Top Three Creative Ideas to Keep Writing Skills Sharp During the Summer
Top Three Creative Ideas
Keep Writing Skills Sharp During The Summer
During the summer, many kids fall into the “summer slide” and keeping academic skills sharp takes a back seat to playing outside, going on a vacation, and hanging out with friends and family. However, summer is a great time to explore creative writing opportunities and stimulate the mind, whether you are in the backyard or at the beach.
There are many ways to keep kids interested in writing and sharpen their skills through the summer months.
1. Start a Family Book Club
Compile a list of books that appeals to all family members and have the kids choose one that they would like to read. While reading through the book, each family member can draw a picture of a character and write a brief description of him/her.
Another idea to encourage writing during the summer is to write a book together as a family. Decide on a theme that everyone would like to write about and use your imagination to work together on creating a masterpiece. Indirectly, you can discuss the elements of a good story with a child. These include the setting, characters, plot (which includes the conflict), point of view, and theme.
2. Create a Journal
Being outdoors opens up an array of possibilities for a child to record observations about his/her surroundings. Help a child make a daily journal and show him/her how to make qualitative observations using the senses, as well as quantitative observations – which are made with instruments such as rulers, thermometers, and balances. Some ideas for observations that kids can write about include examining plants, beach, bodies of water, insects, flowers, trees, birds, and rocks.
3. Create a Poem
Writing a poem or song is great way to develop a child’s imagination and visualization skills. It allows kids to express themselves about something that has meaning in their lives in a creative way. It also enhances their use of different vocabulary.
There are many different types of poems, each with a different format and rhyming scheme. One way of encouraging a child to write a poem is by providing him/ her with a defined structure.
(Continued on page 2)
