There’s nothing quite like a blank page to ruin a perfectly good day.

We need to put words to paper, but they will not come. The blank page intimidates us. The objects in the room call, our eyes wander, and our mind runs to places that are more desirable. We struggle to come back to the page with pen in hand. In the meantime, the white space has grown in intensity, until it is blinding. –Richard Mansel, “The Fear of the Blank Page“

It can be a formidable foe, this empty field of white—especially for the child who struggles to coax even a short string of words from his reluctant pen.

Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to help the most reluctant student find his footing—or at least his voice. Let’s look at nine ways you can encourage your child to face (and perhaps even conquer!) that blank sheet of paper.

1. Write first thing. 

Consider starting the school day with a writing activity, while attitudes are still positive and minds feel more creative. Facing an unpleasant or challenging task earlier in the day—when your children are fresh and alert—may be the key to unlocking ideas.

2. Brainstorm separately before beginning to write.

Jotting down random thoughts—no matter how jumbled—can help release a log jam of words and phrases. Encourage your kids to brainstorm before beginning any writing assignment.

3. Set parameters for the assignment.

Few children find it freeing to hear: “Write about whatever you want.” The vastness of total choice can overwhelm even the most eager writer, so establish some boundaries for the assignment. For example:

• Specify the kind of writing. Will the composition be a personal narrative? A persuasive essay? A descriptive piece? 
• Let students choose a topic within a particular genre such as mystery or adventure, or within a current area of study such as pioneer days or the Great Depression. 
• Give expectations regarding composition length or number of sources you require. 

4. Offer story prompts.

StoryBuilders are creative writing-prompt cards that let students choose a character, character trait, setting, and plot as the launching place for a zany (or serious) story. Mixing and matching elements of a story can unlock creativity and open the door for some fun writing experiences.

5. Give topic options and choices.

Encourage students to write about favorite, familiar topics—dogs, ballet, skateboarding, Legos, karate, etc. The more they enjoy the subject matter, the more vested they’ll be in the writing project.

6. Start with a personal experience or familiar story.

It can make an excellent foundation for a new story. Your children don’t always have to come up with something unique—it’s totally fine for them to retell a fable, fairytale, folktale, or other familiar story in their own words.

7. Provide a photo.

Pictures—especially those that “speak a thousand words”—make great prompts for generating story or narrative ideas. When searching for photos online, you’ll want to preview sites for appropriate content. That said, consider finding inspiration from one of these:

• National Geographic Photography 
• 30 Examples of Perfectly Timed Action Photography
• Stunning Photographs with Meaning

8. Do some or all of the writing.

By the time a thought makes its way from brain to hand to paper, the reluctant or learning-challenged student has lost her grasp on the idea, and it simply drifts away. Letting her dictate allows you to capture those words before they dissipate. Then, once they’re written, she can more easily rearrange and modify.

9. Encourage a “rough draft” mindset.

Students who think their first draft should be perfect can gain a lot from adjusting their thinking. Writing is a debugging process. Starting sloppy deals a blow to the blank page as the student plays with early ideas and gets into the writing flow. As author and poet Margaret Atwood so aptly put it: “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.”

In the first part of this article, Beating the Summertime Blues, I gave you all sorts of ideas for keeping kids cool, collected, and occupied during that typically looooooong school break. Have you had a chance to try any of them yet? I hope so! Just remember that even if you homeschool year-round, it’s fun to take a breather and enjoy some of the pleasures of summer!

Fun for fun’s sake is … well, FUN! But today, let’s also talk about ways to maintain some semblance of order during the summer. Just because summer affords more freedom, it doesn’t have to become a free-for-all!

Productive Projects

A Time for Routine

Summer is no excuse for chaos. Most kids thrive on routine, so try to keep a schedule. Assign regular chores, for example. Don’t let the kids sleep till noon. And expect them to be productive. We all want our children to be servant-hearted, right? This summer, help them discover the joy of ministry. For starters, make decorations for a nursing home. Volunteer at VBS. As a family, weed an elderly neighbor’s flowerbed or serve a meal at a homeless shelter or park.

A Time for Projects

Summer is also the perfect time to tackle things you can’t seem to get to during the year. Paint the bedrooms. Plant a garden. And don’t forget some structured activities too. Could you teach your children to crochet, bake, sew, or work with wood? How about including crafts, merit badges, 4-H projects, and yes, even schoolwork, in your summertime plan of action?

A Time for Skill-Sharpening

This doesn’t mean you have to pull out the math books. But do look for ways to keep kids on their toes with word puzzles, skill drills, and lots of reading. A quick Google search will yield all sorts of online skill-sharpening activities. Supervised, kids can also explore outer space, ancient Egypt, or a rainforest by visiting quality educational websites.

