Entries Tagged 'WriteShop Primary' ↓

Don’t you just love watching your kids develop a sense of humor? I get such a kick out of the things my grandchildren find funny. I wish I could bottle up every silly story, giggle, and laugh and save them for a rainy day!

Once children reach age six or seven, they’re ready to start having fun with humor in their writing. Even if your child is a bit on the serious side, here’s a brainstorming activity designed to help kids think about ideas for writing a funny story.

Advance Prep

Read some funny picture books together. Depending on your child’s age, you can find some great funny-bone ticklers out there!

Since your goal is simply to introduce humor in writing, use this time to read short books with simple yet humorous themes, even if your child’s reading level is more advanced. Here are a few suggestions:

• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
• Amelia Bedelia books 
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
• The Duchess Bakes a Cake

Prepare a blank comic strip for your child to fill in by dividing a piece of computer paper into six equal blank squares to resemble a comic strip. Make the squares as large as possible, perhaps making two rows of three.

Draw a simple story web on a sheet of paper. Draw a circle in the middle and six lines extending out from the circle to resemble a web.

Brainstorm for a Humorous Story

If your child is not familiar with comic strips, show her some examples from the newspaper or www.comics.com.

1. Choose a main character. Ask your child to choose a main character for her funny story (animals, birds, or dinosaurs make good subjects).

2. Think of a story idea that features the main character. If your child can’t decide on an original funny story idea, encourage her to use an idea from a comic or humorous story she already knows.

3. Fill in the story web.

• Write the topic in the center circle of the story web.
• Write the details of the story on the story web. Gently prompt her to suggest the details by asking:

Who is the main character of this story?
What happened in the beginning of the story?
What happened next?
Tell me something really funny that happened.
How did the story end?

• Write down ideas for a title on the story web.

Draw the Comic Strip

Your child will not need to do any writing for this activity.

• Give her the blank comic strip you prepared. Ask her to draw one picture in each frame using the details from the story web.
• Since this is the brainstorming stage, discourage her from drawing the pictures in detail. Simple stick figures are best.

 .  .  .  .  .

This is just one of the many fun and creative projects and activities WriteShop Primary uses to reinforce simple writing skills at the primary level. In Book B, children learn to write a funny story using the steps of the writing process, beginning with pre-writing and brainstorming and ending with a published final draft.

No matter the curriculum, whether math, penmanship, or writing, picking the best starting level for your child can challenge the most seasoned homeschooler—especially when said child doesn’t exactly fit a grade-specific mold.

WriteShop Primary is no exception—you may need more help picking a starting level than the placement chart offers. The following lists identify specific skills within a range of ages, making it easier for you to choose the very best place to begin the program. 

Start with Book A if your 5- to 7-year-old is not yet able to:

• Plan a story before writing it.
• Use a story web to organize information.
• Identify beginning, middle, and end in a story.
• Choose an appropriate title.
• Think of simple ways to improve a story.
• Read and write color words.
• Complete predictable sentence starters.
• Recognize words that rhyme.
• Identify and use punctuation marks at the end of a sentence.
• Begin a sentence with a capital letter.

WriteShop Primary Book A (print version)
WriteShop Primary Book A (e-book version)

Start with Book B if your 6- to 10-year-old is not yet able to:

• Use graphic organizers to plan a story.
• Include a beginning, middle, and end in his story.
• Figure out how to add more details to a story.
• Organize a story to include a problem and its solution.
• Write or dictate a friendly letter.
• Write or dictate about something that has happened to him.
• Retell nursery rhymes and fairy tales in his own words.
• Identify or use paragraph form and indentation.
• Identify the parts of a friendly letter.
• Identify words that rhyme.
• Use standard spelling tools such as a dictionary.
• Choose story endings.

WriteShop Primary Book B (print version)
WriteShop Primary Book B (e-book version)

Start with Book C if your 7- to 11-year-old is not yet able to:

• Plan the main ingredients of a story before beginning to write.
• Ask who, what, when, where, and why? in order to add story details.
• Organize story details.
• Write entries in a personal journal.
• Use descriptive words in his writing.
• Write a short nonfiction article.
• Summarize the contents of familiar books.
• Collect research facts about a specific topic.
• Write a simple, short report with introduction, body, and closing.
• Use standard spelling.
• Check his own work for correct spelling and punctuation.

