwritersthattheyareingoodcompany:manyfamousauthors(including Hans Christian Andersen, Lewis Carroll, and Mark Twain), artists(includingMichelangelo,LeonardodaVinci,andPicasso),moversandshakers(includingAlbertEinstein,BenjaminFranklin,andHelenKeller),andeightU.S.presidentswerehighlysuccessfulsouthpaws.

3.EveryWriterNeedsaHelpingHand,LiterallyWhileonehandgetsagriponthepencil,what’stheotherhanddoing?Certainlynot twiddling its thumb. The role of the nondominant hand is to stabilize thepaperduringwritingtasks.Theimportanceofthisseeminglysimplecontributioncannot be overemphasized.Without a helper hand, the paper slips and slides,makingtheprocessofwritingunmanageableandtheproductunreadable.

DIY:HandyHelper

If your children need frequent reminders to use their nondominanthand, this trick may help. First, have them trace their nondominanthandon a piece of coloredpaper.Then, have themcut out the handshape. Not only are tracing and cutting two great activities thatreinforce the use of the helper hand, but the resulting cutout can betaped to the topcornerofapieceofpaperasavisualcueremindingchildrentosteadythepageastheywrite.

Youcanhelpyourchildrengetaccustomedtousingalead-assistpatternwith

theirhandsbycueing them touse their “boss”handand“helper”handduringeverydayactivities.Forexample,youcanremindyourchildrentostabilizetheirbowls with their helper hand when eating cereal or mixing cake batter. Orremindthemtoholdthebottomoftheirsweatshirtwithahelperhandwhiletheirbosshandpullsupthezipper.Themoreawarechildrenareoftheirhelperhands,themorelikelytheywillusethemtogetready(andsteady)towrite.

4.StrongWritingStartswithStrongHandsMastering the use of their hands is one of our children’s greatest and mostrewardingaccomplishments.Childrenusetheirhandstointeractwiththeworld.Theyusethemtoplaywithtoys,feedthemselves,showaffection,getdressed,cutwith scissors,paint apicture, and scribble their thoughts.Children’shandshelpthemperformallthemeaningfuloccupationsofchildhood.Forthisreason,timespentbuildingfinemotorskillsis,withoutadoubt,timewellspent.Moreover,wherewritingisconcerned,stronghandskillsaretheverykeyto

success. Creating a hands-on home is not only the first step toward raisingcompetentkids, it’salso thebestway toprepare littlehands for thebig jobofwriting.

FYI:SqueezePleaseOurfavorite,no-failplaydoughrecipe:

2cupswater1cupsalt

2tablespoonscreamoftartar

2tablespoonsvegetableoil

foodcoloring

2cupsflour

Heatallingredientsexcepttheflourinasaucepanuntilwarm.Removethepanfromtheheatandstirintheflour.Scoopthedoughoutofthepanandontoacookie sheet.Let it cool for a fewminutes, and thenkneaditwelluntilallthecolorisevenlydistributedandthedoughisasmooth texture.Store thedough inanairtightcontainer forup tosixmonths.

Therearecountlessopportunitiesforkidstobehands-onthroughouttheirday.

Frommakingtheirownmealstomakingmudpies,childrenwhoareencouragedto experiment and explore gain the upper hand, so to speak. They becomeproficientinthesmall,refinedmovementsneededtoaccomplishtaskswithskillandprecision.Andtheylearnthattheycandoitthemselves,figureitout,makeit work, and get it done. Essential for all children, these experiences areespeciallyimportantforyoungchildrenwhoaregettingreadytowrite.Someofmyfavoritefine-motoractivitiesincludethefollowing:

makingandplayingwithhomemadeplaydoughcuttingcouponsorjunkmailwithscissorspickingupsmallobjectswithkitchentongsusingsmallstamperswithastamppadstringingbeadswateringplantsoragardenwithaspraybottleclippingclothespinsonaline

Then,ofcourse,therearetheeverydayactivitiesthatprovidegreatfine-motor

challenges.Make sureyouhelpyour children learn todo the following thingsindependently,andtheywillreapthebenefitsonadailybasis:

buttoning,zippering,andsnappingclothesfasteningshoesopeningcontainersopeningandclosingresealableplasticbagsusingeatingutensilshelpingwithmealpreparationswipingatablewithasponge

The bottom line is,where kids are concerned, a hands-on home is a happyhome. Children who have abundant opportunities to develop their fine-motorskillsarewellpreparedforwriting,andforlife.Wherevertheygo,they’lltakewiththemtheconfidencethatcomesfromexperience.Andhowevertheymaketheirmark,they’lldoitwithbroadstrokesandself-assurance.

5.CuttingIsn’tJustaFrillEveryone knows that young children should learn to cut. We all realize thatcutting is necessary for many classroom tasks and some daily activities. Yetthere isanother reasonwhycutting is so important thatmaysurpriseyou.Didyou know thatwhen done correctly, cutting can actually improve your child’shandwriting?When children are taught to cut the “write” way, every snip helps to

strengthenthesmallintrinsicmusclesoftheirhands.Thesearethesamemusclesthat control that all-important tripod grasp, themost efficient pencil grasp forwriting.The“write”graspof thescissors is theone thatexercises thesmallmuscles

thatareneeded toachieveamature tripodgrasp.Children shouldbe taught toholdthescissorwiththethumbandmiddlefingerintheloops.Theindexfingershouldbeplacedon theoutsideof thehandle toprovidestrengthand todirectthe cutting activity. Fingers four and five should be curled into the palm forstability. The scissors should be held loosely against the hand, resting on thejointsofthefingersclosesttothefingertips.Thescissorsshouldalwaysbeheldina“thumbsup!”positionandpointedawayfromthechildatalltimes.Howdoyouknowifyourchild is readyforscissors?Cutting requireshand

strength,eye-handcoordination,andfingerdexterity.Ifyourchildrenareabletomanipulate play dough effectively, activate squirt toys or spray bottles, stringbeadsonalace,andrippaperintosmallpieceswithease,thentheyhavesomeimportantprerequisiteskills.Butthemostimportantprerequisiteskill,byfar,isyour child’s establishment of a hand preference.Wait to introduce scissors toyourchilduntilyouseeyourchildfavoringonehandovertheotherduringtaskssuchaseating,playing,orcoloring.Cutting, at least initially, is aone-to-one activity, andparentsmake thebest

teachers. Remember, even though scissors are available at your child’spreschool, teachers havemanypairs of little hands towatch at the same time.Give your little snippers individual attention at first, and you will find themsharpeningtheirscissorskillsinnotime.Important Safety Note: Cutting requires hands-on adult supervision at all

times.When not in use, scissors should be kept securely out of the reach of

children.Children shouldalsobe taught theproperway tohold scissorswhencarryingthemandhowtosafelyhandthemtoanotherperson.Anddon’tforgettoteachthatclassicold-schoolrule:“Norunningwithscissors!”

6.BigMusclesSupportLittleMusclesWriting is not purely a paper-and-pencil activity. Nor is it strictly a cerebralpursuit.Writingisawhole-bodyactivity,likeplayingsports,learningtodance,or riding a bicycle. It requires coordination, strength, and stamina. Whenchildren are writing, every muscle is at work, either stabilizing the body orcontrollingtheskilledmovementsofthehand.Although it may seem like a stretch, running and jumping, hopping and

skipping, climbing and crawling, throwing and catching actually preparechildrenforwriting.Theseactivitiesaredefinitelypartofthecorecurriculumforyoung writers. They build and reinforce the foundational skills that supportwriting-skill development.And skills built on a strong foundation are built tolast.Itisimportanttoincorporatesomebig-muscletimeintoeveryday,whichwe

probablydoinstinctivelyanywayduetoourawarenessofthemanybenefitsofexercise. We have already learned through experience that regular physicalactivitieskeepourkidshealthier,calmer,happier,andinbettershape.Well, now you can add another item to your list of reasons why a daily

“workout” just makes good sense: writing readiness. Strong bodies produceconfidentstrokes,coordinatedchildrencontroltheirpencilsbetter,andkidswithphysical stamina have more endurance for seated tasks that require sustainedattention.Despitethis,someschoolsarecuttingdownonphysicaleducationorcutting

out recess altogether. Don’t let this happen to your kids! Advocate for theirgross-motorneedsaspassionatelyasyouwould for theiracademicneeds.Thetwogohandinhand.Andtrytoavoidrestrictingphysicalactivitieswhenyourchildrenhaven’t finishedtheirwork.Thispenalty iscounterproductive,bothathomeandinschool.Thefactofthematterischildrenwhoarestrugglingtogettheirworkdoneprobablyneedto jump-start theirmindsandbodieswithsomemovement. A little big-muscle playmay be all they need to get their writingmusclesingear.Inadditionto thebackyard, theplayground,andtheschoolyard,myall-time

favoritebig-muscleactivitiesforchildrenincludethefollowing:

wheelbarrowwalking(holdyourchildren’sfeetastheywalkontheirhands)

walkingonabalancebeam(oralowcurb)hangingfrommonkeybars(orachin-upbar)crawling(throughtunnels,aroundthehouse,overpillows,andsoon)playingcatchplayingballoonvolleyballjumpingonaminitrampoline

Big-muscleactivitiesarejustaboutthemostfunyoucanhaveasakid.Aren’t

weluckythattheymakeabigimpactdevelopmentallytoo?Sowhenindoubt,letkidsgooutandplay.

7.ReadtheWritingontheWallThewritingonthewallisclear:goingverticalisoneofthebestwaystopumpupthewritingmuscles.I’mreferringofcoursetoverticalsurfaces.Any activity that is done on a vertical surface strengthens the shoulder

musclesbyencouragingthemtoworkagainstgravity.Eachtimechildrenreachup and out, they are developing the stability that promotes mobility. Simpleactivitiesdoneatarm’sreachsupportwritingdevelopmentbyhelpingchildrenbecomestableandable.Encourageyourchildrentotrythefollowingon-the-wallactivitieswhenever

possible:

paintingordrawingataneaseldrawingonachalkboardplayingwithmagnetsonarefrigeratorormagnetboarddrawingonadryeraseboardplayingwithshapesandfiguresonafeltboarddrawingorputtingstickersonalargepieceofpapertapedtoawalldrawingonbathtubwallswithtubcrayons“washing”windowsorshowerdoorswithwater“painting”outdoorwallsorfenceswithalargepaintbrushandwaterusingsidewalkchalkonoutdoorwalls

Anywayyoulookatit,elevatingthewritingsurfaceisasurefirewaytotake

children’swritingreadinesstothenextlevel.

8.SitforSuccessPosturalcontrolisthebackboneofgoodwritingskills.Writingwithoutpostural

controlislikewritingonamovingbus:nearlyimpossibleandbarelylegible.Postural control is the key to our ability to achieve and maintain a steady

stance.Ourtrunkprovidesabaseofsupportformovingourextremities.Whenour posture is even slightly unstable, our limbs pitch in to help hold us up,compromisingtheirabilitytocompletethetaskathand.Whenwehaveadequatecontrol of our posture, we free up our arms (and hands) to function. Simplystated,stabilityisatthecoreofmobility.Whenitcomestimetowrite,thesecrettoposturalcontrolliesinhowchildren

sit at a desk. Assuming their desks and chairs are the proper height (this isimportant;seethechapteron“TheWriteStuff”),therearefourfactorsthatwillpromotegoodposture:

∗Theirfeetshouldbeflatonthefloorinfrontofthem.∗Theirhipsshouldbeslidallthewaytothebackofthechair.∗Theirpapershouldbepositionedproperly.∗Theirhelperhandshouldbestabilizingthepaper.

Then(andonlythen)aretheyreadytobegin.Knowingthis,Icameupwithaquickiefour-steproutinethatIdowithkids

every time they sit down. The ritual of it becomes habit before long, until,eventually,theoptimalposturebecomessecondnature.Run through the steps as soon as your kids take a seat; it only takes a few

seconds,atmost.Whenyourkidsgetthehangofit,they’llstartdoingitontheirown.Thestepsare:

1. Stomp: Show your children how to stomp their feet on the floorwhen they sit down. The force of the stomping sends a powerfulmessage to their brain that reinforces the idea that feet should beplantedfirmlyonthefloor.2.Slide:Showyourkidshowtoslidetheirhipsbackuntiltheybumpthebackof their chair.This ensures an upright posture andpreventskidsfromroundingtheirbacksorslouchingintheirchair.3.Slant:Whenthey’reseated,haveyourkidsslanttheirpaperslightly(approximately twenty degrees to the left for righties; up to twentydegreestotherightandshiftedslightlytotheleftofcenterforlefties).4.Slap:Finally,haveyourkidsslapdowntheirhelperhandatthetopcorner of their paper to reinforce the idea that they have to stabilizetheirpaper.Again,weslapbecause(likestomping)it’sintenseenoughtosendaloud-and-clearmessagetothebrain:“Dothis!”

9.TeachingChildrentheRightWaytoWriteLettersMakesaHuge

Difference,BothNowandLaterOn(Huge,TrustMe)If you’re planning on going somewhere new, there are a couple of ways youcould go about it. You couldmap out your trip beforehand, finding themostdirect route between point A and point B. Or you can meander toward yourdestination,makingdecisionsonawhim.Youcouldchoosetoturnorgostraightdependingonwhat looks interesting,orwhereyou thinkyouare in relation toyourdestination.Youcouldmakeupyourrouteasyougo,correctingyourselfifyougointhewrongdirection,startingoveragainifyougettotallylost.Willyouget where you’re going? Possibly. Eventually. But at what cost? Maybe youwasted time,got frustrated,orfeltconfused.Ormaybeyougaveupandnevergotthereatall.Comparatively, the first approach is definitely themost efficient one. It has

anotherbigadvantageaswell: it is easily reproducible.Thenext timeyouareheaded for the same place, you can follow the samemap.And the next time.And the time after that.After several successful attempts, youprobablywon’tevenneedthemapanymore.You’llknowthewaybyheart.Atthebeginning,itmayhavetakenafewextraminutestofigureoutthebest

path.Butboy,wasthattimewellspentinthelongrun.Notonlywastakingthemostefficientroutesuccessful,itfacilitatedlearningaswell.Thesameholdstrueforlearningtowritethelettersofthealphabet,ofcourse.

Plottingeachletter’spath,rightfromthestart,setskidsupforsuccess.Withjusta bit of practice they will internalize the way and make it their own. Theirwritingwillbecomeefficientandautomatic,asifsomeonehitthecruisecontrolbutton.Childrenwhoteachthemselvestowrite,however,areoftenatadisadvantage.

Theymeanderalongwhen itcomes to letter formation.Whenyouwatch themwrite,yougetthesensethatthey’rereinventingthewheelwitheverylettertheyattempt.Theyseemtodraweachletter,asopposedtowritingit,tinkeringwithituntil it looks just right.Easily frustrated (andwitha tendency toaccumulateacollection of crumpled papers), they focus too much attention on the how ofwritingat theexpenseofwhat theyarewriting.Theycertainlymaygetwherethey’regoing,but,bythetimetheyarrive,they’resoexhausted,they’renotsuretheyeverwanttogoback.

DIY:AlphabetChartCopythealphabetchartfromthetemplatessection,oruseitasaguide

tomakeyourownchartusingmarkersandlargepaperorposterboard,andpostitbyyourchild’swritingspace.Lookingateachletterwithitsarrowguidesisthebestwayforchildrentorealizethateveryletterhasitsownroadmap.Byplacingthischartinyourchildren’swritingarea,youare teachingthemtofollowthebestpathwhenwriting(andthatit’sokaytoaskfordirections).

Luckily, this is easily preventablewith a little help. And I actuallymean a

little.Thisisn’ttoughstuffwe’retalkingabouthere.(Ifitwas,wouldsomeonehavecoinedtheterm,“AseasyaslearningyourABCs”?)Sure,it’salittleeffortupfront.Butliketeachingyourchildrentotietheirownshoelaces,pedalatwo-wheeler, or look bothways before crossing the street, it’s a sound investmentwithbigrewards.Thepayoffiskidswhoareoffandrunningontheirown.Soveryworthit.Hereareafewbasicalphabet-writingrulestoliveby:

1. Alwaysstart lettersat the top,andmakeallvertical strokes fromtoptobottom.2. Make horizontal strokes from left to right (to be efficient, letterstrokes shouldmove in the samedirection thatwritingmovesacrossthepage,soyourhandisn’tgoingbackandforth).3.Makecircularstrokes(capitalC,G,O,andQandlowercasea,c,d,e,g,andq)inacounterclockwisedirection.4. Toprevent reversals in themostcommonly flip-flopped letters,band d, teach these letters using different movements. Lowercase bstarts with a straight line down and then has a small curve, whilelowercasedstartswiththesmallcurve(asifyouwerewritingac)andthenaddsastraight linedown.Mindyourpsandqsaswell:p startswiththelinedownandthenthecurve;qstartswiththecurve(likeac)andthenthelinedown.

10.MultisensoryLearningRocks!

Whenit’s timeforyourchildrentolearntowrite theirABCs, there’snobetterway tostart thanbyputting theshapeofeach letter right in thepalmsof theirhands.It’sonethingtosingtheABCs,ortorecognizethembysight.Gettingafeel

forthealphabet,ontheotherhand,issomethingelseentirely.Andafeelforthe

alphabetisexactlywhatchildrenneedinordertolearntowrite.This is because the alphabet is not just a set of little picture symbols or a

collectionof sounds.Each letter is alsoamovement. (Forexample,A is abigdownhill line, hop back to the top, downhill the other way, and a little lineacross.B is abig line straightdown,hopback to the top, andmake two littlecurves.AndC isonegreatbigcurved linedown.Get thepicture?)Each letterhasitsownuniquechoreography.Ifchildrenlearntherightmoves,theirwritingwilldanceacrossthepagegracefully.Iftheymakeupthestepsastheygoalong,however, writing becomes a struggle along the lines of dancingwith two leftfeet.Whenchildrenmanipulatethree-dimensionalletters(suchasalphabetpuzzle

piecesormagneticalphabetletters),theygettoruntheirfingersalongthelinesandcurvesastheylookateachletterandsayitssound.Thetouchsystemsendsinformation to the brain along with the visual and auditory systems. What alearningexperience!Multisensory informationmakes thebrainpositively lightup from all of the connections it is making. In other words, when children’sbrainsprocessinputalongseveralsensorychannelsatthesametime,everythingjustmakesmoresense.Inaddition tomanipulating letters,childrencanalsogeta feel for lettersby

putting together their component pieces. For example, Handwriting WithoutTears (see the resources at the end of the book) has a set of generously sizedwoodlinesandcurvesthatcanbeusedtobuildallthecapitalletters.Oncechildrenhavegottenintouchwiththeletters,it’stimeforthemtowork

ontheirmoves.Theirlettermoves,ofcourse.Whenyoufirstintroducelettermovementstochildren,thinkbig.Gross-motor

movementsare theeasiest foryoungchildren to imitate.Childrencanpractice“writing” letters in the air using large, sweeping arm movements. Bigmovements sendbig feedback tokids’brains.Thisalsohelps themexperiencesuccess at learning themovements ofwriting, by isolating out the fine-motorfactor. In other words, children can concentrate on the concept of letterformation, without struggling to control their tiny finger muscles at the sametime.Wantanothergreatwaytogetemergingwriterstofocusonletterformation?

Trywritingon them.Yeah, I’mserious.Onlyskip the inkanduseyour fingerinstead.Tracelettersinthepalmsoftheirhandsorontheirbacks.Oncetheygetthepicture,so tospeak,write littlemessageson them,suchas“I loveyou”or“Youarecute.”When it’s time to take it to the next level, combine tactile input with the

movements learned to create the ultimate multisensory learning experience. I

have found sand to be the perfect medium for providing really powerfulfeedbackforpracticingwriters.Fillashallowboxortraywithaboutahalfinchofsand,andthenshowyourchildrenhowtopracticewritingtheirletters.

DIY:Touchy-FeelyLettersWhenyoucombinethesightsandsoundsoflettershapeswithtactile

andmovementinput,informationtravelsalonganexpresstraintothebrain.Showingachildhowtotraceoversandletterswiththeirfingercapitalizesonthemultisensoryconnection.

MATERIALScoloredindexcards(unlined)

gluesand

boxforstoringcards(optional)

HOW-TO1.“Draw”aletterofthealphabetwithglueonanindexcard.Ifyour

childisright-handed,placethelettertotherightofcenteronthecard;ifyourchildis left-handed,placeit totheleftofcenter.(Thisallowsroom for children to stabilize the cardwith their helper handswhiletracing.)2.Sprinklesandovertheglue,coveringitthoroughly.3. Wait two to threeminutes,and thenshakeoffexcesssand.Let itdry.4.Whentheletteriscompletelydry,showyourchildrenhowtotraceover it (following the right path)with their fingers,while saying thelettersoundoutloud.

Whichlettersshouldyoushowkidsfirst?Thelettersoftheirname(firstletter

capital,therestlowercase)areagreatplacetostart.Then,insteadofpresentinglettersinalphabeticalorder,tryprogressingfromeasiesttohardest.Theeasiestletterstowritearemadeupofstraightlines,thencomecurves,andfinallyletterswithdiagonallines.Remember,youcanalsoretracemanyofthesestepswitholderchildrenwho

arebeginningtheprocessoflearningtowriteincursive.(I’veincludedacursivealphabet chart in the templates section, for future reference). Newbie cursivewritersneedtomasternewlettermovements,andtheywillsurelybenefitfrom

this approach aswell. It definitely beats learning penmanship bywriting overandoveragaininacopybook,liketheydidinthegoodolddays.Whether letters are manuscript or cursive, multisensory experiences bring

themtolifeforchildren.Trythem,andyou’llsee(andfeel)whatImean.

WriteOnOnafinalnote,I’llquotemyson,whotoldmeemphatically,atthewiseoldageoffour:“Youknow,thingsdon’thavetobeperfecttobejustright.”Soverytrueindeed,especiallywhenitcomestolearningtowrite.Intheearlystagesofwriting,it’smuchmoreimportanttohelpchildrenlearn

therightprocessofformingletters,withoutfocusingtooheavilyontheproduct.If my writing wishes could all come true, I would much rather see childrenlearning all the right moves rather than achieving perfect penmanship at theexpenseofefficient,effectivemethodsthatwillbetterservethemdowntheroad.Writing is “just right” when it flows easily from a child’s hand without

excessiveeffort.Children’smindsshouldbefreetofocusonthecontentoftheirwriting without getting overly bogged down by worrying about mechanics.Good habits learned early are the secret to pointing children in the rightdirection,writing-wise.Andonceouryoungwritersareontheirway,well,let’sjustsaytheycanprettymuchwritetheirowntickettoanywheretheywanttogo.

TheWriteStuffTools,Materials,andSpacesThatPromoteWriting

TOTURNANIDEA intoreality,ayoungwriterrequiresonlyafewsimpletools.Likea carpenterwhoalways looks intohis toolbox for ahammerandnails, achildneedsonlythemostbasictools—apencilandpaper—tobuildastory.Addsomecrayonstoyoungwriters’toolboxes,ahandfulofcoloredpencils,maybeafewwashablemarkers,andwriterswillbegearedupforconstructinganendlessarrayofbrightideas.Thejust-righttoolsgetthejobdone.Decidedlyunfancy,theyseemtopalein

comparisontothebells-and-whistleseducationaltoysontheshelves.Butdon’tbe fooled. Even though batteries aren’t included, that small cardboard box ofcrayonsorforty-nine-centpackofpencilshasapowerallitsown.Thelessthatan“educational”thingdoesbyitselfrightoutofthebox,themorechildrenarerequiredtodoforthemselves.No-frillswritingtoolsareeducationalinthetruestsenseoftheword,nottomentionempowering,andthatis,ofcourse,priceless.Well-equippedyoungwritersarereadyforanything.Withanaturalsenseof

wonder,newlyacquiredskills,andgoodtoolsattheirdisposal,theyareallsettorise to the occasion.A parent’s role at this stage is easy yet essential. Simplykeep a stash of writing tools well-stocked and within reach. And remember,when it comes to useful utensils, you can’t beat the basics. Why? Becausechildrenhaveawealthofamazingstoriesinsidethemalready.Alltheyneedareafewcarefullychosentoolstohelpthemgettheirideasoutandontothepage.

ToolsoftheTradeMorethanmereschoolsupplies,writingtoolsarerequiredgearforkidsathometoo.Frompencils tomarkers,crayons tochalk, thesesimple toolsareayoungwriter’sself-expressionessentials.

PencilsSeriously underrated in this age of techno gadgetry, the pencil has been theworkhorseofbothyoungandestablishedwritersforgenerations.Andalthoughit may not be able to send and receive text messages (yet), it gets points forworking underwaterand in outer space, writing fifty thousand words without

havingtobechargedorpluggedin,andhavingitsownbuilt-indeletefunction.Allthatforabouttencentsapop.Notbadatall.

FYI:GettheLeadOutPencil leads are actually lead-free (and always have been). Pencils

makemarksusinggraphite,anontoxiccarbon-basedsubstance.Beforethediscoveryofgraphite,theancientRomansusedleadtomakelightmarksonparchment, leading themtomistakenlycallgraphite“blacklead”whentheyfoundthatitmadesimilaryetdarkermarks.However, the paint covering pencils can contain trace amounts of

lead. Pencils certified by the PencilMakers Association conform toregulatorystandardsregardingleadinthepaint,solookforthePMAsealwhenyourpurchaseyourpencils.Butifyouhaveapencilbiterathome,optforunpaintedpencils,justtobesafe.