Creative Writing

Fun Writing Activities

Of course, don’t forget to throw in some writing for good measure. We’re not necessarily talking about full-blown compositions. Journals or diaries help youngsters record their experiences, dreams, and ideas. Letters to grandparents and missionaries bless the recipients and give practice in penmanship and prose.

Consider other assorted writing activities. With a little encouragement, your children can write and produce a play or radio drama, design colorful posters, or create travel brochures for places real or imagined.

If your school-year writing is fairly structured, let summer include more tall tales and stories. Search the Internet for “writing prompts” and let the fun begin!

Round Robins

Gather together after dinner and write round robins: Give each person, even Dad, a different prompt and set the timer. Every three minutes, pass papers clockwise and continue adding to the story that’s before you. When Mom says it’s been long enough, everyone should conclude the tale in front of him. After reading each story aloud, celebrate your authors with a plate of brownies.

Writer’s Treasure Box

Here’s a fun idea: Keep a Writer’s Treasure Box stocked with odds and ends from around the house, such as shells or rocks; game pieces; old eyeglasses, jewelry, or accessories; magnifying glass; newspaper; CD; scraps of luxurious and everyday fabrics; and magazine photos of scenery and people. Let each child choose three items from the box and begin developing a story, either written or oral, featuring those items. When they run out of steam, they pick something new from the box and continue spinning their tales.

Entertaining your family doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. When summertime rolls around, the livin’ can be easy if you have a plan in place. Include a bit of R and R, something wet and wild, and a few fun family times. You’ll approach the new school year renewed, refreshed, and ready to roll.

But while it’s here, do enjoy the season— even if you can’t find the frog.

From “Beating the Summertime Blues”
Copyright © 2006 Kim Kautzer
Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Summer 2006. Used with permission.

Spring is in the air—and it’s a great time to look for some fresh writing opportunities for your children. Considering my wacky schedule this week, I thought I’d visit the archives and find some creative writing ideas that will help you dispel spring fever. Give them a try!

Poetry

New birth, fresh growth: springtime fairly explodes with life! Poetry is a perfect way to capture the fragrance, blossoms, showers, sunshine, and birdsong of the season. Visit these mini poetry lessons for some inspiration.

• Writing a cinquain - A simple five-line descriptive poem
• Writing a diamante - A seven-line poem of opposites
• Writing a haiku poem - Imagery-packed poem in seventeen little syllables

Creative Writing

• Spring into writing, part 1 - Journaling prompts and descriptive writing ideas
• Spring into writing, part 2 - More poetry for spring: acrostics and color poems

Brighten up your schooling: let your children dabble in these simple, creative, colorful writing exercises. You’ll love the results!

A Quick Word about Copywork

I’d like to suggest a new way to incorporate copywork into your schooling. In a future blog article, I’ll take time to extol the virtues of copywork, which I think is valuable for pre-writers to 14-year-olds (or thereabouts). But in a nutshell, copying:

• Teaches children a number of foundational writing, grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills.
• Helps them pay attention to detail.
• Offers penmanship practice.
• Introduces them to passages of quality literature.

That’s the Reader’s Digest version! For the time being, you can find a more detailed explanation here: An Introduction to Copywork

A Personalized Recipe Box

OK, so are you ready for a super-fun copywork activity for the junior chefs in your family? Your children won’t be delving into literature, but this little exercise does help fulfill the first three points above.

When I was eleven, I started my own recipe collection in my seventh-grade home economics class—pancakes, Dutchess Spice Cake, and caramel toast were three of my first cards—and I’ve been collecting recipes ever since!

Your children can embark on this journey too. Here’s how:

1. Buy them a set of cute recipe cards, or print some out on card stock. There are tons of free printables available in patterns to suit both boys and girls.
2. Sit them down with your own recipes and cookbooks, using sticky notes to mark your children’s personal favorites as well as special family recipes. Make sure to include several simple recipes they can prepare themselves.
3. Provide pens or pencils and let the copying begin.

Younger, slower, or reluctant writers should have a time limit—perhaps five to ten minutes, depending on the child, but in general, keep this exercise to 20 minutes or less. Motivated writers will have so much fun that they may use this “writing” time as an excuse to avoid other schoolwork, so they’ll benefit from a timer as well.

As your children’s assortment of recipe cards grows, reward them with recipe dividers and a personalized file box to hold their collection.

They’ll treasure it someday, just as I treasure mine!