WriteShop Primary Book C (print version)
WriteShop Primary Book C (e-book version)

At long last, we’re excited to announce the release of the final book of our WriteShop Primary series. Yes—WriteShop Primary Book C has arrived!

About WriteShop Primary

WriteShop Primary introduces young children to the steps of the writing process using engaging activities, crafts, and picture books. The program creates an environment that promotes a joy of learning in young students and helps them experience success as they develop the ability to write. Whether you have a more advanced child or one who is just beginning, this program is flexible so children can work at their own level.

Who can use Book C?

Book C is recommended for second and third grade, but many of our test families also used it successfully with reluctant fourth, fifth, and even sixth graders. Parents also appreciated being able to use the book with children who learn with difficulty.

In Book C, children learn to:

• Plan, create, and publish simple stories, articles, and reports with parent help.
• Choose the main ingredients of a story before beginning to write.
• Learn to ask who, what, when, where, why?
• Use different graphic organizers to plan a story.
• Write entries in a personal journal.
• Describe an object, a person, and a place.
• Write a nonfiction article.
• Write a book report.
• Learn to use research to write a short report.
• “Publish” stories through projects or crafts.

Other skills introduced in Book C

• Using standard spelling
• Identifying describing words
• Using a simple self-editing checklist
• Summarizing contents of familiar books
• Collecting research facts about a specific topic
• Using computer publishing software

Here’s what parents have been saying about Book C

“The lessons were simple enough to build my son’s confidence,
yet challenging enough that he was always learning something new.” –Tammy, Florida

“I appreciate that I could teach three of my children at the same time and see each one’s writing improve. It’s beneficial for students with a wide variety of writing skills—non-writers, reluctant writers, disorganized writers—even enthusiastically prolific writers!” –Beth, South Carolina

“I am amazed at the progress my son made in such a short time. His ability to put his thoughts together in an organized way has improved dramatically. WriteShop Primary was very easy to teach. I loved that the lessons were easy to adapt to different learning styles.” –Bonnie, TX

Exclusive Introductory Offer for Blog Readers Only

Between October 20-31, you can order Book C, purchasing either a physical copy or the e-book version—and get 10% off!

Just leave a comment below and we’ll send you a coupon code by email entitling you to a 10% discount on Book C and the accompanying Activity Pack for Book C! (Good only at WriteShop. Offer ends October 31. )

Buy the physical book (print version)

• WriteShop Primary Book C - Teacher’s Guide  $32.95
• Activity Set Worksheet Pack – Book C  $4.95

Buy the e-book (PDF download)

• WriteShop Primary Book C - Teacher’s Guide  $28.95
• Activity Set Worksheet Pack – Book C  $4.50

Today is the last day to pre-order WriteShop Primary Book B and get a 10% discount. Offer ends at midnight Pacific time. Hurry!

Get your coupon code here.

Book B

WriteShop Primary Book B is coming!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted any WriteShop Primary news. (Actually, I’m embarrassed to say it’s been over a month since I posted just about anything. Read on and you’ll soon see why!)

We’re getting ready to begin an official countdown on the release of WriteShop Primary Book B, and we’re quite excited around here!

First, we’ve had an amazing group of homeschoolers beta testing the Book B lessons for us. We wrapped up the test period last month. Here’s what these moms are saying about the lessons:

“[My daughter] went from painfully writing 3-5 sentences to writing whole stories complete with beginning, middle, and ending. It even helped me not to be scared of writing.” –Andrea, CA

“Spelling improved. CONFIDENCE was a huge improvement. I had been dealing with the dreaded ‘I can’t’ and this program has helped them see ‘I CAN’! …A fantastic experience! –Cheryl, ON

“The difference in the length and complexity of [my son's] stories was astounding.” –Rebecca, CA 

Last-minute frenzy!

Right now we’re in the final editing and revising stage as we work with our dear editor friend, Sallie Borrink. As we polish up each lesson, we whisk it off to Sallie’s husband David, who did an absolutely fabulous job with the layout of WriteShop Primary Book A. He’s got a few new tricks up his sleeve for Book B, which has a few surprise components.

Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for Deborah Thomson, our talented illustrator, as she turns our worksheet concepts into adorable, kid-friendly activity pages.