Pencils are a wonderfully forgivingmedium for youngwriters. Like a tiny

beacon perched on top, that little eraser reassures, “Don’t worry! Everyonemakesmistakes.Noproblem!”PencilsarealsoavailableinvarietiesbeyondthefamiliarNo.2.Forexample,

newbiewritersmight like a softer lead (such as is found in drafting pencils),whichmakesadarkermarkonpaperwithlesseffort.Shapeand size canmakepencilsmorecomfortable fordevelopinghands to

hold.Iprefersmallerpencilsfornewwriters.Golfpencilsworkwell,but theydon’t have an eraser, which many kids miss. So I usually modify standardpencilsbysnippingafewinchesofftheendwithpliersbeforeIsharpenthem.Triangular-shapedpencilsarealsoworthatry.Somechildrenfindthemeasiertohold because they can put one finger on each of the three sides, making itslightlyeasiertoachievethesought-aftertripodgrasp.Forchildrenwhocravea littlemorebling than thebasicpencilhas tooffer,

there is a plethora ofways to personalize your pencil. There are pencilswithpictures of favorite characters, exciting pencil toppers, pencils with built-ingrips,evenpencils scentedwithyourchild’s favorite flavor.Thereare“green”pencilsmade from recycledmaterials such as newspapers and (yes!) car tires.And, of course, mechanical pencils can dispense leads with a mere click(sharpenernotrequired).

PensAll kids are eager to try their hand atwritingwith a pen, because that’swhat

theyseethegrownupsdoing.Pens,however,presentsomeuniquechallengesforchildren.They need to be held at a precise angle.Only the perfect amount ofpressurewillresultinamark.Theinksmudges(especiallyifyouarealeftie).Ifchildren hold the pen at an awkward angle or use a light touch, even for amoment, theirwritingdisappears.How frustrating!Luckily thereareplentyofother,moresuitable,options.

CrayonsCrayonsareanidealmediumforemergingwritersbecausetheyprovidevaluablefeedbacktolittlehandslearningtheircraft.Whenchildrenapplylightpressureon a crayon they get a fine, faint mark. Firm pressure produces strong, boldstrokes.Andsinceeverycolorimaginableisofferedintheiconicboxofsixty-four,theyinspireafullspectrumofself-expression.Colorfulcrayonscanbelikeeyecandytochildren,so,althoughit’swonderful

tohaveafullrangeofcolorsavailable,youmightnotwanttoofferthemallatonce.Thesheervolumeofchoicescanbeoverwhelmingandmayevendistractfromthetaskathand.I tendtopresent therainbowofoptionsinawaythat isenticing(I like tokeeptheminaglass jar),andinvitekids tochooseafewoftheirfavoritecolorsbeforetheygettowork.ThenIputthebigcontaineraside.Thatwaythechoiceisalltheirs,buttheycanmoveonfromthedecisionmakingandgetonwiththeworkofcreating.High-qualitybeeswaxandsoy-basedcrayonsarealuxuryappreciatedbythe

artistically inclined,butdefinitelyarenotessential forwritingsuccess.Typicalpetroleum-basedwaxcrayonsarethebestchoiceforprolificyoungwriters;theyareagoodqualityandaffordablestapletostockupon.Another advantage of these crayons is that they are sharpened to a point,

which offers better control for more distinct marks. Eventually, as children’swriting improves and they are able to write more words at a smaller size,crayonswillnolongerbethetoolofchoiceforwriting.Yettheywillcontinuetobeusefulindefinitely,forillustratingalltheshortstoriesofchildhood.

ColoredPencilsFunctionally speaking, colored pencils are actually more closely related tocrayonsthanpencils.Liketheirwaxycousins,coloredpencilsaregoodforearlyletter-writingpractice.Theyvaryconsiderablyinquality,however,soit’sgoodtotestthemouttomakesuretheymakeasmoothmarkwithoutexcessiveeffort.

FYI:SizeWiseIf you’re shopping for writing supplies for your children, you may

realizeyou’regettingsomemixedmessages.Someitems,likeprimarypencilsandchubbycrayons,areoversized,supposedlyeasierforsmallhandstograsp.Otheritems,likeminimarkersandcoloredpencils,arescaledmoreinproportiontosmallerhands.What’supwiththat?Forbeginningwriters,Ichoosetinytoolsforlittlehands.Oversized

utensils can be hard to maneuver, heavy, and difficult to control.Smaller tools encourage the small muscles to do what they’resupposedtodo,andputlittlehandsinapositionofgreatercontrol.

There isone important(andapparent)waythatcoloredpencilsresemble the

graphitevariety:theirshape.Thissimilaritycomesinveryhandy.Yousee,everytime kids use colored pencils, even if they are using them for activities otherthanwriting, theyare reinforcingand refining theirpencilgrasp.Anycreatingthat incorporates colored pencils therefore supports writing, making them ayoungwriter’sbestfriend.

MarkersThere’sareasontheycallthem“magic”markers.Theseaptlynamedtoolsaresoresponsive,kidsthinkthey’rejustamazing.Right out of the box they produce consistently colorful print. No matter

whetherayoungwriterisself-assuredortentative,boldstreaksofcolorappearwithseeminglylittleeffort.Theyarethegreatequalizerofwritingtools,alwaysresponding to both the big and small movements of little hands with vibrantmarks.The downside ofmarkers is they can be highmaintenance. But teach your

children to care for theirmarkers (constantly replacing caps is amust), and itwillsoonbecomehabit.Andbesuretopluckdried-upmarkersoutofthebunchassoonasyounoticethemsotheydon’tdullyourkids’brilliantideas.

DIY:QuillPencilsWhimsicalquillpencilswilltickleanyyoungwriter’sfancy.Luckily,

they’resupereasytowhipup.

MATERIALScoloredpencils

coloredcraftfeatherswhiteglue

embroideryfloss

HOW-TO1.Gluethestemofacoloredfeathertothetopofacoloredpencil.Let

itdry.2. Applymoreglue to the topof thepencil.Starting at the top andworking your way down, wrap embroidery floss around the penciluntilyouhavecoveredthebottomofthefeather.3.Cuttheembroideryfloss,andfastenthecutendtothepencilwithafinaldropofglue.

Writeandhavefun!

ChalkOh,chalk.HowdoI love thee?Letmecount theways. (1)Youareso tactile.Youhelpchildrentoreally feel theirmovementsas theywrite,whichsendssomuchvaluable information to their eager-to-learnbrains. (2)Youare so easilycorrectable.Aswipeofthefinger,sweepofaneraser,orwipewithaclothisallit takes to fix any slip-ups. (3)You provide a perpetual blank slate for youngwriters-in-training. Because yourmarks disappear, children’s inhibitions aboutwritingvanishaswell.Not to go overboard, but chalk (white or colored) really is my favorite

mediumfor theearlystagesof learningtowrite. Ihaveseensomanychildrenlearntowritebymakinganderasingchalkmarksoverandoveruntiltheygetitright. I imagine that’swhere theexpression“chalk it up to experience”comesfrom!

TheResourcefulWriterI’vebeenknowntowritegrocerylistsonpaperplates.Myhusbandjotslumberordersandimportantmeasurementsonscrapsofwood.We’reingoodcompany:AbrahamLincolndidhishomeworkonthebackofashovel,ErnestHemingwaywroteonnapkins,andournationalanthemwasdraftedonanenvelope.Itseemsthat, nomatterwhat, determinedwriters can always find a place to documenttheirthoughts.Childrenlikewiserecordtheirideaswherevertheycanbecausetheyjustcan’t

help themselves. Covering a blank canvas with their own one-of-a-kindcombination of words is irresistibly exciting for young writers. It is a rite ofpassage to scribble, scrawl, sign your name, and share your story on asmanysurfaces as you can. At the end of the day, all those little scraps left behindtestify,“Ileftmymarkontheworldtoday.”

Henry David Thoreau observed: “The world is but a canvas to ourimagination.” (Spoken like someone who’s never had to clean crayon off theliving room walls!) Happily, there are many interesting (and acceptable)canvases uponwhich youngwriters can express their creativity. Frombutcherpapertobathtubwalls,sidewalkstosand,almostanythingcanbecomeablankslateforaresourcefulwriter.

Paper:PlainorLined?

I rememberwhenIfirstgotmylearner’spermit;myparents tookmetoabig,emptyparking lot todrive for the first time. Itwas there Iwasable toget the“feel” of driving. After a while, we ventured onto local streets, choosing theextra-widestreets(hardtocomebyinthecity)toworkonmyparallelparkingskills.Finally,licenseinhand,Ibravedamultilanehighway(whiteknucklesandall).Similarlogicappliestochoosingpaperforlittlelearners.Whenkidsarefirst

starting towrite lettersandwords,bigunlinedpaperworksbest.At thisstage,themostimportantthingisthattheygetafeelforletterformation.Later,whenyou see that their letters have become consistently smaller in size, indicatinggreater control, paper with extra-wide guidelines is appropriate. When theybecomemoreskillfulatwritingwordsandsentences, theyare ready tohandleruledpaper.Whenitcomestolinedpaper,therearemorevarietiesavailablethanyoucan

imagine.Thereispaperwithtwoguidelinesperlineofwriting,threeguidelines(including a dashedmiddle line), and four guidelines (featuring an upper andlowerlinetodirectascendersanddescenders).Somepaperscolorcodethelinessothatchildrencandistinguishbetweenthebaselineandtheotherlines.Personally,Ifindthemultilined,color-codedpaperstobeconfusing.AndifI

can’tkeeptrackofwhichlineiswhich,howcanIexpectachildtofigureitout?I opt for standard lined paper, wide-ruled first and college-ruled much later.After all, the lines are just meant to help kids steer their writing in the rightdirection.Iftheyareoverlyfocusedonthelines(oroverlydistractedbythem)theyareliabletoveeroffcourse.

DIY:LetterheadMy son often sits at his desk and shuffles things about in a very

importantway.When I askhimwhat he’s doing, heproudly replies,“Paperwork!”

Kids get the fact that the work we do at our desks is seriousbusiness.Andtheyareeagertoconductsomebusynessoftheirown.Setthemupwithsomepersonalizedletterheadtogivetheirwritingaprofessionalflair.

MATERIALScomputer

printerblankprinterpaper

HOW-TO1. Using a basic word-processing program, put your child’s name,

address,andphonenumberonthetopofablankdocument(anaddedbonusisthatithelpsthemlearnthisimportantinformation).2.Printoutmultiplecopies.3.Besuretosavethedocumentonyourharddrivesoyoucanrestockinventoryasneeded.

NotebooksChildrenwhohavebeenreadtosincetheirearliestdayshaveahappyreverencefor books. That’s why it is especially exciting for them to write in one. Toactually put their own ideas on those inviting blank pages, inserting theirthoughts between those important-looking covers, is impressive. Yes, booksmakeyoungwritersfeelbonafide.Notebooksdefinitelygive littlekids thatbig-kidfeeling.Theyarealsogreat

foramorethoroughstudyofaninterestingidea.Betterthanapieceofpaper,anotebook can hold a whole series of scribbles, a day-to-day account of theamazing adventures of a favorite superhero stuffed animal, or an in-depthresearchstudyofcafeteriamysterymeat.Itistheperfectplacetojotdownclues,

secrets,notesfromafact-findingmission, lists,dreams,wishes.Morepersonalthanapieceofpaper,anotebookhascoversthatcanbeclosed,likeabedroomdoor,makingitmorelikelythatchildrenwillputtheirtruefeelingsonthepage.There are plenty of notebooks to choose from. Hardcover, softcover, and

spiral notebooks, as well as three-ring binders filled with notebook paper, allcomeinbothplainandfancystyles.Kidslovetoembellishthesimpleoneswithstickers, names, and sayings. They also love notebooks with pictures of theirfavoritecharacters,sportsfigures,animals,andwhatnot.Whateverhelpsthemtoowntheirbookswillnodoubtencouragethemtowriteaswell.

StickyNotesKidsareinstantlyattractedtothosestickylittlerepositionablenotes.Dolethemoutcarefully,however;theycangothroughawholepackinamatterofminutes.What’s theappeal?Let’s just say there’saseriouswowfactor inbeingable toplasteryourideasallovertheplace.Stickynotesmakeitokayto“write”onthewalls,thefloor,theceiling(ifyoucanreach),thefurniture,yourlittlesister,thedog . . .well, you get the idea. There’s endless fun involved in labeling yoursurroundings,captioningtheaction,orleavingatrailofthoughtsforsomeonetofollow likebreadcrumbs.Handoverapackeverynowandagain, and just seewhathappens!

ButcherPaper,KraftPaper,andNewsprintAt my office, a bright boy named T. J. was a mile-a-minute talker full ofcaptivatingstories.Iwas(andstillam)convincedthathewillsomedaypenthenextgreatAmericannovel.Butwheneverhesatinfrontofapencilandpaper,he got very quiet. No more stories. Reluctant to even pick up the pencil, heresistedwritinginabigway.ThatwasuntilIbroughtoutthebigpaper.ThedayIunrolledagiantrollof

butcher paper, T. J.wrote up a storm.Words, pictures, arrows, diagrams, youname it. It all cameout.At theendofour time together,T. J. rolledupabouttwelve feet of work with a self-satisfied sigh, tucked it under his arm, andmarchedproudlydownthehall.Apparentlyhisideaswerealittletoobigforan8½x11 inchpage.The small size seemed to stifle him.From that dayonhegravitatedtothebigpaperrollandgeneratedwritingbythemile.Since children think big, they love having the option to write big. Try

spreadingabigsheetofpaperoutonthefloororacrossatable,hangingitonthewall mural-style, or clipping it onto an easel. Stand back and watch whathappens.Butbeprepared—bigpapertendstoinspirelarger-than-lifeideas.Youmayhavetomovesomefurniture(orputanextensiononthehouse!).

Butcherpaperisavailableinlargerollsatrestaurantsupplystores,oryoucanaskyourlocalbutchertosellyousome.Brownkraftpapercanbefoundatcraftstores.Newsprintalsocomesinbigsizes.Itissoldatschoolsupplystores,but,betteryet,askyourlocalnewspaperforsomeoftheirendruns.Theyoftengivethisleftoverpaperawayforfree.

ChalkboardsMy(aforementioned)affectionforchalkpalesincomparisontomyfondnessforchalkboards.Love’em.Andkidsdotoo.Chalkboards invite children to write. Each one is a literal blank slate, just

waitingtobecoveredwithanewidea.Becausetheyaresoeasilyerased,chalkboardsinherentlyencouragepractice.

Withoutaword,chalkboardssuggest tokids,“Writesomething.Wipe itaway.Writesomemore.”Howsupportive!Chalkboards also encourage learning in the opposite way: by offering

resistance.Aschalkdragsacrosstheboard’sroughsurface,childrengeta“feel”forwhat they arewriting. The feedback their little hands (and brains) receivefromwritingonatexturedsurfacereinforceswhattheyareseeing.Inthisway,writing on a chalkboard is a multisensory experience that really helps kidsprocessthe“bigpicture.”In addition to all that, I have to say that there is also something about the

aesthetic of chalkboards that is just plain appealing. They have a classic, old-school look that evokes a sense of nostalgia.Although today’s classrooms aregetting equippedwith the latest SMARTBoard technology, chalkboards are atimeless(andequallyintelligentchoice)forhome.

DIY:ChalkboardPaintJustimaginemydelightwhenIdiscoveredchalkboardpaint.Itwasas

ifanewworldhadopeneduptome!Ipaintedonewholewallofmyoffice, from floor to twelve-foot ceiling, in green chalkboard paint.And,oh,thewritingthatensued!Athome,I’velost trackofhowmanysurfacesI’veenhancedwith

chalkboardpaint. I like to thinkof it as developmentally-appropriatedécor. Wherever I find to use it, it turns a space into the perfectcombinationofform,function,andfun.

MATERIALSpainter’smaskingtape

chalkboardpaint(availableathardwarestores)paintbrushdropcloth

HOW-TO1. Use low-tack painter’smasking tape to section off the area

you’vechosentobepaintedwithchalkboardpaint.2.Followingthedirectionsonthepaintcan,applyafirstcoatofpaint.Letitdry.3. Repeatwithonetotwoadditionalcoats,allowingfourtosixhours’dryingtimebetweencoats.4.Whenpaintisthoroughlydry,removethemaskingtape.5. Let the paint cure according to the directions, usually abouttwodays.6.Holdingapieceofchalkonitsside,rubtheentiresurfacetocoveritwithathinlayerofchalkdust.Wipeofftheexcess.

Yourchalkboardisnowreadyforuse.Youcanwriteonit,eraseit,andwash it with a barely damp cloth when needed. We use ours fordrawing maps, leaving messages, writing to-dos, making special-occasion signs (like “Happy Birthday” and “Congratulations!”),keepingscore,jottingdownreminders,writingmenus,andplayingtic-tac-toe.Weuseitconstantly;itwaswellworththeeffort!

APlaceofOne’sOwn

AswelearnedfromthemovieFieldofDreams,ifyoubuildit,theywillcome.Iassureyouthatthisrulecanapplyinyourhomeaswell.Ifyoumakeaplaceforit,theywillwrite.Devotinganarea inyourhome towriting sends amessage toyour child. It

saysthatwritingissoimportantthatitdeservesitsownspecialspot.Itdoesn’thavetobeanentireroomofone’sown,aswriterVirginiaWoolfdescribed,justa dedicated area for organizingwriting tools and supplies.Youngwriterswillgravitate toward this spot to collect their materials and gather their thoughts.And theywill know exactlywhere to find their latestwork in progresswheninspirationstrikes.

FYI:MakeYourMark

Don’tforgettheseotheringeniousideas:

•Tubcrayonsonbathtubwalls•FabricmarkersonTshirts•Bodycrayonsformessageson...you!•Foodmarkersforwritingonyoursandwich•Magneticlettersonfridges,washersanddryers,littleredwagons

•Windowcrayonsonwindows,glassdoors,andmirrors•Sidewalkchalkonthesidewalk,frontsteps,orastonewall

My father built my first desk. I remember it clearly—it was blue with a

pegboard back.And although itwas kid-sized, itwasn’t flimsy in the least. Itwasbuiltlikeabattleship,whichmademefeelveryimportant,asifheexpectedIwould spendmanyhours there and thatmyworkwouldbe something to bereckonedwith,aforceofnature.Carvingoutalittlespotinyourhomeforyouryoungwritersismorethanjust

awayof saying,“Putyourpencilshere.” Italsocommunicates thatyouvaluetheirideas.It’sapromisetoourkidsthatweareconfidentthatthedaywillcomewhentheywillneedtositdownandplottheircourse,drafttheirdreams,writetheir own story. Hey, childhood is the time to make big plans, you know?Creating a thoughtful corner for them towrite it all downencourages them tofind their own voices and to begin to carve out their own little niches in theworld.

DeskandChairRememberGoldilocks?Aftereatingupallthatporridge,shefeltalittletiredanddecided itwouldbeagood idea to sitdown.Shepassedup the first chair shetried(toohard),andturnedhernoseupatthesecond(toosoft),butwaspleasedaspunchwiththethird(justright).Agirlaftermyownheart.Asparents,ourmostimportantjobistosetourchildrenupforsuccess.And

when it comes towriting, it isessential thatweseat themfor successaswell.LikeGoldilocks,ourkidsneedthejust-rightchairinwhichtowrite.Notmerelyforcomfort,the“justwrite”chairprovidesthebestpossiblebaseofsupport.The“justwrite”chairshouldhelpyourchildachievetheoptimalposturefor

doingseatedworkatatable.Howdoyoujudgeyourchild’sposture?Lookforthreeninety-degreeangles:aninety-degreeangleattheankleswiththeirfeetflatonthefloor,aninety-degreeangleattheknees;andaninety-degreeangleatthe

hipswhenyourchild’sbackisflatagainstthebackofthechair.What’sthebigdeal?Well,thinkaboutwritinginamovingvehicle.Haveyou

ever tried it? First of all, it’s quite challenging. Second of all, even if you domanagetoaccomplishthetask,theendproductis,let’sjustsay,lessthanstellar.Withoutastablebaseofsupport,it’snearlyimpossibletoadequatelycontrolthemovement of your hands. In other words, as I tell kids: when your body iswiggly,yourwritingwillbewigglytoo.Everybodyfeelsmorestableandcomfortablewiththeirfeetonthefloor.Itis

terriblyunsettling,not tomentionuncomfortable, to sit ina too-bigchairwithyourfeetdanglingintheair.Ifchildrensit inoversizedchairs, their instinct is togainstabilitybysliding

theirhipsforwardandstretchingouttheirlegssotheirfeettouchthefloor.Thisleadstoaslouchedposture.Italso“locks”uptheirshoulderssincetheytendtopushtheirupperbodiesintothebackofthechairinordertostayintheseat.On the other hand, chairs that are too small for a child create their own

problems.Childrensittinginundersizedchairswillfindtheirkneesuptoohigh,makingitdifficulttogetcloseenoughtothetable.Onceyoufindachairthatfitsyourchild,takealookatthedeskheight.The

ruleof thumbis thata tableshouldbeapproximately twoincheshigher thanachild’sbentelbow(whenseated).Ifatableistoolow,childrenwillhavetoslouchovertogettheirelbowsnear

the table forsupport.Whena table is toohigh,childrenraise theirelbowsandputthemontothetableforsupport.(Hencetheage-old“getyourelbowsoffthetable” complaint. Too bad generations of parents didn’t realize their elbow-propping kidswere just compensating for their small size in relation to a bigtable!)

Shelves,Drawers,andCubbiesWritingisaprocessofself-discovery.Itistheactoftakingthethoughtsstoredinthe recesses of your mind, sorting them out, and putting them on the page.Throughwriting,childrenfindthemselves.Butbeforetheycanevengetstarted,theyfirsthavetobeabletofindtheirstuff!Believeitornot,thereisadirectlinkbetweenbeingabletoaccesstheideas

tucked away in your mind and being able to access your writing tools andmaterials. Since writing’s inception, I wonder how many brilliant ideas havebeenlostforeverwhilstsomeonewasriflingaroundforastylusandapieceofpapyrus(pencilandpapertoyouandme).Nomatterhowinspiredanidea,it’snotrealuntilyouwriteitdown.Making

sureyoungwritershavetherawmaterialsoftheircraftwithinreachisasurefire

waytohelpthemreachtheir learningpotential. Inotherwords,whentherightwritingtoolsareatachild’sfingertips,learningwillbewellwithintheirgrasp.That’swhereaccessiblestoragecomesin.Nowwe’renottalkingaboutstoring

anythingmajorhere.Sayajarofpencils,atrayofpaper,anotepad,andapencilsharpener for starters. These items should be kept at the ready beside yourchild’s favorite writing spot. Other accoutrements can be stowed away indrawers,incubbies,oronanearbyshelf—tobedoledoutasneeded.Wanttomakesurethatan“allsettowriteandnotapencilinsight”situation

doesn’thappen inyourhome?Consider turninga sparecabinet intoawriter’spantry, and you’ll be sure to have all the essential ingredients for whateverwritingprojectyourkidcooksup.

PuttingItAllTogetherChildren’s writing areas will need to develop alongwith them.Not onlywillthey need chairs and desks that accommodate their growing bodies, theywillalso need the right tools and supplies to go along with their ever-improvingskills.Like clothes that getworn out, outgrown, or phased out, awriting spotneedstoberevampedperiodicallytomakesureitstillfits.

OneDesk,FourWaysAlthough hard to find, a height-adjustable desk and chair is a very sensibleinvestmentforayoungwriter(seetheresourcessectionattheendofthebook).We fashionedmyson’s firstdesk fromapieceofwoodover twobasiccrates.The size was right, and it was pretty functional too. Then we organized hiswriting tools in the cubbies of an old chicken coop that was just his height.That’sjustoneexampleofhowcreatingawritingspaceisagoodopportunitytobe resourcefulwithwhatyouhavearound thehouse.Thinkabout size first. Ifyoufindagoodfit,youcanmakeitwork.After you fit, youmust equip. For all ages there are some bare necessities:

paper (white, lined, andmaybe colored), pencils, crayons andmarkers, and acoupleofnotebooks.Achalkboardandchalk,aclipboard, scissors, tape,glue,andastaplerwillalsocomeinhandy.Withthesebasicskidsarecertainlyofftoagood start.Adda little somethinghereor thereas skills improveand interestschange.The noveltywill certainly pique their interest andmay even inspire abrandnewbatchofideas.As far as setting it up, some suggestions according to the developmental

stagesfollow.

ForScribblers

Scribblers,ofcourse,canhavethesimplestdeskspaceofall.Lessisdefinitelymorewithourlittlestones.First of all, too much stuff can be distracting. Young children may get

sidetrackedwithdumping, sorting, or spreading everything all over thehouse.Secondly,thingsthatposeasafetyhazard—suchasscissors,staplers,andatapedispenserwithasharpcuttingedge—shouldonlybeusedwithadultsupervisionand should not be left out. Lastly, if your children are so passionate aboutscribbling that theywould love to redecorate thewholehouse, includingwallsand furniture, in the style ofEarlyAmericanScribble, then stash crayons andmarkersoutofreachuntilyou’rereadytokeepacloseeyeonyouravidyoungwriters.Infact,it’sagoodideatostoremostoftheirgearin“eye’sreach”butoutof

arm’sreach(suchasonahighshelfnearby).Thatway,littlekidscanseetheirtools andbe inspired, and grownups can dole themout judiciously as needed.Thinkof itasencouraging themtochoosefromanappetite-whettingmenu,asopposedtograbbingeverythingallatoncefromanirresistibleself-servebuffet.Sowhatshouldbewithinreach?Ashortstackofplainwhitepaper,definitely.

Whitewill offer the best contrast for those colorful scribbles, even if they aresomewhat tentative. A compact tabletop easel (preferably with a chalkboardsurfaceononeside)alsomakesagreatadditiontoaScribbler’sdesk.Consideraddingabasketofalphabetstampsandastamppad—agreatwayforpre-writersto try their hand at adding letters to their work. And don’t forget to make aclipboardavailableaswell,forScribblersonthego.Onthewallabovethedesk,howabouthangingaposterofyourchild’sname?

