Mrs. Nite's writing resources

Writing

Let's Write!

One of the most important parts of knowing how to write well is to feel comfortable doing it. The magic in writing comes from the ideas you have. Let ideas flow, as they would if you were talking. The beauty of the written word is that you can always go back and make changes: rearrange the ideas, correct the spelling, add new ideas, take out ideas that don't fit. The important thing is to think of writing as a reflection of your thoughts.

Here are some things you can do:

Show that you write often to make lists, take down messages, write notes to the school, write letters to friends.
Write to your child: put a note in a lunch bag, make a birthday poster, send a postcard from work.
Play writing and spelling games: have family spelling bees, do crossword puzzles, play scrabble, play waiter or waitress.
Explain that math problems are a form of writing. 2 + 3= 5 is a sentence.
Talk about why people write. Are they giving step-by-step instructions, telling a story according to when the events happened, describing how something looks, or trying to convince someone to do something?
Have your child help you write out your shopping lists or errand list.

Writing Activities

Cartoon Journal
1.Make or buy a journal.
2.After your child has watched a cartoon have them write a journal entry.
3. Date every entry.
4. Some ideas for topic are: What was your favorite part and why? What happened in the beginning, middle and end? Who is the main character and what do they look like?

Story Maker

1. Pick some of your child's favorite animals, book or television characters, or people he or she knows to write about.
2. Plan a story, talking about what happens to the characters.
3. Ask your child questions: "What happens after Jose finds the magic box?" "What do you think Emily would do to get away from the bear?"
4. Have your child write down the story in using sound out spelling.

Pen Pals
1.Choose a family member or friend that your child can write to. (A child or an adult)
2.Have them write to the choose person as often as you choose. Some ideas are monthly, or on special holidays.

Investigative Reporting

1. Have your child gather information by interviewing someone in your family or your neighborhood.
2. Together, choose questions for the interview. Did the person live during a particularly exciting time in history? Did he or she accomplish a major achievement? What does the person do for a living?
3. Look at examples of written interviews in magazines. Using this format, have your child write down the responses from the interview.
4. Have your child edit the interview to cut out ideas that are repeated, to remove halting phrases such as "uh," or "you know", or to put the information in order by topic (sometimes when people talk, they jump back and forth from topic to topic).