If all goes well and we don’t have too many wrenches tossed into the mix, we should be able to go to press by the first of June. Do I hear an amen?

What can you look forward to?

Here are some of the lessons you’ll enjoy with your first and second graders in Book B (though many of our test moms loved using the lessons with their reluctant older ones as well):

• Writing a Friendly Letter
• Standard Spelling
• Acrostics
• Poems and Nursery Rhymes
• Fairy Tales and Predictable Stories
• In the News
• Writing with Humor
• Problem and Solution
• Character and Setting
• Story Organizers

Keep watching for more info to come. Book B is just around the corner! In the meantime, visit our website for more about WriteShop Primary.

Reading and writing are intertwined—and reading picture books with simple story lines can contribute to helping your K-3rd grader become a better writer.

Every story has certain key elements: character, setting, problem, solution, beginning, middle, end. But how can you help your child remember these elements and translate them to her writing?

Try tossing some pepperoni!

I’m not talking about a food fight, but a fun game you can play with two or more players. Here’s how.

Toss the Pepperoni

Prepare the Game

Make the game board: Decorate a large piece of poster board with paint or markers to look like a giant pizza. Cut out the round pizza.

Make the game pieces: Prepare “pepperoni slices” as game pieces to toss onto the pizza. For each player, cut out seven 4-inch circles from sturdy cardboard. To keep the pepperoni pieces separate, use a different color cardboard for each player. (Alternatively, each player can color one side of his game pieces or mark them with a sticker. )Label each set of pieces with the following words, one word per piece: character, setting, problem, solution, beginning, middle, end.

Read a Picture Book

Choose a picture book to read to your child. Make sure there’s a storyline, not merely words or phrases. When finished:

1. See if your child can identify the main character of the story.
2. Ask her to describe the story’s setting—when and where the events took place.
3. Ask her to identify the problem and solution.
4. Discuss the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story.

Play the Game

Play a game together with your child to help her remember the important parts of the picture book you just read: character, setting, problem, solution, beginning, middle, and end.

1. Place the giant pizza game board on the floor. Use a jump rope or piece of yarn to mark a line where players must stand when attempting to toss their game pieces onto the pizza.
2. Take turns tossing game pieces like Frisbees. Before tossing a ”pepperoni,” the player must read the word on the circle and give an example from the picture book that corresponds with the word. For instance, before your child tosses her game piece that is labeled “character,” she must name one of the characters in the story.
3. The player with the most pepperoni slices on the pizza at the end wins the game.

 .  .  .  .  .

“Toss the Pepperoni” is just one of the many fun and creative activities WriteShop Primary uses to reinforce simple writing skills at the primary level. This game appears in Book B.

Brain freeze, blank paper syndrome, and fear of writing often have their roots in the early elementary grades. Unless a child is taught from a young age that writing is the process—and her story is, in fact, merely the end product of that process—she is well on her way to a lifetime of writing paralysis.

Brainstorming unlocks ideas

A key ingredient of the creative writing process, brainstorming is fundamental to preparing the child to write. With primary students, this is usually a shared experience, guided by mom or teacher. Make this a fun, low-key time for chatting about ideas for writing. And to take the pressure off, let the child talk while you jot down her thoughts.

Before beginning a writing project, brainstorm with your child for ideas related to that day’s topic. You and your child should use brainstorming to:

• Generate possible topic ideas for writing.
• Determine things to write about her chosen topic.

Whether your child wants to write about a favorite toy, yesterday’s visit to the fire station, or a make-believe flying car, brainstorm with her to help her unlock ideas. Even within her small world, she can talk about what she observes around her, what she knows in her head, or what her budding imagination can dream up. You’ll both appreciate this time of brainstorming and jotting down words and thoughts before actually beginning to write.

At the early elementary level, brainstorming:

• Helps your child focus her attention on the topic.
• Generates a number of different ideas.
• Encourages your child to share her ideas and opinions without fear of criticism.
• Shows your child that she will have more to say during writing time if she has already given her topic some thought.

Ways to brainstorm with primary children

List of Ideas. The most basic form of brainstorming is to make a list, writing ideas on a tablet or whiteboard. Keep this list handy throughout the rest of the lesson to help spark ideas during the writing stage and extended activities. Brainstorm to create a list of topic ideas, or brainstorm to make a list of things your child can write about her chosen topic.