You can print it simply, use numbered arrows, make textured letters, orcoordinate itwithyourdecor.Whatever suits. (Hint: alwayswriteyourchild’snamewiththefirstlettercapitalized,andalltherestofthelettersinlowercase.)This is hands-down themost important firstword that Scribblerswill learn towrite; making an artful display of it will certainly inspire them (in signaturestyle).

ForSpellersWhatdochildrenwhoareworkinghardtolearnhowtowritelettersforthefirsttimeneedontheirdesk?Plentyofpaper,bothwhiteandcolored.Plusastackofthree-by-five-inch index cards and a small three-by-five-inch chalkboard, theperfectsizeforpracticingwritingoneletteratatime.Andbesuretostockuponsmall,flip-topmemopads,afavoriteamongyoungSpellerseverywhere.UnlikeScribblers,Spellerscanhandlehavingalloftheirtoolsoutandatthe

ready.Atoolcaddyisagreatwaytoorganizecrayons,pencils,coloredpencils,

markers,glue, tape,andscissors.TryarrangingtoolsinrecycledjarsonalazySusan, a repurposed silverware carryall, or a condiment holder.Anything thatkeepsthemtidyandon-handwillworkwell.AsaparentofaSpeller,therearetimesyoumightthinktoyourself,“IfIhad

adimeforeverytimeIheard‘HowdoIspell . . .’I’dbeabletopayfor theircollege education!” Yes, Spellers accumulate new words at a staggering rate.And all those words could use a tidy caddy of their own. Try using a basicrotatingcardfile,suchasaRolodex,toorganizeyourSpeller’s“wordbank.”Asthey learn or inquire about newwords,write eachonedownon a card, file italphabetically,andteachthemhowtoflipandfindtotheirhearts’content.For over the desk, you can’t beat hanging a print featuring theABCs. The

just-right combination of inspiration and information, an alphabet chart is theperfectvisualtomotivateyourbuddingyoungwriter.

ForStorytellersWelcome to theworldofprolificprinting.AStoryteller’sdeskmustbe set upaccordingly.Withpapergalore.Allshapes,sizes,andcolors.Linedandunlined.Notebooks too.Anddon’t forget lotsand lotsofdrawingpaper (see“DrawingPaper”inthetemplatessection).Reamsofit.Book-makingsuppliesarealsoamust.Storethemalltogetherinanavailable

deskdrawer. Includecard stock for covers.Staplers, holepunchers, and stringforbinding.Labelsfortitles.Andstickers,stamps,andstencilsforembellishing.Storytellersalsomakegreatletterwriters.Designateanotherdrawerforsome

socialstationery(see“DIY:Letterhead”),greetingcards,envelopes,stamps,andan address book. Don’t forget to add a small box for organizing incomingcorrespondenceaswell.The perfect above-the-desk accompaniment to all of this storytelling is an

inspirationboard.Storytellersarechockfullofideas.Infact,theygenerateideasevenfasterthantheycangeneratestories.ToorganizeallyourStoryteller’sideasuntil their time comes, pin words, notes, pictures, and inspiring objects to abulletinboardovertheirdesk.Thatway,whentheysitdowntowrite,theyhavetolooknofurtherthanrightinfrontofthemforanideatosparkastory.

ForScholarsScholars get down to serious business at their desks. Therefore, they requiresomeserious tools. It’s timeforadictionaryanda thesaurus.Anencyclopediatoo.Referencesworthyofpromisingwordsmiths. (Hint:weputa little reddotnexttoeverywordwelookupinareferencebook;Ienvisionthousandsofthosedotscoveringthepagesbythetimemykidsarecollege-bound.)

Asforothermaterials,thinkoutsidethebox.Keepyoureyeoutforinterestingitems that will make scholarly writers feel like the real deal. Bound journals.Diaries. Logbooks. Legal pads. Graph paper. Ledger paper. Maybe even afountainpen.Themoregrownupitmakesthemfeel,thebetter.SinceweexpectScholars to respect the rules ofwriting,we can show them respect aswell bytrustingthemwithserioussupplies.TheperfectsolutionforaboveaScholar’sdeskisagreat,bigchalkboardor

dryeraseboard.Itwillactasmissioncontrolforthemtoorganizeanditemizealloftheirscholarlypursuits.Iftheythinkit,theycanwriteit,rightaway.Theever-changingnatureoftheerasableboardencouragesthemtomakewritingadailyhabit.Andwhengoodwritinghabitsareestablishedfromtheget-go,theytendtolastalifetime.Writeon!

AWriter’sPantryI’mincludingagreatbiglistofallthetoolsandsuppliesabuddingwritercouldever need. Rest assured, you really don’t need all of these things, and youcertainlydon’tneedthemallatonce.Youmaypickstuffuphereandthereovertime,repurposesomeofficesuppliesyoualreadyown,orgrabacoupleofthingswhenyouseethemonsale.(Basicwritingsuppliesmakegoodlittlegiftstoo;acutememopadanddecorativepencilisano-brainerforstockingstuffers,goodybags,restauranttrips,ortrickortreats.)So here it is: a shopping list of the essential ingredients for a childhood’s

worthofwritingfun.

TOOLS∗alphabetstampers∗chalk∗coloredpencils∗crayons∗inkpad∗markers∗pencilgrips∗pencils∗pens

PAPER∗butcherpaper

∗cardstock∗constructionpaper∗copypaper∗drawingpaper∗kraftpaper∗linedpaper∗listpaper∗newsprint∗posterboard

STATIONERY∗blanklabels∗blanktags∗envelopes∗foldedcards∗handmadebooks∗indexcards∗journals∗letterhead∗memopads∗notebooks∗postcards∗stamps∗stationery∗stickynotes

SUPPLIES∗eraser∗glue∗gluestick∗holepunch∗magneticletters∗paperclips∗pencilsharpener∗rubberbands∗ruler∗scissors∗sidewalkchalk

∗stapler∗staples∗stickers∗string

REFERENCE∗addressbookorcardfile∗alphabetchart∗dictionary∗thesaurus

MakeYourselfWriteatHomeHowtoEncourageYourBuddingWriter

INTHEINIMITABLEWORDSOFDOROTHY,“There’snoplacelikehome,”especiallywherewritingisconcerned.Firstsmilesemergewhenparentsgazelovinglyintotheirbaby’seyes.Wobbly

firststepsaretakenwhileholdingaparent’ssteadyhand.Andfirstwordsgrowoutoftheback-and-forthbabblingandbantersharedbyparentandchild.Sotooshouldwritingbelearnedone-on-onewithasupportiveparent.Without a doubt, parents make the best first writing teachers. Parents are

uniquely qualified to give emerging writers the loving attention andindividualized instruction they thriveon.And, although teachingyour child towrite might not be entirely intuitive at first, it’s easier than you may think.Especially now that you have some basic know-how, a bunch of great ideasaboutsetup,andplentyofinspirationintheactivitiestofollow.Rest assured, the effort iswellworth it.The rewardsof raising awriter are

abundant and far-reaching.Aswe have learned, strongwriting skills pave thewayforlifetimeliteracy,academicsuccess,andloveoflearning.Thereareotherbenefitsaswell.Theytaketheformoflittlenotesslidunder

doors,slippedintobriefcases,andtuckedunderpillows.Thesescrapsofpaperdocumentdevelopmentinawaythataconversation,aphonecall,ane-mail,oratextmessagecan’t.Theyarethebitsandpiecesofyourchild’slifestory.Thebottomlineisthis:everychildhasastorytotell,andthatstorybeginsat

home.

MamasandPapasAlwaysWriteSonowthatyouhaveanunderstandingofhowwritingskillsdevelop,howyoucanprepareyourchildrenforwriting,andhowtosetthemupwiththebesttools,whatelsecanyoudotoprioritizewritinginyourhome?Well,that’ssimple...justwrite!Children learnwhat they live.Andoneof themosteffectiveways tohelpa

childlearnsomethingisbydoingityourself.Whenyourchildrenseeyouwriteeveryday,whetherit’sjottingdownashoppinglist,signingacheck,ordoinga

crosswordpuzzle,theylearnthatwritingismorethanjustatoolforschool.Itisadailyactivity,awayoflife.Each day bringswith it countless opportunities for you to be awriting role

model.Thesimpleactofsayingoutloud,“Oh!LetmewritethatdownbeforeIforget,”demonstratestochildrenwhatIliketocallthe“writingreflex.”Thinkit,writeit,rememberit.Themoretheyseeyoudoit,themorelikelytheywillbetodoittoo.Andthemoretheyusetheirwritingreflex,thestrongeritwillbecome.Thisisthestuffthatgoodwritinghabitsarebuilton.Andonceestablished,goodwritinghabitslastalifetime.Throughout the day, let your child “catch” you putting pen to paper for all

sorts of interesting (and seeminglymundane) things. Invite them to join you,whenyoucan.As theysay, imitation is thesincerest formofflattery;don’tbesurprisedifyouseeyourchildwritinginasimilarmannerbeforeyouknowit.Hey,maybethey’llevenhelpyouplowthroughthatpileofpaperworkonyourdesk(yeah,right!).

WritingRitualsMany families have embraced the idea of reading to their children every day.Babiesarereadtobeforetheyhaveevenbeguntobabble(someevenwhileinthe womb!). Preschoolers can listen to you read the repetitious rhymes andrhythms of colorful picture books for what seems like forever. Early readersfollowalongwhencaptivatingbooksare read to them,although theycan’tyetdecipherallthewordsontheirown.Weevenritualizereadingbyestablishingcertaintimesofthedayandplaces

inour home for reading.Bedtime stories fit snugly into thenighttime routine.Readingnooksarenestledintothecornersofourhouses.Books,oftenfoundinabundance,areproudlydisplayedonshelvesandcoffeetables.Inmanyhomesreadingislearnedinthelap.Andchildrengrowtoappreciateitasavitalpartofdailylife.Butwhataboutwriting?Whataretheritualsthatweavewritingintothefabric

ofourfamilies?Like reading,writing shouldbe tucked into the cornersof every singleday.

Makingwriting a small part of the daily routine helps to create goodwritinghabits.The simple act of putting pencil to paperwith your child each day, nomatterthereason,canmakeabigimpact.Thinkbacktoyourownchildhood,andtrytorememberwhatwritingrituals

wentoninyourhomewhileyouweregrowingup.InmyhomeIremembertherewerelettersto(andfrom)bothSantaandtheToothFairy.Iremembermymom

puttingsignsonmybedroomdoorforspecialoccasions,suchasabiglightbulb-shapedposterthatsaid,“Youlightupmylife.”Irememberbeingmygreat-auntMarion’s “pen pal,”writing thank-you notes tomy father’s business associateevery timehegaveushockey tickets,getting lovenotes inmy lunchbag,andexchanging messages with my family members each evening via a steamyshowerdoor.AndhowcouldIforgetmylittlesister’ssweethabitofslidingearnestnotesof

apologyundermydoorevery time Igotangryather formessingaroundwithmystuff?Itwasquiteendearing.(Thatis,untilIfoundoutshewaswritingallthosenoteswithmylipliner.Ahem.)Many familieshave little traditions that involvewriting.Someparentswrite

letters to their children each year on their birthday. Some keep scrapbooks orjournals, full ofmilestones andmemories.Others plan ahead,writingnotes totheirkids tobeopened,oneeachday,whenaparent isawayona trip. Ifyourememberanyritualslikethesefromyourchildhoodthatyouwanttocontinuewithyourkids,thendefinitelydoyourbesttokeepthetraditionalive.Ifnothinglikethisringsabell,thenconsiderthisyouropportunitytoinventanew“write”ofpassageinyourhome.OrdowhatIdo,andstrikeabalancethatfeelsrightbycombiningalittleoftheoldstuffwithsomenewjust-for-yourituals.Sometimes a newwriting ritual comes to you, out of the blue, inspired by

currentfamilyevents.Forexample,whenmysonwasparticularlydiscouragedoveraperceivedfailure,Isatdownandwrotea“Jackis...”list,itemizingallthequalitiesthatmakehimespeciallylovable,capable,andsuccessful.Ireadittohim,andthenpostedit inhisroom.Asthedaysandweekspassed,Iaddedmore items to the list.Andwhenhewas able to identify a specific admirablequalityofhisown,hemightsuggesttome,“Youshouldaddthatto‘thelist’!”Ioftenhearhimreadingthelist tohimself,especiallywhenhegoestohisroomforsome“thinkingtime”afterafrustrationorindiscretion.Thisisasmallritualthat is a big reminder to us to label and record good, empowering feelings inwriting,sotheycanbeeasilyreferredtowhenthegoinggetstough.Simple yet sincere writing rituals can be slipped into your days with little

extraeffort.Andjustthink,theritualsyoupassonorinventtodaymaybecomethetraditionsthatyourchildrenwillpassontotheirownchildrentomorrow.Herearesomeideasforyourownwritingrituals:

writingbirthdayletterscreatingafamilynewslettertosendoutwithholidaycardskeepingajournalcraftingafamilymemorybookorscrapbook

writingnotestobeopenedeachdayaparentisawayonatripputtingasignonachild’sdooronaspecialdaymakingacertificateorawardtocommemorateanaccomplishmentwritinga“Mykidis...”list

BeyondWords

Even more important than our words, our actions as parents speak volumes.Buddingwriterslooktoourresponsesintheirquesttobeunderstood.Withonlya little more effort than it takes to hang a page on the refrigerator, we candisplay, preserve, share, and even publish our children’s writing in ways thatconvey its great value.And (trustme on this) your kidswill not only notice,they’llrememberitforever.Ideas for how tomake your child feel like a full-fledged author can range

fromthesimpletothespectacular.Ioncesawamusicianonarealityshowwhobroughthissontoatattooparlorwithhim.Thechildwroteonhisfather’sbodyusingamagicmarker,andhishandwritingwasturnedintoaone-of-a-kindtattooforhisdad.Totallyextreme,Iknow.Thankfully, therearemanymoreaccessible(andlesspainful)waystohonor

your child’swriting.Whatever you choose, the idea is tomake youngwritersfeelalittlebitlikerockstarsthemselves.

DisplayInstead of adorning the walls of your home exclusively with famous artists’prints,trydecoratingwithsome“print”instead.Mymom’sgotthisonecovered.Therearelittlesnippetsofourwritingframedaroundherhouse.Notonlymustitwarm her heart to read and reread things like my second-grade compositionabouthowwellshetookcareofmeonsickdays,butitalwaysgavemeakicktoseeithangingthereonthewall,foralltheworldtosee.Itmademefeelasifmywordsmattered.For a child, that is aprettypowerful feeling.One that canbeinstrumentalinmotivatingachildtowriteagainandagain.Howaboutahigh-techdisplayofpride?Apieceofyourchild’swritingcan

makeforaninspiringbackgroundorascreensaverforyourcomputer.Anotherwaytodisplayyourchild’swritingisbybeingawalkingbillboard.

(No,pleasedon’tputononeof thosegiantwearablesandwichsigns.Yourkidwouldneverforgiveyou.)Simplyprintapieceofyourchild’swritingontoiron-ontransferpaper(seetheresourcessectionattheendofthebook)anduseittoembellish a T-shirt, tote bag, or baseball cap. When a boy that I had beenworkingwithlearnedtosignhisnameincursive,ImadehimacustomlogoT-

shirt featuring his new-and-improved autograph. (It became his new signatureT.)Not extreme enough for you? I just remembered, you can turn your child’s

writingintoatemporarytattoousingyourownprinterandspeciallyformulatedpaper(seetheresourcessection),anideathat’sdefinitelyallgainandnopain.

ShareAnotherwonderfulway to honor your children’swriting is by sharing itwithothers.Youcanmakeapieceofyourchild’swritingintogreetingcardssimplybydoingalittlecuttingandpasting.Youcanframeapieceofwritingasagiftfor a special relative or friend. You can use the iron-on transfer technique Imentionedtomakeallsortsofwearablegifts.Youcanmakeakeepsake-worthygiftbydecoratingaplainwoodenboxwithapieceofyourchild’swritingandsealing itwith a clear decoupagemedium such asModPodge; itwill last foryears.Anotherideaistoembellishthecoverofablankjournalwithapieceofyourchild’swriting,makingagiftthatisbothsentimentalanduseful.(Oh,andmaybeitgoeswithoutsaying,buttheseallmakeA+teachergiftsaswell.)

DIY:IlluminatedManuscriptWhenyouadmireyourchildren’sbright ideas toomuch to file them

awayoutofsight,trythiscoolcandle-makingproject.

MATERIALSblankpaper

cylinder-shapedvotivecandleholderpencilscissors

computerandprintertranslucentvellumprinterpaper

votivecandleortealight(fortheflamephobic,LEDbattery-poweredtealightsareanoption)

double-sticktape

HOW-TO1.Wrapalengthofpaperaroundavotivecandleholder.Trimthe

paper so that the ends overlap approximately one inch.Using apencil,tracealongthetopedgeofthecandleholder.Cutthepaperalongyourlinesothatitisflushwiththetopofthecandleholder.

Thiswillcreateatemplate.2.Scanorphotocopyapieceofyourchild’swritingontoblankpaper first.Adjust the size of the image to fit your template byreducingorenlargingit.3.Whenyouarehappywiththesize,printtheimageontovellumprinter paper following any specific printing instructions on thepaper’spackage.4.Aftertheinkhasdried(ittakeslongerforinktodryonvellumthanonregularpaper),lineupyourcandleholdertemplateonthevellum paper, trace around it with a pencil, and cut out thevellum.5.Wrapthevellumaroundyourvotivecandleholder.Secureitattheseam,wheretheendsoverlap,withdouble-sticktape.6.Whenyou’reinthemoodtofeel“enlightened”byyourchild’swords (or if you are looking for a heartfelt gift idea), insert acandleandenjoy.

Ifyouareparticularlycreativeyoucouldturnapieceofwritingintoalasting

mementobyembroidering itontocloth.Thenyoucould frame it,make intoapillow,orincorporateitintoaquilt.Intheoldendays,thiswastheideabehindthe samplers that became both family treasure and valuable folk art. Myneedleworkskillsaren’tquitethereyet,butmaybesomeday!(Althoughthisonemightbedifficulttogiveawayasagiftoncecomplete.Forme,itmightbemoreofakeepsake.)

PreserveYoudon’thavetoworkfortheLibraryofCongressortheSmithsoniantobeanarchivist.Youjusthavetobeaparent.Takemyself,forexample.I’makeeper.I’ve saved just about every piece of paper my kids have made a mark on.Someday, I’m sure I’ll weed through it. For now, those pages document ourjourneyalongtheroadtowriting.Tome,they’repricelesspapers.Sohowdoyouorganizethekeeping?Usesimplesystems.File: Filing is probably the easiest method of keeping papers. Just slip the

pagesyouwanttosaveintoafilefolder.It’seasytomanageinthemoment,easytoflipthroughandfindsomethinglateron.Box:Repurposeanemptyshirtbox,unusedpizzabox,oroversizedshoebox

intoanarchivalbox.Tossinyourchildren’spageswithoutanyadditionalfussastheyaccumulate.Onceortwiceayear,sortthroughthestack,removinganythingyoucanbeartopartwith.

Binder:Weusealotofthree-ringbinderswithsheetprotectorsaroundhere.It’s really the perfect solution for keeping drawings, pages of a story, lists,poems, and other writing all together and ready to be flipped through at anytime.It’seasy,organized,andveryfunctional.Digitalarchive:Areyouinundatedwithpaperpileup?Puttechnologyonyour

side.Simplyscanwhatyouwant tostore,andsave itonyourcomputer.Thentossthehardcopiesguilt-free.Scrapbook:Createascrapbookdevoted toyourkids’writing,or incorporate

theirhandwrittensnippetsandstoriesinmoretraditionalscrapbooklayouts.Boundbook:Thesedays,theopportunitiestoself-publishareplentiful(some

of these sites are listed in the resources section at the end of the book). Theprocesshasbecomeveryuser-friendlyandtheproductisquiteimpressive.Andremember,all thephotobook-makingsites (see theresourcessection)canalsoaccommodateuploading scanned imagesofyour child’swriting.Sowhenyouhave collected some words or stories worth saving forever in a high-qualitymedium,whatcouldbebetterthanaboundbook?

PublishQuitepossibly,theultimateaffirmationforayoungwriter(oranywriter,forthatmatter) is getting published. There are dozens of websites, a handful of printmagazines, and a few anthologies that accept and publish submissions fromyoung writers. (I’ve listed a few publishing opportunities for children in theresourcessectionattheendofthebook.)Certainlythereisastrongsenseofsatisfactionwhenyoupullapublicationoff

anewsstandorabookoffashelfandseeyourwordsinprint.Butitgoesbeyondthat.Beingpublishedcanhaveaprofoundeffectonayoungwriter’sself-esteem.Writersneed readers.Whenyoungwriters realize they can connect to awideraudience,theybegintorealizethefar-reachingpowerofthewrittenword.

NotetoSelfInshort,IwillsumupwhatI’veseenparentsdothathasworkedandthatIamtryingmybesttoemulateinmyownhome.Consideritaconciseyetvigorousmanifestoforraisingawriter.Provide support.Createopportunities towrite.Admireandappreciate.Read

everyword.Save, share,andshowoffwritingsamples.Equipawritingspace.Keep necessary tools on hand. Let your kids catch you in the act of writing.Often.Writewithyourkidseveryday(even thesmallstuffmatters).Everysooften,saythewords“onceuponatime.”Don’tstoptalkinguntilyoureach“the

end.”Read,read,read.Together,readeverythingyoucangetyourhandson,notjust stories. Newspapers, magazines, correspondence, flyers, manuals, roadsigns,cerealboxes—whateverpiquesyourchild’sinterest.Iftheywritetoyou,writeback.Writethemlovenotes.SignthemwithXsandOs.Carryapencilandpaperwithyou,whereveryougo.Say,“That’ssomethingworthwritingabout!”sooftenthatyourkidssayitintheirsleep.What shouldn’t we do? Avoid editing our kids’ writing. Avoid it like the

plague. Especially during the early stages of writing development, avoidcorrecting,critiquing,orchangingtheirwritinginanyway.Unlesstheyaskforspecifichelp,standbackandgivethemsomeroomtofigureitoutontheirownbeforerushingintosavetheday.Puttheredpenaway.Therewillbeplentyoftimeforallthatstuffoncewritingiswellestablished.Fornow,ourjobistoraisekidswho love towrite.Thebestway todo that is to show them thatwe lovetheirwriting.Andinthatspirit,Iencourageyoutoenjoythefifty-twoactivitiesthatfollow.

Thinkofeachoneasauniqueopportunitytoinvitethefunofwritingintoyourhomeandtheloveofwritingintoyourchild’slife.

GuidelinesfortheActivities

THEFIFTY-TWO “JustWrite”activities in thenextsectionarewritingactivitiesthatprovidethejust-rightchallengeforkids—theyaremotivatingforchildren,requiringthemtoslightlystretchtheirskills,yetwithoutbeingtoodifficult.Youknowyou’reon the right trackwhenkidsget that “I cando it!” lookon theirfaces.Whenchildrenmaster something, everythingchanges.Youcan see it intheirposture(theysitupalittletaller),intheirattention(theystickwithitandwanttodomore,more,more!),andintheirself-esteem(youknowthose“Hey!Lookatme!”moments).Eachactivityfeaturesfourvariationstohelpyouachievethejust-rightfitfor

yourchild.Inaddition,afewsimpleguidelineswillsetyourkidsupforsuccess:Mindthegrasp:Ifachildisusinganinefficientgrasp,youwanttomodifythe

tool (a smaller writing tool, such as a broken crayon, may help), modify thegrasp(demonstrateanefficientgrasporprovideapencilpicture,forexample),ormodify the activity (theymay need to back up to amore basic variation).Whatyoudon’twanttodoisreinforceaninefficientgraspbyencouragingyourchildtokeepwriting.Remembertherule:don’twriteuntilit’sright.Payattentiontotheirattention:Ifchildrenrushthroughanactivityorquickly

loseinterest,itmaybetooeasy.Iftheirattentionwandersandtheyneedconstantrefocusing,itmaybetoohard.Fendofffrustration:Frustrationisanothersignthatanactivityistoodifficult.

Stepintohelpifyouseesignsofstruggle.Watch for signs of fatigue: Some common signs of fatigue are a slouched

posture,holdingtheirheadsintheirhands,switchingthewritingtoolfromonehand to another, or complaining of hand pain. If you see any of these, it’sdefinitelytimetotakeabreak.Remembertoseatforsuccess:Don’tforgettosityourchildrenwheretheyfit,

andgetthemintherightpositionbyreinforcingstomp,slide,slant,andslap.Organizedmaterialsencourageorganizedwork:Kidshaveanaturaltendency

to place their paper on top of a big pile of clutter and start working withcompletedisregardforthedisorder.Helpthemgetintothehabitofclearingthedecks(ortheirdesks)beforetheygettowork.Remember you’re here to help: When you nurture your children’s writing

skills at home, consider them to be your apprentices. Have patience whendemonstratinganactivity,andwheneverpossible,teachbymodeling.Keepexpectationsrealistic:Newbiewritersneedplentyoftimetopracticethe

processbeforetheycanperfecttheproduct.Lookforprogress,notperfection.Makeitplayful:Attheheartofalltheseactivitiesistheideathatchildrenwho

playwithwriting,inavarietyofways,willnotonlylearntowrite,butwilllearntolovewriting.And,justlikethat,they’rereadytowrite.

Learn

Whether children are Scribblers ready for the next step, Spellersforming letters, Storytellers honing their craft, or Scholars learningcursive,theactivitiesinthisnextsectionwillhelpyoutohelpthem.Thesehands-on,multisensorylearningexperiencesgowaybeyond

tracing, copying,orworksheet-type tasks.Eachone isdesignedwithdevelopment inmind.They supportwriting success by involving allthe senses, incorporating bigmovements and smallmovements, andcombining cognitive and motor components. Most important, theyfacilitate foundational skills by focusing on the building blocks offluent, automatic, stress-freewriting.And did Imention that they’refabulously fun and kid-friendly too? And that’s no small thing.Because when kids learn to love writing from the start, well, that’ssomethingthatlastsalifetime.

