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.
Different kinds of poetry
Haiku – are comprised of three non-rhyming lines where the first and third lines have five syllables each and the second line has seven syllables.
Limerick – a humorous poem comprised of five lines. The first, second, and fifth lines have seven to ten syllables while rhyming and have the same verbal rhythm. The third and fourth lines have five to seven syllables while rhyming and have the same verbal rhythm.
Acrostic Poem – the first letter of each line of the poem spells out a word which summarizes the meaning of the poem. For example, the first line of a poem about “Beach” would start with “B” the second line with “E” and so on and so forth.
Ballad – a narrative poem that retells an event in history, in the news, or in your life. It is composed in short stanzas, typically rhymes, and is often adapted for singing.
Free Verse – a type of poem that does not require any rhyme scheme or meter.
If a child struggles with an idea, you can suggest some prompts:
- “l love summer because…”
- “Today is a great day because…”
- “The day is perfect because…”
Another way of helping a child get started on writing a poem is to have him/her describe the theme of the poem using each of the five senses. Let’s say the topic is about the beach. What does the beach look like, feel like, smell like, sound like, and taste like? Piquing the senses is sometimes all a child needs to create a masterpiece and keep their skills sharp just in time for the start of the school year.
“Writing is the most fun you can have by yourself.”
~ Terry Pratchett (novelist)
More Reading Help
- What Parents Need to Know to Help Their Special Needs Child Read [1]
- Reading and Writing Strategies for Struggling Students [2]
- Tips from a Tutor About Reading [3]
- Optimize Reading Posture {Tip 1 of 31} [4]
- Want to Help Your Child with Reading? Ask These Two Questions! [5]
- Reading Success [6]
- ASK Angie ASL – Reading Tips [7]
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