Story Web. Draw a simple story web with a circle in the middle and five or six lines extending out from the circle to resemble a spider web. In the center of the circle, write the topic. On each of the lines, list the information that supports the topic. Click here to see an example of a story web variation.

Story Idea Card File. This tool helps you and your child brainstorm for topics. Using index cards, glue a small magazine or catalog picture to one side and write the topic on the opposite side. Store cards in a small file box labeled “Story Ideas.” Start by making about 10 cards.

During the brainstorming session, take out the index cards. Look at the cards together and read their labels. Ask your student to choose four cards (topics) she might like to write about. If she wants to write about a topic that isn’t in the box, help her make a new index card by gluing a picture on the front and writing the label on the back. Finally, encourage your child to choose one card as the topic for her next story.

Graphic Organizer. Graphic organizers come in many varieties. When your child is writing a story, it will help her to stay on task if you create a simple graphic organizer to list ideas for the introduction, body, and closing of her story. Label the graphic organizer as follows, leaving spaces for writing as you brainstorm together:

• Title:
• Beginning:
• Middle:
• End: 

Ask your child to think of story ideas about her topic. Ask questions to help her come up with a beginning, middle, and end. Talk about possible titles and write these ideas on your graphic organizer.

. . . . .

Sound like fun? If so, you’ll find these and many, many more ideas in WriteShop Primary, our newest series targeting primary-aged children. The first book, WriteShop Primary Book A, is currently available for early learners in K-2nd grades. Visit www.writeshop.com to learn more!

Publish Your Child’s Stories 

One of the most encouraging and rewarding experiences for a young author is to see her work published. As a second and third grader, I remember how much I loved to find my own little stories and poems published in our school’s newsletter.

WriteShop Primary gives your student the opportunity to publish her writing project as a book or other art form that she can share with others. She might make a story kite to fly around the house as she “reads” it to Daddy; create a paper-plate face book; or turn her story into an accordian-folded train. (Visit our website for more info about WriteShop Primary, our delightful parent-guided writing program for K-3rd graders. It’s filled with fun, engaging activities to promote a love for writing!)

Make a Story Pocket 

Featured in Book A, story pockets make wonderful publishing tools, and they’re perfect for storing and displaying a child’s early stories and drawings. Here’s how to make one.

Advance Prep

Short Pocket: Use one paper plate. Cut it in half. Place both pieces face to face and staple together around the curved edges. The top straight edges remain open to form a pocket.

Tall Pocket: Use two paper plates. Leave one plate whole. Cut the second plate in two, discarding one of the halves. Staple the half plate to the full-size plate to create a tall pocket with a high back.

Directions

1. Allow time for the child to use crayons, markers, paint, or stickers to decorate the paper plate so it matches the theme of the story.
2. Fold the story and store it inside the pocket.
3. (Optional) Have your child draw a picture of each object in the story on cardboard, poster board, or tagboard. Cut out the tagboard pieces and store them in the pocket along with the story.
4. Encourage your child to read her story to family members or a friend, pulling out the corresponding pieces from the pocket and placing them on the table as she shares.
5. These pockets also make great holders for holiday greeting cards!

. . . . .

Copyright © 2008 Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

Young children in grades K-2 are usually considered “pre-writers”—just learning to write letters, words, and groups of words. Their writing experience should be fun! After all, isn’t our goal is to help our primary-age children build confidence as they gain the ability to write?

Daily Guided Writing 

Because children learn best by example, take time to model good writing techniques to your child. Let her narrate her words to you through a daily time of guided writing. This gives her that predictable, shared writing experience that’s so important to her development.

For beginning readers, the predictable patterns and easy sight words build confidence. For more confident readers, narration gives daily practice in reading and writing harder words and sentences.

Most importantly, this time of guided writing gives kids the freedom to put together ideas and create word patterns without the limitations and fear of having to write them down. So even if your child already knows how to write simple sentences, you can often get more from him if he is allowed to dictate his words to you rather than write on his own.