1

Skywriting

LOOKUP INTHESKY! It’sabird. . . it’saplane . . .no, it’saplanethatknowshowtowrite!Whenyouseeskywriting,itreallygrabsyourattention.Thenoveltyofthose

puffy white letters against a backdrop of endless blue sky heightens yourawarenessandmakesyoustopandtakenotice.Yourchildrencan try theirownhandsat“skywriting”as they’re learning to

write,bypretendingtheirhandsareairplanesthatarewritinggiantlettersintheair.Introducethemtothisideabystandingalongsidethemanddemonstratingalettermovementintheair,usingbigmotionsofyourentirearm.Encouragethemtodo the same.A funny thinghappenswhen they “write”using large,whole-body movements: their brain really stops and takes notice. How so? Bigmovementsactivatemoreareasofthebrain,thusreinforcingtheinformationathand.Bypracticingletterformationwithsuper-sizedmovementsfirst, learningvirtuallytakesflight.Oh,anddon’tforgettomakesomegoodairplanenoises,too,toenhancethe

high-flyingfun.Enjoydoingthisonetogether,knowingthatoncechildrenfeelcomfortableenoughtoflysolo,thesky’sthelimit.

MATERIALS∗None!Justyouandyouryoungwriter.

HOW-TOStandside-by-sidewithyourchildandtracethemovementsofvariouslettersofthealphabetintheairusingthelargestmotionsyoucan.Saythedirectionsout loudat first (“Zoomstraightdown, flyback to thetop,andmakeagreatbigcurve”forcapitalD,forexample),andthenfadethemoutasyourchildmastersthemovements.

Variations For Scribblers: Start with letter strokes (lines and curves) and basic shapes(circles,squares,andtriangles), rather thanentire letters.Gettingyourchildrenusedtocontrollingthemovementofspecificshapeswillhelpthemdevelopthecontrolneededtoformletters.ForSpellers:DemonstratetheABCsasdescribed;Spellersarereadyforthis.

When demonstrating the letters, be sure to form them using the proper strokeorder(see“AlphabetChart”inthetemplatessection).For Storytellers: As children progress, they’re ready to tackle some simple

words.EncourageyourStoryteller to testout theirnewly learnedwords in thesky.For Scholars: This is a super multisensory way for Scholars to practice

spellingwordsorwritinglettersincursive.TohelpScholarsfocusonthefeelofwordsevenmore,tryhavingthemclosetheireyeswhiletheyskywrite(ithelpsthemtoreallyhomeinonthedirectionoftheirmovements).

2

What’sintheBag?

HAVEYOUEVERHEARDanyonesay,“You’resogoodatthat,Ibetyoucoulddoitwithyoureyesclosed”?Theywouldbereferringtothefactthatonceyouhavelearnedsomethinginamultisensoryway,yourinnerawarenessofhowtodoitissostrongyoucouldeasilydoitwithyourvisionoccluded.That’sexactlyhowwewanttoteachchildrentowriteletters.Wewanttheirhandstobeguidedbytheir internal sense of each letter’s movement so that their writing flowsautomatically.Thebestwayforchildrentogetafeelforlettersisbyactuallyfeelingthem.

Pickingthemupintheirhands,manipulatingthem,runningtheirfingersalongtheir lines and curves.When they do this, they are able to see them in their“mind’s eye.” Then, they are better able to visualize how tomake the lettersthemselves.This game reinforces that concept. And you’ll be surprised at how much

concentrationittakes;it’snotaseasyasitlooks!

MATERIALS∗afullsetofthree-dimensionalalphabetmanipulatives(suchasalphabetpuzzlepieces,ormagneticalphabetletters)∗medium-sizedopaquedrawstringbag∗blindfoldorhandkerchief(optional)

HOW-TO1.Putthealphabetlettersinthebagandpullthedrawstringsnug.2.Showyourkidshowtoloosenthedrawstring,thenshuttheireyesandsliponehandintothebag.(Nopeeking!Youmighthavetouseablindfoldforpersistentpeekers.)3.Tellthemtoidentifysomethinginthebagusingonlytheirsenseoftouch.Havethemsaywhattheythinkitisoutloudbeforetheypullit

outofthebag.4. Kids can double-check themselves by pulling out the letter andseeingwhethertheygotitright(iftheydid,keeptheletteroutofthebagand try someothers). If theydidn’tget it right, theycanput theletterbackinandtryitagainonanotherturn.

Variations For Scribblers: Even Scribblers who don’t know their letters yet can startlearningtotuneintotheirsenseoftouch.Startbyputtingafewsimpleobjects(likeakey,aball,acrayon,ashell,oraspoon)intothebagandseeiftheycanidentifytheitemswithoutlookingatthem.For Spellers: Kids who are just learning their letters will love this game,

providedyoutaketheirnovicestatusintoaccount.Startoutbyplacingonlytwoletters in the bag at a time. Choose letters that they knowwell and that havedissimilarshapes(AandO, for example).Follow the instructions asdescribedabove.Asavariation,makeaspecificrequest,suchas,“FindtheA.”ForStorytellers:Hide letters in thebag that,whencombined, spella simple

word your Storyteller knows well. Have them reach in, feel, and guess eachletter.Whentheyhavefiguredoutallthelettersandtakenthemoutofthebag,encourage them to arrange and rearrange them until they discover the secretword.ForScholars: Scholars are ready for a challenge. Toss all twenty-six letters

into thebagandlet themrummageaboutuntil theyfindonetheycanidentify.Youcaneventurnthisintoagamewithseveralplayers.Eachplayerreachesintothebagandtriestofeelandfindaletter.Iftheygetitright,theykeeptheletter.Iftheymistakeoneletterforanother,theyplaceitbackinthebag.Thebaggetspassedfromoneplayertothenextuntiltherearenomorelettersleftinside.Theplayer who has accumulated the most letters by the end of the game is thewinner.

3

MysteryLetters

“WRITING” lettersonkids’backs is anotheroneof thoseactivities thathelpthem visualize letter formationwithout the help of their visual sense. (UnlessyourchildisaCirqueduSoleilwannabe,it’sprettymuchimpossibleforthemtopeek at what you’re writing back there.) It’s therefore an ideal activity forfacilitatingthatinternalawarenessofletterformation.Inmyhouse,wehavealsofound it to be an ideal activity for bedtime, when the lights are turned downanyway and the soft touch and quiet nature of this activity invites bothconcentrationandcalm.

MATERIALS∗None!Justaquietspot.

HOW-TOSimplytracealetterof thealphabetonyourchild’sbackandwait tosee if he or she can guess the letter. If your child can’t identify theletter,tryitoneortwomoretimesbeforerevealingthemysteryletter.Startwithcapitallettersfirst,becausetheyhavesimplershapes.Whenyourchildhasmasteredall thecapitals,youcan introduce lowercaseletters.

Variations ForScribblers:Whenyou’re first startingout, justalternatebetweenwritingtwodistinctlydifferentletters(likeXandO)andseewhetheryourchildrencandifferentiateonefromtheother.For Spellers: Try writing a few familiar letters on their backs (such as the

lettersintheirnames)andseeiftheycanidentifythem.ForStorytellers:Workyourwayuptoincludingallthelettersofthealphabet

andfinallywordsandlittlemessages,suchas“sweetdreams”and“Iloveyou”

(usingapatonthebacktoindicateaspacebetweenwords).ForScholars:ThisisafunandmotivatingwayforScholarstoreviewspelling

or vocabularywords. It’s especially effective at bedtime, as themind tends torehearseandretaintheinformationitprocessedrightbeforeitwenttosleep.

4

A-B-Centerpiece

GROWINGUP,duringlargefamilymealsatGrandma’shouse,wekidswerenotputatakiddietable(thoughtheideawasmentionedquiteabit).Insteadwesatwiththegrownups,untillongafterwefinishedeatingandhadlostinterestintheadultconversation.Whatkeptus all at the table?And relativelyquiet?Amagnetic letterboard

scrounged fromGrandma’s half-empty toy box. Althoughmany of the lettersweremissing,wespelledoutsillymessagestoeachother,oftenimprovisingbysubstitutingoneletterforanother(aZonitssidecanstandinforanNinapinch,forexample)orinventingcreativespellings.Believe it or not, this tradition continued into our young adulthood—our

messages becoming cleverer using our college-level vocabulary. We evenbroughtdinnerdatestothetableandinauguratedthemintooursillywordplay.InspiredbythosegatheringsatGrandma’shouse,Imadesuretoincorporatea

hands-onalphabet intomyown family’smealtime routineearlyon.Youneverknowwhatwillbespelledoutatourtable:names,foodrequests,dinnerreviews(althoughIpleadignoranceifanyoneasksmehowtospell“yuk”).There’seventheoccasionalsillysentiment,toremindmeofthegoodolddaysatGrandma’s.

MATERIALS∗afullsetofthree-dimensionalalphabetmanipulatives(suchasalphabetpuzzlepieces,magneticalphabetletters,alphabetblocks,Scrabbletiles,dryalphabetpasta,oralphabetbeads)

HOW-TO1.Setoutthealphabetlettersinanappropriatecontainerinthemiddleofyourtableforyourkidstodiscover.2.Modelusingthelettersbyspellingoutmessagestoyourkids(suchas,“Goodmorningkiddo!”or“Eatyourveggies”),andthenreadand

reinforceanymessagestheywriteback.

Variations ForScribblers: For the littlest letter-learners, put a bowl of alphabet puzzlepieces(oneofeachletter)inthemiddleofthetable.Encouragethemtopickupthelettersoneatatimeand“tryout”thesound,ormatchthemuptoobjects(“Bisforbanana”).Helpyourchildtostartidentifyingthedifferentletters.ForSpellers:Childrenwhoaremore familiarwith lettersandare starting to

combine them to make words need more letters to work with. A basket ofalphabetblockshelpschildrenstartto“build”theirideas.ForStorytellers: For childrenwho are stringing their thoughts together into

sentences,trysettingoutadishofmagneticalphabetlettersandacookiesheet.For Scholars: Interesting alphabet letters can motivate older children to

practice their spellingwords at the table. Try setting out a candy dish full ofsmall, dry alphabet pasta; a trifle dish full of Scrabble tiles; or a plate full ofalphabetbeadsandlaces.Andhere’salittleABC411,FYI.Didyouknowthatthemostfrequentlyused

alphabetlettersare:E,T,A,I,N,O,andS?Makesureyouhavesomeextrasoftheselettersonhand!

5

A-maze-ingYou

WHETHER YOU’RE TEACHING a child how to hold a pencil for the first time,helping an emerging writer improve an awkward grip, or encouraging youngwriters-in-residence to refine their grasps (for increased legibility, speed, andendurance), mazes provide great pencil-holding practice. Think of mazes asdriver’sedforlittlehands.Stayingontrack,followingthelinesandcurves,andplanning ahead are as good exercises inmotor control as you can get—and agreatworkoutforchildrenateverywritingstage.I prefermazes to beof thehomemadevariety, able to bepersonalizedon a

whim.Imakeasimpledrawing(noartisticskillrequiredhere,I’mtalkingstickfigures and basic shapes) at the upper left-hand corner of the page, and thenanotheratthebottomright-handcorner.(Whatevermysonisinterestedinatthemomentinspiresthestartingpointandthedestination.Itmaybearacecarandafinishline,arocketshipandamoon,alittleboyandanicecreamcone;yougettheidea.)ThenIdrawalabyrinthoflinesbackandforthacrossthepagefromthestartingpointtothegoal.Thisneverfailstoamuseandoccupy.Infact,itistheperfectactivityfordowntimeinrestaurants,doctors’officewaitingrooms,or(gasp)theDepartmentofMotorVehicles(thinkofitasaminiroadtest!).

MATERIALS∗paper∗pencil,crayons,ormarkers

HOW-TO1.Drawamazeonapieceofpaper,thenhanditoverforyourchildtocomplete. Ask for some kid input when creating the challenge tomotivateyourlittleproblemsolver.

Variations

ForScribblers:Thefirststrokesthatpre-writerswillmasteraresimpleverticalandhorizontalones.Mazesshouldbeasbasicaspossible,sayasimplestraightpathfromacartoagarage,orfromabumblebeetoaflower.Thechallengehereisforlittlefingerstoguideapenciltostaybetweenthelines(whichshouldbeatleastaninchapart)withoutveeringoffcourse.For Spellers: Emergingwriters can be challengedwith lines that are closer

together (about one-half inch apart) and that switch directions (back and forthandupanddown).ForStorytellers:Childrenwhohavehadsomemorepencil-holdingexperience

are ready to tackle narrow lines, twists and turns, obstructions, and dead ends(whichrequirethemtoretracetheirlinesinorderto“turnaround”).ForScholars:Morecomplexmazesresembleminipaper-and-pencilobstacle

coursesandcanevenincorporatesomewrittendirections,suchas:“Zigzagbackand forth through the flags,” “Loop around each rock three times,” or “Traveldownthispathusingawavyline.”Gameon!

6

SandWriting

ICAN’TTHINKofanybetterwayforyoungwriterstohonetheirletterformationskills than to write with their fingers in sand. The surface area of a fingertipcontainsanextremelylargeconcentrationoftactilereceptors,eachonesendingamessage to children’s brains as theywrite. Sandmakes all of those tiny littlereceptorspositivelyhumwithrichinformation.Andwhilesandwritingisanidealactivitytodoinasandboxoratthebeach

(with thewavesasMotherNature’seraser),anexcursion isnot required.Sandwriting is just as engagingwhendoneat thekitchen tableor in theplayroom.Whenyou set thisup, be ready to stayput for awhile, though.Runningyourfingersthroughthesandisratherhabitforming,andchildrenlovetoexplorethisreinforcing(andrelaxing)activityforwhatmayseemlikeaneternity.

MATERIALS∗shallowboxortray∗aboutonetotwocupsofsand(cornmealworkstoo)∗broomanddustpan(optional,butadvised)

HOW-TO1.Filltheboxortraywithaboutone-fourthtoone-halfinchofcleansand.2. Showyour children how tomake shapes, trace letters, andwritewordsinthesand.3.Demonstratehowto“erase”thewritingbysmoothingoutthesandwithaflathand.4. Read and reinforce anywriting your childrenwant to sharewithyou.

Variations

For Scribblers: Start with vertical and horizontal strokes, simple shapes, orlineswithrepeatingpatterns(suchaswaves,loops,orzigzags).For Spellers: Practice one letter at a time over and over by playing

“disappearing letter.” Act surprised when your child makes a letter vanish,saying,“WhereonearthdidthatEgo?Itwasjustthere!Canyoufindit?”Feignshockandamazementwhentheyre-createit,asifbymagic.ForStorytellers:YourStorytellermaylovehavingtwotrays,sidebyside,one

todrawinandoneinwhichtowriteawordthatcorrespondstotheirpicture.ForScholars:More spellingwords topractice for homework tonight?Ditch

thedrudgery,andpulloutthesandtrayinstead.

7

Letters‘R’Us

NOWADAYS,kidsarebecomingsavvyshoppersatayoungage.Theyknowallaboutswipingcreditcards,signingreceipts,andusingcoupons.Anditintriguesthem.Somuchsothat,everytimeIintroducekidstothisactivity,theybecomequite the shopaholics. They love being the ones tomind the store (especiallywhenthere’sacoolcashregisterinvolved).Inthisproject,haveyourkidssetupaletterstore.Wouldyouliketobuyan

E?Howaboutalltheletterstospellyourname?Withtwenty-sixlettersinstock,the possibilities are unlimited. And with play money, kisses, and hugs forcurrency,thepriceisdefinitelyright.

MATERIALS∗letterpieces(woodpiecesforcapitallettersavailablefromHandwritingWithoutTears,oryoucanmakeyourownusingatemplate,alsoavailablefromHandwritingWithoutTears;seetheresourcessectionatthebackofthebook)∗puppettheater(ortrifoldpresentationboard,availableatofficesupplystores)∗cuttingknife(ifusingapresentationboard)∗toycashregister∗playmoney∗smallpapershoppingbag∗scrappaper∗pencil

HOW-TO1. Helpyourchildrensetuptheirinventoryofletterpiecesbehindastorefront.A puppet theaterworks great as a storefront, if you haveone. If you don’t, you can create a super-simple shop by cutting a

rectangular opening in the middle panel of a piece of trifoldpresentation board (grownups only for this cutting job, please).Childrencandecoratethefacadeorwritethenameoftheirstoreonit.2.Setupthecashregister,playmoney,shoppingbag,scrappaper,andpencil,sotheyareallaccessible.3. Parents,havefunbeingyourkids’customers.Play thepart to thehilt. Iusually say something to theeffectof, “Excusemesir/ma’am.I’mlookingforaletter.It’saf-f-fabulousletter.It’smadeupofabigstraight line and two little straight lines. Do you have anything likethatinstock?”4. Your little shopkeeper can then scurry around putting your ordertogether, placing thepieces inyourbag, ringingyouup, takingyourmoney,givingyoubackyourchange,andwritingyouareceipt.5. Check your orderwhen you get your bag, and if it’s not exactlywhat you asked for, cheerily repeat your request and ask for anexchange.6.Modelgraciousthank-yousandhave-a-nice-daysattheendofyourtransaction.Kidseat itup.They’llwant toplayoverandoveragain.Whodoesn’twantrepeatcustomers?

Variations ForScribblers:Sincetheyarejustgettingcomfortablewithlinesandshapes,starttherewithyourrequests.Beginbyorderingabigstraightline,and,iftheymasterthat,orderabigcurvenext,andsoon.ForSpellers:SpellersthriveonthetransactionIquotedabove;it’srightwhere

they’re at, developmentally speaking.When they havemastered finding letterpiecesandcanidentifyalltheletters,Imightupthechallengebysaying,“Iamlookingforthefirstletterofthewordfish.”For Storytellers: Step it up another notch for Storytellers because they can

definitelyserveyouupanentireword(forexample,“CouldyoupleasesellmeeverythingIneedtomakefishfordinner?”).ForScholars:Usethedefinitionofawordinyourorder,suchas“anaquatic

animalwithgills,”andyouryoungScholarwillhardlybeabletoguesstheyarestudyingvocabularyandspellingastheyplay.

8

EatYourWords

SERVINGKIDSanediblealphabet isadeliciousway towhet theirappetites forwriting.Whenmysonwasjustlearningletters,IwasknowntodishupeggsthatspelledJ-A-C-K,pancakes that implored“Eat,”andpasta thatasked“Howareyou?”Now,followingmylead,hemakesalphabetcookiesandcreateswordsoutofpretzeldough.Hey,inourhouseitmightnotbeokaytoplaywithyourfood,butifyou’regoingtowritewithit,well,that’sanotherstory.

MATERIALS∗fooditems,suchaspancakebatter,cookiedough,cheeseslices,pretzeldough,alphabetpasta,orspaghetti∗cookingtools,suchasalphabetcookiecutters

HOW-TOExperimentwith foodpresentations that incorporate alphabet shapes.Somesuggestionsfollow.

Variations ForScribblers: Pre-writerswill certainly enjoy eating a plate full ofABCs.Tryusingasqueezebottleorturkeybastertocarefullysquirtpancakebatterontoyour skillet in the shapeofalphabet letters. Ifyouare truly talented,write thelettersbackward(theflipsidealwayscomesoutbetter).ForSpellers:Newwriterslovecuttingoutcookiedough,andalmostanything

else, with alphabet cookie cutters. (Try also cutting cheese slices, fried eggs,sandwiches, toast, or tortillas.) The cookie cutters allow Spellers to selectspecificletterstoworkwithsotheycanformanedibleword.Y-U-M!ForStorytellers:Storytellers can form letter shapeson their own, by rolling

outpretzel,cookie,pizza,orbreaddoughintolongsnakes.Havethemshapethedoughintolettershapes,bake,andeat!Willtheybeabletoresistthetemptation

toeat their letters longenoughtoformanentiresentence?Well, that’sanothertale.For Scholars: Spaghetti for your thoughts? Alphabet macaroni (or oh-so-

shapeablespaghetti)canbeusedtowriteoutoodlesofideas.

9

Alphabox

WHENPRESENTEDWITHABOX,mostpeoplerespondinoneoftwoways.Therearetheboxshakers,whorattle,turn,andexaminethebox,hopingtogleanacluetoitscontents.Andtherearethosewhorelishtheimminentsurprise.Mostkidsfallinthecuriouscategorywhenitcomestoboxeswithunknown

contents. Hence the appeal of the alphabox. The concept is simple: sneak aninterestingobjectintoabox,placetheboxwhereitwillbediscovered,andwaitfor inquisitivekidstopeekinside.(Youwon’thavetowait long; it’s justplainirresistible.)Oncethey’vetakenalookatthecontents,challengethemtowritethestarting

soundorthenameoftheobjectonthetopofthebox.Notonlyaretheylearningtousesymbolstorepresentobjects(oneofthemostbasictenetsofwriting),buttheyarealsopracticingtheirwritingskillsastheyplayalong.

MATERIALS∗sturdyboxwithalidthatcloses∗chalkboardpaint∗interestingobjects∗chalk

HOW-TO:1.Paintthetopoftheboxwithchalkboardpaint.2. When the box is dry, hide an interestingobject in it and leave itsomewherewhereyourchildwillstumbleuponit.3.Whentheboxisfound,tellyourchildtowritethefirstletterofthenameofthesecretobjectonthetopofthebox.4.Iftheyguessright,replacethesecretobjectwithanotherone,hidetheboxsomewhereelse,andwatchthefuncontinue.

Variations ForScribblers:Stick tohidingobjectswith simple shapes (suchasapencil,ball, or block) in the box, and have your pre-writers draw the shape theydiscover.For Spellers: The ability to identify starting sounds is an essential skill for

emergingwriters.Putfamiliarobjectsintheboxfirst,andthenproceedtomorechallengingobjects.ForStorytellers:EncourageStorytellerstowritetheentirenameofthesecret

object.ForScholars:Uptheantebydaringmoreconfidentwriterstotakeaguessat

the item in theboxwithout peeking.Give them somecryptic clues, and, aftertheywritetheirguess,letthemopentheboxtoseehowtheydid.

10

LuckoftheDraw

ALLWRITINGEVOLVESfromdrawing.Whiledrawing,childrenexperimentwiththe lines, curves, and shapes that they will soon use to make letters. Theydevelopandrefinetheirgraspofvariouswritingtools.Theylearntocoordinatetheireyeswith theirhandsas theydoodle,color,andsketch.Theylearnto tellstorieswithimages.Andtheylearnthatiftheycanenvisionsomething,theycanmakeitarealityonthepage.Because it builds creativity, control, coordination, and confidence, drawing

shouldbeencouragedathome.Motivateyourchildren todrawoftenandwithenthusiasmbysettinganexample.Don’tbeself-consciousaboutyourdrawingskills—theproductdoesn’tmatter,it’stheprocessthatcounts.Stickfiguresarewelcomehere.Getthepicture?

MATERIALS∗coloredpencils,crayons,markers,oragraphitepencil∗plainpaperordrawingpaper(see“DrawingPaper”inthetemplatessection)

HOW-TO1.Setasideaspecialtimefordrawingonaregularbasis.Grabsomecolorfulwritingtoolsandastackofpaperandgatheraroundthetabletoillustratesomeofyourbrightestideas.2.Shareyourdrawingswitheachotheranddisplaythemsomewhereyoucanadmirethem.

Variations For Scribblers: When you draw alongside Scribblers, think abstractexpressionismratherthanrealism.WhatImeanis,don’tdrawwhattheycan’t.Itfrustrates them andmakes them question their abilities. Instead, channel your

own inner Scribbler. Cover your paper with bright colors and broad strokes.You’llprobablyfindit’sevenmorefunthanyouremember.ForSpellers: Introduceemergingwriters to theconcept thatartistssign their

work.When they finish a drawing, direct them to put their signatures in thecorner,ahabitalmostasvaluableastheartitself.ForStorytellers:Storytellersarereadyfordrawingpaper,whichispaperthat

has blank space at the top (for a picture) and lines at the bottom (forwords).Here is where children become author-illustrators, and the words and thepicturesbecomecomplementarytooneanother.ForScholars:BecauseScholarshavebig ideas, theycanbranchout tomore

detaileddrawings.Think:comic strips, storyboards,blueprints, shopdrawings,charts,maps,anddiagrams.

Make

Whether children are Scribblers ready for the next step, Spellersforming letters, Storytellers honing their craft, or Scholars learningcursive,theactivitiesinthisnextsectionwillhelpyoutohelpthem.Anytimeyouhelpyourchildrentocraftsomethingthatencourages

writing,bepreparedtobeamazedbytheresults.Kidsthatknowhowto create their own writing-based tools tend to use them for theirintendedpurpose.Often.Andthatmeansplentyofwritingwillfollow.Ontopof that,makingstuff that requireswriting—suchassignsandnewspapers—teacheschildrenthat,whenitcomestobeingacreativewriter, thesky’s the limit.Don’tbesurprised if theystartcomingupwiththeirowninventiveideas.Beginbyintroducingyourkidstotheactivitiesinthenextsection.Resourcefulyoungwriterswillbeabletotakeitfromthere.

11

AirMail

LOOKINGFORTHE PERFECTWAY tohelpyourchildren’swriting skills takeoff?Justshowthemhowtosendmessagesviaairmail(akaturningnotesintopaperairplanes),andwatchtheirenthusiasmforwritingsoar.Makingpaperairplanesisaclassicchildhoodpursuit.Turningmessagesinto

airplanes,however,takesthefuntoawholenewlevel.Whatcanbebetterthanseeingyourthoughts(literally)takeflight?Nowthat’saspecialdelivery!Plainor ruledpaperworksgreat for this activity.Havea stackat the ready,

becauseoncekidscatchon,theytendtobecomefrequentflyers.Thisisalsoafantastic activity for your children todowith abuddy—jettingmessagesbackandforthisevenmorefunwithafriend.Anaddedbonusofairmail?Allthatfoldingreallyhelpsbuildkids’finemotor

skills.Andthat’sreallysomethingtowritehomeabout!