We can get it in our minds that “writing” means a composition with a proper introduction, conclusion, and three main points sandwiched in between. It’s easy to forget that although writing can be as complex as a research paper, it can also be as simple as making lists.

Writing with lists is still…writing!

Yep—list-making is a bona fide writing activity!

Most children like to create lists anyway, but writing out lists—from the mundane to the meaningful—also helps them become more organized. Taken a step further, when list-making is used as a brainstorming tool, it can even help students plan the elements of an essay or story.

So where do you start? Here are some suggestions for your budding list-makers:

• List your various personal possessions such as baseball cards, stuffed animals, shoes, or CDs.
• Inventory furniture in a room or items in a junk drawer, jewelry box, or medicine cabinet.
• List states you’ve traveled to, friends you know, or places you’d like to visit.
• Make lists of schoolwork, dates for soccer practice and games, family birthdays, to-do lists, etc.

Holiday list-making ideas

Ways We Can Serve Others

There are so many ways your family can think of others, particularly at the holidays. Encourage your kids to list ideas such as baking cookies for a neighbor, packing a shoebox for child in a third-world country, or giving away some of their own toys to needy children.

Christmas or Holiday Traditions

Make a list of your family’s favorite holiday activities. As an example, here’s a list of Kautzer Christmas traditions:

1. Watch lots of Christmas movies
2. Make gingerbread houses
3. Annual neighborhood cookie exchange party
4. Big family dinner Christmas Eve
5. New Christmas jammies
6. Candlelight service at 11 p.m.
7. Block off the stairway with toilet paper so no one sneaks downstairs Christmas morning
8. Stockings first, then breakfast, then presents under the tree
9. Freeze fresh peaches in July for Christmas breakfast
10. New ornament for each grandchild: Eli – snowmen; Grant - bears; Ryan – cookie ornaments; Hannah and Tiana – angels; Ginny – farm animals
11. Jesus got three gifts from the wise men, so each person gets three presents under the tree.

Christmas Wish Lists

Write out a wish list—and not just a list of things your child wants to get for Christmas (though that’s always fun too). In addition, how about a list that tells what your child thinks someone else would like. For example, Grandma might want:

1. Warm slippers.
2. A handwritten note from me.
3. A picture of me.
4. Someone to shovel snow from her sidewalk.
5. To go out to breakfast with Dad and me. 

Year-round list-making fun

Try some of these suggestions to spark ideas for using list-making as part of your schooling all year long. Though lists are useful and fun for all ages and learning styles, they especially appeal to reluctant writers or students with learning difficulties because they’re short, contained, and relevant.

1. Book of Lists. Buy each child a special spiral notebook or journal. This can become his or her own personal Book of Lists.
2. School Assignments. For starters, your children could make lists of books they’ve read this year, countries or states they’ve studied, Colonial American occupations they’ve learned about, American presidents, British monarchs, 27 prepositions, or eight items one might put into an historical time capsule.
3. 10 Things. Write a series of ”10 Things” lists: 10 New Year’s resolutions, 10 favorite cookies, 10 joyful moments, 10 things I should throw away, etc.
4. Adding Flair. Suggest illustrating some of the pages or adding personal photos or pictures cut from magazines or old calendars.
5. Lists Galore. Check out the Writing Fix Personal List Generator. This clever tool generates a random question, which your child answers by making a list. Should you want to take it one step further, there’s also an assignment for writing a related composition. If list-making is your goal, simply skip the composition. Alternatively, make note of the composition topic and assign it another time.
6. The List and Nothing but the List. Remember that the list itself can (and often should) be the goal. Don’t get hung up on needing to see paragraphs every time.

Share a comment: Make a list of any kind in the comment box, whether it’s today’s errand list, a list of supplies you need for a new project, or a list of skills you’d like to learn. Be creative!

2009 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, making this a great time to engage your kids in some holiday writing, whether stories, journals, essays, or reports. Here are some topic ideas you can suggest to get things rolling:

• Think of someone you know who might be spending Thanksgiving alone. Write a letter inviting them to dinner at your house. Include three reasons why you want them to come.
• Draw a picture of a Thanksgiving feast. Include your favorite foods. Next, use your five senses to describe each food, including appearance, taste, smell, and textures.
• Write an essay explaining what it means to be thankful.
• Think of 3-4 things you and your family are most grateful for. Explain why.
• Describe what you know about the first Thanksgiving.
• Tell about some of your Thanksgiving traditions. What role does each member of the family play?
• Explain why you love Thanksgiving. Are there any parts of the holiday you don’t enjoy?
• Would a turkey make a good pet? Why or why not? Use facts and opinions to explain your reasons.
• Explain how to grow a pumpkin.
• Bake a pumpkin pie. Ask someone to take photos of you along the way. Write an instruction manual explaining the process, using the photos to illustrate each step.
• Write a Thanksgiving story from a turkey’s point of view.
• Describe the perfect Thanksgiving.