How to Elicit Narration from Young Children

Together, you and your child can write several short sentences about simple, familiar topics such as animals, friends, the weather, or upcoming events. Sounds easy, right? But if you ask your son to tell you all about friends, for example, he’ll probably say, “I don’t know.” It’s an awfully broad topic, after all, and his little mind may be all a-jumble. Most kids need direction, but some will need more help than others to formulate their thoughts into simple words.

So how do you get your child to dictate to you? It’s all about asking questions! For the youngest or most reluctant kids, begin by writing three to five predictable sentence starters, such as:

A friend is
Friends like to
Friends are special because

Next, discuss various options for ideas on how to complete each of the three sentences. Ask questions to lead and prompt your little one and to keep the dialog on track. Here’s one idea:

You:  Let’s think of some words that tell us about friends. I’ll go first. A friend is funny. Now it’s your turn.
Child: A friend is happy.
You:  A friend is important.
Child: A friend is kind.
You:  These are all great. Which one should we choose for today?
Child: A friend is kind.
You:  Let’s write that. A friend is kind. Here’s the marker. Can you help me write the word kind?
You:  What do friends like to do together?
Child: Play games.
You:  Let’s use complete thoughts. Friends like to play games together. Say that. “Friends like to play games together.”
Child: Friends like to play games together.
You:  Great. Let’s write it down. Friends like to play games together. Can you help me with the marker?
You:  Tell me—why are friends special?
Child: Because they share their toys?
You:  Yes, that’s a very important reason. Can you finish this sentence to make a complete thought? Friends are special because ____.
Child: Friends are special because they share their toys.
You:  Good job. Now let’s write that down. Friends are special because they share their toys.

When you’re done, you might end up with something like this:

A friend is kind.
Friends like to play games together.
Friends are special because they share their toys.

Not only have you modeled thinking skills to your child (by asking questions like who, what, and why), but you’ve also demonstrated simple techniques of beginning with a capital letter, ending with a period, and using a complete thought. See how a simple five-minute dialog can go a long way in teaching basic writing skills?

Copyright © 2008 Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

. . . . .

This dialog comes from Lesson 4 of WriteShop Primary Book A. WriteShop Primary is filled with dialog examples to help you prompt your child during daily guided writing times. Book A is now available in our store. Book B should be released later this year.

It’s never too early to introduce your young children to the joy of writing. Even during the early elementary years (K-3), there’s so much you can do to model and encourage pre-writing and writing skills, such as reading aloud from quality picture books or asking your child to tell you about a picture he drew while you write down his words.

Early Writing Skills

Bear in mind that children develop at different rates. Fine-motor skills, like other stages of development, vary from child to child. Some budding writers, especially boys, will struggle with writing on a line, copying and forming letters, and putting their words and thoughts on paper. These skills and more come with time and patience.

The development of a young child’s writing is best achieved through:

• Plenty of time spent on writing activities.
• Many opportunities to write during the school day.
• Focused instruction that builds from your child’s efforts.

Your Child Needs YOU 

Clearly, young children cannot learn to write on their own. Even if you create an atmosphere rich with educational materials—picture books, lined paper, colored markers, crayons, and an alphabet chart—it’s not enough. To effectively develop basic writing skills, your child needs YOU—along with your example, encouragement, and daily guidance.

This season in your child’s educational development is an opportune time to teach and model writing within a warm, safe environment. As you teach your primary-aged child to write, you’ll find that repetition, routine, and consistency play a vital role in teaching basic skills. There’s no way around it—your involvement with your child during writing sessions is key to his success!

Consider WriteShop Primary

If your child is in kindergarten, first, or second grade and you need some help guiding her writing along, consider WriteShop Primary Book A. It encourages and reinforces this special parent-child partnership young learners depend on.

The beauty of WriteShop Primary is its adaptablity to meet your needs. If your child is older, yet behind in her writing, you can utilize many components of the program but not use the activities that have a “younger” feel. You can challenge your older child to write more each step of the way, according to her ability, especially taking advantage of the “Flying Higher” suggestions and optional activities at the end of each lesson.

And for beginning students, WriteShop Primary can be used as more of a “pre-writing” launch pad. You can use the discussion starters and activites to introduce your very young child to the wonderful and exciting world of writing. Your younger children will delight in the crafts and illustrations, and you can prompt them to tell you the stories and writing projects that you then write down for them until they are ready to start writing letters and words (and eventually sentences) on their own.

Order Book A

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