MATERIALS∗apieceofstandard8½×11inchpaper∗writingtoolofchoice

HOW-TOShowkidshowtoturnaletter-sizedpageoftheirwritingintoapaperairplanefollowingtheseinstructions.

1.Foldthepaperinhalflengthwisetocreatealinedownthecenter.Thenunfoldit.2. Fold the top twocornersdown tomeet thecenter line,creatingatriangleatthetopofthepaper.3. Fold the top part of the triangle down so that the point of thetrianglemeetsthecentercreaseaboutoneinchabovethebottomofthepaper.

4. Foldthenewtopcornersdowntomeetthecenterlineasyoudidbefore. There should be a little triangle peeking out from below thenewtoptriangle.5. Foldyourpaperalong thecenter line in theoppositedirectionofyouroriginalfold.6.Foldeachdiagonaledgeofthepaperdownsothatitmeetstheedgewiththecenterfold.Unfoldthese“wings”slightly.7.Holdingtheplanebyitscenterfold,pointthenoseupintheair,andlett-errip!

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerswillbedelightedtoseetheircolorfulscribblesordrawingscoastthroughtheair.Theymayneedsomehelpplanningandliningupthefolds,butbesuretoleavetheminchargeofcreasingthepaper.ForSpellers:Theonlythingthattopslearningtowriteanewwordissending

yourhardworksoaringthroughtheairtobecaughtandadmired.ForStorytellers:Youngwriterswill really appreciate learning anewway to

sendall thosemessages theyare so eager towrite, suchas “Can Igoout andplaynow?”and“What’sfordinner?”ForScholars:Ifyouwanttogetyourchildgeareduptostudyforthatspelling

test,thisisasurething.Haveyourchildwriteoutthewordsandthenflythemovertoyouforcorrection.

12

AlltheNews

EXTRA,EXTRA,writeallaboutit!Doyourkidsrealizethateverydayisfullofnewsworthyevents?Maybethey

scoredagoalinasoccergameorgotagoodgradeonatest.Perhapssomeonelearned topumpaswingor tiedshoelacesfor thefirst time.Did thenext-doorneighbor have a bumper crop of tomatoes or grow a particularly enormousgourd?AretheyrepavingMainStreet,renovatingthemovietheater,orpaintingtheplaygroundequipment?Inquiringmindswanttoknow.Newandnoteworthystuffishappeningfromminutetominute.Justencourage

yourkidstoconsideritallgristforthenewspaper-writingmill.Thenkickback,andenjoyreadingitwithyourcupofmorningjoe.

MATERIALS∗blanknewsprintpaper(orotherlargepaper)∗alphabetstampersandinkpad∗pencil∗blackmarker

HOW-TO1. Look at a real newspaper with your kids, pointing out relevantdetailsanddiscussingwhereandhowreporters find their storiesandgettheirfacts.2. Show your kids how to conduct a simple interview, compose anattention-grabbing headline, write a simple article, and lay out anewspaperpage.

Variations ForScribblers:EncourageScribblerstogetintouchwiththeirinnerprintingpress. Using alphabet stampers, they can “typeset” all over their piece of

newsprint,strengtheningfinemotor(andletteridentification)skillsastheygo.For Spellers: Introduce Spellers to the idea of a press release, so they can

broadcastimportantnewsitemsinwriting,suchas“Jacklostatooth”or“Graciesaid‘Mama.’”ForStorytellers:StorytellersarereadytolearnabouttheWs(plusoneH)ofa

goodnewsstory:Who?What?When?Where?Why?andHow?Theycanuseanarticle-writing worksheet (see “Article Writing Worksheet” in the templatessection)toorganizetheirinformation.For Scholars: Challenge Scholars to learn and use the parts of a real

newspaperlayout(see“PartsofaNewspaper”inthetemplatessection).

13

Signs

SIGNSAREASIMPLEyeteffectivewayforchildrentomaketheirmindknown.Infact, while I was writing this, my son asked for some help making a “NoMommiesAllowed”signforhisclubhouse.Iobliged(slightlybegrudgingly).Signscomeinallshapesandsizes.Therearebillboardsandneonsignsforthe

flamboyantamongus.Andasimplestickynoteonthebathroommirrorsufficesfor the discreet. In between, there are banners, dryerase and chalkboard signs,signsmadefromposterboard,andsignsthathangondoorknobs.Whethersubtleorsensational,signsareaimedtocatchtheeyeofapasserbyandsay,“Look-yhere.Thisisthedeal.”Anddon’tworrytoomuchifyougetsome“DoNotEnter(OrElse!)”signs

everynowandthen.Atacertainage,kidsstartneedingalittlepersonalspace.Justconsideritasignofthetimes.

MATERIALS∗posterboard,cardboard,cardstock,stickynotes,butcherpaper,doorknobsign(see“DoorknobSign”inthetemplatessection),orpaper∗crayons,pens,pencils,magicmarkers∗tape

HOW-TO1.Encouragechildrentospeaktheirmindswithsigns.Whenitcomestothedesign,remembertheserules:

∗Keepitsimple:ifthereistoomuchvisualclutter,thesignwillbehardtoread.

∗Useeye-catchingcolors:enticetheeyestostopandlook.∗Usebig,boldlettering:writeforreadability(unless,ofcourse,yourmessageincludessome“fineprint”).

2.Showchildrenhowtopostsignswheretheirtargetaudienceismost

likelytoseethem.

Variations ForScribblers:Makeabigsign,suchas“HappyBirthday,Dad,”withblockletters (outlined only).Have yourScribbler help color in each letter.This is agreatwaytointroduceandreviewletterrecognitionwithyourScribbler.ForSpellers:Theworld’sbestsignsareshortandtothepoint(think:“Stop,”

“Open/Closed,” “Exit,” “Wet Paint”). These kinds of signs are just right forSpellers.ForStorytellers:Storytellersusuallyhavealottosay.Posterboard(inlieuof

abillboardby thehighway) is agoodchoice for effusive signage, suchas therulestoamade-upgameorelaborateinstructionsforenteringaroom.ForScholars:Whenitwashomeworktimeatmyhouse,myoldersisterandI

usedtohave“BattleoftheSigns.”Herswouldread,“QuietStudySection”andmine, “NoisySister Section.”Doorknob signs are a greatway for Scholars tocommunicatewhetherthey’rehavinga“DoNotDisturb”momentora“ComeInandHangOut”one.

14

HandmadeBooks

THEREISONLYONETHINGyouneedtoturnayoungwriterintoanauthor:abook.Handmadebooksaregreattohaveonhandforwhenbook-worthyinspiration

strikes.Easy tomake, they’re justaseasy to fillupwith ideas.Fromcover tocover,childrencanlettheirimaginationsrunwild.And speaking of covers, here’s an opportunity to get really creative.While

coloredcardstock isperfect forcreatinga rainbowassortmentofbooks, thereare endless other cover options as well. We have made book covers out ofcalendarpages,digitalphotos, sheetmusic,blueprints, scrapbookpaper, cerealboxes,corrugatedcardboard,and repurposedartwork.Theymaysayyoucan’tjudgeabookbyitscover,but,inmyopinion,thejury’sstilloutonthatone.

MATERIALS∗cardstock(orothercreativecovermaterial)∗blankpaper∗scissors∗hammer∗nail(orawl)∗string(Iusecolorfulembroideryfloss)∗embroideryneedle∗decorativelabels

HOW-TO1.Creasethecoverpaperdownthecenterandthenunfoldit.Laythecover facedownona table.Layblankpageson topof thecover. (Ifthe inside pages are larger than the cover, trim them to fit.)Make astrongcreasedownthecenteroftheblankpages.Alignthecoverandblankpagesalongthecentercrease.2. Withhammerandnail,make threeevenlyspacedholesdownthe

centercrease.3. Thread the embroidery floss through a needle. Starting on theoutsideofthebook,pushneedleandthreadthroughthemiddleholetotheinsideofthebook,thenoutthroughthebottomholetotheoutside,backinthroughthetopholetotheinside,andbackoutagainthroughthemiddlehole.4. Tieasecureknotwiththetwoendsof theflossontheoutsideofthebook.Trimtheendsofthestringtoabouttwoincheslong.5.Closethebook,andputadecorativelabelonthecoverforthetitleandauthorinformation.6.Happywriting!

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerslovetofillblankbookswith,whatelse?Scribbles!And luckily, all that practice does them a world of good, developmentallyspeaking.ForSpellers:Emergingwritersenjoymakingpicturebooks,usingdrawingsor

stickersandfamiliarwords.ForStorytellers:Storytellerscanfillbookafterbookwithbrightideas.Keepa

stackattheready!ForScholars:Scholarscanincorporateelementsofrealbooks—suchasatitle

page, a dedication, a table of contents, and an “about the author” page—intotheirhandmadeversions.

15

CommandCentralMessageBoard

SOME DAYS IT SEEMS as if managing the comings and goings andcommunicationsamongfamilymembersisajobbestsuitedtoahighlytrainedspecialist. Part flight commander and part operations engineer, the familymanagerhastocoordinateamultitudeofdetails.Thegoodnewsisthatthesamesystemthatworksforthemosttechnicallyadvancedagenciesalsoworksinourhumblehomes.I’mtalkingaboutcreatingacommandcentral.Admittedly low-tech, my version of a good mission control center

accomplishestwothings:relayingmessagesandorganizingimportantdata.Andthebestpart is, it’s so simple thatyourkidscaneasilyget inon theact.Lessmicromanaging for you, andmoreorganization for everyoneon the team.Oh,and another bonus, there’swriting involved too. As they jot down reminders,important dates, or messages, they are making writing-to-remember a dailyhabit,onethatwillservethemquitewellnowandinthefuture.

MATERIALS∗legal-sizeclipboards(oneforeachmemberofthefamily)∗painter’smaskingtape∗latexwallpaintinadifferentshadeforeachfamilymember(Iusethelittlepaintsamplesavailableinhardwarestores;darkercolorsworkbetterforthisproject)∗sandedtilegrout(aboutone-halfcup)∗paintbrush∗blanklabels∗markers∗cuphooks∗chalk

HOW-TO

1.Coverthebindercliponeachclipboardwithpainter’stape.2. Create your own customcolor chalkboardpaint bymixing aboutone tablespoon of sanded tile grout into one-half cup of latex paint.Repeatforeachpaintcolor.3. Paint theboardpart of each clipboardwith the chosen color.Letthemdrythoroughly.Removethepainter’stapewhenthepaintisdry.4. Using blank labels and a marker, label the binder clip on eachclipboardwithafamilymember’sname.5.Hangtheclipboardsonawallusingcuphooks.6. Leavemessages for each familymember in chalk on his or herboard.Use thebinderclip toattachanyrelated, time-sensitive items,likepartyinvitations,eventtickets,ordrivingdirections.

Variations ForScribblers:PostScribblers’worksof art and somenotes alongside theirclipboard so they know their spot and will be ready to use it when the timecomes.ForSpellers:Spellersarejustlearningtowritelittlenotestofamilymembers.

The clipboards provide a perfect way for them to distribute all of theircorrespondence.ForStorytellers:ProlificStorytellerscanposttheirschoolworkandstoriesat

theendofthedayforeveryonetoreadandenjoy.For Scholars: Scholars are well equipped to use the message center to

coordinate and communicate life’s daily details. For example, they can clip apermission slip to Mom’s board and write, “Field trip permission slip dueMonday” (whichMom can then sign, clip on the Scholar’s board, and write,“Putinbackpack;soundslikeagreattrip!”).

16

SayWhat?WritingTablet

HAVEYOUEVERLOOKED atyourkidsand thought toyourself,“Whatoneartharetheythinking?”or“Whatwilltheysaynext?”Well,pondernomore.Simplyhelpthemmakeacoupleofthesewhimsicaltablets,andallyourquestionswillbeanswered.Inwriting.Writingtablets,oftenusedinschools,areawonderfulwayforyoungchildren

topracticewritingandtoexpressthemselves.Athome,wecraftedmoreplayfulversionsofthisold-schooltool,makingoneintheshapeofathoughtbubbleandanother in the shapeof a speechbubble.Weborrowed the idea fromcartoonsandmodifieditforourown(writing)purposes.Andletmeassureyou,theresultis nothing less than somevery animated “discussions.”Hmmm.Whatwillwethinkofnext?

MATERIALS∗posterboard∗scissors∗clearcontactpaper∗dryerasemarkers∗papertowelorpieceofcloth

HOW-TO1. Cut a piece of poster board into a thought bubble or a speechbubbleshape.(Youcaneasilydesignyourownshapes,orenlargeoneof the “Say What? Word and Thought Bubbles” templates to thedesired sizewitha copymachine, cut it out, and trace itontoposterboard.)2.Cutapieceofclearcontactpapertoasizeslightlylargerthanyourbubble shape. Slowly peel off the paper backing, and then lay thecontact paper, sticky side up, on a table. Carefully place the bubble

shapefacedownontothecontactpaper.3. Trim off excess contact paper by cutting around the edge of thebubbleshape.4.Turntheshapeoverandsmoothoutanycreasesorbubbles.5.Nowshowyourkidshowtowriteontheirbubbleswithadryerasemarkerandthenerasetheirmusingswithaclothorpapertowel.

Variations ForScribblers:DoyourememberWoodstockfromthePeanutscartoons?Hisspeechbubble featureda seriesofdash-like lines that spokevolumesas tohisstate of mind. Pre-writers’ scribbles have the potential to express at least asmuch.ForSpellers:IcanjustimaginethewordsthatSpellerswillcomeupwithto

crystallize their thought processes. To startwith, theymight use their thoughtbubble to respond to questions with a silently scrawled “Yes,” “ No,” or“Maybe.”For Storytellers: Bubbling over with ideas already, Storytellers will, most

likely,beinafrenzyofwriting,erasing,andmorewritinginordertogetitallout.ForScholars:Scholarswill realize that inaddition toexpressingthemselves,

theycanalsoexpress theviewpointsofothers (from theirownperspective,ofcourse).Sowatchout,theymighttrytoputsomewordsinyourmouth!

17

Scoreboard

KIDSTAKEWRITINGWITHTHEM,nomatterwheretheygo.Evenwhenthey’reoutinthebackyardtossingaroundtheball,writinghasaplace.Tomakeitofficial,helpthemcreateabackyardscoreboardtokeeptrackofpoints,winsandlosses,andothervitalstats.And while kids may not be writing tons of stuff on their scoreboard, this

activityreinforcesanimportantfunctionofwriting:keepingtrack.Ithelpskidsget into the regularhabitofpausing theactionmomentarily tomakeanoteofsomething, however briefly. It establishes a connection between doing andwriting,actionandnotation.Andthat’sawinningcombination,inmybook.The way I see it, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you score the

game.

MATERIALS∗bakingsheet∗chalkboardpaint∗shovel∗onesix-foot-longsectionoftwo-by-fourlumber(availableathardwarestores)∗drillorscrewgun∗two1¾-inchwoodscrews∗onetwenty-inchpieceofelastic∗oldwashcloth∗chalk

HOW-TO1.Paintthebakingsheetwithchalkboardpaint(twotothreecoats)asdirectedon thepaintcan.Allowthepaint todry thoroughlybetweencoats.

2. Select thespotforyourscoreboardanddigahole, twofeetdeep.Place the wood post in the hole; backfill dirt around the post, andcompactituntilitfeelssolid.3.Drillasmallholeinthemiddleofthebakingsheetoneandahalfinchesdownfromthetop,andanotherholeoneandahalf inchesupfromthebottom.Usetheseholestoscrewthebakingsheettothepost.4.Tieelastictightlyaroundonecornerofthewashcloth.Tietheotherend of the elastic around the post, right below the bottom of thechalkboard. This (along with the rain) is the eraser for yourscoreboard.5.Startkeepingscore!

Variations For Scribblers: Scribblers can surely learn to make tally marks. Make itnoncompetitive, though. Your suggestion might be, “Put a line on the boardevery timeyoucatch theball,”and thenask them tosee if theycanbeat theirownscorethenexttimearound.ForSpellers:SinceSpellersarelearningtowritetheirnumbers,theycankeep

scorenumerically,erasingeachnumberorstrikingitthroughbeforewritingthenextone.ForStorytellers:Storytellersmayaddsomeplay-by-playdescriptions,running

commentary,analysis,orpredictionstotheirscore-keepingroutine.For Scholars: Scholars can begin to calculate more complex stats, such as

battingaverages,forexample.Becomingproficientinwritingnumbersquickly,neatly,andinstraightlineshelpsScholarstofocusalltheirattentiononthemath(withouthavingtostruggletodecodetheirdigits).

18

TableTalk

IT’SACHALKBOARD.It’sfabric.No,it’schalkcloth!Whatanamazingnewmaterialischalkcloth.Icoulddreamupfinickylittle

projectstodowiththisstuffalldaylong.AndifyoudoasearchontheInternet,chalkclothgoodnessabounds.But ifyoupreferprojectsof theno-sew,no-fussvariety(asmanyofusdo),

have I got a good one for you: a chalk cloth tablecloth. The trickiest part istrackingdownthechalkcloth(seetheresourcessectionatthebackofthebook).Onceyouhaveit,yourworkisnearlydone.You can toss this tablecloth on the kids’ table at holiday parties or on the

kitchen table in preparation for a playdate.But don’t think it’s exclusively forentertainingkids—it’sagreatteachingtooltoo.Howusefulwoulditbetohavea write-and-wipeable tablecloth on the table when your children are doinghomework?Theycanwritetheirmathcalculationsrightonthetableinsteadofusingscratchpaper,figureouthowtospellaproblematicword,orhavealarge-scale brainstorming blitz beforewriting an essay. In fact, any time inspirationstrikes your kids in the general proximity of your tabletop, this tablecloth hasthemcovered.

MATERIALS∗measuringtape∗chalkcloth∗scissors∗pinkingshears∗chalk∗sponge

HOW-TO1.First,measureyourtable.Addtentofifteeninchestothelengthto

allowforasmuchoverhangasyoudesire.(Chalkclothisforty-eightincheswide;ifyourtableiswiderthanforty-eightinches,thenplanonyour tableclothfunctioningmore likeawide tablerunner.)Use thesemeasurementstofigureouttheyardageyouwillneed.2. Cut the chalk cloth according to your measurements. After youhavecutittotheintendedlengthandwidth,trimaroundalltheedgescarefullywithpinkingshearstomakeasimpleyetdecorativefinishededgethatwon’tfray.3.Voilà!Thereyouhaveit.Yourfinalstepistocurethechalkclothbyrubbingitalloverwith thesideofapieceofchalk,upanddownandsidetoside.Repeatthisonemoretimebeforeyouwipeitoff.4.Youcansurfacecleanyourchalkclothbetweenuseswithadampsponge.

Variations ForScribblers: Pre-writers love to cover the tablewith scribbles, squiggles,and doodles. Or show them how to draw a long and winding line that canbecomea“road”fortheirtoycarsortrains.ForSpellers:EmergingwriterswillenjoywritingthewholealphabetfromA

toZ,signingtheirnames,andwritingalltheirfavoritewords.For Storytellers: Storytellers will love having the space for a mural-sized

drawingandanarrativetoo.ForScholars:ThisistheperfecthomeworkhelperforScholars,whowillhave

plentyofroomtofigureitalloutinwriting.

19

ScrapHappy

AWRITER’SSCRAPBOOK isaplace tocollect randombitsandpiecesofwriting,and any other art and artifacts that help to tell a young writer’s story. Ascrapbookislikeabig,boundcollageofwritingandthememoriesthatgoalongwithit.It’saplayfulcut-and-pastecollectionwithseriouskeepsakepotential.Thethingtorememberaboutscrapbooksisthattheydon’tcallthem“scrap”

fornothing.Keep it fun, not fussy.Forgo fancy layouts in favorof letting thescraps speak for themselves. Like a snapshot of a moment in time, a youngwriter’swordsrequireverylittleembellishment.Make sure you flip through the scrapbookwith your children; it’s a perfect

opportunity to show them how valued their writing is and how much it hasprogressed. Looking back inspires youngwriters tomove forward. It inspiresthemtogetworkingonthenextchapteroftheirlifestory.

MATERIALS∗blankscrapbook∗writing“scraps”∗photos,drawings,andothermemorabilia∗tape∗gluestick

HOW-TOTogether,youandyourchildrencancut,tape,andpastepiecesoftheirwritingintoalargescrapbook.Includeanyrelevantassociatedobjects,such as photos, drawings, play programs, ticket stubs, or pieces ofnature.

Variations For Scribblers: Put Scribblers’ messy masterpieces in the scrapbook in

chronological order, and you’ll not only have a keepsake, you’ll also have achronicleofanemergingwriter.ForSpellers: Save the pageswhere your Spellerswrote their names for the

first time,of course.Tell themhowvaluable their first signaturewillbewhenthey’rerichandfamousoneday!ForStorytellers:Oh,thestories.Saveasmanyasyoucan.You’llbesoglad

youdid!ForScholars:Todocument the development of your growing child, include

some of the everyday stuff in theirwriter’s scrapbook: a spelling test, a bookreport,anotetoMom,anIOUtoDad,alettertoSanta,atoy-storeshoppinglist.It’sallpartofthehistoryofayoungwriter.

20

FamilyTree

ASWEWEREPREPARINGtohostabigfamilyThanksgivingdinner,thesubjectofrelativescameup. Inaneffort toexplainall thebranchesofour family tomyson,Idrewafamilytree.Andalthoughheseemedinterestedenough,tomethelessonseemedalittle,well,flat.Itdawnedonmethatafamilytreeshouldbejustthat.Afamilytree.Fromthat

seedofanideagrewaverymeaningful(andbeautiful!)activity.Wetookabreakfrom thebusyness towhipup this craft, andboywas I evergladwedid.Ourfamily tree helped us answer some important questions: Aremy aunties yoursisters?Ismyunclemycousins’father?IsNannyDaddy’smommy?Butmorethan that, it reminded all of us exactly why we really gather together.(Everythingelseisjustgravy.)

MATERIALS∗aleaffromnature∗pieceoflightweightcardboardorcardstock∗blackmarker∗scissors∗oneboxofnatural-coloredcoffeefilters(chooseasizeslightly∗largerthanthesizeofyourleaf)∗red,yellow,andgreenliquidfoodcoloring∗smallpapercups∗brownpapergrocerybags∗paintbrush∗marker∗alphabetstampers(optional)∗whiteglue∗clothespins∗medium-sizedbucketorflowerpot

HOW-TO1.Placealeafonthecardboardandtracearounditwithamarker.2. Cut along the marker line with scissors. This will be your leafstencil.3. Trace the leaf shape onto coffee filters using the stencil.Cut outcoffee-filterleaveswithscissors.4.Completelycoveryourworkarea,asfoodcoloringmaystainsomefabricsorsurfaces.Makehomemadewatercolorpaintsbyaddingeighttotendropsofredfoodcoloringtoaboutone-fourthcupofwaterinasmallcup.Repeatfortheyellowandgreenfoodcoloring,eachcolorinitsownseparatecup.5.Spreadoutthecoffee-filterleavesonbrownpapergrocerybags(ornewspaper).6. Dip your brush in thewatercolors anddabpaint onto the leaves.Youwillnotneedverymuchpaint,asthecoffee-filterpaperdiffusestheliquidthroughouttheleaf.Continueuntilalltheleavesarecolored.7. Let the leaves dry thoroughly, about thirty to sixty minutes,dependingonhowmuchliquidtheyabsorbed.8.Whentheleavesaredry,labeleachwithafamilymember’sname,usingalphabetstampersoramarker.9. Crease each leaf vertically down the center.Apply a thin line ofgluealongthecreaseandattachtheleaftoaclothespin.Let thegluedry.10.Whiletheleavesaredrying,positionyourtreebranchinyourflowerpotorbucket.Ifthetreebranchneedstobestabilizedinthecontainer,crumpleupsomebrownpapergrocerybagsandstufftheminaroundthebaseofthebranch.11.Whentheleavesaredry,yourkidscanpinthemontothetree.Theycantakethemdown,movethemaround,andarrangethemoverandoveragainasoftenastheywish.Remember,ifthereisamarriageorabirthinthefamily,addanewleaf.12.Keepitupyear-round,useitasaseasonaldecoration,orbringitoutforspecialfamilyoccasions.

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writers cancutoutpicturesof familymembersandgluethemontotheirleaves,exercisingfinemotorskillsastheysnipandsqueeze.

For Spellers: Emerging writers can use alphabet stampers or markers toembellishtheirleaveswithnames.ForStorytellers:Storytellers are able tograsp family relationships, and they

canarrangeleavesaccordingly.For Scholars: Scholars can include some demographic data on their leaves,

suchasbirthdate,placeofbirth,age,placeofresidence,oroccupation.

Do

There’s an expression that says: you are what you do. That makesperfect sense tome. It doesn’tmakemuchdifferencewhoyou thinkyouare ifyoudon’tdoanythingabout it. It’s theaction that counts.Writingisaperfectexample.Whoarewriters?Peoplewhowrite.Dayinanddayout,forreasonsbigandsmall,peoplewhopickupapenorpenciltomakealist,writealetter,orjotanotearewriters.The daily habit of recording or communicating your thoughts in

writingiswhatdefinesyourroleasawriter.Whenkidslearntomakewriting one of their written-in-stone daily habits, like reading,brushingtheirteeth,eatingtheirvegetables,andplayingoutside,theytoo are writers. The following group of activities are wonderful no-fuss ways to get writing off of your kids’ minds and on to theirschedules.