Need more writing activities for Thanksgiving or fall? Check out our holiday and seasonal ideas!

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng.

A word bank is a place where a student can keep written words he’s learned or collected so that he can refer to them as needed. Useful for students of all ages, word banks serve several purposes:

• A storage place for writing ideas when the child is writing about a particular topic. He can gather from a word bank of themed words to create a story or poem.
• A vocabulary-development tool.
• A spelling resource he can go to during writing or editing.
• Inspiration!

Using Holiday-themed Word Banks

With fall in the air and Thanksgiving just around the corner, now’s the time to encourage your children to write seasonal and holiday-themed stories, poems, reports, and acrostics. As fun as this sounds, when your kiddos (old or young!) can’t think of what to write about, they often freeze in frustration. 

Helping them draw from a rich word bank that’s chock-full of seasonal ideas can spark and motivate even the most reluctant writer. Here are two word banks perfect for this favorite time of year!

Autumn Word Bank

autumn, fall, season, September, October, November, leaves, colors, brown, gold, yellow, red, orange, black, gray, smoke, bonfire, burning leaves, crunching, jumping, tossing, raking, leaf pile, path, trail, hike, meander, woods, forest, orchard, tree, maple, oak, branches, corn maze, cornstalks, Indian corn, squirrel, chipmunk, blue jay, brisk, chill, cold, icy, frost, breath, pumpkin patch, hay, bale, pumpkin carving, nuts, chestnuts, cinnamon, pumpkins, apples, spicy, cider, hot cocoa, coffee, soup, stew, chili, fire, warm, roaring, crackling, inviting, cozy, crisp, blustery, welcoming, sights, sounds, smells, deep blue sky, clouds, rain, wind, storm, breeze, flannel, denim, corduroy, wool, fleece

Thanksgiving Word Bank

holiday, Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, Mayflower, Plymouth, Indians, memories, grandparents, family, friends, football, dinner, ham, turkey, gravy, corn, pumpkin pie, crust, coffee, cream, sausage, stuffing, muffins, cornbread, rolls, potatoes, yams, green beans, vegetables, apples, cranberries, flaky, whipped, mashed, creamy, buttery, candied, sweet, rich, savory, golden, glazed, crisp, baking, roasting, cooking, steaming, serving, helping, sharing, table, platter, china, silver, tablecloth, lace, linen, candles, cornucopia, gourds, aroma, warm, food, faith, prayer, plenty, thankful, blessing, welcome, gathering, together, November, Thursday, parade

Making Your Own Themed Word Banks

When giving a writing assignment, have your student use prepared word banks such as the two above, or work alongside him as he creates his own. Here’s one idea:

Brainstorm with your child to assemble a fall word bank. Look at a book, magazine, or website containing colorful images of autumn or Thanksgiving. Ask questions to stimulate thought, such as:

• What do you see on this page that makes you think of fall?
• Name some fall colors.
• How do you think that icy windowpane feels?
• In this picture, what fall activity is the family involved in?

As you and your child think of autumn-related words, add them to your word bank. Older children can use a thesaurus later on to look up synonyms for some of their words, thus broadening their writing vocabulary.

Find more Thanksgiving writing activities here and here—great ways to apply these new word bank ideas!

Copyright 2009 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.

. . . . .

Word banks are such great tools for helping kids expand their writing vocabulary, which is why we’ve included 17 exhaustive word lists in our WriteShop I and WriteShop II student books—lists such as texture words, personification, and emotions.

And in each of our WriteShop Primary books, younger children are encouraged to make Portable Word Banks, including season words, color words, and spelling words.

Who says writing must always mean a report or an essay? While it’s important that our kids know these skills, let’s face it: not everyone loves to write.

A More Painless Approach

Ben wasn’t so keen on writing when he was a kid. Even as a young teen, writing gave him no end of grief.  Imagine his joy when I would give him a choice between a history report and some sort of project. The project always won.

One year, he made an amazing tri-fold display of the Renaissance and Reformation. He loved searching through old National Geographics (bought for a dime apiece at our library bookstore) for the perfect photos. Then he spent hours arranging them just so for a beautiful display. Writing a short report on the Renaissance didn’t seem so painful when it accompanied the project.

