Oct 20, 2016 by Yolanda Fontanez-Coleman | Writing
Today is National Writing Day! NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English, encourages all students to celebrate writing in all formats: through photography, film and graphics. Encourage writing using all different modalities: pens, markers, crayons, computers and chalk etc.
Here are some simple ways to encourage writing and get your creative juices flowing:
Picture Prompts:
Give students picture prompts as their inspiration for writing. Connect these pictures with your literacy theme. Kids will be inspired to design stories tailored around these specific photos. A great way to help the reluctant writer is to find photos that are geared to their specific interests. These students will enjoy writing about what their particular hobbies or interests.
Partner Writing:
Partner each student with a classmate and have them work together on a writing piece. They can take turns writing parts of the story or they can be assigned a certain part of the story. They will have a great time collaborating with each other. The creativity will flow and they will love the partner writing experience.
Song Writing:
Ask your students to write a song about a certain theme, topic or event. They can pick a tune or rhythm of their choosing. They can present their song to the class or they can record their song. These “songs” are a wonderful way to get students to practice their written expression.
Though today we encourage writing because it is National Writing Day, we strongly encourage making writing a daily part of your child’s world! Fostering a love of writing will promote literacy, creativity and imagination.
How will you foster the love of writing in your classroom or home?