21

Listmania

WHENSHEWASLITTLE,mysisterMariawroteabouthermorningroutine:WhatIdointhemorning:wakeuppsharpenmywitswatcht.v.eatbreakfastgetdressed

Iknow,priceless.Ihavethelistcommittedtomemorysinceit’sbeenframed

and hanging on the bathroom wall in my parents’ house for years. Ahh, thewisdom(andwit)oftheyoung.There’s nothing like lists to put things in perspective. That’s their intended

purpose, after all. Lists organize, compartmentalize, prioritize. Theymake lifepredictable,helpingchildrentoanticipatewhatiscomingnext(kidslovethat!).Inmyhumble opinion, they are one of life’smost useful tools.And just in

caseyouneedmoreconvincing,seemyfollowinglistoflists.

MATERIALS∗paper∗pencil,marker,orcrayon

HOW-TOThebasicgistof the list:numberdownthe leftsideof thepage,andrecordoneimportantitematatimealongsideeachnumber.

Variations ForScribblers:Parentscanwritesimple to-do lists forScribblers.Keep listsfor the little ones short and sweet—three to four itemsmax. Checkmarks are

hard for pre-writers to manage so, true to their name, I usually encourageScribblerstoscribbleitemsoutastheycompletethem.ForSpellers:ShowSpellershow toputabox to the leftofeachnumberon

theirlistofaboutfourtofivesimpleitems,whichtheywritethemselves.Thentheycancheckoffthingsastheygo.For Storytellers: Storytellers can handle making their own list, of no more

thansevenitems.ForScholars:Once children become comfortable using lists as a tool, there

areunlimitedlistpossibilitiestoexplore.Checkoutsomelistsuggestionsbelow.

ALISTOFLISTSshoppinglist:thingstobuywishlist:thingsyouwantsomeoneelsetobuyforyou(please)to-dolist:tasksthatyouwanttogetdonehoney-dolist:tasksthatyouwantsomeoneelsetodoforyou(please)goallist:importantthingsyouwanttoaccomplishinthefutureplaylist:songsyouwanttohearrunninglists:frequentlyupdatedlists(suchasbooksyouwanttoread,showsyouwanttowatch,moviesyouwanttosee,placesyouwanttogo,foodyouwanttotry,adventuresyouwanttohave,peopleyouwanttosee,ortraveldestinations)hot/notlist:thingsthatareawesomeandthingsthataresolastweekpackinglist:whattobringguestlist:whotoinvitehomeworklist:assignmentstocompleteforget-me-notlist:thingstorememberpricelist:costsofdifferentthingsphonelist:peopletocall

22

PlacestoGo,PeopletoSee

WHAT DO MOST super-successful people have in common? An aptitude forcreatinganagenda.Anagendaisabasicplanofwhattodoandwheretogowhen.Childrencrave

a schedulebecause they love toknowwhat is going tohappen, bothnowandlater.Infact,theonlythingtheylikebetterthanknowingthescheduleishelpingto create it. Involve kids in furthering their own agendas, and you’ll find thatthey’reeagerandwillingtoputtheirbigplansinwriting.

MATERIALS∗paper∗pencil

HOW-TO1.Putyourplansforthedayonpaper,withyourchildren’shelp.2. Encourage your children to consult their agenda periodically, tocheckoffitemsthey’vecompletedandfindoutwhat’shappeningnext.

Variations For Scribblers: Involve pre-writers in creating and following a pictureschedule of the day (using basic line drawings or photos) and you’ll see thatthey’llquicklygetthehangoftheroutine.ForSpellers:Usingacombinationofpicturesandwords,helpSpellersmakea

scheduleonabigpieceofpaper(itwillhelpthemgetthebigpictureregardingthepassageoftime).ForStorytellers:Storytellerscanhandlemakingasimpleschedulewithitems

numberedtoindicatewhathappensfirst,second,andsoon.For Scholars: Scholars can go by the clock, making a schedule with times

goingdowntheleftsideofthepageandthingstodoalongside.

23

DailyJournal

EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE a trusted journal, children especially. The word“journal” is derived from theword jurnee inAnglo-French.And journaling isindeedajourney,asmallvoyageofself-discoverywecanalltakeeachday.Ajournalentrydocumentsthepathourdaytookandourfeelingsaboutit.It

canbeas simpleoras in-depthaschildrenchoose. Journalingdoesn’thave toconform to any rules, either; children can express themselves in their journalusingcolors,drawings,poems,acollage,evenasinglewell-chosenword.Theonly 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 thetimeeachdaytofollowwheretheir thoughtsare leadingthem,childrengainaclearunderstandingofnot justwherethey’vebeen,butwherethey’regoingaswell.

MATERIALS∗blankjournal∗pencil∗coloredpencils

HOW-TOInthebeginning,themostimportantthingaboutajournalisnotwhatachild writes in it, but just that they visit it often. Once journalingbecomesaregularhabit,thewordswillmostlikelyfollow.

Variations For Scribblers: Introduce pre-writers to the journaling habit with a “WhatColor Was Your Day?” journal. Ask children that important question eachevening, have them pick one color from an assortment of small-sized coloredpencils,andshowthemhowtoscribblealloverthepagewiththeirchosenhue.

ForSpellers:Emergingwritersrespondwelltoa“WordoftheDay”journal.Askthem,“Ifyoucouldpickanyoneword,sillyorserious,thatmatcheswhatyou were feeling today, what would it be?” The chosen words usually rangefrompeculiartopoignant,andtheyarealwaysintriguing.For Storytellers: Help young Storytellers focus with a “High/Low” journal.

Promptthemtowritesomethingaboutthehighpointoftheirdayandsomethingaboutthelowpointoftheirday.For Scholars: Scholars might find that the words flow more easily when

entriesarewrittenlikealettertoatrustedfriend,beginningwith“DearDiary”or“DearJournal.”Toemphasizetheprivatenatureoftheirwriting,childrenatthis stageoften like to embellish their journalwith a lockandkey.Don’t fret.Thisdoesn’tmeanthey’rekeepingsecrets; it justmeanstheir thoughtsdeservetheirownpersonalspace.Respecttheirprivacyandresisttheurgetopeek!

24

FieldGuide

ALSOKNOWNAS a nature journal, a field guidedocuments all the discoveriesand adventures children encounter in the great outdoors. Field guide fodderincludes thoughts about trees, plants, or flowers; animal observations;weatherreports; notes on seasonal changes; and reflections aboutwhat’s visible in thenight sky. Nature-related notations can be brief or may be embellished withdetails about colors, smells, sounds, and feelings. Journal entries can includesimplesketches,andphotosorafoundobject(likeabirdfeather,fallenleaf,orpressedflower)maybeadheredtothepage.Afieldguideisaplacewherethewonderofnatureandthewonderofwriting

meet. It’s an exercise in seeing theworldwith eyeswide open, a quality thatshouldcertainlybenurturedinyoungwriters.

MATERIALS∗blanknotebookorjournal∗pencil∗coloredpencils,crayons,ormarkers∗tape∗camera(optional)∗boxorbasket(optional)

HOW-TO1.Encouragechildrentoobservenaturewhentheyareoutandabout.2. When theygethome, theycanrecord thedetailsaboutwhat theynoticed.Orbringtheirfieldguidesalongifyourfamilyisheadedonatrekoranadventuresotheycanjotdownobservationsonthego.

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writersmaystartwithanaturecollection,storedinabox

orbasketperhaps,withalabelattachedtoeachitem.ForSpellers:Spellersarereadytostartdrawingwhattheyseeinanotebook

whentheygoforanouting,takeawalk,orplayinthebackyard.Theycanlabeltheirpicturesbywritingacoupleofwords,like“babybird.”ForStorytellers:Storytellersarereadytoenhancetheirfieldguideswithmore

specificobservationsoftheflora,fauna,andfuntheyobserveinnature.For Scholars: Scholars can include more data such as the location of their

observations,timeofday,conditions,andanyinterestingpatternstheynotice.

25

Travelogue

BEFOREYOUHITTHEROAD,addonemoreitemtoyourpackinglist:atravelogue.Youwon’t regret it.Newadventures always sparknew insights.Andyouwilldefinitelybegladyouhaveaplacetopreservethemall.Whenchildrenrecordtheirtravelreflectionstheyareingoodcompany.Many

writers throughout the years have written about their experiences in far-offplaces.Whenyoureadabouttheirtrips,theirwritingtransportsyou.Kidswillbeabletorevisittheirownjourneysaswellwhentheyrereadtheirtravelogues.It’sliketakingavacationalloveragain(onlywithoutthejetlag).

MATERIALS∗blanknotebook,journal,orhandmadebook∗pencils∗markers∗tape∗gluestick∗shoeboxorsmallsuitcase(optional)

HOW-TO1.Asyoutravel,encourageyourchildrento(briefly)writethenamesofplacesthey’regoing,aswellasideasaboutwhattheysawandhowtheyfeltaboutit.2. Kids can also collect bits and pieces along their travels, such asmaps, ticket stubs, backstage passes, luggage tags, transportationschedules,receipts,currency,stamps,postcards,andphotos.3. Duringdowntime,kidscanembellish their traveloguesbycuttingandthenpastingortapingtheirfoundephemeraontothepages.

Variations

ForScribblers:Pre-writerscan store their souvenirs ina shoeboxora smallsuitcase,andthenbrowsethroughthemwhentheywanttoreminisceabouttheirtrip.ForSpellers:SnapapictureofSpellersatvarious locationsalongyourway.

They can put these photos in their book and label them “Me at the GrandCanyon”or“Meridingamule.”ForStorytellers:Storytellerscannarratetheiradventuresandaddillustrations

too.ForScholars:Scholarscanincludesomescholarlydetails,suchasthehistory

of the places they’re visiting, the route you’re taking, the daily itinerary,restaurantreviews,andsoon.

26

Inventor’sLogbook

CHILDRENAREBORNINVENTORS.Sometimestheyevenseemtobebubblingoverwithinnovativeideas.Somearehits,somearenearmisses,andsomeareevenbigmesses.Butnomatterwhat,kids’inventionsallshareonethingincommon:aninspiredabilitytocreatesomethingoutofnothing.This irrepressible urge to create is the trademark of an inventor (and the

hallmark of a writer). The inventor’s logbook is a perfect example of howinventingandwritinggohandinhand.Realinventorsarerequiredtokeepalogof all the ideas and activities leadingup to anyof their inventions in order toprovethatthey“own”theircreation.Kidscandothesame,and,intheprocess,canclaimownershipofalltheirlittleingeniousideasthatarejustdemandingtobedocumented.

MATERIALS∗graph-papernotebook∗pencil∗coloredpencils∗datestamp(availableatofficesupplystores)∗stamppad∗camera(optional)

HOW-TO1. Encourage your kids to document their bright ideas in theirinventors’logbooks.Theycanusewords,drawings,diagrams,lists,orchartstorecordtheirvariousbrainstorms.2.Showthemhowtowriteorstampthedateontoeachentry(justforfun,or incase theU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfficewants toverifytheirinvention’stimelinedowntheroad).

Variations For Scribblers: When your pre-writer does something especially inventive(likeusingyourlintbrushtocleanuplittlepiecesofdriedplaydoughfromthefloor),takeapicture,dateit,andtuckitintoaminialbumthatyoucanlookattogether.Thiswillhelpthemgettheideathatbrightideasarejustbeggingtoberecorded.For Spellers: Show emerging writers how to draw pictures of their bright

ideas,andthenlabeltheirdrawingswitharrowsandafewwords.For Storytellers: Every inventor wants to be the one to design a better

mousetrap.ExplainthisconcepttoyourStoryteller,seewhatkindofmousetrapthey can come up with, and encourage them to describe their ideas in theirlogbook.ForScholars:Scholarsmaybeinspiredtodesignarobottosolveaproblem,a

widget that makes life easier, or a new and improved version of a familiargadget.Encourageanyandallinventiveideas,andremindthemtopullouttheirlogbookswheninspirationstrikes.Tellthemit’stheperfectspotforalloftheirplans,diagrams,specifications,andinstructions.

27

Show-Me-the-MoneyLedger

IN ANCIENT TIMES, before the first alphabet was devised, some basic writingsystemsexistedtocommunicateaboutonesubjectinparticular:money.Yousee,evenbeforewehadmethodsofwritingourwords,wehadmethodsofwritingourmonetarytransactions.Firstthingsfirst,Iguess.Money is serious business, essential to the daily operations of civilized

societies. And believe it or not, kids really get this. They understand that thecoinsintheirpiggybanksserveapurposeandthatit’simportanttokeeptrackofthem.Andwhiletheymightnotbetradingtheirmoneyforacoupleofcamelsandabarrelofgrainanytimesoon,anewtoymaybehanginginthebalance.(Thepiggy-bankbalance,thatis.)

MATERIALS∗blankledgerbook∗pencil∗piggybank(optional)∗money∗calculator

HOW-TO1.Encourageyourchildrentonotefinancialtransactionsandgoalsintheir ledger, such as receivingmoney, spending it, saving for a toy,gifts,orallowance.2.Showyourchildhowtousethepreprintedguidelinesintheledgerto line up their writing both horizontally and vertically, makingmathematicalcalculationbotheasierandmoreaccurate.

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerscanbegintolearnaboutmoney(andworkonfine-

motor coordination) by doing some simple sorting (making piles of pennies,nickels, quarters, and so on) and counting (e.g., How many pennies do youhave?). (Note: for the over-three crowd only, please; coins can be a chokinghazard.)For Spellers: Emergingwriters have the ability to count theirmoney, write

amountsintheirledger,andperformsimplecalculationsusingacalculator.For Storytellers: Storytellers can include some more information in their

ledgerabout financialgoals (saving for a trip to themovies? looking tobuyanewtoy?).ForScholars:EntrepreneurialScholarscanactuallycomeupwithsomeideas

toearnmoneyviaasmallbusiness.Theirledgerswillbeinvaluabletoventuressuchas creatinga lemonade stand, sellinghandmadegoods,orhostingabakesale.

28

TelephoneMessages

HAVEVOICEMAIL, answeringmachines, andcaller ID rendered thegood,old-fashionedphonemessageobsolete?Aremessagememopadsgoingthewayoftherotaryphone?Let’shopenot!There’s a certain skill involved in relating a phone message. Do you

remember playing Telephone, the game, as a kid? One person whispered amessageintheearofthepersonnexttohim,andsoonandsoon,downtheline,until the last person announced what she heard. Chances are, by the time itreached the end of the line, the final message bore little resemblance to theoriginal.Whenkidsarechallengedtotranscribeaphonecall,theylearntofocusonthemostrelevantinformationwhilefilteringouttheextraneousstuff.Youngwritersneedtomasterthiskindofinformationprocessingtopreparethemselvesfortherigorsofnotetakingatschool,andinlife.Themoretheygettodoit,thelessthatgetslostintranslation.Getthemessage?

MATERIALS∗memopad,astackofphonemessageslips(see“PhoneMessageSlip”inthetemplatessection),orafancyphonemessagebook(availableatofficesupplystores)∗pencil

HOW-TO1.Teachchildrenhowtoanswerthephoneandaskrelevantquestionssuchas,“MayIaskwhoiscalling?”and“MayItakeamessage?”2.Placeaphonemessagepadalongsideacentrallylocatedphoneorcordlessdockingstation.3. Establishaplacetoleavephonemessageswherefamilymemberscaneasilyfindthem.

Variations ForScribblers:Littleonescanpracticetheirskillsbyplayingmessenger.Havethemcommunicatesimplemessagesfromonefamilymember toanother(suchas,“PleasetellyourbrotherthatCharlieiscomingovertoplay”).Whentheycanrememberone-partmessages,challengethemwithtwo-partmessages(suchas,“Tellhimwe’rehavingspaghettifordinner,anditwillbereadyintenminutes”).Allthispracticeusingtheirworkingmemorywillcomeinhandywhenitcomestimeforwriting.For Spellers: Emerging writers can prepare for reallive message taking by

practicingwiththeirpretendphones(orsomeoldcellphonesyouhavesavedforplay)andasmallmemopad.Forexample,youmightask themtowritedowntheLittleLeaguecoach’sphonenumberortakeamessageforDaddyremindinghimtofixtheleakysinkwhenhegetshomefromwork.ForStorytellers:Storytellers are ready for some serious lessons (and lots of

practice) in phone etiquette. They need to master the give-and-take ofconversation in order to listen to and transcribe someone else’s words, inbetweensharingtheirownlittlestories.ForScholars:YourScholarsprobablyhaveenoughskillsbynowtoruntheir

ownswitchboard!Takeadvantageoftheopportunitytosay,“Holdallmycalls!”whenyouneedabreakfromansweringthephoneyourself.

29

AutographBook

SORRY, I COULDN’T HELP IT. The very thought of passing an autograph bookaroundonamomentousoccasionmakesmeallnostalgic.Not just to be reserved for celebrity signatures, autograph books are a

wonderful,writing-filledway to commemorate amilestone.Circulate one at aspecial event, andeveryonecanget a chance towrite theirbestwishes, funnyquips, and favorite memories. After everyone has signed, the books becomekeepsakestocherish.Whenthey’refull,sequestertheminasafespot.Youandyourchildrenwilllovepullingthemoutatalaterdateandporingthroughalltheentries.

MATERIALS∗store-boughtorhandmadeautographbook∗pencil

HOW-TOCelebrate special occasions by circulating an autograph book andaskingeveryonetowritesomethingspecialinside.Yourchildrenwilllearntoexpresstheirownthoughtsbyfollowingtheexampleoffamilyand friends.Thiscanbecomea lovely ritual thatmay result in somereallyspecialwrittenkeepsakes.

Variations For Scribblers: Encourage your Scribbler to “sign” the autograph book bymakingtheirownmarksonapage,andpossiblydictatingathoughtortwo.ForSpellers: Spellers can sign their name in the autograph book and add a

coupleofwordsoradrawing.ForStorytellers:Storytellerscanwritesomesimplesentiments,sillysayings,

aspecialmemory,orasweetstory.ForScholars:Thereisalonghistorybehindautographbooks,whichdateback

to the fifteenth century. Scholars might get a kick out of doing some simpleresearchtofindoutiftheirparents,auntsanduncles,orgrandparentsrememberwritinginautographbooksaschildren,andwhattheirfavoriteentrywas.

30

OnceUponaTime

IMAGINATIONIS thegreatestnaturalresourceofchildhood.Asluckwouldhaveit,itisalsooneofthemostindispensabletoolsofawriter.Children are perfectly suited for creating engaging stories, tall tales, and

fanciful fiction. Just think about it.Theyhave an amazing sense ofwonder; apropensityto thinkinmetaphor;asensitivitytorhythm,rhyme,andrepetition;andanenormouscapacityformakingthingsup.Infact,it’sactuallymucheasiertoteachchildrenhowtothinklikewritersthanitistoteachseasonedwriterstorememberhowtobeascreativeaschildren.When it comes to spinning a yarn, kids are at a definite advantage. Simply

startasentencewith,“Onceuponatime...”andwaitforthemtotakeover.Bythetimetheygetto“Theend,”you’llknowexactlywhatImean.

MATERIALS∗somefavoritebooks∗paper∗pencil

HOW-TO1. Readafewsimplestorieswithyourchildrenanddiscusssomeofthechoicestheauthormade.Howdidthestorybegin?Whowerethecharacters?Wheredid it takeplace?What is themost exciting thingthathappened?Howdidtheauthorwrapupeverythingintheend?2.Brainstormwithyourchildrensomeideasforstoriesoftheirown.3.Whenyouseetheireyeslightupaboutanidea,pulloutpaperandpencil,andhelpthemgetstarted.

Variations ForScribblers:Gettingpre-writersaccustomedtostoriescouldn’tbesimpler.

Read,read,read.Listeningtotherhythmofstoriesisthebestpossibleprepforthemtowritestoriesoftheirownsomeday.ForSpellers:Emergingwritersgetabigkickoutof fill-in-the-blankstories.

They can make important decisions about the twists and turns of the story,withouthavingtotacklethewholethingallatonce(forasample,see“Fill-in-the-BlankStory”inthetemplatessection).ForStorytellers:As their name suggests, Storytellers are perfectly suited to

thischallenge. Justgive themasmall stackofpaperandsome lovingsupport,andthenadmireallthestoriestheycrankout.For Scholars: Young authors-in-training can begin to consider some of the

more technical aspects of writing a story, such as the parts of a story(introduction,body,andconclusion),characterdevelopment,andsetting.

31

PoeticLicense

IFYOUREALLYWANTtogetchildren’screativewritingjuicesflowing,introducethem to the art of poetry. Poems capture a child’s innermost thoughts in asurprisinglyeloquentway.Maybethat’sbecausepoetryisalittlemoreplayful.Ittendstodancearoundthepage.It’slesslinear,morerhythmic,andhasfunlittlepatternstofollow.Itinviteschildren’sbrainstothinkoutsidetheboxabit,andIthinktheyappreciatethat.Writingapoemshouldbecarefreeand lighthearted, likeskipping insteadof

walking, eating dessert before dinner, or bursting into song. Tapping into achild’s senseofplay isnot just fun, it’s functionalaswell.Whenchildrencanrelax and enjoy themselves, they are better able to engage both sides of theirbrain.Thecreativerightsideofthebrainisactivatedatthesametimethelogicalleft side is, making poetry a whole-brain writing workout. And without evenbreakingasweat!Whoknew?

MATERIALS∗paperornotebook∗pencil∗coloredpencils

HOW-TO1. First off, read somepoetrywithyour child. (Weenjoyed startingwithShelSilversteinande. e. cummingsaroundhere.)Don’tdo toomuchexplainingatfirst;trytolettheversesspeakforthemselves.2. Sit downwith your child andwrite a first poem together, takingturnswritinglines.Justseewhereitgoes.3. Introduceyour child todifferent formsofpoetry (someofwhicharedescribednext),andencouragethemtowritepoemsoftheirown.4. Have a poetry reading, where your children get to recite their

poemsoutloudinfrontofthefamily.

Variations ForScribblers:Introducepre-writerstothepatternofpoetrybyshowingthemhow tomake any sort of repeatingpatternwith their scribbles.Try alternatingtwocolors,lineswithcurves,orzigzagswithloopdeloops.Thispreparesthemforsomeoftherulesofpoetrytheywilllearnlateron.ForSpellers:Spellersarewell-suited to tryingoutwhat iscalledanacrostic

poem.Theychooseasignificantword,andthenwriteitverticallydowntheleftsideofthepage,oneletteroneachline.Thenaftereachletter,theywriteaword(orwords) thatbeginswith that letter,which isalso related to their significantword.

MakesmecookiesOodlesofkissesMagnificent

Storytellers:Whodoesn’tloveahaiku?I’msureStorytellerswill.Haikusare

three-linedpoemsfeaturingseventeensyllables,fiveinthefirstline,seveninthesecond,andfiveinthethird.Somethinglikethis:

FirstofNovemberDarknesscomesmuchtooearlyWhenyou’replayingball.

Scholars: Limericks have a distinct rhythm and rhyme (best illustrated by

readingoutloud)andapropensityforsilliness.They’remykindofpoem!(Oh,andkidslovethemtoo.)IstillrememberoneIwroteinthefourthgradethatIwasparticularlyproudof:

ThereoncewasamanfromYonkersWhoreallywasquitebonkersHelovedtodanceTorunandtopranceAndwhenhefelldownhewentclonkers.

NeedIsaymore?

Play

Play is the work of kids. Don’t let all of that fun fool you. Someserious skill building, learning, and, yes, hard work goes on whilechildren are at play.And do youwant to knowwhat’s the best partabout it? Playful activities are so irresistible, kids don’t even knowthey’re educational. (Come to think about it, let’s keep that part asecret,justbetweenus.)It’sperfectlyokaytoletthemthinkit’sallfunandgames.Weknow

better.Weknowthatsomesurreptitioussetuponourpartcangoalongway toward making playtime a little more purposeful. We cancapitalize on the fact that our kids are at their creative bestwhile atplay, by slipping some writing props in among their toys, andsuggesting some bright ideas for adding somewriting to the playfulmix.Asastartingpoint,checkoutthenextgroupofactivities,whichfeaturetheperfectblendoffunctionandfun.

32

PriorityMail

PEOPLE ARE CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING about how the price of stamps keepsgoing up.Me, I don’tmind. Callme a throwback, but I have a great deal ofappreciation for theUSPS.Slip an envelope into amailbox, and it gets hand-deliveredtoanyone,anywhere,inthewholecountry,inmeredays.Forlessthanacoupleofquarters.Soundslikeabargaintome.Kidsshareasimilarrespectforallthingspostal.Theyseeabitofmagicwhen

aletterdisappearsinamailboxandisreceivedbyafarawayfriendorrelation.And when a response shows up on their own doorstep days later, well, thatcertainlygetstheirstampofapproval.Encourage your kids to have fun with postal pretend play, to pique their

interest in future letterwriting (whichwewilldiscuss inmoredetail lateron).Fornow,let thembeinchargeofdeliveringthegoods,whatevertheymaybe.Remember, when you’re a kid there’s no such thing as junk mail, and everydeliveryisspecial.

MATERIALS∗emptypostalboxes(orshoeboxes)∗scissors∗junkmail∗paper∗pencils∗postcards∗envelopes∗stampsorstickers∗stampersandinkpad∗postalformsandstickers∗blanklabels∗over-the-shoulderbag∗mailcarrierdress-upclothes(optional)

HOW-TO1.Helpyourkidssetuptheirownpersonalpostoffice.2. Turnemptyboxes intomailboxesbycuttinganarrowopening toslipinletters.Youcanmakeonemailboxforeachfamilymember,ifyouchoose.3.Encourageyourkidstowritesomeletters.Thentheycanaddress,stuff, seal, and stamp the envelopes; use stamps to “postmark” themail;andfilloutpostalforms.4. Kids can play letter carrier by filling up their mailbag and thendeliveringletterstotherightmailbox.