And what young boy doesn’t love all things soldier-ish and warlike? So it came as no surprise that Ben opted to make a Greek Hoplite helmet and shield as his 6th-grade Ancient Greece project. The little article that accompanied it, on the subject of Hoplite soldiers, was actually fun for him to write because he’d had such a great time learning about their armor, weapons, and ways of war.

Projects as Writing Alternatives

Special projects allow students to explore a subject in more depth without having to prove their knowledge the “traditional” way—via a long, dreary report.

Projects make great hands-on ways to study topics of special interest. Sure, some might end up as reports, but often a project will incorporate writing while allowing the student’s skills, talents, and passions to shine through. A project can:

• Appeal to different interests and learning styles.
• Immerse your student in a subject he’s crazy about.
• Call upon his unique skills and talents to create the project.
• Incorporate writing without the need for the writing to dominate.

One of Ben’s favorite projects was the construction of a sand pyramid and Sphinx. Living just an hour from the beach afforded us the freedom to head south for the day so Ben could make his project. He carefully carved and sculpted a fabulous Great Pyramid with a really cool replica of the Sphinx. We preserved his efforts on camera, and for his actual project, he made a flip book detailing the steps of the process in photos and words. The waves long ago washed away his sculptures, but they remain forever captured in his imaginative flip book.

Disguising the Broccoli

Writing across the curriculum gives students a chance to dovetail writing with other subjects you’re studying. Combining writing with history, art, music, or literature gives a child greater reasons for writing than “because I told you.” And just as hiding broccoli under cheese sauce makes it easier for veggie-phobes to eat their greens, combining a writing activity with a fun project makes the writing part easier to swallow too.

So as you begin to plan your lessons for summer or fall, why not provide your struggling or less-than-enthusiastic writer with an opportunity to gain some success through a project?

Projects shouldn’t take the place of other writing. After all, your kids still need to know how to write stories, essays, reports, and letters. But a project that includes writing will expand your student’s knowledge, vocabulary, and writing skills as he builds, draws, sculpts, paints, cooks, compares, or composes.

I’ve got so many great ideas for projects that appeal to all sorts of learners. Check back now and then for more ideas to spark writing in a brand-new way!

And if you’re a WriteShop user, you’ll be excited to know there’s a Writing Across the Curriculum section in Appendix B to help you tie each WriteShop assignment into other subjects you’re studying. No projects here, but at least you can direct the lesson toward history or science and kill two birds with one stone!

 - – - – -

Attending the CHEA Convention in Long Beach, CA next week? I’m presenting a Writing Across the Curriculum workshop with lots more great ideas! –Kim

Want to add a little fun to your younger students’ school day? Give your daughter a princess wand and your son a wooden sword. What? You’re not studying medieval history? That’s OK, because I’m talking about using these, and other amusing objects, for teaching reading and writing!

Pointers are fun and educational. They help children track words better, strengthening reading and writing skills. Gather or make a collection of pointers and keep them in a jar or can in your school area.

Just about any long, thin implement makes a fabulous pointer that you can use to enhance your teaching time. Practical pointers include a ruler, or other object readily available around the house. For more whimsical pointers, consider the wand or sword as well as funky knitting needles, fancy chopsticks, wooden spoons painted with faces, or dowels with unusual pencil-toppers glued to one end. And check out your local dollar store to see what you can find. After all, you’re bound only by your imagination! Have another idea for a fun pointer? Feel free to comment.

Let your kindergartener, first, or second grader choose a pointer from the jar. With her pointer, she can “read the room” by pointing to print that is familiar to her:

• Alphabet chart
• Calendar (month, days of the week, numbers)
• Familiar words on posters, wall charts, book covers, and boxes

More Ways to Use Pointers

1. Letter Hunt. Ask your child to search out and point to all the Aa’s or Mm’s or Rr’s he can find around the room.
2. I Spy. Go to a room where words are visibly displayed on books, magazines, games, cans, boxes, or wall art. Say, “I spy five vowels,” “I spy an upper-case D,” or “I spy three nouns,” and let your child search and point.
3. Tracking. When working on writing with your young student, write on a white board or large sheet of chart paper. Help your child use a pointer to track words in a sentence as you read them aloud together.
4. Elements of a sentence or paragraph. According to her skill level, ask your child to use her pointer to identify ending punctuation, capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, or paragraph indentation. Again, writing on the white board or large sheet of paper makes it easier for the child to track writing and use the pointer.

If pointers and other engaging, hands-on activities appeal to you, you’ll find these and many more practical ideas within the lessons of WriteShop Primary.

Edited: Book A, the first level in this writing curriculum series for K-3rd grade, is now available. You can learn more about it by visiting our website!