Variations ForScribblers:Youcanmakesomenameandaddresslabelsforpre-writerstoaffix to theirenvelopes.Then theycanscribble,stuff, stick,seal,andstamptotheirheart’sdelight.For Spellers: Let emerging writers play with some large-sized manila

envelopes,sotheyhavemorespacetowritethenamestheyknow.ForStorytellers:Storytellerscanpracticefoldinglettersneatly,slippingthem

in envelopes, sealing them up, and “addressing” them to real or imaginaryfriends. They may also want to add words and phrases such as, “SpecialDelivery,” “Fragile,” “This End Up,” “Confidential,” “Urgent,” or “Return toSender.”For Scholars: Make a small address book or card file with the names and

addresses of Scholars’ friends and family. Then teach them the properpositioningofalltheinformationonanenvelope.They’lltakeitfromthere.

33

TheOffice

LITTLEKIDSHAVEBIG PLANS. So naturally, they’re pretty comfortablewith thethought of climbing the corporate ladder, even at a young age. Newbie VIPsquicklygetthehangofpushingpaper,sortingfiles,andholdingmeetings.Andneed I mention that corporate bigwigs do some big-time writing? Draftingmemos,signingpaychecks,writingreports,andcomposingcontracts isall inaday’s work for young entrepreneurs. In fact, if you set them up with a nice,cushycorporatespace(preferablyacorneroffice,withaview),youmight justfindthemmindingtheirownbusinessfromninetofive.

MATERIALS∗paperorlegalpad∗stickynotes∗indexcards∗businesscards∗letterhead(seethechapteron“TheWriteStuff”)∗pensandpencils∗stampersandinkpad∗filefolders∗inandoutbox∗oldcomputerkeyboardorlaptop∗oldtelephoneortoyphone∗briefcase∗officeattirefordress-up:blazers,neckties,highheels,andsoon(optional)

HOW-TO1.Tostartthisplayscenariooffright,makeanameplate.Thinkalongthe lines of “Ms. Smith” or “Mr. Jones” with “The Boss” written

underneath.2. Showkids how towrite, shuffle, stamp, sort, file, and otherwiseattendtooffice-relatedpaperwork.

Variations ForScribblers:Pretendit’syourpre-writer’sfirstdayonthejob.Givethemalittleorientationtotheoffice,andletthemobserveyouatworktogettheidea.ForSpellers:Spellersareparticularlyfondofsigningtheirnamesonanyand

all important documents andof turning index cards intopersonalizedbusinesscards.ForStorytellers:Storytellersarereadytolearnaboutmemos.Showthemhow

to fill out the“To:”and“From:”and“Re:” (short for regarding) sections, andtheycanwriteimportantdirectivesfromthebossbelowthat(see“Memo”inthetemplatessection).For Scholars: In addition to memos, scholarly CEOs can practice writing

agendas,meetingminutes, annual reports (don’t forget thepie chart!), payroll,budgets,estimates,invoices,brochures,contracts,andpinkslips.

34

PrivateEye

LIFEISFULLOFMYSTERIES.Whoforgottoputtheircoffeecupinthesink?Whotracked muddy footprints all over the house? Who took Dad’s screwdriver?WheredidMomleaveherkeys?Littlesleuthsaremorethanwillingtotrackdowncluestosolveeventhemost

perplexingofpuzzles.Andhowdotheymanagetorememberalltheevidence?Bywritingitdown,ofcourse.Whetherit’sawhodunitorawhathappenedorawherediditgo, pint-sized private eyes can record all the clues in their pocketnotepaduntilthecaseisclosed.

MATERIALS∗flip-topmemopad∗pencil∗magnifyingglass∗spygear:trenchcoat,hat,sunglasses,newspaper(forhidingbehind)

HOW-TOShowkidshowtoobserveinconspicuously,gatherevidence,andhuntforclues.Everyleadtheyfindshouldbewrittendownintheir trustymemopad.

Variations For Scribblers: Pre-writers can practice looking at things through theirmagnifyingglassesandscribblingintheirmemopadswhentheyseesomethingofinterest.For Spellers: With a little direction from you, Spellers can look for some

clues,scavenger-huntstyle,bycheckingoffitemsonachecklist.ForStorytellers:Storytellerscanjotdowncluesintheirmemopadsandmake

notesaboutanysuspiciousbehaviortheyobserve.

For Scholars: When there’s a real mystery to solve, who ya gonna call?Scholars.Whenthere’sanactualprobleminneedofsolving(think:socksgoingmissing in the dryer, a strange unidentified beeping sound, someone orsomething knocking over your garden gnome), encourage your Scholars toconductinterviews,collectandlabelevidence,andcanvassthewitnesses.

35

What’sUpDoc?

KIDS LOVE TO PLAY DOCTOR. Helping someone to feel better, whether yourpatientisapretendingparentoraninjuredstuffedanimal,isempowering.Plus,it’sgoodtobeontheothersideoftheexamtableforonce.Callingtheshots,sotospeak.Youmaywant to point out to your kids that doctors domore than listen to

heartbeats,testreflexes,andsay,“Openupandsay,‘Aaah.’”Theyalsowriteinpatient charts, write prescriptions, and write down care instructions. Miniphysicians can do the samewhen they play doctor. I knowevery time I get aprescriptionfor“Taketwohugsandkissesandcallmeinthemorning,”Ican’thelpbutfeelallbetter.It’samiraclecure!

MATERIALS∗blankpaperorcopiesofamedicalcharttemplate(see“MedicalChart”inthetemplatessection)∗manilafolder∗stapler∗flip-toppadorcopiesofaprescriptiontemplate(see“Prescription”inthetemplatessection)∗scissors∗alphabetstickersorstamperswithaninkpad∗largepieceofpaper∗paperstrips(forhospitalbracelets)∗tape∗doctorkit(optional)∗doctordress-up:scrubs,labcoat,mask,rubbergloves(optional)

HOW-TO1. Helpkidsmakeamedical chartbyplacinga fewpagesofblank

paper (or copies of “Medical Chart” template) inside a manila filefolder, on the right-hand side. Attach the paper using two or threestaplesalongthetopedge.2.Copyandcutoutseveralcopiesoftheprescriptiontemplate.Turnthemintoasmallpadbystaplingthemtogetheratthetop.3. Set up doctor’s office props and find some patients to examine(friends, siblings, parents, and stuffed animals can usually use somemedicalcare).4.Encourageyourchildrentoobserveandexaminepatientsandwritetheirfindingsandrecommendations.

Variations ForScribblers: Scribblers can create an eye chart for their pretend doctor’sofficebyusingfinemotor-friendlyalphabetstickersorstamperstomakelettersonalargepieceofpaper.Andwhilepretendingtotestvision,theyaregettingalessoninletteridentificationaswell.For Spellers: In addition to writing simple prescriptions, Spellers enjoy

makinghospitalbraceletsbywritingpatientnameson thinstripsofpaper,andthenattachingthemtotheirpatients’wristswithapieceoftape.ForStorytellers:Storytellers can recordbasicpatient information in a chart,

suchasheightandweight,complaints,anddoctorrecommendations.ForScholars: Premed students (ImeanScholars) can recordmore technical

information, such as temperature (expressed in degrees), heartbeat (howmanybeats per minute, or BPM), and blood pressure (written as a ratio, such as110/80).

36

FoodforThought

IT’S AGE-OLD WRITING ADVICE: write what you know. And what child doesn’tknowfood?Associatingwritingwitharegulardailyactivity,likemealtime,isanexcellent

way forkids toget theirwritingchops.Sincemealshappen three timesaday,everyday,practice isessentiallyguaranteed.Andalthoughyoumaystill insistthatyou’renotashort-ordercook,turningthekitchenintoapretendrestaurantmayseemmuchmorepalatabletoyouwhenyouseehowitinspiresyourkidstowrite.Aspiringrestaurateursdoabunchofwriting,including:

menusspecialsofthedayordersreceiptsshoppinglistsrecipesopen/closedsignsrestroomsigns

Whew.That’salotofwriting.Goodthingtheywillhavesomesustenanceto

keepthemgoingwhiletheywork.

MATERIALS∗cardstock(formenusandsigns)∗flip-topnotepadorcopiesoftheguestchecktemplate(see“GuestCheck”inthetemplatessection)∗pencil∗markersorcrayons∗chalkboard

∗chalk∗foodandkitchengadgets(orpretendfoodandaccessoriesfromaplaykitchen)∗tablecloth∗potholders∗waiterattire,apron,chef’shat(optional)

HOW-TO1.Helpyourchildrencreatemenus,takeorders,andwritechecksforrealandpretendmeals.2. Show your children how to post the specials of the day on achalkboardorbycreatingasign.3. If your children serve you something particularly delicious,encouragethemtowritetherecipeonarecipecard.(Myfavoritekidconcoctionatthemomentissardinesoup.Yum!)

Variations ForScribblers:Scribblerslovetoscribbleordersonaflip-topmemopad,justliketheyseethewaitersdoingattheirfavoriterestaurant.For Spellers: Spellers are ready towrite simplemenus, take orders, fill the

ordersintheirpretendkitchen,andservethem.ForStorytellers:TheritualsoffinediningreallyappealtoStorytellers.They

love to dress the part, spread out a tablecloth, set the table, announce thespecials,andservethefoodwithflair.ForScholars: Scholars canwrite their own cookbooks, full of the best real,

make-believe,orwackyrecipestheyhavecreated.

37

(Un)BoredGame

THISISTHEPERFECTACTIVITYtopulloutofyourbagoftricksthenexttimeyouhearthatinevitablelament,“I’mbored.”Whetherornotyourkidsappreciatetheplayonwords,suggestthataboardgamemaybethesolution.Butwe’renotjusttalking about any old board game here. We’re talking about an unbearablyexciting, one-of-a-kind, custom, homemade, DIY board game. Who couldn’thelpbutbeenthusedbythat?Combineonepartcreativitywithonepartcompetition, stir insomestrategy

andalotofluck,whipitalltogetherwithsomewriting,andyougetarecipeforanentertaining(anddecidedlyun-boring)activity.

MATERIALS∗pizzaboxorlargepieceofoaktag∗scissors∗markers∗indexcards∗smallobjectsortokens(forgamepieces)

HOW-TOMAKE1. Cut the topoffapizzabox,orusea largepieceofoak tag tomakeagameboard.2. Draw a path around the game boardwithmarkers. Indicate places tostartandfinish.Dividethepathupintomanysmallindividualsquares.3. Placesomeobstaclesandlandmarksaroundthegameboard,alongsideyourpath.4. Writedirectionsonindexcards,suchas“Moveforwardthreespaces,”“Gobackfivespaces,”“ReturntoStart,”“Oops.You’restuckat(nameofobstacle),”or“Moveaheadto(nameoflandmark).”

HOW-TOPLAY1.Stackalltheindexcards,writingsidedown,inatidypileandplacethemnexttothegameboard.2.Playersplacetheirgamepiecesonthestartingspot.3.Playersthentaketurnschoosingacardfromthetopofthepileandfollowingthedirectionsaswritten.4.Thefirstplayertoreachthefinishisthewinner.

Variations ForScribblers:Scribblerswillneedsomehelpmakingasimplegameboard,preferablywithastraightpath.Usingbingomarkers, showthemhowtomakegamecardsbyeithermakingonedotortwodotsoneachcardtoindicatehowmanyspacesaplayershouldmove.Themakingandplayinghelpdevelopfine-motorskillsandeye-handcoordination.Fun!ForSpellers:Spellerscanwriteonewordoneachgamecard,andcanmove

theirpiecesbyspellingthewordandmovingonespotforeachletter.ForStorytellers:CreativeStorytellersmay enjoy choosing a theme for their

games—such as pirate adventure, dinosaur land, or enchanted garden—andwritingmoredetailed(andcreative)instructions.ForScholars: Scholars can create game boardswith complex paths, smaller

spaces,trickierdirections,andmorechallengingobstacles.

38

FishTales

PEOPLEWHOFISHtellgreatstories,especiallyabouttheonethatgotaway.Kidshaveaknackfortellingfishtalestoo.Sonaturally,theywilllovecreatingtheirownfishinggameandseeingwhatfun letters,words,andstories theycanreelin.Anaddedbenefitof“fishing”forwritingideasisthatkidsdeveloptheireye-

handcoordinationwhiletheypracticetheirstorytellingskills.Andsincethey’rehavingablast,theydon’trealizethey’redoingiteither.Themoretheyplay,thebettertheirskillsget,andthemorelikelythey’llgethooked.Nowthat’sagamethat’sdefinitelyakeeper.

MATERIALS∗string∗scissors∗ring-shapedmagnet(availableinmosthardwarestores)∗smalldowel(s),abouttwelveincheslong∗tape∗cardstockorindexcards∗holepunch∗paperclips∗markers

(Note: this activity is suited for the over-three crowd only, asmagnets andpaperclipsposeachokinghazard.)

HOW-TO1.Cutalengthofstringabouteighteenincheslong.Tiearingmagnetsecurelytooneend.Wraptheotherendofthestringaroundoneendofadowelseveraltimesandtieaknot.Secureitwithtape.2.Cutfishshapes,aboutfourincheslong,outofthecardstock.

3.Punchaholenearthefish’sheadwithaholepunch.Insertapaperclipintoeachhole.4.Labeleachfishwithaletterofthealphabetoraword.5. Place the fishon the floor.Then,haveyourchildhold thedowelfishingpole,withthemagnetendofthestringhangingdown,andtryto“catch”afish.

Variations ForScribblers:Thisisanamazinggametoplaywithpre-writerswhoarejustlearningletteridentification.Whentheyhavemasteredthewholealphabet,theycanfishforthelettersintheirname.ForSpellers:Spellerscanfishforalphabet letters tospellout thewordsthat

theyknow.ForStorytellers: Storytellers are ready to fish forwords, and then they can

combinetheircatchestomakesillysentences.ForScholars:Scholarscanusethisgametofishforletterstospelloutspelling

words,ortheycanfishforvocabularywordsanddefinethemastheyreelthemin.

39

InvisibleInk

LEARNINGHOWTOSENDsecretmessagesisoneofthoseactivitiesthathasarealwowfactorforkids.Theyfeelallstealthywhentheydeliverablankpagetotheonly confidante who knows the trick to revealing its hiddenwords. Kids canextendthefunbystashingamessageinanenvelopemarked“Classified,”“TopSecret,”or“Confidential.”Theycanalsodeliveramessageinafurtive,cloak-and-dagger fashion to heighten the suspense. Just like real secret agents do.(Onlywithoutthe“Thismessagewillself-destructintenseconds”warning.Thatmaybesomewhatexcessive.)

MATERIALS∗water∗bakingsoda∗smallcup∗cottonswabs∗paper∗paintbrush∗purplegrapejuice(juicefromconcentrateworksbest)∗whitecrayon∗watercolorpaint

HOW-TO1.Make“ink”bymixingonepartwaterandonepartbakingsodainasmallcup.2. Dip a cotton swab in the mixture and use it to write a secretmessageonthepaper.Letitdry.3.Whenyou’rereadyforthemessagetoberevealed,“paint”overitwiththegrapejuice.

Variations ForScribblers:Aniceintro-to-invisible-inkactivityforpre-writersisreferredto as “crayon resist.” Have your little ones scribble all over a piece of whitepaperwithawhitecrayon.Thentheycanpaintthepaperwithwatercolorsandwatchtheirinvisiblelinesappear.For Spellers: Spellers can stick to writing one or two simple (yet secret)

words.For Storytellers and Scholars: Storytellers and Scholars can write more

involvedmessages.

40

SecretCodes

NOWYOUKNOWyourABCs,buthowaboutyourAlpha,Bravo,Charlies?Secretcodeshavebeenusedforcenturiestorelayprivilegedinformation.The

premiseissimple:Asymbol,sound,orgestureisusedtorepresentaletterofthealphabet.Akey,showingwhichsymbolstandsforwhichletter,isoftenusedtodecipherthemessage.You can encourage young writers to have fun “writing” messages with

alternativealphabetssuchasthemilitaryalphabet,Morsecode,nauticalflags,orsignlanguage.Or they can create a secret code of their own by using the secret code

worksheet included in the templates section at the back of the book (whichbecomesthekeytofiguringoutwhat’swhat).

MATERIALS∗paper∗pencil∗crayons∗militaryalphabet,Morsecode,orsecretcodeworksheet

HOW-TO1. Kids can choose a ready-made code and “spell” out a secretmessageusingsymbolsinplaceofletters.2. Or kids can create their own code, by putting a symbol, shape,picture, number, or different letter in each box of the secret codeworksheet.When theyhavefilled in theboxes, theycanrefer to thiskeywhentheyarewritingtheirmessages.3.Remindkidstogiveacopyofthekeytothemessagerecipients,sotheirpalscanuseittocrackthecode.

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerscancreateapretendcodeofdotsanddashesorXsandOs arranged in a pattern. Pattern recognition is an important precursor tolearninghowtospell.For Spellers: Spellers love to figure out how to write their names using a

secret code. Once they master doing this using one code, they can try othercodes,ortheycanencryptthenamesoffriendsandfamilymembers.ForStorytellers:Storytellersare ready towriteshortmessagesusingacode.

Theywill also enjoydecodingmessagesyou (or their secret spy friends) sendtheminreturn.For Scholars: Scholars are ready to make a complex code substituting one

letter for another, using numbers to stand for letters, or inventing their owncreativeglyphstorepresenteachletter.

41

Fortune-Tellers

WHENCURIOUSKIDSwanttoknowwhatfatehasinstoreforthem,theylettheirfingersdo the talking.Cheaper thanapsychic,handier thanacrystalball, lesscryptic than a horoscope, a classic paper fortune-teller tells all.Thebest part?It’s customizable at a whim. Are your kids itching to know if they’ll win amilliondollars,iftheirteacherwillgiveapopquiz,orwhowillsitnexttothemon the bus? Tell them to ask the fortune-teller, and they can let their futureunfoldbeforetheireyes.(Oh,andbytheway,Ipredictthatkids’fine-motorskillswillgetaworkoutas

wellwiththisone.)

MATERIALS∗paper∗scissors∗pencil∗crayonsorcoloredpencils

HOW-TOMAKE1.Startwithastandardpieceofpaper.Takethetoprightcornerandfolditdownso that the topedgeof thepaper linesupexactlywith the left-handsideofthepaper.2. Cut off the extra flapof paper on thebottomwith scissors tomake asquare.3.Unfoldthepaperandmakeacreasealongtheotherdiagonal.Unfoldthepaperagain(yourcreasesshouldmakeanXonthepage).4. FoldeachcornerofthesquaredownsothattheymeetinthecenteroftheX.Younowhaveasmallersquare.5.Turnyoursmallersquareover.Foldeachcornerofthesquaredown,likeyoudidbefore,sothattheymeetinthemiddleagain.

6. Writeanyeight lettersof thealphabeton thesmall trianglesyouhavecreated around the square. Then lift the triangles up and write eightfortunes,oneoneachsmalltriangle.7. After writing the fortunes, fold the flaps back down and crease thesquareverticallyandhorizontally.8. Turn thepaperoverandwrite thenameofacoloroneach square (orcoloreachsquarewithadifferentcolorcrayon).9. Whenyou’redone,slipthethumbandindexfingerofonehandundertwo colored squares, and the thumb and index finger of your other handundertheothertwo.Gentlypinchandpressallfourcornersinward,sotheymeetinthemiddle.

HOW-TOPLAY1.Twoplayersarerequired:afortuneseekerandafortune-teller.2. The fortune seeker chooses a color. The child holding the paperfortune-tellerspellsoutthecolorwhilealternatelyopeningandclosingthepaperfortune-tellerinverticalandhorizontaldirections.3. Next the fortune seeker chooses a letter.The fortune-teller opensand closes the paper fortune-teller as they both say all the alphabetlettersuptothechosenletter(for,example,ifyouchoosetheletterG,thefortune-tellerwouldopenandclose thepaperfortune-tellerwhilesaying,“A,B,C,D,E,F,G”).4. The fortune seeker chooses a final letter. The child holding thepaper fortune-teller lifts the flap corresponding to the chosen letter,andthenreadsthefortuneoutloud.5.Goodluck!

Variations For Scribblers: Instead of writing out color names on a square, have yourScribblerscribbleeachsquarewithadifferentcolorcrayon.ForSpellers:Spellerscanwritethelettersonthesquares,andtheywillhavea

blastwithallthealphacountinginvolved.For Storytellers: Storytellers will enjoy making up elaborate fortunes.

Encouragethemtobeconciseandtoself-editinordertofittheirbigideasintosuchatinyspace.ForScholars:Scholarscanshowofftheirsophisticatedwritingtechniquesby

making the words on the paper fortune-teller ornate, and they can write the

fortunesincursiveiftheyknowhow.

42

TreasureHunt

THERE’S NO BETTERWAY to turn a dull day into a delight than by creating animpromptu treasure hunt. Around here, anytime we have something a littlespecial to give someone,we secret it away, and then get toworkwriting andhidinghintstolocateit.Thewaywelookatit,theonlythingbetterthangettinganunexpectedgiftisfindingitbyfollowingcleverclues.Huntingforthebootyisirresistiblyfun;it’sworthitsweightingold!

MATERIALS∗littletrinket,treasure,orfunobject∗scrappaper∗pencil

HOW-TO1.Thebestwaytoorganizeatreasurehuntisbyworkingbackward.First,hidethetreasure.2.Next,writeacluetoleadsomeonetothespotwherethetreasureishidden.Then,hidethisclue.3.Writeacluethatleadssomeonetothespotwhereyouhidthelastclue.Continuehidingandwritingcluesuntilyoufeelyouarefinished.Handthe lastclueyouwrite to thepersonwhomyouaresendingonthehunt.

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerscangetintothetreasurehuntspirit(andgivetheirlittlefingersaworkout)byhelpingtofoldupthecluesniceandsmall.For Spellers: Spellers can write simple, one-word clues, such as “couch,”

“bed,”“bathtub,”or“closet.”For Storytellers: Storytellers can write more detailed clues, such as “Go to

yourbookshelf.Lookinsideyourfavoritebook.”ForScholars:Scholars canwrite clues in the formof riddles: “Lookbehind

somethingsoft,fuzzy,andbear-shapedthatlivesonyourbed.”

Connect

Quite possibly the coolest thing about writing is its ability to makemeaningful connections among people. Think about it. Writingliterally has thepower to transcend time and space.You canwrite aletterorsendapostcardtopeopleontheothersideoftheworld.Youcantellthemwhatyou’rethinking,evenifyoucan’tmeetfacetoface.Theycanreadyourwords,andthenrereadthemaweekfromnow,amonthfromnow,orayear fromnow.Aconversation is fleeting,butcorrespondencecanbetimeless.Thenagain,writingisalsoawonderfulwaytoconnectinthehere

andnow.Slippeopleanote,andtheycanholdyourthoughtsrightinthepalmoftheirhands.Nearorfar,encourageyourkidstousetheirwritingskillstobuildrelationships.Usethetime-honoredfavoritesinthenextsectionasaguide,andtakeitfromthere.

43

MessageinaBottle

MYHUSBANDandIonceoverheardamantellingsomefriendsaboutacruisehehadjustreturnedfrom,duringwhichhevisitedan“uninhibitedisland.”Aslipofthetongue,perhaps,butwhatapictureitbroughttomind!Writingisfullofinhibitions,nottheleastofwhichis,“Whatwillpeoplethink

of what I wrote?” So before children can get comfortable expressing theirinnermost thoughts, dreams, and wishes to someone they know, sometimes ithelpstowritetoafriendoftheimaginaryvarietyfirst.Imagine howmuch easier it is to write down your true feelings when you

pictureyourselfaloneonanuninhibitedisland,writingtoaperfectstranger.Andalthough we won’t be throwing these bottles into the sea anytime soon (notexactlyanenvironmentallysoundchoice,thesedays),youcancertainlymakeaspecial spot inyourchildren’s rooms, for theirmessages inabottle.Andwhoknows,maybeonedaythey’llwanttosharethecontentswithyouorsomeoneelsewhomtheytrust.Butuntilthen,keepalidonit,sotospeak.(Andmaybetucksomeofyoursecretwishesintoabottleofyourown.)

MATERIALS∗paper∗pen∗emptybottle∗bottlecaporcork

HOW-TO1.Encourageyourchildrentoimaginethattheyarebythemselves,onasecretislandthatnooneknowsaboutbutthem,writingamessagetoa perfect stranger. Tell them it can contain their innermost feelings,dreams, wishes . . . whatever special thought they might want topreserveforposterity.

2. Show themhow to rollup the finishedmessage,and then tuck itintoabottle.Sealthebottletightly.Ceremoniouslyplacethebottleinaspecialspot,fortheireyesonly.

Variations For Scribblers: Pre-writers can get their feet wet with this activity bypracticingathome.Givethemscrapsofpaperandsomeplasticbottles to tucktheirscribblesinto.ForSpellers:Spellersmightsimplywant to tuck theirname intoabottle,or

theymightincludethenamesofeveryoneinthefamily.For Storytellers: Storytellers will find this one irresistible. Let their

imaginationsrunwildastheytell their tales,documenttheirdreams,andwritetheirwishes.ForScholars:Scholarscanapproachthisscientifically,asifthebottlewerea

timecapsule.Theymightincludethedate,theirgeographiclocation,informationaboutcurrentevents,andpredictionsforthefuture.

44

LetterWriting

ASACHILD I felt compelled towrite lettersaboutalmostanything.WhenmyfamilywasplanningatriptotheGrandCanyon,IsentanotetothesenatorofArizonatellinghimtoexpectmyarrival.IwrotetotheeditorofTimemagazineto object to the computer being named “Man of the Year.” And I will neverforget my tear-stained letter to the president of the United States that asked,“Whydogerbilshavetodie?”Whenkidshavesomethingtosay,aletter’sagreatwaytosayit.Thebeauty

ofaletteristhatitallowsthemthetimetocomposetheirthoughtsandgettotheheartofthematterinawaythataconversationmightnot.Itcanalsobesavedandreread,whichmakesitevenmorespecial.Letterwritingisalsoaproductivemeansofself-expression.Ithelpschildren

channel their ideas and emotions in a positiveway.Excitement, disagreement,evensadnesscanbeprocessedonthepage.Andwhenkidsreceivearesponsetotheirletter-writingefforts,itmakesitsincerelyworthwhile.

MATERIALS∗paper,stationery,orletterhead(seethechapteron“TheWriteStuff”)∗pencil∗envelope∗stamp∗blanklabels∗PartsofaLettersheet(see“PartsofaLetter”inthetemplatessection)

HOW-TO1. Firstshowchildrenletter-writingbasics,suchasstartingletterstofriendsorfamilywithDear____,andendingthemwithLove,____.What’sthebestwaytoteachthis?Havethemwatchyouwritealetter—tothem!

2.Whenyoufinishwritingyourletter,don’tgiveittothem!Instead,keep goingwith the demo. Put the letter in an envelope and seal it,write their name and address on the envelope, add your name andreturnaddress,andputonastamp.3. Thentakea trip together to themailboxandsendthe letteronitsway.4.Whentheyfinallygettheirletter,afewdayslater,it’squitelikelythey’ll be raring to write one of their own. Sit down andwrite onetogether!

Variations For Scribblers: Using blank labels, make stickers with “Dear,” “Love,” thenamesoffriendsandfamilymembers,andthechildren’sownnames,whichtheycan stick to their various scribbles. They will get a kick out of stuffing theresultingnotesinenvelopes.ForSpellers:Spellers requireonlymailingaddressand returnaddress labels

fortheirenvelopes.Theycanstartwritinglettersontheirown.ForStorytellers:Storytellers love towrite letters topeople realor imagined,

whetheranout-of-towngrandmotherorafairy-talecharacter.ForScholars:Scholarsarereadytolearntheformatforthedifferentpartsofa

letter:heading,greeting,body,closing,andsignature(see“PartsofaLetter” inthetemplatessection).

45

Thank-YouNotes

WITH A LITTLE INGENUITY, we can turn the obligatory thank-you note intosomethingmuchmorefun.(DareIsay,evenenjoyable?)Allitreallytakesisaslightadjustmentinattitudetoturntheserequisitelittleexpressionsofgratitudeintosomethingthatwillactuallybegratifyingtowrite.Sohowdowebreathenewlife into theold thank-younote?Firstofall,we

canstartbyjazzingitupabit.Makethecardoutofarepurposedpieceofyourchild’s artwork.Or have your childrenmake a drawing of themselves lookingimmensely happy and grateful, and then make cards out of the drawings byrunningoffastackofthemonthecopymachine.Maybetakeapictureofyourchildholdingupabigsignthatsays“Thanks,”makemultiplecopies,andhavethemwritetheirnoteontheback.Next,brainstormaheadoftimesomewordsandexpressionsthatmaysuitably

express theirgratitude.“Thankyou” isnice,but“Yourock!”“You’re toocoolforschool,”and“Wereyoureadingmymind?”haveamoreenthusiasticringtothem.Alittlecreativityonourpartcanturnathanklesschoreintoanexcitingreason

to write. Try it and see for yourself, and you can thank me later (no noterequired).

MATERIALS∗creativepaper(oldartwork,newdrawing,photoofyourchild)∗pencil∗envelopes∗stamps

HOW-TOEncourageyour children to express their gratitude bywriting simplethank-younotes.Keepthenotesshort,sweet,andpersonal.Makesure

your children mention the name of the gift in the note. Don’t betemptedtohavethemwritetoomanyatonce;ithelpstofocusononeortwoatatime.

Variations ForScribblers:WritedownScribblers’ reactions toquestions,suchas“Howdidyoufeelwhenyouopened thegift?”“What isasuper-excitingway tosaythankyou?”Make sure theyget a chance tomake theirmarkson thepage aswell.ForSpellers:TakesomeofthepressureoffSpellersbyhelpingthemcomplete

afill-in-the-blankstylenote(see“Thank-YouNote”inthetemplatessection).For Storytellers: After brainstorming and listing their gift-related emotions,

Storytellerswillbereadytocomposeasensationalnote.ForScholars:ChallengeScholarstofindsomenewandimprovedwaystosay

thank you. (Like making cards by tracing around a foot, cutting it out, andstartingoutbysaying,“Youknockmysocksoff!”)Darethemtocomeupwithsomethingdelightfullydifferent(theyjustmaysurpriseyou!).

46

Postcards

WHOSAYSyouhavetobeonvacationtosendapostcard?Anytimeyoufeellikesaying,“Wishyouwerehere”(or“WishIwasthere,”as thenon-vacationversionmayread),apostcardfitsthebill.Postcards are a simple, carefree way to get kids into the regular habit of

correspondence.Justhavethemwriteacoupleoflinesonacard,addressit,stickon a stamp, and it’s ready to go. They’re also super-easy to customize withdrawingsandphotos.Andevenbetter,postcardsarethecheapestkindofmailtosend(youcanget

special postcard-rate stamps at the post office).With all the pennies you’ll bepinching by sending postcards, maybe you can start saving up for that nextvacation.(Igotyouthinkingaboutit,didn’tI?)

MATERIALS∗cardstock(orblank,unlinedfour-by-six-inchindexcards)∗postcardtemplate(see“Postcard”inthetemplatessection)∗scissors∗crayons,markers,coloredpencils,stickers,stampers∗pencil∗postcardstamps∗blankaddresslabels∗gluestick

HOW-TO1.Printthepostcardtemplateontocardstock(onesidewillbeblank;theotherwillbeforwritingon).Cutitout.2. Showyourchildrenhow toput theirpersonal touchon theblankside of a postcard by drawing, coloring, doodling, stamping, orstickeringit.

3.Ontheflipsideofthepostcard,childrencanwritetheirmessageontheleftandtherecipient’saddressontheright.4. Then place a postcard stamp, and it’s ready to go. (Repeat foreveryoneyouknow!)

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerscanscribbleontheblanksideofacard,andthendictateashortmessagetoyoutowriteontheflipside.ForSpellers:Encourageemergingwriterstodrawapictureontheblankside

of the postcard, and have themwrite a short sentiment on the flip side.MakesomelabelswiththeaddressesoffriendsandfamilyforSpellerstoputontheirpostcards(itwillbetrickyforthemtowritetheaddressesthemselves,insuchasmallspace).For Storytellers: Give Storytellers a contact list of their friends and family

member’saddresses,asmalladdressbook,orasimplecardfile.Thentheycanchurnoutpostcardsallontheirown!For Scholars: Scholars can learn to turn almost anything into a postcard:

photos,picturesfrommagazines,photocopiesofpicturesfrombooks,orartworkof their own.They simply need to adhere the postcard very thoroughly to thebackoftheirchosenimagewithagluestick,andthenletitdry.Thentheycanwritetheirmessage,addressthepostcard,addastamp,andsendit.They’lllovefindingthingsthathavepostcardpotential.

47

PassingNotes

INTHISAGEoftextmessagingande-mail,Iwonderifpassingnotesisindangerofbecomingalostart.I speak from experience on the subject of passing notes. My best friend,

Regina,andIdedicatedourselvestoperfectingtheartofnotepassinginEnglishclass.Idaresaywewrotefarmorenotestobeslippedunderthedeskthanwewroteonourpaperson topof thedesk. Itdefinitely fellunder thecategoryofcreative writing nonetheless, and isn’t that what English class is all about,anyway?(Fortherecord,ourteacherdidn’tagree.)Insteadofencouragingourkidstoengageinclassroomsubterfuge,let’spass

alongthenote-passingtraditioninothervenues.Notescanbeslippedintolunchbags,Mom’s laptopbag,orDad’sbriefcase,under little sister’spillow,or intothepocket ofGrandma’s sweater.Pass notes back and forthwhile passing thetimeinthewaitingroomatthedoctor’soffice.Orpassan“Arewethereyet?”notearoundthebackseatofthecaronalongdrive.Oh, and if youwant to help your kids elevate note passing to an art form,

teachthemhowtoincorporatesomesuper-fancynotefolds.Andmakesureyoudemonstrate how to transfer the aforementioned notes discreetly (you neverknowwhentheteachermightbelooking).

MATERIALS∗paper∗pencil

HOW-TOWriteanote.Less formal thana letter, anotecanbeaboutanythingthat’s on yourmind.The only requirement is that you keep it short.Passing notes requires a quick turnaround time, so get right to thepoint.Oneortwosentencesmax,soyournote-passingpartnerdoesn’t

havetowaittoolong.Italsohelpstoincludeaquestion,whichinvitesatimelyresponse.

Variations ForScribblers:Scribblers love to pass along their latestworkby slipping itunderadoor,forexample.Nexttimetheypassyouascribble,addascribbleofyour own to their page and pass it back. See how long you can keep the“conversation”going.For Spellers: Spellers are ready to start writing some simple notes of their

own,andfoldingthemintosmall,passablesquares.For Storytellers: Storytellers may enjoy composing a cooperative story by

passinganotebackandforth.Everytimethenotecomesbacktoyou,addalinetothestory,andsoon,untilit’scomplete.ForScholars:Scholarswillappreciatetheopportunitytoelevatenotepassing

to an art form by incorporating a creative note-folding technique, such as thefollowing:

1.Foldthepaperinhalfthelongway,withthewritingontheinsideof the fold. Fold it in half the longway onemore time, so that youhavealong,skinnyrectangle.2.Holdingthelongrectanglehorizontally,foldthebottomleftcorneruptoformatriangleontheleftedge,andthetoprightcornerdowntoformatriangleontherightedge.3.Foldtheleftedgeoverandintowardthemiddleagain,formingaparallelogramshape.Foldtherightedgeoverandintowardthemiddleagain, forming a rectangle.Make another diagonal fold at each end,folding therightedgeupandfolding the leftedgedown.YourpapershouldlooklikeanSshapeturnedonitsside.4. FoldtherightsideoftheSintowardthemiddleinthefront,andthenfoldtherightsidebackanddown.5.Tucktheleftsideinsidethetopofthetriangleinback.6.Nowyournoteisreadyforpassing!

48

PenPal

THERE’SONESUREFIREWAY forkids tomake thisgreatbigworld seema littlesmaller:findthemselvespenpals.Pen pals bridge the gap of geography via good, old-fashioned snail mail.

While pen pals share details of their days, each onemight also learn about afarawayplaceoranotherculture.A true lesson in diversity, everything about a pen pal’s correspondence

initially seems different.Different paper, different envelopes, different stamps,different expressions, sometimes even a different language. But the morechildren write back and forth, the better they learn another important lesson.Among children, and people in general, there are far more similarities thandifferences.Aspenpalsbecomefriends,theyrealizethedistancebetweenthemisfarlessthantheyeverimagined.Whichdoesindeedmakeitfeellikeasmallworld,afterall.

MATERIALS∗paperorstationery∗pencil∗envelope∗stamp

HOW-TOEncouragechildrentoexchangeletterswiththeirpenpalsonaregularbasis—say,everymonthorso.

Variations ForScribblers:Scribblerscanstartbyexchangingmailwithsomeonefamiliar,suchasanout-of-towncousinoragrandparent.ForSpellers:Emergingwriterswillenjoysendingshortnotesandpicturestoa

long-distancefriend.For Storytellers: Storytellers can write all about their interests, and ask

probingquestionstofindoutwhatappealstotheirpenpals.ForScholars:Scholarscan locate theirpenpal’sneighborhoodonaglobe,a

map, or via theWorldWideWeb to learn more information about them andfigureoutnewquestionstoask.

49

GreetingCards

IT USED TO BE relatively easy to pick out a greeting card. There were only acouple of choices, for only themost typical of occasions.Now it’s a differentstory. Greeting cards make music and light up; I’m sure some even dance.They’re made for occasions I’ve never even heard of, and they reflect everypossiblepersonal relationship. (Iknowpeoplewhohave theknack for findingthemostsurprisinglyappropriategreetingcardforany timeof theyear; think:happyGroundhogDay,fromyoursecond-cousin-twice-removed.)So how come, with all of this hyper-personalization, store-bought greeting

cards feelmore impersonal than ever?They still share a cookie-cutter quality.Evenwithallthevariety,there’sacertain“onesizefitsall”assumption.Enter thehandmade,handwritten,greetingcard. It’scertainlymorepersonal

than the alternative, and it’s a perfect fit every time.While your child’s cardmightnotplayatune,theycanmakeitforasong,andit’ssuretobrightenthedayofanyonewhoisluckyenoughtoreceiveit.

MATERIALS∗cardstock∗crayonsandmarkers∗stampersandinkpad∗stickers

HOW-TOFoldthecardstockinhalf.Haveyourchilddecoratetheoutsideofthecardandwriteaheartfelt(orfunny!)messageinside.

Variations ForScribblers:Pre-writerswillenjoyusingstampersandstickerstodecorateand“write”ontheircards.

ForSpellers:HelpSpellersspellbigwordslike“birthday,”“anniversary,”and“congratulations,”iftheyask.Theresttheyshouldbeabletodoontheirown.ForStorytellers:Storytellersmaywanttoincludeapoem,ajoke,orafunny

littleanecdote.ForScholars:Scholarsmaywanttodesignawholecollectionofcards,onefor

everyspecialdaytheycanthinkof.Thisway,theywillhavecardsatthereadywhenoccasionsarise.

50

PartyTime

TOPARAPHRASE an oldie but goodie: it’s their party, and they’llwrite if theywantto.AndIassureyou,theywillwanttowrite.Guestlists,invitations,wishlists, seating arrangements, party game ideas—they’ll bewriting forweeks astheycountdowntothebigday.Partiesareanexcitingexcusetoputpenciltopaper.Theyinvolvequiteabit

of planning, andkidswant to be involved in every last detail. Soput them towork!Andbelieveitornot,it’snotallaboutthem.Childrenactuallygetalmostas

excitedaboutthrowingapartyforsomeoneelse.Thenthere’sevenmoretodo:banners tomake,cards tocreate,gifts to tag,cakes towriteonwith icing. It’seducationdisguisedascelebration,andawholelotoffun!

MATERIALS∗paper∗pencil∗crayon,markers,orcoloredpencils∗placecards∗gifttags

HOW-TO1. Whenparty (orholiday)planning, agreatplace to start iswithaguest list. Have your children help write a list of the names ofeveryonetheywouldliketoattend.2. Another ridiculously motivating pre-party writing activity iscreatingawishlist.Whocouldresistthisone?3.Haveyourchildcontributetocreatingandwritinginvitationsafewweeksbeforetheparty.4. As the party approaches, be mindful of all the ways excited

childrencancontributetheirideasthroughwriting.

Variations ForScribblers: InvolveScribblers inmakingagiantpartybanner.Writeoutthe letters of the celebrationmessage in big block letters, and haveScribblerscolorthemin.ForSpellers: Spellers excel atwriting names, so definitely delegatewriting

theguestlist,placecards,andgifttagstothem.For Storytellers: Storytellers will delight in making invitations, seating

arrangements,andalistofpartygamesandactivities.For Scholars: Scholars can be involved in planning the menu: have them

browse throughcookbooks,writedowntheir favorite recipes,andhelpmakealistofingredients.

51

Coupons

WHENITCOMEStogiftgiving,childrenwanttoknowhowtomakesomethingallbythemselves,fromstarttofinish,withouthavingtoaskforhelp.Thatway,theycanmaintaintheelementofsurprise.Enterthecouponbooklet.Customizableforanyoccasion,acutecouponbook

isagiftthatkeepsgiving.Showkidshowtomaketheirfirstone,andthey’llbeabletocraftamade-to-ordergiftforanyspecialoccasionorjusttoshowalittleeverydayappreciation.Don’t be fooled by how easy it looks, though. Children put a tremendous

amountof thought into theirvariousofferings.Andaseconomicalas it seems,that’s an illusion as well. Receive a coupon for “one free anytime hug” or“breakfastinbedwithallthefixings”and,nodoubt,toyouitwillbepriceless.

MATERIALS∗copiesofcoupontemplate(see“Coupon”inthetemplatessection)orstripsofblankpaper∗scissors∗coloredcardstock∗pencil∗crayons,markers,orcoloredpencils∗stapler

HOW-TO1. Makeseveralcopiesof thecoupontemplateandletyourkidscutoutthecoupons.2. Cut two pieces of colored card stock slightly larger than thecoupons. These will be the front and back covers of the couponbooklet. Kids can decorate them with crayons, markers, or coloredpencils.

3.Encourageyourchildrentothinkofaspecialthingtheycandoforor with their beneficiary: a favor, a sign of affection, somethinghelpful,aplacetogo,ortimetospendtogether.4. When they have all their coupons filled out, show your childrenhow to gather them in a small stack. Then place one piece of cardstockontopofthepileandoneonthebottom.Staplethewholestacktogetheralongtheleft-handedgeusingtwotothreestaples.5.If,astheysay,it’sthethoughtthatcounts,thisgiftwillbeahit!

Variations For Scribblers: The only thing that thrills those little Scribblers more thanscribblingisdolingouthugsandkisses.ShowthemhowtowriteXsandOsalloverthosepromissorynotes,andenjoycashingin!ForSpellers:SimplifycouponwritingforSpellersbyhelpingthembrainstorm

amasterlistattheget-go,sotheycanrefertoitastheywrite.For Storytellers: Storytellers will certainly get creative with this one.

Encourage them to take amoment before they begin to imagine the giftee invividdetail,andthenenvisionallthethingsthatwouldmakethatpersonhappy.ForScholars:Scholarscanusetheircouponstoplananadventure,outing,or

event with the recipient, with each coupon representing a part of the plan.Soundslikeawin-winkindofgifttome!

52

LoveNotes

MYBARELY-FIVE-YEAR-OLDSON couldn’tgo tobedonenightuntilhewrote“Ilove youMom” on a piece of paper. Pajamas on, red crayon in hand, hewasdoggedlydetermined.Afewmixed-upletters,acoupleofcrumpledpapers,andsomehelpfromDaddylater,hehandedmehisheartonthepage.Then,finally,herelaxedenoughtofallasleep.Sometimes, saying how you feel just isn’t enough. Spoken words are

invisible, untouchable, intangible.Write it down,however, andyoucan see it,feelit,hold,it,keepit.It’sindelible.Althoughwemay think it, we can’t really give someone our heart. But by

writing,we can give someone our heart on a page.A love note is a piece ofpaper that is a little piece of your heart. Teach your child how to write lovenotes,andIpromiseyouwillhavemany,manyhappyreturns.

MATERIALS∗paper∗writingtoolofchoice(aredcrayonworksgreat!)

HOW-TOThe best way to teach children to write a love note is by example.Writelovenotestoyourchildren.Often.Puttheminlunchboxes,slipthem under doors, tape them onto the bathroom mirror, tuck themunderyourchildren’spillows.Useasimple,predictableformatthatiseasyforyourchildrentoimitatewhenitcomestimeforthemtowriteback to you (personalize it according to your child, of course). Trysomethinglikethefollowing,forstarters.Dearest________,Iloveyou.Youareso________.Iloveitwhenwe_______together.

Youmakeme_______.Ican’twaitto________.Hugsandkisses,

Variations ForScribblers:Cutpaper intoheartshapesand leave itout forScribblers todiscover.Whentheypresentyouaheart-shapedscribble,oohandaahovertheirlovenote.They’llinstantlygettheidea.ForSpellers:Whenmy son first started towrite, Iwrotehima simplenote

thatsaid“IloveyouJack,”andIcovereditwithouter-spacestickers.Notonlyhashekeptiteversince,heuseditasamodeltocreateroughlyamillion“IloveyouMom”notes.Thereturnonmyinvestmentofoneminuteoftimehasbeenunbelievable.WithSpellers, sometimes all youhave to do is present amodel.Thensaynomore.ForStorytellers:SendStorytellersan“Iloveyoumorethan...”noteandsee

whatyougetinresponse.Forinstance,Imightsay,“Iloveyoumorethanacupofhottea,abucketfullofdaisies,lobsterrolls,littleredwagons,sunsets,sourcreamwalnutmuffins,cartwheels,andpiggybackrides.”Thenwaitandseehowyoustackup.For Scholars: As children get older, it is your challenge as a parent to be

increasingly subtle in your written displays of affection while remainingrelentlessly consistent.What strikes this perfect balance? The lunch box lovenote.Thisisyourchanceeverydaytoshowbyexamplehowtoexpressfeelingsin writing. You may not get a written response, but believe me, you arenourishing your young writer with each note. When you show children hownaturalitistowriteaboutwhat(andwho)youlove,youareplantingtheseedsthatwillgrowintotheirownlifetimeloveofwriting.

WritingResources

HandwritingCurriculumHandwritingWithoutTearsDevelopmentally based handwriting tools, resources, workbooks, and anexcellent handwriting curriculum, all created by an occupational therapist, JanOlsen,OTR.www.hwtears.com

WritingandArtSuppliesGeneralSupplieswww.stubbypencilstudio.comwww.dickblick.com

ChalkboardPaintwww.benjaminmoore.comwww.krylon.comwww.rustoleum.com

ChalkboardClothwww.fabric.comwww.nancysnotions.com

TemporaryTattooPaperwww.beldecal.com

Iron-OnTransferPaperwww.epson.com

Height-AdjustableDeskswww.ikea.com

EducationalSupplyStoreswww.lakeshorelearning.comwww.discountschoolsupply.com

www.kaplanco.com

Skill-BuildingToysandToolswww.backtobasicstoys.comwww.fatbraintoys.comwww.forsmallhands.comwww.magiccabin.com

OccupationalTherapyToolswww.therapyshoppe.comwww.otideas.com

Self-PublishingSiteswww.blurb.comwww.lulu.comwww.cafepress.com

PhotoBook-MakingSiteswww.picaboo.comwww.shutterfly.comwww.snapfish.com

PublishingOpportunitiesforChildrenStoneSoupThis international literarymagazine, founded in1973, ispublished six times ayear. Stories, poems, and book reviews are accepted from children eight tothirteenyearsold.www.stonesoup.com

SkippingStonesThismulticulturalmagazineacceptschildren’soriginalwritinginalllanguages.Fivebimonthlyissuesarepublishedduringtheschoolyear.www.skippingstones.org

Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans and Anthology of Short Stories byYoungAmericansSubmissions of poetry and short stories from children in kindergarten throughgradetwelveareconsideredfortheseanthologies,whicharepublishedannually.www.anthologyofpoetry.com

CricketandrelatedpublicationsSpider,Ask,andMuseThesemagazineshavemonthlywritingcontests,eachwithspecificageranges,themes,anddeadlines.Consultacurrentissueforguidelines.www.cricketmag.com

HighlightsThis magazine publishes children’s creative writing, such as poems, jokes,stories,recipes,craftideas,andbookreviews.www.highlightskids.com

BooksforParentsGames for Writing: Playful Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Write. PeggyKaye.Farrar,Straus,andGiroux,1995.

MontessoriReadandWrite:AParent’sGuide toLiteracy forChildren.LynneLawrence.ThreeRiversPress,1998.

RaisingLifelongLearners:AParent’sGuide.LucyCalkinswithLydiaBellino.DaCapoPress,1998.

TheRead-AloudHandbook.JimTrelease.Penguin,2006.

AbouttheAuthor

KimPacePhotography

JENNIFERHALLISSY isamomandapediatricoccupational therapistwhohasahappy preoccupationwith the art and science ofwriting development.Havingearnedhermaster’sdegree inoccupational therapyfromNewYorkUniversity,she teaches courses for parents and professionals. Also a freelance writer,Jennifer contributes to national parenting magazines. She lives in PortWashington, New York, with her husband, Bruce, and two children, Jack (aSpeller)andGracie(aScribbler).Readalongassheexploresallthingswriting-relatedonherblog,thewritestart.typepad.com.

Index

Note:Indexentriesfromtheprinteditionofthisbookhavebeenincludedforuseassearchterms.Theycanbelocatedbyusingthesearchfeatureofyoure-bookreader.

academicsuccessalphabet.Seealsolettersofalphabetarchivingarticlewritingworksheetattentionautographbook

bindersblindfolded,writingbooks;handmadebox,archivalbutcherpaper

candle-makingprojectcareersuccesschairchalkchalkboard;paintcouponscrayonscubbiescursivealphabetchartcutting

deskdigitalarchivedisplaydoctor,playingdoorknobsigndrawersdrawing

education,higherexpectationseyesclosed,writingwith

familytreefatigue

fieldguidefilingfill-in-the-blankstoryfishtalesfoodfortune-tellersfrustration

graspsandgraspinggreetingcardsguestcheck

hand,usingnondominanthandstrength

inventor’slogbook

journals

kraftpaper

learning;multisensoryleft-handedwritersletterwritinglettersofalphabet;drawing.Seealsoalphabetlistsliteracylovenotes

markersmazesmedicalchartmemo.Seealsomessagesmessages.SeealsotelephonemessagesmoneyMorsecodemuscles,smallandbigmysteries

newspapernewsprintnotepassingnotebooks

officetasksorganization

paper;plainvs.linedparents;proactive;writingpartiespenpals

pencilpicturepencils;colored;holdingpensphone.Seetelephonemessagesplansplay/playfulnesspoetrypostalplaypostcardsposturalcontrolprescriptionpublication

referencematerials

sandwritingScholarsscissorsscoreboardscrapbookScribblerssecrets/secretcodesshapes,creatingsharingshelvessignaturessignsskywritingsoundsSpellers.Seealsoalphabet;lettersofalphabetstationarystickynotesstoriesStorytellerssupplies

tabletactileinputtechnologytelephonemessagesthank-younotestoolstraveloguetreasurehunt

verticalsurfaces,writingon

wall,writingonthewritingritualswritingtablets